Should I Buy a Mac Book Pro
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Buy me one, I’ll test it for you :-)
that’s a good idea. i thought it be good to buy one for myself first
Absolutley, better you than me being the early adopter…
NC
Silly poll choices. “Waste your money?”
I’d have:
o Absolutely, a new laptop is always handy and it’s a fast new Mac godammit!
o Probably, If you need a new notebook, are happy with a 15″ screen and the apps you use have Universal Binaries or good performance under Rosetta.
o Maybe, if you don’t need the ports the older models have (FireWire 800, PCMCIA) and are prepared to put up with some transition pain.
o Unlikely, there will be more choice in a few months with 12″ and 17″ models available (and possibly an ultra-small form facto) and more peripherals for the new expansion slot.
o Definitely not, a Revision A product is always fraught with problems, let someone else be the guinea pig.
And out of these choices, I’d go for the middle or second to last choice.
Wait for the Tablet version
Knowing who you are, it is probably a difficult choice.
Here is what I think:
a)Dont buy one now. Why? Because you complain about Mac OS being a niche market and Mac OS + Intel is a much smaller niche market. I am not saying that nobody will buy them but it will take some time before developers release software for the machine that gives you any speed advantage. Right now, everything you may use except maybe for iLife or iWork will run slower or at nearly the same speed that on a Power PC Mac.
b) buy one if you really want FrontRow but don’t forget what you are giving up to get it
Om, the blogosphere should be buying YOU a MacBook Pro.
Where’s the option for “wait 6 months because it smells like stop-gap and Apple clearly has something with some fun new functionality cooking”? All that chat about tablet related patents would stop me opening my wallet right now.
Do it! I love my 20″ Intel iMac! ;)
I’ve been battling with the same question. You have to ask yourself what you’re going to use it for. Personally, I would use it for graphics dev and generally running a million programs at once. I don’t see you using it for things like that.
I’d recommend waiting until the revision “B” of the MacBook.
There have been significant issues with past Apple laptop lines.
To pick up a new laptop, on a new platform from Apple at this point is more an act of faith than an act of reason.
Good Luck.
Only you know if your two G4 PowerBooks are not fast enough, but just like the first 3 revs of OS X were slower than OS 9, it will take some time for apps to go universal and really reap the benefits.
Also, the current machines are hobbled to 32-bit mode only, even though the processors are 64-bit capable. That sounds backwards for professional use,. When the next version of Photoshop hits the shelves, you will have the delicate choice of either 64 bits or Intel compatibility.
I think I am going to ride the next year or two. Then again, I am sitting pretty on a G5 desktop, not a notebook.
fazal… that really hurt. oh well, i guess all of you have convinced me… wait and be patient about this whole thing. i wonder if everyone is taking that approach.
This version is for the developers.
Wait a while – there was a certain ‘meh’ in the air about the macbook pro when it was announced. Almost as if there was something more interesting coming but it wasn’t ready yet. The recent tablet-like rumours and patent filings from apple suggest somehting a little more revolutionary is in production. For example, the tilt-sensor-as-input-device snippets here and there point to something a lot more fun than a re-skinned powerbook.
Wait for the Mac Book/iBook to come out and then make your choice.
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I am asking the same question… Do i or do i not buy a macbook pro. I have the money, and I may not have it in july (which seems so so far away..) I want to wait, but I don’t know if I can… my ibook has served me well, 4 years now, but its time… arghh decisions..
Om, Following your survey, you indicate…”This poll reports only the opinions of the actual respondents and is not representative of any group or the public as a whole.”
“Only the opinions of the actual respondents?” That verbiage discounts the value of such affinity-group surveys as yours – and suggests that only surveys derived from “representative panels” are of any use! It is precisely the BIASED nature of your sample of respondents that makes it so valuable. The biases of your readers are incredibly valuable.
hey max,
that was the boilerplate that comes with the poll service. i did not even know it was going to show up. anyway i have my polls coming up. we will be using the fabulous php polls script.
get a #2 buzzcut and a speedo and you will be able to make a choice
How about an Intel dual Core Mac Tablet ?
I pulled the trigger. Im still on a G3 ibook and it wasnt getting it done as I used my PC for big imaging i was doing. So heres hoping it rocks.
Hey Om,
One thing worth considering. When can you get one.
I spoke to a local apple store today and they told me that the macbooks had now been pushed back to march.
I wonder if the power PC apps can run on the intel MBP?
Go and buy this gadget I love it, I want it one too, but wait until my money enough :(
i bougth it, its the best laptop i ever experienced to use
its too fast , the screen i has the best resolution and brigthness safari runs like a thunder , its trully the future , forget about rosetta , the no native apps run twice as faster than the previusly g4s ( i have one ) , remember when u get yor firt powerbook , it change the way you use and see computers , this is the future , recomended ( i didnt even have to wait i went to comp usa thats it
Just get it. Had a PowerMac 6100 66MHZ 10 yrs ago, switched to PC’s and have been living miserably throughout the years bacause I needed it for work. No longer a case now!!! I now have my Mac Book Pro 2.0GHZ. Aside from the heat sometimes (not really too much of a problem for me), and the slight whine sometimes (wonder if they can resolve it through a softwrae update?), it is truly an amazing innovation to pack so much in such a small place. Just get it if you need a laptop, you will love it.
Im having the same problem..Im new to Macs and never had a PowerBook..so which should I buy..I could give a rats ass about speed what about future programs will they be coded for PPC chips, that is my concern. I would really like the 17″ version..and Im really not sure I can wait..unless someone tells me to go ahead and buy a 17″ Powerbook… I need help and advice soon. I will be using the computer for video and graphic work(web pages and such..Dreamweaver8) you can contact me at toasterflyer@hotmail.com
Thanks. RIch
http://www.adobe.com/products/pdfs/intelmacsupport.pdf
ADOBE’s OFFICIAL COMMENTS ON THE SITUATION
I am a serious graphic designer and have a nice g5 at home… i need a laptop and i need it now and i need it to work! I’m buying a g4 17inch this week (refurbished of course $500 less) because i don’t want to mess with updates. I really think it comes down to if you are using it for creative means.
I’m waiting… so many people still are creating amaizing work with thier g4 desktops because they can depend on them. I need 100% dependability.
Not many professionals will have this product until the new versions of the Adobe Creative Suite and Studio 8 come out… i will sell my laptop then which will be 1-2 years old to buy the upgrade. Check e-bay; the resell value for these products are quite impressive.
Thats my plan. :D
I got one as my G4 Powerbook had an accident, so I upgraded with my insurance. It is presently slower for what I need it for which is sound design and music composition as some of the programmes seem to take ages to process and turn on, however this will change. The keyboard is lovely and a pleasure to use amongst a brilliant screen. It is still a mac and that is all thaqt matters and I didnt feel it worth having something that would soon be out of date (within 6 months). So from this angle it is worth the wait and spending the money! I have not found anything yet that does not work, just a slow startup for the programmes. A nice 22seconds for the strartup for OSX is nice too!
So if you’re thinking of upgrading, dont get left behind, this is a serious machine and will get all the benefits in time.
Good luck
Please wait!
Mac have stopped doing any form of Beta testing on their machines, due to the cost involved. Instead they use the first set of customers as guinea pigs to test new systems, remember how bad osx was when it first came out; therefore it will take them a while to iron out all of the problems.
I recently heard that a friend of mine is on his 4th Mac book pro after all of the other mechines apperared to be faulty. So i would wait untill Apple have finished making the nessary adjustments to these machines
I’ve had a Mac Book Pro for three months now and so far, the DVD drive has jammed twice and now the display has malfunctioned. Apple takes 10 days to repair and how can you equate the loss of productivity, and ultimately loss of earnings, let alone the inconvenience?
I am a new customer of Apple and I would not recommend their ‘professional’ products unless you, like me, work in the design industry and have no other option but to buy mac.
It’s not the wasted money but the waste of time that has affected me the most. I have little faith in my MBP to perform reliably in the future. Mac’s solution to poor quality of product, “buy our extended warranty for peace of mind”… Fantastic!
It would be a joke if it were funny.
They just don’t compare to the fast PC laptops — my 3 Ghz PC out performs the macs in every way. As a professional designer I am always dealing with slow producing Macs, it’s a waste of everyone’s time and money. No pros use the iSoftware for professional production yet some would have you believe that these consumer programs are all you’ll need. Intel chips and Windows XP support? I think it’s pretty obvious who sets the standards in this game. Macs are for folks who want to think they have it all and spend in the same state of mind. Thumbs down to the new mac book pro — however I am awaiting the second and third versions 0f these laptops, if they can get it right I will consider the mac that can compete with my PC. Both platforms on one machine is very tempting. After all Macs do look cool but that’s about it, they are too slow!!
I Just got the fastest, smallest. best looking computer i have ever had! A 15.5 Mac Book Pro Core Duo 1.83 GHz memory = 1GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM. If I could have afforded the top of the line MBP I’m not sure I would notice any difference. Benchmarks are great for bragging rights and Nerds. Being a graphic designer I need fast, reliable and stable. It’s a beauty from every angle, with Garage Band, I can make my own Loops, jingles, sound effects and voice overs, movie clips, all of that and more right out of the box. There will always be the next ‘Big, New & improved, More powerful, Faster, will polish the silver and walk the dog. Well I’m more than happy, It’s nice that my MBP gets outright Oooo’s and Ahhh’s but I love the flirtive looks MBP get’s, it’s like a Great looking suit & pollished shoes or 501’s with an Abercrombe ‘T’. A great hair cut makes you look better so dose a MBP!
Should Om Buy a MacBook Pro