Which MacBook?

June 29, 2009 3:10 PM

Which MacBook should I get?

I've saved up a bit of money working so far this summer and I'd like to buy a new Apple laptop. Right now I pretty much use my current computer (a 2002 Dell) for basic stuff - internet, word processing, DVD's, Hulu, etc. - and I don't really see that changing.

But I feel like I made a mistake when I bought the Dell of not getting enough computer; I went for a pretty basic model, and it started to feel pretty slow after just a year of having it. As the internet got more complex and you could do more stuff with a computer, using my computer became more and more of an exercise in patience.

So one of my primary objectives is to buy something that's still going to feel relatively snappy for basic computing in 2-3 years.

Looking at probably a 13" (though I might be able to be talked into the 15") and I really like the look of the unibody design, so I've kind of narrowed it down to the two models of the new 13" MacBook, a refurb 15" of the last gen MacBooks, or (splurge!) a new 15" Macbook.

Does this sound about right? And if it does, which do you think will fit my needs best?

posted by joshuaconner to computers & internet (25 comments total)

The bigger models don't actually offer that much more computer for your money over the smaller ones - processor bumps are quite modest. I'd strongly suggest going for the small one, and if you need it, spending some of the savings on a nice big external monitor. I've got a year-old 2.4ghz white Macbook and it still feels very speedy and can absolutely handle everything I throw at it, which can often mean running Photoshop while iTunes is playing and a web browser's open and something's torrenting...

Go with the 13" unibody and you'll have class, style, speed, and everything else you could want, for quite a long time, while keeping as many dollars in your pocket as possible.
posted by Tomorrowful at 3:15 PM on June 29 [1 favorite]

Quick follow-up re: the 13" model. Worth the extra $300 to go to the 2.53ghz model?

I'm a bit paranoid about future-proofing.
posted by joshuaconner at 3:19 PM on June 29

I like my 13" because I need my MacBook to be mobile. The extra 2" made the 15" feel heavier and the screen huge. I used to have a 12" G4 and loved that more than I like the 13". Small is good if you're planning on computing on the road. If you don't need large print you might not need large screens. On the other hand, I'm convinced you can't get enough hard drive. I got 250Gb and am already running out of storage space. Get as big a hard drive as you can afford.
posted by birdwatcher at 3:19 PM on June 29

Any MacBook will be able to handle the basics for years to come with no problem.
posted by mpls2 at 3:19 PM on June 29

I second Tomorrowful's recommendation. I'm considering one myself. I currently have the second generation 15" macbook pro (which is a fine laptop) but it is a bit bulky for carting around. I think the 13" is a perfect balance for cost/performance and size.
posted by purephase at 3:20 PM on June 29

Either one will be plenty fast for the Internet. I'd say 13" unless you're into photography or video editing (or want the better video card for games) and if you feel like you sometimes need a bigger screen for productivity, get an external monitor.

On preview: no, not worth the $300.
posted by starman at 3:20 PM on June 29

The difference in specs between the 13" and 15" are not terribly high. If your choice between the 13" and 15" has come down to speed, I wouldn't worry about it that much.

If you go for the 13", it wouldn't hurt to get a RAM upgrade along the way.

On preview:
Quick follow-up re: the 13" model. Worth the extra $300 to go to the 2.53ghz model?

I'm a bit paranoid about future-proofing.

Doubtful, although that price does include an upgrade to 4gb of RAM as well. If it was me, I'd go for the lower end one and buy RAM aftermarket.
posted by threetoed at 3:22 PM on June 29 [1 favorite]

I really like the current 13" Macbook Pro. The battery life is a big step up over the previous generation (which also was good). The size is sleek and easy to handle. If you need a bigger monitor, plug in an external. Computing power is good. Price is good.

I like the SD slot on the newest MBPs, which can be used as emergency boot drives—that's brilliant, being able to have an emergency boot drive the size of a postage stamp.
posted by adamrice at 3:22 PM on June 29

I've got a white 13" from a couple of years ago, which is great for normal usage. I have a large external monitor for film and photo editing, and general usage. It's very portable (as far as these things go), but it does feel slow in Lightroom, Photoshop and Final Cut.

I would recommend more RAM, but not from Apple. The upgrade doesn't sound worth it to me.
posted by Magnakai at 3:25 PM on June 29

I have the 13" MacBook and I love it. I got it right when it came out in October. If I could have, I would have bought it refurbished to save some money on it. I do miss the FireWire port, as my external HD was rendered useless.
posted by iliketolaughalot at 3:28 PM on June 29

If it were me, I wouldn't bother with the extra $300 for the marginally faster option - consider that you're talking about money equal to about a quarter of the cost of a whole new Macbook; I'd rather save that cash and buy a replacement a couple of months sooner than I otherwise would, down the line
posted by Tomorrowful at 3:30 PM on June 29

Get the standard 13" model and add aftermarket RAM. You will be plenty future-proof.

(I've also found that Mac hardware/software tends to age better than same-spec PCs).
posted by General Malaise at 3:31 PM on June 29

It might make sense to hold off on the aftermarket RAM until Snow Leopard is released because (if I understand correctly) it will allow for more than the current max. of 4 Gigs.
posted by bonobothegreat at 3:35 PM on June 29

Just to affirm everyone else, go for the "low end"(heh) unibody 13" and add after market RAM (& HD) as necessary. The $300 difference for the faster processor would be better spent on AppleCare.
posted by dirm at 3:36 PM on June 29

I'm typing this on the 13" MBP unibody I bought a couple of weeks ago. I'd been holding out, still loving my 12" powerbook, despite its slowness (I'd maxed out the RAM). This here is the base 13" model. I'll upgrade the RAM at some point when the prices come down a little more.

It's speedy and shiny. I can't believe how fast CS4 launches. Hulu and youtube videos no longer stutter. The external speakers actually work all the time, not intermittently. And if it weighs more than my powerbook, I can't tell the difference.

I can't really give you advice about future-proofing, since I bought my 12" powerbook refurbed about five years ago; our thoughts on future-proofing are probably quite different. But this new MBP is glorious.
posted by rtha at 3:39 PM on June 29

Dirm has it summarized perfectly for me, so a big second to all that.

The small processor boost is not worth it, spend the money on RAM for better performance instead. 4Gb is the sweet price/performance sweet spot right now. Less than $100.

The clown is also correct: that Refurb page on the Apple store website is golden. I have used it many times and the products are new and perfect in every way discernible without a CSI lab. Full warranty too.
posted by rokusan at 3:42 PM on June 29

That $300 gets you another 2gig of RAM (4 gig total), bigger hard drive, as well as the extra processor speed. I would normally say save your money for aftermarket upgrades or a monitor though. For $300 you can buy an good name external 1TB drive and top shelf RAM, or a 23" flat screen. And 13" unibody is the way to go, for sure.
posted by sophist at 3:44 PM on June 29

Okay, hive mind, you're the boss! 13" MBP bought!

Thank you so much, everyone. Really. So very full of happiness and gratitude right now.
posted by joshuaconner at 3:57 PM on June 29

The sweet spot for price/performance at the moment is definitely the 13" MacBook pro for $1200. It's better than the $999 Macbook in a bunch of ways, and retains almost all of the advantages of the more expensive & larger MacBook Pro models.

Several thoughts:

- The first limitation you are likely to run into with the $1200 stock model is the hard drive -- 160 gb is really pretty paltry these days. You can customize the model with a bigger hard drive, but Apple charges quite a bit above the going market rate for hard drive upgrades these days. To get the most drive-for-your buck, it's cheaper to buy a laptop hard drive yourself such as this 500 gig drive for $99 from Newegg. Plus, if you get the drive at the same time as you get the computer and swap it out before you put any files on it, it really is quite easy and should not take you more than 15 minutes and some time to reinstall the system software onto the computer.
- The second limitation you might run into is RAM. That model comes with 2 gigs, which really is more then enough for most things, but if you really want to future-proof yourself you can buy more ram as well. As with the hard drive, you can buy this directly from Apple but you'll pay a premium for it. It looks like the going rate for two 2gig sticks (which is what you'll need to upgrade to 4 gigs total) is about $60 these days.

So, if you put those both together for about $1370 you can get a very decent machine that will last you quite awhile.

Finally, if your going to be spending all of this money on a new Mac, please do yourself a favor and buy an external hard drive for backups of your data as well if you don't already have one. Apple's Time Machine backup software really is excellent, and it's dead simple to setup, and once you got it configured all you need to do is remember to plug in the drive every once in awhile and you are done. It really could not be simpler.
posted by dyslexictraveler at 4:03 PM on June 29 [1 favorite]

Make sure you get the extended Applecare warranty.
posted by hamsterdam at 4:22 PM on June 29 [1 favorite]

Except if you get the extended AppleCare warranty, it won't cover aftermarket RAM or hard drives -- it may be worth paying the premium if you think that the RAM or hard drive you bought might break in the next three years.
posted by trouserlouse at 7:01 PM on June 29

I got the 13" MacBook solid body, the one they just revamped as the 13" MacBookPro and you know what? I'm not miffed one bit because it just confirmed my hunch that this machine was "pro" to begin with. Go for it and you won't regret it. My oft repeated advice, buy you Apple Care on eBay and it will cost you half as much as the store. Seriously, you'll save at least a hundred bucks!
posted by furtive at 7:44 PM on June 29

If you're willing to spend some extra money, consider the Solid State Drive as an option. I have one, and *love* the speed it gives me.
posted by DreamerFi at 3:58 AM on June 30

Just don't get the white macbook. The build quality is terrible. I don't know a single person who has one with a correctly working trackpad.
posted by cellphone at 6:24 AM on June 30

Six weeks later: love my 13" (basic model). It thows up a beachball very occasionally (usually when I'm watching fullscreen video), but other than that has been a completely flawless experience. Hooray!
posted by joshuaconner at 3:57 PM on August 17