Should i buy MBP 2011 or wait for the next product release?

[hektor]

Hi Friends,
As i will be leaving for the U.S for my higher studies this Fall(provided my VISA gets approved ), i am in need of a laptop.I've so badly wanted a Macbook Pro for sooooo long(no specific reason- just the stability of the Mac OS and the gorgeous looks). I was thinking of buying it from the U.S sometime in September when i get there. But i've recently read that Intel's new IvyBridge should be out next year, which should be way better SNB in the current MBP.
So now i'm confused whether to get the current one or wait for the new ones to be released next year?

I will be going for M.S in Electrical and Computer Engineering, focusing on Embedded Systems, so i will most probably have to do some Matlab work, Linux programming,Shell scripting etc.. The MBP should be able to handle all of this perfectly well rite ???

 

[Sub]

There's no point waiting - just buy it when you are there in September.

You might want to do some research before jumping to the Mac OS X bandwagon - it is not without its share of flaws, and the "stability" is only applicable if you use it for casual means (i.e. web browsing, etc.). Simple things that you have taken for granted in Windows will go missing. On the other hand, it being a personal preference thing, you might prefer the interface more. There are also Mac malware popping up these days and it is inherently a much less secure OS than Windows 7. In recent "hacking competitions" Mac OS X and Safari are consistently the first OS and browsers to fail. The only thing saving Mac these years was the low market share, but even that is steadily increasing now and there are several articles on the net predicting Mac OS X will be overflowing with malware and viruses before the end of the year. So, keep your expectations in check, and do some research. Don't believe the urban hype.

 

[sunny27]

get yourself a thinkpad!

 

[nitant]

They just launched. So update will happen next year only. Plus you wont be able to survive without a laptop.

 

[ronnie_gogs]

I am in the exact same position and want a 13-14 incher with good backup or powerful hardware...

Currently considering-
Macbook Pro 13.3 Inch around 59k (Outside) 69k (India)
Alienware M14x around 60-65k (Outside) 83k (India)
Sony S Series 57k
Dell Vostro 3350 53.5k

 

[vizmax]

Being a student in the US, you should get better deals which are exclusive to students. Some Universities have special deals with certain brands. So look for deals once you get there.

In case you are inclined towards MacBooks, i would suggest u wait for a while, atleast till the new MacOS Lion is released. May be you don't get hardware upgrades, but from what apple is showcasing, the OS part itself can be worth the wait.

 

[babu.mohan10]

You did not mention which model you are considering - 13 or 15 or the 17 inch.

The 15 and 17 inch MBP with i7 Quad Core CPUs will be able to handle anything and everything except hardcore gaming at Full HD resolution.

And like everyone else mentioned, no point waiting. Ivybridge MBP are still one year away at the very least.

--- Updated Post - Automerged ---

I am in the exact same position and want a 13-14 incher with good backup or powerful hardware...

Currently considering-

Macbook Pro 13.3 Inch around 59k (Outside) 69k (India)

Alienware M14x around 60-65k (Outside) 83k (India)

Sony S Series 57k

Dell Vostro 3350 53.5k

I would rule out the Dell Vostro and MBP 13 if you're looking for "powerful" hardware. Between the Vaio S and M14X hands down the M14X is better and more powerful but also bulky and not very portable. So it depends on what is more important to you- battery life and portability or raw power.

 

[vantheman5211]

get yourself a thinkpad!

get yourself out of the 80's

go for the mbp.it can easilt cover you for 3 or more years.also do get apple care.

 

[ronnie_gogs]

^^ What r you talking about Thinkpads are very good laptops and cost upward of 84k for the T series.... Tough laptop which can withstand a glass of water being poured in and still manage to work

 

[hektor]

When will MacOS Lion be released for the new MBP's? Later this year or next? Also it it like Once Lion is released, all MBP's will ship with Lion preloaded ???

And what about the malware problems for Mac OS X? I'll be using it for browsing,movies and for Bootcamp work as well. Have a PS3 for gaming(thinking of whether to take it along.. it could ruin my studies ) .

 

[neojjjk]

@ op -win 7 is better than mac .

Newegg.com - Acer Aspire AS5742G-6480 Notebook Intel Core i3 380M(2.53GHz) 15.6" 4GB Memory 500GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M

Newegg.com - ASUS K42 Series K42JY-A1 Notebook Intel Core i5 480M(2.66GHz) 14" 4GB Memory DDR3 1066 500GB HDD 7200rpm DVD Super Multi AMD Radeon HD 6470M

Newegg.com - ASUS U43 Series U43JC-B1 Notebook w/ NVIDIA Optimus Intel Core i5 460M(2.53GHz) 14" 4GB Memory DDR3 1066 640GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce 310M + Intel HD

Newegg.com - MSI CX640-071US Notebook Intel Core i3 2310M(2.10GHz) 15.6" 4GB Memory 500GB HDD DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M

 

[babu.mohan10]

@ op -win 7 is better than mac .

Newegg.com - Acer Aspire AS5742G-6480 Notebook Intel Core i3 380M(2.53GHz) 15.6" 4GB Memory 500GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M

Newegg.com - ASUS K42 Series K42JY-A1 Notebook Intel Core i5 480M(2.66GHz) 14" 4GB Memory DDR3 1066 500GB HDD 7200rpm DVD Super Multi AMD Radeon HD 6470M

Newegg.com - ASUS U43 Series U43JC-B1 Notebook w/ NVIDIA Optimus Intel Core i5 460M(2.53GHz) 14" 4GB Memory DDR3 1066 640GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce 310M + Intel HD

Newegg.com - MSI CX640-071US Notebook Intel Core i3 2310M(2.10GHz) 15.6" 4GB Memory 500GB HDD DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M

Haha true! But the OP is interested in Mac OS so no point trying to get him to Win 7 camp

 

[sunny27]

get yourself out of the 80's

go for the mbp.it can easilt cover you for 3 or more years.also do get apple care.

this shows how unsound and incompetent you are when it comes to technology!

 

[ronnie_gogs]

I would rule out the Dell Vostro and MBP 13 if you're looking for "powerful" hardware. Between the Vaio S and M14X hands down the M14X is better and more powerful but also bulky and not very portable. So it depends on what is more important to you- battery life and portability or raw power.

Well I said either power or backup...

The Mac Book Pro 13.3 incher with the HD3000 can be used for light gaming such as tf2 and CS: Source which is all I all I play.... So it suits me just fine and with the 6+ hours of battery life its just great for long boring travelling time..

Plus points of the Mac

+ Battery life

+ Bling

+ New OS for me so kinda exciting

 

[babu.mohan10]

Well I said either power or backup...

The Mac Book Pro 13.3 incher with the HD3000 can be used for light gaming such as tf2 and CS: Source which is all I all I play.... So it suits me just fine and with the 6+ hours of battery life its just great for long boring travelling time..

Plus points of the Mac

+ Battery life

+ Bling

+ New OS for me so kinda exciting

U really want to get the MBP don't ya? In such a case, forget about the rest and get your MBP and have fun.

 

[Sub]

If battery life is a concern, just configure to a 9-cell battery - most laptops have that option. That could get you a good 10+ hours in many laptops. And it would still be way cheaper than MBP13 for a way better config.

But yeah, it does seem like you are hell bent to buy a MBP! There's no logical way to justify it, but emotional needs are more important than logical ones!

 

[red dragon]

Buy it dude!!You won`t regret.Look into thinkpad X series also.

 

[sunny27]

thinkpad x is yet to release. try the x220 thinkpad and get it with the 9+9 base battery for less than 1100US$ with core i5 and under 1300us$ with core i7 -- it will easily do 23 hours at a stretch and have enough power to crack the most demanding of applications and at the same time outlive your kid's childhood days!

 

[avi]

- it will easily do 23 hours at a stretch

What you meant by this ?

If battery life is a concern, just configure to a 9-cell battery - most laptops have that option. That could get you a good 10+ hours in many laptops.

No FUD please :| I have 9-cell powered Dell XPS and it gives 3.5 to 4 hours back up at max. In my whole life I have never heard any lappie, except MBP, giving 8+ hour battery back up.

@OP - Get MBP, you will be fine if you are not into gaming. IMO OS X is just awesome. Or else you can get just another Dell / Asus gaming lappie and put OS X on it hyeah:

This is my screenshot, my Dell XPS, running Mac OS X Snow Leopard. I get battery back up of 2.5 hours in OS X [on Windows upto 4] and Except Wifi everything working superawesomesauce :hap5:

 

[Sub]

No FUD please :| I have 9-cell powered Dell XPS and it gives 3.5 to 4 hours back up at max. In my whole life I have never heard any lappie, except MBP, giving 8+ hour battery back up.

You have to start hearing more and reading more then. The X220 mentioned in this thread does 7+ hours on a single 6 cell battery, and with the base 9+9 battery, we are talking 20+ hours. There are several LV solutions out there which offer tremendous battery life too.

But of course, it depends on how you use it, and the config. Don't expect a quad core with a discrete GPU (w/o switching to iGPU) to do more than 4 hours with brightness maxed even on a 9-cell. Needless to say - not all 9-cells are born equal. You have to go by the actual rating too.