Apple Mac Book Pro Question, Should I?

[TheBigPhillyFish]

Not a Mac person, I am 7 and I am a PC , had to throw that in there.

Anyway, I am shopping for my new laptop, and I really want to switch over to Mac. I know there a lot more money up front, but subtract the virus software and yearly subscription, and the Malware, etc. And Mac stands out, they are alos great on battery, small and light, the perfect travel companion.

But I am just shopping around for the best possible deal. I was looking at the 2009 models the 15" and 17" Mac Book Pro. Now Apple has factory refurbished:

Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

17-inch Hi-Resolution LED-backlit glossy display
4GB memory
320GB hard drive
8x SuperDrive (DVDŽ±R DL/DVDŽ±RW/CD-RW)
Built-in iSight camera
Illuminated keyboard

There is no differnce between this model and the 2009 17" except for the core speed. Now I am assuming that .16 Ghz isn't going to make one difference. But I wanted to make sure, because it comes with the factory warranty for one year, and its $800.00 cheaper the the 2009 model.

So what do you think?

 

[PerroneFord]

Glossy display is not a bonus. But other than that, enjoy your purchase. What software are you planning to use for editing?

 

[TheBigPhillyFish]

I use Sony Vegas 9 right now, but when I get the Macbook Pro, I think I might switch over to Final Cut. I heard its a lot easier to use, and has a lot more features then Vegas.

 

[reefduffer]

Oh man, where to begin ...
First, yeah, switch to Mac. No hesitation about recommending that.

As to your refurbished 17". It's a bargain, like all refurbished Apple products, if that's the system you want. However, it's not the screaming buy it sounds like. It's last year's model. More important than the tweak to processor speed is the change in the graphics processor; the 2009 models really got a big graphics performance boost.

Let's see ...
This discusses the performance of the new late-2008/2009-17" macbooks vs their predecessors:
Ars reviews the 2008 MacBook Pro, Part II: performance - Ars Technica
there are links in that to other discussions about the new Macbook/pro line.
This is a first look at the new 17" models:
Macworld.Ars: First impressions of unibody 17" MacBook Pro (Updated) - Ars Technica
Note the 17" no longer has a removable battery. You may or may not care.

I'm curious why you want a 17" notebook. A portable big screen? If you really do, then the graphics performance may matter to you. Are you planning on doing your video editing while traveling?

What a lot of people, including me, do, is get a smaller laptop for portability and then a large (24" for example) display for home, which the laptop will support quite well. I run mine 95% of the time with the lid closed, sitting behind the big display, using a wireless keyboard and mouse. Like a very small desktop with a built-in UPS. If I need to travel, it takes roughly a minute to unplug everything.

- Yeah, get a Mac. No reservations, you won't be sorry.
- Spend some time figuring out what Mac; how will you use it? What will you use it for?
- The refurbs are a good buy if that's the target system you want to buy. If you really need/want a 17", maybe wait until the new ones show up in the refurb store?

 

[Doubler]

GET THE MAC!!!
I have a 15" Macbook for travel and a 24" desktop. The good thing about the Refurb's is that after repair they are tested over and over again prior to going out the door. If you are doing HIDEF Video editing get Final Cut, if not skip it. Unless you do commercial type photography and graphics skip the Photoshop suite, unless you are a student then most definitely get it as it is basically given away, otherwise all you need is Photoshop Elements 6 for photo editing. The downside to the Mac is the lack of capability to download most dive computers. There is some software available to do this for Sunnoto check the board for the links. You can run Windows software on your Mac but I don't do it because you open the Mac up to the PC Viruses. Once you go Mac you never go back.

 

[HiDefPics]

Yes buy a Mac. I'd caution against the 17" though. I've had both the 15 & 17 and I find the 17 too bulky for travel. Like others have suggested I'd have a larger display at home for real editing work.

Oh, and I've never personally touched Vegas, but you should know Final Cut Pro isn't exactly "easy". You may want to start with iMovie, as it will do nearly everything that most non-pro (not getting paid for your work) users need.

 

[H2O Photo Pros]

I have several Mac's and have used a variety of the laptops. Ive had both the 15 and the 17. Although a bit more bulky, I find the 17 much better and would never go back. The additional bulk is worth it if Im on a long trip or a liveaboard and want to work on my footage in the evening...and I always recommend reviewing footage during a trip so you can realize what mistakes you are making and make changes before you get home. The 2 inches of viewing is well worth the additional bulk to me.

With regards to glossy vs. Matte. Its a real personal preference. Ive had both, and love the glossy. The matte is too hard on my eyes (and I'm only 26 with 20/20 vision) if Im viewing it for any length of time. Some users do not like the glare from the glossy...but if using it inside on a boat, resort or at home, it does not become an issue.

With regards to the refurbished unit, its a matter of what is most important to you. I have a year and a half old 17" and it works fantastic for editing my EX1 footage. 4GB of ram and a 2.4 GHz processor is more than enough for my needs...but the new ones certainly do have some nice upgrades. It all comes down to $$$ and what is most important to you. $800 is a nice chunk (2/3 of your HF S10 camera). But its not only the last generation, its also used...as long as it comes with a warranty and you can get Applecare as well (this is a must) then Id say go for that one.

 

[TheBigPhillyFish]

Thanks guys for all the feedback. I found a sweet deal on ebay, on the 2009 MacBook Pro 15". Which is nice, easier to travel with, and as most stated, I can just plug into a monitor at home. Which won't be hard considering I have 4 21" widescreens plugged into my desktop PC. I can just steel one of those.

Now, the nice thing about this one I got off of ebay...extra programs...and really good ones. So the guy really hooked me up. In fact just got off the phone with him and should be ready to ship tomorrow. So I got the 15" 2009 MacBook Pro 2.66 4GB Ram, 320 GB 7200Rpm drive. He also sells the Applecare for $175.00, I am guessing thats something I should have. So overall I saved myself $350.00 off the Apple price, free shipping and no dam taxes, not bad for a days work :cool2:

Now all I have to do is wait for my HF-S10 to be released and were in business

 

[H2O Photo Pros]

Sounds like a deal Ed. Let us know when it arrives and you get it all set up. Don't hesitate to ask questions since you are new to Mac.

 

[TheBigPhillyFish]

Oh its scheduled to be delivered today, just checked the tracking number and its out for delivery. The Anticipation is killing me. Being this is the video section, I guess I am gonna have to video the box opening.

Its here and its freakn awesome. Now I have to learn how to get everything working. Gonna be a learning curve. But so far I am a believer.