when to buy macbook pro?

glack

Need to upgrade my laptop and am planning to switch to a macbook pro from my hp laptop. not hugely fussed on a retina display so thinking of getting the 13 inch without retina, currently €1249.

Is is a bad time of year for macbook pros? I know the lateset model was released last june!

Passenger

Best to wait until the upgrade to get the full benefit of hardware improvements. Keep an eye on apple's next announcement. Some rumours are saying there will be an upgrade in the 3rd quarter of the year.

Sad Professor

Next refresh will be soon enough I'd imagine, but the whole line is going to be discontinued before long so Apple don't have much motivation to update them.

glack

Sad Professor wrote: »

Next refresh will be soon enough I'd imagine, but the whole line is going to be discontinued before long so Apple don't have much motivation to update them.

Discontinued?? As in all MacBook pros?

Sad Professor

No, just the optical drive ones.

Twoandahalfmen

Apple
Currys pcworld
Argos

glack

Sad Professor wrote: »

No, just the optical drive ones.

Oh ok. Do you think they well be discontinued in the next update? To me an optical drive would be more beneficial than retina - read on a few sites that all MacBook pros are expected to include retina displays from the next update.

Sad Professor

glack wrote: »

Oh ok. Do you think they well be discontinued in the next update? To me an optical drive would be more beneficial than retina - read on a few sites that all MacBook pros are expected to include retina displays from the next update.

That's very unlikely IMO. The Retina MBPs will get cheaper and eventually replace the Retina-less optical drive MBPs. Apple will ditch the optical drives the first chance they get.

glack

Sad Professor wrote: »

That's very unlikely IMO. The Retina MBPs will get cheaper and eventually replace the Retina-less optical drive MBPs. Apple will ditch the optical drives the first chance they get.

Maybe I ought to buy now then? An optical drive is really a must for my needs!!

Doodah7

I bought my MacBook Pro recently because it still has an optical drive. Particularly for the 13' version, the benefits of a 'retina' display are less pronounced.

I'm convinced that Apple will get rid of drives from their laptops at the ned refresh.

glack

tallpaul wrote: »

I bought my MacBook Pro recently because it still has an optical drive. Particularly for the 13' version, the benefits of a 'retina' display are less pronounced.

I'm convinced that Apple will get rid of drives from their laptops at the ned refresh.

Ya I agree. Was in an apple store in the uk a few weeks back and checked out both. Didn't feel it was worth it the loss of an optical drive. Might bite the bullet so - been wanting one for ages!!

ablelocks

as of yesterday, pc world in limerick have a 15" macbook pro Retina G @ 1999, discount of 350. 8gb RAM, 256 ssd, 2.3ghz core i7

i don't know whether this is a good price or not, or if its a display only offer.

Janedoe10

Sometimes there are good deals here http://store.apple.com/ie/browse/home/specialdeals/mac

banquo

Janedoe10 wrote: »

Sometimes there are good deals here http://store.apple.com/ie/browse/home/specialdeals/mac

Don't forget the refurb section!

120_Minutes

tallpaul wrote: »

I bought my MacBook Pro recently because it still has an optical drive. Particularly for the 13' version, the benefits of a 'retina' display are less pronounced.

I'm convinced that Apple will get rid of drives from their laptops at the ned refresh.

I bought my 13" pro knowing there was a retina version on the way. the fact that i wouldnt be able to replace parts if i needed to on a retina (already doubled the ram for 40 quid) was a deal breaker.

I'd say you've less than a year to buy a non retina model new.

zega

id go for it now if i were you,like others have said the optical drives will be gone the way of floppy drives soon.

Creamy Goodness

You say that like its a bad thing. Can't remember I needed to use a cd/dvd

120_Minutes

Creamy Goodness wrote: »

You say that like its a bad thing. Can't remember I needed to use a cd/dvd

It's not, but what is a bad thing is not being able to change ram, batteries or hard drives when i'm well able to.

Sad Professor

The vast majority of people who buy laptops never replace any of those things.

120_Minutes

Sad Professor wrote: »

The vast majority of people who buy laptops never replace any of those things.

but being able to, if you want, is a nice thing. I'd much rather attempt to fix my laptop if something goes wrong than being told that "sorry, no user or repairman serviceable parts inside, you're just gonna have to buy a new €2k laptop because you didnt want to buy our overpriced extended warranty, sorry bout that"

I love macs, but the "disposable laptop" consumer culture they're about to force on us is worrying.

Sad Professor

Laptops are already disposable though. Most people when their hard drive fails, they don't replace it, they just buy a new laptop. You or I would be able to replace the hard drive ourselves cheaply. But for everyone else it involves leaving it in somewhere. If the machine is more than 3 years old it's usually not worth their while and instead they just put that money towards a new one.

In the case of the Macbook, Apple aren't forcing anything. If people don't want to lose their limited upgradability on the Macbook they can vote with their wallets by buying the optical drive models over the new Retina ones. Though I suspect most people don't care. If Apple's consumer-centric philosophy has proven anything it's that most people just want something that works, and when it stops working they just want to know who to call.

Personally I'm far more annoyed by the lack of upgradability of the iMac, especially since Apple have all but forgotten about the Mac Pro. I'm perfectly willing to sacrifice upgradability on a laptop in favour of a better screen and thinner/lighter design, but not on a desktop.

120_Minutes

Sad Professor wrote: »

In the case of the Macbook, Apple aren't forcing anything. If people don't want to lose their limited upgradability on the Macbook they can vote with their wallets by buying the optical drive models over the new Retina ones. Though I suspect most people don't care. If Apple's consumer-centric philosophy has proven anything it's that most people just want something that works, and when it stops working they just want to know who to call.

Personally I'm far more annoyed by the lack of upgradability of the iMac, especially since Apple have all but forgotten about the Mac Pro. I'm perfectly willing to sacrifice upgradability on a laptop in favour of a better screen and thinner/lighter design, but not on a desktop.

But they are forcing it, they're not gonna drop the non-retina models because they're not selling well, they'll drop them them because they want to push the retinas. if they introduced a retina version of the current optical model, i'd bet it'd sell well. certain markets are not ready to drop the optical drive yet.... especially with the state of their broadband. even my ethernet port has saved my ass a couple of times. Apple are forcing the market as they are wont to do from time to time.

I dont know about you, but when i was pricing my pro i balked at doubling the ram for an extra hundred quid, knowing i could do it myself for less (60 quid less in fact) so the fact they're gonna take that chance away in future models takes the piss. Same story with the imac.

I'll be taking care of my pro as best i can (and its not even a year old) because i'm not looking forward to the time when i'll have to replace it with a laptop i cant tinker with and upgrade.

they're cooking something up for the mac pro though, hold tight.