Apple MacBook Pro - worth the money?

[Dan...]

I was just wondering if any one on here has or has ever had an Apple MacBook Pro, if so in your opinion do you think they are worth the price tag? Compared to many other laptop they are far more expensive but I've always wanted one and now I've looked into it I want to be sure they are worth the money before committing to anything.

Im mainly going to be using it for everyday things like surfing the web etc but I also want one to process my photography hence the reason for choosing a MBPro over the MBAir.

This is the spec I would have:

thanks in advance

 

[sbridgey]

You cant browse CS on a windows PC iirc.

I use a macbook pro, best computer i have ever bought.

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Yes.

 

[Gavin.]

I use a macbook pro, best computer i have ever bought.

This. I'll never own another windows laptop.

 

[Rob]

Same as above. I'll literally never buy another PC.

 

[Dan...]

Okay thanks everyone ...what GB do you all have? Will the 4GB be enough?

 

[Rob]

Find a student first. Anyone you know. Saves you a fortune and gets you 3 years free apple care.

 

[AdDaMan]

As above. Will never buy a PC again.
Had a MacBook Pro but sold it and got an air as I didn't need the graphics power.

 

[Rob]

Even ask for a CS member to come with you to the apple store if they're a student. Simples.

 

[eugegall]

My current one is 3 years old and I absolutely love it.

Tried using a Dell PC the other day and literally wanted to die.

I fancy a change and want a new one. When was the last MBP released? Anything new coming?

 

[Ray Gin]

They are awesome, love mine. Used to bring it into college because I didn't want to use windows, lol.

 

[Carlv8415]

Bought a Retina MacBook Pro when they first come out last year. One of the best things I have ever purchased. For tired of always using plastic crappy laptops and shitty windows. People who say they are over priced are just jealous. With all the support you get from apple at the Genius Bar and the free seminars its amazing. If your going to use it and plan on keeping it then its good for the next 3 years, you will go through about 6 laptops in that time.

Just buy it! You won't regret it

 

[eugegall]

Actually I think I'll wait until the interest free period this winter.

 

[sbridgey]

Even ask for a CS member to come with you to the apple store if they're a student. Simples.

I am a student.... Will happily help out a fellow member with some discount.

 

[f0xy]

I bought one in August 2008, used it until a few weeks ago, only swapped the hard drive and put 2GB more memory in it over the space of 5 years.

Went out and bought a new Air last week (luckily with staff discount), simply due to the fact that the other one lasted so well and the build quality is way ahead of most other laptops. I put the old one on eBay, expecting about £100-120, and it ended up selling for £310. Unbelievable for a 5 year old laptop.

Well worth the investment.

 

[R6B JX]

Had my pro 2 years now and works exactly the same as the day I first bought it. Will never buy a PC again! Apple usually do a student deal around September too with free printer/itunes voucher etc.

 

[Dan@M.A.D]

I would never buy a windows PC again either!

I don't have a macbook but own several macs for work and they are superb!! Will be getting a Macbook in the next few weeks i think!

 

[Jack!]

I run OS X on a PC, best of both worlds, I prefer OS X to Windows but don't have to pay Apple design tax. I probably will buy a Macbook in the near future though as I'll have the money and am a fan of the design, I'm in no way anti-apple, very pro-apple, but have to admit there is a premium for their prodcuts generally, but if you're happy to pay the premium you won't be disappointed.

 

[jam.]

Putting OSX on a pc is like sprinkling caviar on s**t.

You have pay a premium to get the best.

 

[Rob]

You're so far off it's unreal dude.

It's the quality of the product also. My MBP looks almost as good as when I unboxed it, my work laptop that's two years newer looks like s**t in comparison and it was a thousand pound laptop ffs.

 

[Jack!]

Putting OSX on a pc is like spreading caviar on s**t.

Or like allowing me to use Logic for music production at a quarter of the cost of buying a Macbook while a student. Until recently I just couldn't have justified spending a grand on something that only does a basic job a bit better than something that costs a fraction of the price - given there's little more a Macbook can do than a PC can do tailored to my specific requirements.

 

[glenn_adam_doble]

Short answer: YES!!

Long answer: it is simply awesome IMO makes everything I do so much easier, through the use of gestures, after upgrading the ram a couple of years ago to 8gb I've literally hammered it everyday and it hasn't let me down once, still lightening quick runs my design applications beautifully (photoshop, illustrator & Indesign) I have only installed windows 7 via bootcamp to run solidworks and various other CAD software as they don't make a mac version, so I have best of both worlds

With all that to the side, they are cool as f**k

 

[Jack!]

You're so far off it's unreal dude.

It's the quality of the product also. My MBP looks almost as good as when I unboxed it, my work laptop that's two years newer looks like s**t in comparison and it was a thousand pound laptop ffs.

I did say in my post I appreciate the design of a Macbook etc, but everyone wrongly jumps on the bandwagon that a PC won't last as long or will lose performance etc, it's all down to how you treat it - so a Macbook might be better built, but I'm using it to browse the web, not to hit tennis balls with.

EDIT: Plus it still looks good because the design hasn't changed for ages, but as soon as it does, no-one will want to be seen with one, in the same way no-one wants to be seen with an old white Uni-body now, there is a certain degree of vanity in it.

I'd like to point out I do still advocate the OP buys one though if he can afford to, no denying they're great.

 

[Tonys]

Love my MBP, even more since i upgraded the HDD. Yet i think I'm gonna sell it and get an iMac, just don't use it as a laptop. Would never go back to a PC.

Glenn_Adam_doble
How does it hand solidworks?
The i7 Windows laptop i used it on at work just kept crashing!

 

[MrDave]

I bought a mbp retina, ive never really gelled with it tbh. No idea why. Still learning to use it i guess.

Build quality is awesome though.

 

[ThomasBrentnall]

Putting OSX on a pc is like sprinkling caviar on s**t.

You have pay a premium to get the best.

Putting os X on a pc is just like putting windows on a mac.....

Have a word with yourself

 

[zeta]

If you can't use windows and want to pay through the nose for out of date hardware wrapped in a single billet, then yes

 

[@Spoonie]

If you can't use windows and want to pay through the nose for out of date hardware wrapped in a single billet, then yes

 

[glenn_adam_doble]

Love my MBP, even more since i upgraded the HDD. Yet i think I'm gonna sell it and get an iMac, just don't use it as a laptop. Would never go back to a PC.

Glenn_Adam_doble
How does it hand solidworks?
The i7 Windows laptop i used it on at work just kept crashing!

In the 4 years I've had it on with two different versions (2010 & 2012) the have ran beautifully, there is never any freezing or crashing, and photoview renders air fairly quick, and that's with a 2.8 ghz i5 iirc and 8gb ram and 512 graphics card

 

[cava83]

I use both.

I love the feel and design of a Mac, OS X is great, but it does have it's flaws.

I don't really see the problem with Windows, i.e Windows 7 is great, as long as you look after it. (Granted OS X doesn't need much maintenance)

Windows management of files and File Explorer I think is superior to OS X, as well as a couple of other things but OS X does do so many other things better.

Is it worth getting a MacBook Pro? Yes. But only if you can afford it. No point of getting into debt just for a laptop.

If all you do is browse the internet and mess around a little bit, it's kind of hard to justify the price tag sometimes.

They do hold their value though and customer service is superb.

 

[martynzs]

Had my MBP for 2 years, still runs as fast as the day I got it.

For design/video work you can't go wrong - my MBP has crashed ONCE when running Illustrator, PS and Indesign alongside eachother.

The windows PC I use at work (i7, 8gb etc, so no slouch) crashes DAILY (usually more than once) doing the same sort of work...

 

[zeta]

I have 4 x 27" iMacs in the design team and every one has gone back for repair within 6 months. Two HDD failures due to heat, one RAM failure and one screen failure. All in my experience of course.

My baby Vaio Z series s***s em

 

[AK]

Yes.

 

[Carlv8415]

I have 4 x 27" iMacs in the design team and every one has gone back for repair within 6 months. Two HDD failures due to heat, one RAM failure and one screen failure. All in my experience of course.

My baby Vaio Z series s***s em

Yes but all of them products are fixed or replaced under warranty no questions asked where as most laptop manufactures have you jumping through loops trying to get them to fix it.

 

[zeta]

In a business environment I don't find it any different myself regarding warranty fixes. Can't comment on home users

 

[Carlv8415]

In a business environment I don't find it any different myself regarding warranty fixes. Can't comment on home users

I was referring to home users and usually business warranty repairs are very good

 

[zeta]

Sounds about right to be fair

 

[Harpham]

My MBP was amazing. The only reason I sold it was due to buying an iMac and an iPad Mini.

Not a chance that id ever be able to go back to Windows again.

 

[Darius]

What is the student deal?

 

[Rob]

Big discount (up to 15%) << what uni dependant and three years free apple care.