about to make the switch, 2 questions

Just have 2 quick questions. Are refurbished products any good? Do they come with scratches or dents? If so, I'm just gonna buy a new Macbook. But, I've seen these two refurbished items. One is a macbook and the other is a macbook pro. Should I get...

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?nplm=FB063LL/B

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?nplm=FA868LL/A

OR- should I just buy a new Macbook? The new Macbook is 2.4 ghz while the others are 2.2 and 2.3. Would it make that big of a difference?

Thanks in advance.

If I could do things over again, I'd definitely go the refurb route: you can still get Applecare, they're usually in great condition (allegedly tested quite thoroughly before they go out again) and are substantially cheaper. I've also read a lot of stories where people are getting extra RAM and the like by accident.

So, should I get the refrubished MB or MBP? I also wanna know if the 2.3 GHZ is that much different from 2.4?

That all depends on your intended usage for the laptop - are you planning on doing anything involving a lot of video? Do you want to be able to Bootcamp into Windows and play games? If yes, go with the Pro. If not, a Macbook will suffice for the vast majority of your computeratin' needs.

The difference between 2.3GHZ and 2.4GHZ is pretty well negligible in daily use unless your daily use includes constantly running benchmarks.

(personally I would go with the Pro, just because it's such a slick machine...but I'm bad with money)

Chronicle said:

So, should I get the refrubished MB or MBP? I also wanna know if the 2.3 GHZ is that much different from 2.4?

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No big difference in the processor speed. However, the MBP has a dedicated graphics card. It all depends on what you will be using your laptop for. If you need it for lots of graphics, video work, or simply would like to have a bigger screen then go for the MBP. The MB is plenty for regular ole' web browsing, email, word processing, etc.

Well, here is what I would be doing.

On a day to day basis...
-web browsing
-torrent downloading
-listening to music
-recording my podcast

Sometimes I would be...
-editing home movies
-playing a game (I've been told to use CrossOver)
-recording music

Just because you said playing a game I would recommend the Pro for its dedicated graphics

Kash said:

Just because you said playing a game I would recommend the Pro for its dedicated graphics

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It wouldn't be anything like attempting to run Gears of War or anything. It would probably be in the range of some SNES, Genesis, N64 emulators. Maybe, JUST MAYBE CoD4 if/when it comes out.

Personally, I would be inclined to look at the refurb MBP. This is only $200 more than the new mid-level Macbook. To me, the video card and the extra screen space absolutely make the $200 money well spent.

As numerous people have responded though, it really is going to come down to your personal preferences and uses. Regardless of what you get, good luck with it.

Have you looked at both models in person? If not, I would highly suggest you do. I found that I liked the aesthetic and feel of the Macbook over the Macbook Pro, especially in regard to the keyboard.

Chronicle said:

It wouldn't be anything like attempting to run Gears of War or anything. It would probably be in the range of some SNES, Genesis, N64 emulators. Maybe, JUST MAYBE CoD4 if/when it comes out.

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then maybe, JUST MAYBE, you will need the Pro. I don't even want to think about trying to play CoD4 on a Macbook. Framerates and lag would get you cheese'd up hard... and CoD4 on a 13" screen doesn't sound like fun.

Chronicle said:

Just have 2 quick questions. Are refurbished products any good? Do they come with scratches or dents?

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I just pulled my refurb iMac out of the box today, inspected it very close and I couldn't find any scratches or any sign of use at all. I really expect some small blemish, but nothing at all.

YMMV

I've bought 3 refurbished Intel Macs. Two of them had RAM upgrades and all were flawless. I'd never buy new again.