Should I get one now? or wait for Snow Leopard, with potential price drop?

Hi guys, Im thinking of getting a new Macbook Pro. This will be my first apple computer ever. Im definatly thinking of getting one tomorrow. The £899 one with the 15% student discount on it. Though I hear that Snow Leopard is going to be released september time, and with that, theres 'could' be a price drop, as well as maybe an upgrade to the current models?

Im not 100% sure on this as though it has come to my mind. I know that if I buy a macbook now I can get Snow Leopard upgrade for below £10, but if theres a price drop I could potentially save £100?

Anyway Im new here, so go easy on me. I was just wondering what everyones thoughts on this?

They just dropped the prices. Snow Leopard might cost you 29 smackers. I would buy one now!

Is there a chance they might upgrade a few of the macbook pros though for the same prices?

Im not familiar with how apple release thier products, but could it potentially happen?

not sure. I was in your position less than three weeks ago. I got the MacBook Pro 13" base model that retails at £899, but got it with a student discount. I'd get it now. Snow Leopard will only cost you £7.95, and Apple currently have an offer on, allowing all student purchases of Mac's to get a free iPod touch via rebate. I got my first ever Mac, my student discount, and my free iPod and am currently over the moon. I recon the iPod offer will be greater than any further changes to the MacBook Pro range, and they were updated only a few months ago. If you already have an iPod, sell the one you get on eBay. Good luck with getting a new mac, and welcome to the world that is better than Windows!

Zelnaga said:

Is there a chance they might upgrade a few of the macbook pros though for the same prices?

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Yes, that possibility always exists with any sort of technology.

Zelnaga said:

Im not familiar with how apple release thier products

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...and neither is anyone else for that matter.
Some sites claim to have a rough time line and chart out when updates should happen based on "historical" data, but even they get it wrong.
A few people will swear by these "buying guides", but in the end they offer mediocre assistance at best.

Bottom line:

Buy a computer when you can afford it, when you need it and when you are comfortable purchasing it... not when some "buyers guide" or some armchair market analyst tells you to buy it.

Zelnaga said:

Hi guys, Im thinking of getting a new Macbook Pro. This will be my first apple computer ever. Im definatly thinking of getting one tomorrow. The £899 one with the 15% student discount on it.

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You could also consider buying a refurbished computer from Apple. Check the refurbished section at Apple's website...inventory can change daily.

Might even be a better deal than the student discount (who knows...maybe you can buy refurbished & get the student discount).

- Nick

Well, Snow Leopard will be whatever the brit-smacker equivalent of 29 smackers is, probably about £58 or some other number in Euros (¢) to upgrade on a currently purchased Macbook.

At any rate, they've recently refreshed the Macbook line, and they're always adding cool stuff that makes people go "D'oh! I should have waited!" I've been bitten by this twice. First with a Mac Mini when I did my initial switch when I bought one and they up and released new ones with faster processors, built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, bigger drives, and more RAM. Next time was when I bought a second generation Macbook, and next thing I know they've got LED screens, better graphics cards, more RAM capability, bigger drives, and lower prices. D'oh! Oh well. My Macbook was pretty sweet as it was.

This time I managed to get in right after a recent refresh, and I'll have to say I can't think of how much better they could make the newer Macbook pros from how they are now. They come with everything (well, except that expresscard slot on the 17" behemoth that costs like, what, a kidney?) that you would want. 2xUSB, Firewire 800, mini-dvi display, audio (two separate for input/output on the 15" and up) Superdrive, Mag-Safe, illuminated keyboard, a brilliant LED lit screen, unibody aluminum case, glass no-button gesture trackpad, 7 hour battery, and built-in iSight camera. The SD card slot is great for me since I have a DSLR (Nikon) that uses SD so I can just pop it out and pop it in the Macbook. Plus you can boot from the SD card if you are so inclined. Oh and this puppy can take up to 8Gig of RAM should I choose to refinance my wife or something to buy it. In the meantime I'll stick with the 4GB it has now.

About the only thing that would make me cry about the next refresh is if they came out with a ...I can't think of anything I'd post on a family board that I'd want so I won't. About the only thing they can do now is drop the price of the 13" to that of a Netbook. Then I might cry. A little bit. Just a little. Otherwise it's brilliant as it is.

Ah the classic buy now or wait until later thread. This is probably one of the worst parts of a new OS release.

cwa107 said:

Ah the classic buy now or wait until later thread. This is probably one of the worst parts of a new OS release.

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Yes...I was thinking the same thing...hold on a minute while I get out my crystal ball!

Darn it...where are the batteries!!!;D

- Nick

I was pondering the same thing but realized that the student discount ends september 1st. So even if there is a price drop, it definitely won't be $100. Plus they just cut prices so i dont think they will. Also, since I bought my MBP before september, I will get snow leopard for just $10... Get it now, I did.