Purchasing Advice

Hello all!

I'm currently in the market for a Mac after being a PC user of about 10 years. My old HP laptop finally gave out a couple weeks ago due to motherboard failure. Apparently its a common issue in the DV2000 due to issues with the graphic card getting to hot. I had an idea of it when my first blue screen came up, but I didn't think it would happen this quickly.

I'm currently a college student pursuing a degree in Computer Information Systems. At this moment, I have no major programs other than word documents and standard surfing. I work on Macs mostly at school, so I'm pretty much ready to make the transition. Now I know like Microsoft, Apple releases major updates to there OS every 2-3 years. Now with that in mind, I'm curious if the old Core 2 Duo Macbook Pros are even worth it at this point? I've been scouting out the Refub store and occasionally see C2D models slightly cheaper then the i5. Basically my question is, will an i5 last longer in terms of upgrades than a C2D? I've seen all of the specs and benchmarks and I do agree that the i5 is faster, but why not save a little if possible? I'm looking at my purchase in terms of longevity because I need something that will last awhile, but also something that's within my budget.

I'm not looking to purchase until tax time in a few weeks so I have some time to get some more money together. So with all of this in mind, any advice would be great!

SimeonAS89 said:

Basically my question is, will an i5 last longer in terms of upgrades than a C2D?

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With respect: bit obvious that one isn't it?

The Core2Duo has been around since 2007 (I know since I'm writing to you on one right now!). It's pretty long in the tooth as chips go.

Apple TENDS (repeat, TENDS) to stop actively (note the use of the term "actively") supporting a given chipset after about five years. This MAY not the be the case the next time round, but I'm just providing you with the recent trends.

I'm looking at my purchase in terms of longevity because I need something that will last awhile

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Then you want to futureproof as much as possible. That pretty much requires buying the more recent chipset.

I can't say that I have any faith in that... Apple isn't going to be dropping support for a chipset that they were selling as recently as June in two more years.

Now if you mean five years after it ceases sale of the chipset... That's plausible.

Either way, right now the difference in price is a couple hundred dollars. It all depends upon the OP's budget. Four and a half years from now, when out of school, the situation may be entirely different. Given the field of study, after graduation an Intel i9 MacBook Pro (if that's what they're on by then) may be necessary. I remember school. I had to save money when I could.

chas_m said:

With respect: bit obvious that one isn't it?

The Core2Duo has been around since 2007 (I know since I'm writing to you on one right now!). It's pretty long in the tooth as chips go.

Apple TENDS (repeat, TENDS) to stop actively (note the use of the term "actively") supporting a given chipset after about five years. This MAY not the be the case the next time round, but I'm just providing you with the recent trends.



Then you want to futureproof as much as possible. That pretty much requires buying the more recent chipset.

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Lol, yeah its a bit obvious. I kind of answered my own questions, I'm just looking for a second opinion. Its really just a matter of making the right choice and being comfortable with its result. This is an investment for me, so it has to be the right one.

_Stormin said:

I can't say that I have any faith in that... Apple isn't going to be dropping support for a chipset that they were selling as recently as June in two more years.

Now if you mean five years after it ceases sale of the chipset... That's plausible.

Either way, right now the difference in price is a couple hundred dollars. It all depends upon the OP's budget. Four and a half years from now, when out of school, the situation may be entirely different. Given the field of study, after graduation an Intel i9 MacBook Pro (if that's what they're on by then) may be necessary. I remember school. I had to save money when I could.

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Well at the moment, its hard to know what my tax return will be like, but I have an idea of how much it'll be. I'd realistically like to keep it right under $1,000 if that's even possible. But, if it came down to it, then I'd be willing to spend a little more to get a little more.
In the end, saving money is critical, but like I mentioned in the previous post, its an investment and something I will get my moneys worth out of ;D.

_Stormin said:

Now if you mean five years after it ceases sale of the chipset... That's plausible.

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I did mean that, and I really appreciate you making that clearer. I didn't even think about possible other interpretations.

Go for the i5 for 2 reasons:
1. Apple will discontinue updates for the old laptops (which might not be able to handle)
2. Its worth it in the Long-Haul and u get faster speeds+everything else