How futureproof are the current macbook pros ?

I'm considering buying a macbook pro going to be buying a macbook pro and I'm probably waiting until the 14/15th of this month until the "newer" macbook pros are apparently meant to be out (if they come at all)

My question is basically, how future proof are the current lineup of macbook pros if the newer models aren't out by the time I purchase ? the model I'm interested in is the 17" with 4 gig of ram and the 512mb gfx card. I'm not even a big gamer but just want it there as an option in case I want to play the odd game.

I'm mainly into surfing the web, listening to music, downloading lots of things, using it as a work tool, watching films etc etc. I know any laptop would be adequate really with this sort of stuff but I like to do lots of things simultaneously and really like the look of the operating system Apple use (Snow Leopard) and the software they make in general.

So tell me, am I better off waiting for the newer macbook pros or will the current line up be futureproof enough ? I want my laptop to last 2/3 years.

displaced dub

100% wait, just an example of what i have done in the past.

November 08 bought my new 24" imac and in Jan they had basically upgraded the whole bloody thing and if you had bought one in november 09 imagine how pissed you would have been when the 27" came out for basically the same money??

Wait for it, because it will be upgraded for sure also it will be future proof as far as installing any apple software goes.

silvine

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/

J-blk

With computers in particular, I don't think you can ever get one that is more than 6 months "futureproof" really but in the case of the current gen. MacBook Pros, now would be the worst time ever to upgrade.

Even if we don't see the new ones by the end of this month, they are close - and none of the current gen. have moved to Core i5/i7 yet, which is fast becoming the norm in other companies' laptops. As the new CPUs are a significant jump over Core 2 Duos, I think you'd be mad to get a current gen. one right now.

drunkmonkey

Some great deals from the states, I got sick of waiting, picked up a 13 Mac Book Pro, 3mts old with full adobe master collection, office and final cut pro for 690 euro. The irish prices are still very high, the sweet thing is I didn't get caught for duty Have my xbox360 & psp for games;)

As for futureproof, my 7yr old powerbook is still going strong, just wish somebody would buy it off me...

If you buy it at the right price you can't go wrong...Would have preferred a 15inch model but at that money I was prepared to make a little concession, first day using it in work today instead of my dell inspiron..

keep an eye on the apple refurb store, some very good deals from time to time but if you see one buy it..

faceman

You can never truly futureproof your apple product. they will always come up with some way to be "more awesome" at the next upgrade. If you can wait till the next release and the specs suit your needs then go for it. Otherwise you will be waiting a very long time.

Points taken on board. I wonder why Apple don't just say when a new model is being released, I assume it's the mystery behind their marketing which creates hysteria when they do release a new product.

by the by, how's this for a good deal assuming it all worked out and you got it safely etc ? http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370328693446&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

drunkmonkey

I presume your vat registered going by your username? You might be better off buy an Irish one if you are..

Keep a watch on the irish refurb store, i've been watching it like a halk for the last few month waiting for some price drops, there due very soon i'd say...

http://store.apple.com/ie/browse/home/specialdeals/mac?mco=OTY2ODY3Nw

do you really need that 17 inch screen, there's a 15 there at ok money but it's due to drop in price..

padraig_f

I got one in November and am very happy with it. It has 4GB RAM (though I'd say would work fine with 2GB unless running very memory heavy stuff like virtual machines).

I'm sure it will work well for the next few years in terms of your regular OS stuff (i.e. any non-game stuff). I'm a pretty heavy-duty user (my default Spaces layout is 9 virtual screens and they are all in regular use) and have not seen any performance issues.

Can't talk so much about games, I haven't played many on it (though I understand the gfx card is a good one). My opinion for laptops is that games should be a more minor consideration as the physical form of them makes them a bit unsuitable for games. i.e. first-person shooters you can't play without a mouse. I bought a high-end Dell XPS before and ended up hardly playing any games on it, apart from the odd game of Civ (which probably wasn't too graphically demanding anyway).

I was also wondering whether to wait when I bought mine. What convinced me to buy was that I was buying from the refurb store. I figured even if a new one came out in a month or two, it would take an extra few months before they started to hit the refurb store.

If I feel I need a future performance boost, I'll get a solid-state drive for it.
http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001304.html

Elessar

Apple's update cycle is every 8 months, and this month is the one they should be changing next. You'd be mad to buy previous gen tech now if you don't absolutely need it.

I've been using a 2.16Ghz Core2Duo MBP for the past 3, nearly 4 years. In that time, very little has changed in terms of pure performance on MBPs. It's crazy when you think about it. Besides, current tech has reached a point where it handles mostly every task you can throw at it with ease. CPU updates are not as groundbreaking and necessary as they used to be.

Matt Bauer

The MacBook Pro will likely be updated within 30 days or thereabouts. If you can wait, wait. If you can't wait, buy now.