New to Apple, Want to Buy Macbook Pro : Questions

I'm going to answer your questions based upon my personal experience with the MBP:

1. I don't have an issue with the heat. Regardless, you are going to feel some heat if you place it on your lap without being covered with pants.
2. I haven't experienced a noisy fan.
3. My battery lasts a little longer than 3 hours.
4. I don't know what the whining is all about.
5. I'm sure its been reviewed. Search the Apple forums.
6. I have a 8613 build and have not experienced any problems. I believe that is the latest revision.

Yep. 15.4" only comes with a 4x though while the 17" comes with a 8x burner.

More importantly, the 17" comes with a DL and the 15" comes with a SL burner...DOH.

Now I have the question, what is DL and SL?

DL = Double Layer
SL = Single Layer
as you can guess - double layer means twice the capacity (at least nearly) - so a bit more thant 8 gb (compared to the 4,7 of sl dvds).

Apple claims that with the 1" form factor, on the 15" MBP, the new wider trackpad overlaps the DVD drive. Apparently, this sticks far enough down into the case that the smallest DL burner they could get won't fit in that thickness.

From a technical standpoint, i can believe this. From a consumer standpoint, i don't. The 17" MBP has the DL burner because apparently, they could put a thicker one in. It doesn't overlap the DVD drive.

If we were talking the difference between a 1.0" MBP single layer burner and a 1.1" MBP dual layer burner, i would have taken the 1.1" dual layer. But hey, can't have it all. A big draw of the laptop was the form factor, and i understand that.


But yea, life according to apple

I have the latest rev of the 15" MacBook Pro too I believe, and it's been very good so far. I've heard no whining sounds. The palm rest areas do seem to get a little warm -- especially in Windows XP Pro -- even if you're not doing anything. I wouldn't call it hot, but it would probably be uncomfortable on the lap. I bought an "iLap" from Rain Design and always keep it on that.

Though it does seem to get hot, the good news for me is that I've been able to overclock the video card and it doesn't really feel any hotter. I used ATI Tool Beta .25 (you can't use .24) and pushed mine up to 450/470 and ran 3DMark05. No problems, and it was no hotter. I haven't done any extended gaming sessions yet though, so it's hard to call it "stable" at this point. The fans kicked in during the test, but I certainly wouldn't call them loud. Perhaps they can get louder.

One thing I don't really like is the trackpad, or more specifically, the size of it. It's too big, and I find myself accidentally brushing my arms against it while typing, causing the cursor to move. This is relatively annoying. I don't know why they thought anyone would need such a huge trackpad -- especially when it comes at the expense of a DL DVD burner.

This also may just be me, but the screen seems kind of "washed out" in Windows. It looks beautiful in OSX, but the colors don't seem as vibrant in Windows. That's probably just my eyes though. *shrug*

Aside from those, I love the MBP so far. I was a full-time Windows user too, and to be honest, I use it primarily for Windows at this point, but the Mac side of things has some nice features. It seems very fast in both operating systems, and I haven't experienced any lockups or other problems. I don't think Windows users will regret purchasing it.

Your trackpad issue can easily be remedied by accessing the System Preferences dialog. Click on the trackpad/keyboard - one of those two - and there's an option where you can have the computer 'ignore' the trackpad whilst typing. That will relieve your problem. I have the same problem and that solved it.

Has it been confirmed that the large touchpad is actually the reason they couldn't include the 8x DL burner?

Where Can i Get The Best Price On A Mac Book Pro ?


Thanks


Please Place Links

Amazon has rebates on the MBP. Otherwise, you are going to pay retail anywhere else. If you are a student you can also get a nice discount. You can also go the refurbished route.

what should i go for 1.83 or 2.00ghz

???

In all honesty, the difference between the two is marginal. The answer to that question is, what can you afford? Can you afford the extra $500 dollars for a 0.17Ghz bump in processor speed? (Keep in mind that the extra $500 also includes a bigger hard drive amongst other things, but you know what I mean) If you can, then go for the 2.0Ghz, otherwise, the 1.83ghz is going to seem just as fast. Personally, I know that the difference was not going to be noticable to me, and I'd rather spend the extra $500 on memory.

From Where Can I Get The Student Discount Only Apple Website ?


Thanks

Because There Is A Rebate In Amazon 150$ Less , Cant I Add My Student Discount To That ?

Thanks

I believe only Apple offers a student discount. If you purchase an apple product from a third party retailer such as Amazon or Best Buy, a student discount is not offerred. The student discount at Apple can be applied either online or at an Apple store. At the Apple store you would need to provide some type of proof. Online, I believe, there is no such requirement. Do the math and see which avenue yields the greater discount. $150 off or the student discount. It's probably going to be nearly identical. If that's the case, I would purchase it at an Apple store as they would be easier to deal with in case anything goes wrong.