Reply With Quotea 13.3MBP is $1,249 Canadian.
You'll get a much faster CPU, and compared to the 2008 model, faster graphics.
So I've discovered that through a stealth BIOS update that my MacBook is now capable of 8GB of DDR3 SODIMMs. Back when I got it 2x2GB cost $500 and now 2x4GB costs <$100.
I *don't* want to spend the $2000 for a new 13.3" MBP or for a MBA...
Is it worth the $250 to put in a 128GB SSD and 8GB of RAM, QT3 HiveMind?
Last edited by rei; 03-06-2011 at 08:05 PM. Reason: Forgot the "don't"
a 13.3MBP is $1,249 Canadian.
You'll get a much faster CPU, and compared to the 2008 model, faster graphics.
Let me spec out how much a 2011 MBP with 8GB RAM and SSD would be.
Don't spec out on Apple's site. Always buy third party upgrades. Always. You'll save a lot of cash.Originally Posted by rei
So $1149 base
+$198 for 8GB (sells for $100 outside of Apple.ca at MemoryExpress)
+$225 for 128GB SSD (sells for $235 price outside of Apple.ca at MemoryExpress)
= $1572
+$219 AppleCare
=$1791 CAD
The $98 dollar difference might be worth it for me not to open the damn thing myself and risk kernel panics if I get RAM it's picky with. Wonder how much I could sell my 2008 2.0 4GB 500GB for.
Last edited by rei; 03-06-2011 at 08:36 PM. Reason: 500GB
$1389.00 CAD
+$219 AppleCare
= $1608.00 for a 13.3" MBA with 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD
The processor in the new MBP models *really* makes a difference in battery run time vs. the older Core2Duo models or even the MBA (which still uses C2D as well).
The new MBA models are quite good on battery life, too, due to using comparatively large internal batteries and newer process ULV C2Ds (not to mention low clocking).
The question is if $350 worth of upgrades is enough to speed the old machine up since I really don't want to drop all that money for a new one. Might do the lazy thing and not do anything at all since $350 is half the cost of a new iPad 2.
Spend the $100 for 8GB of RAM. It'll give you a very nice speed boost. (How much do you have in it now? If 2GB, going to 8GB will give you a very nice boost.)
A 128GB SSD as the only drive in my laptop would be far too small for me, but you might have different requirements. Either way, I'd go with the RAM upgrade now and worry about the drive later.
Yes. These people are nutty suggesting you buy a brand new laptop rather than spend 25% the price on uprades that will make it significantly faster.
Go for the 8GB and the SSD. 128GB is plenty for a lot of people, especially if you aren't keeping your media library on your laptop.
I wouldn't call it nuts; you just have to sell your old one. If you've taken good care of it, you can usually go a long way towards paying for the latest version. The Apple upgrade train is relatively easy to keep up with because of the great resale market.
If you're looking at SSDs, the MBA makes the most sense to me. Between the size/weight and the drive speed, it's an entirely different computing experience.
That's a fair point, but finding a buyer and going through the sales process can be a hassle in and of itself.
Alright, so what is it worth?
4GB DDR3 RAM, 500GB WD Scorpio Blue HD, 2.0 GHz dual core, Snow Leopard, Late 2008 Unibody Macbook
Tucano microfibre Second Skin. Mini DP to DVI cable, Mini DP to VGA adapter, AC adapter, Rain Design mStand (http://www.raindesigninc.com/mstand.html), Red Speck see-through protection (http://www.speckproducts.com/macbook...se-13-red.html)
Hmm, I have so many accessories, I should probably keep it.
Get thee to Craigslist. Or if Craigslist doesn't have a critical mass in your city, eBay. Check values first then post for sale at a comparable price to the non-clearinghouse places (sometimes you will see absurdly low prices listed in batches of devices, but if you look at their claimed configs, they're full of shit -- advertising combinations of processor speed and Mac model that don't even exist).
I usually sell mine within 1-3 days of trying (granted I'm in SF). Clean it up, take pictures (it helps immensely to have it in an attractive setting), and profit!
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