I'm torn...what to buy? what to buy? Poll

[davester]

I need to buy a new MBP before the end of the year (to get a business expense writeoff and to avert family fights over our only current laptop...a 2008 Penryn MBP). I've decided that for what I do I really can't tolerate a 13" screen, so the MBA choices are out (though I love how tiny that 11" MBA is).

So, the choices are an old style MBP 500 gb +8 gb ram upgrade for $1900, or a MBPr 256gb + FW adapter for $2230. There's also the possibility of saving a couple of hundred by getting a refurb (hopefully MBPr refurbs will be out before january).

Right now I'm torn between these two choices. After considering that I'll eventually want to upgrade the MBP to an SSD (I love the SSD I installed on our old Penryn) anyway the prices aren't that different.

MBP pros:
Lots of ports!
An optical drive (I'd use this probably only for Netflix)
Easy upgradability and repairability
MBP cons:
Heavy!

MBPr advantages:
The screen!
Light!
MBPr Cons:
Nonupgradable except for SSD
Expensive battery replacement cost
Probably requires Applecare to be relatively safe

Am I missing something? Has anyone else worked their way through this admittedly first world problem?

[vision63]

I voted Retina earlier.

[freeradical]

A new light bulb

[M A V I C]

I though the SSDs in the MBPr's were glued in as well?

First off, I wouldn't get the stock 500GB 5400RPM HD in the MBP. It's freaking slow.

Secondly, you've got a 2008. You've upgraded it. Go with the MBP. (If you don't upgrade machines, I'd lean back towards the MBPr

Third, the MBPr's are first gen. Wouldn't you want to wait a while to find out of Apple got the glue, heat dissipation... right, before buying a throw-away machine that you can't easily repair and upgrade?

Finally, ask yourself what will be best in the long run. My wife still uses my old 12" PowerBook G4. Sure the HD has been swapped out a few times and the RAM maxed, but it's still in use because of the ability to upgrade components.

[Lew Zealand]

M A V I C wrote:
I though the SSDs in the MBPr's were glued in as well?

Our friendly sponsors have replacement SSD options for every MBAir and MBP Retina. They're all swappable.

They're pretty much the only thing that's swappable in these machines.

[Bill in NC]

Old design MBP + 16GB of RAM.

maybe a hybrid drive if you don't want to immediately shell out for a SSD.

[Buck]

Retina Retina Retina! I can never go back. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED

[NewtonMP2100]

buy a decision.....???

[sekker]

I like my retina Mac. I find I use my iPad a lot less - the screen is so much nicer than my MBP.

[Article Accelerator]

We recently bought an MBPr. Simply outstanding in every way.

By the way, you can't install additional RAM but you can upgrade internal storage. See our sponsor's site.