Ask HN: Does MacBook Pro is really worth its price?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2463044

by theone • 15 years ago

8 21 15 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I am a developer from India, working on a project which could be my first startup. Financially I am dependent of part time freelance gigs, So buying a laptop is a big deal for me.

I have heard a lot about merits of MBP, but I'd like to have opinions from Hacker Community. Does MBP really worth its premium ? Or should I buy a modest Laptop and save money which I could use in my startup.

It'd be great if you guys could tell me about your primary work machine.

Edit : This would be my first MAC, so I don't really know much about MAC. Its just the buzz around it, because of which I am considering buying it.

benburleson• 15 years ago

No. Unless you really prefer the Mac environment, it's not worth it. Most day-to-day coding activities are easier on Linux.

I've used Windows, Fedora (my fave), Ubuntu, and have a new Macbook Air.

towndrunk• 15 years ago

Just like a carpenter, your tools are worth their weight in gold.

So yes. I believe the Mac Book Pro is worth it's price.

gharbad• 15 years ago

MBP is ideal for working on iOS. It also serves as a reasonable *nix for any non-Win-specific task..

Whether one is worth the cost is ultimately up to you. I do my corporate work (mostly python stuff) on a MBP and I rather enjoy it. I run my side projects on a Lenovo x120e running OpenSUSE. If I ever need to work on iOS on the side, I'll likely buy a mini for compiling while writing all my code on my x120e.

It really comes down to form-factors and what your ideal dev environment looks like. If you're sitting in front of Vim/emacs all day, you'll run into some issues with OSX. I enjoy doing my off-hours work in coffee shops, so I work with a smaller form-factor with a more reasonable screen at home.

pepsi_can2• 15 years ago

I've found my MBP worth the price for the following reasons:

- I enjoy the 8 hour battery life (This alone may have been worth it)

- The light up keyboard

- The feel of the keyboard

- It can drive my high resolution external display

- The screen works outside in the sun

- Extra large track pad, with gesture recognition

- It's thin

- The speaker quality

jrsmith12792• 15 years ago

Battery life is maybe the only thing on that list that has anything to do with productivity. I'll even be generous and throw in the high res external display as an added productivity perk. The rest of the things on your list are nice to have, but many of them are available in much cheaper laptops. The screen working outside in the sun is also debatable unless you're talking about the matte screen, which costs extra.

Again, I use a MBP as my primary computer and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

pepsi_can2• 15 years ago

I would argue that a satisfying keyboard is also important for a software developer.

Some of the things I mentioned are probably not important for productivity. But in my case my work laptop and my personal laptop are the same. So a light-up keyboard and good speakers are nice to have when watching movies on a Friday night with my wife (For example).

jrsmith12792• 15 years ago

I use a 17" MBP as my primary computer, but I see it as more of a luxury than a necessity. I'd say to spend your money on a more modest laptop and save the money for your startup.

On a similar note, I think it's crazy to see all of these startups using Apple Cinema displays. Two examples that come to mind are Color and Milk. Don't get me wrong, they're very nice monitors, but waaay overpriced when compared to monitors with the same specs.

brianxq3• 15 years ago

There really aren't many other monitors with "the same specs" as an ACD. The ones that do have the same specs (from Dell, NEC) are just as expensive, if not more. There are plenty of cheaper 24" monitors, but the resolutions do not compare.

Additionally, if you have an MBP, not having to use a mini-DP adapter and having a built in power adapter is pretty awesome.

pathik• 15 years ago

Unless you are working on an iOS app, I would recommend a Windows laptop.

astrodust• 15 years ago

That seems like an ridiculous distinction. 90%+ of the developers I work with use a MacBook, the rest use some kind of Linux distribution. The only Windows users I know are corporate slaves grinding out C# apps.

theone2• 15 years ago

I might disagree with that. Back in India you won't find that many Mac users, many of the developers have Windows (even on their personal laptops). May be this is because of high price, and may be because of easy availability of Pirated Windows.

creativityhurts• 15 years ago

If this would be a big investment for you, don't do it. You can find ThinkPads with similar specs at better price.

jason_slack2• 15 years ago

Well, The new 2011 MBP's are phenomenal. I have one.

I have been a Mac user for over 15 years and those that say Mac's are only good for iOS and Mac specific stuff are sort of naive. You can run Windows or Linux as well. There are also Virtual Machine possibilities.

The 2011 models support up to 16gb of RAM..in a laptop.

I think that good tools help productivity and a MacBook Pro is a GREAT tool..

hkr• 15 years ago

> I have been a Mac user for over 15 years and those that say Mac's are only good for iOS and Mac specific stuff are sort of naive.

Well, are you going to back up your statement?

> You can run Windows or Linux as well. There are also Virtual Machine possibilities.

I'd rather build a Linux box if virtual machines are the "attracting" features of Macs.

> I think that good tools help productivity and a MacBook Pro is a GREAT tool..

Again, define "good tools." I've never owned a Mac, but I find it hard to believe its hardware is the main reason for success. I thought the software takes much of the credit.

jason_slack2• 15 years ago

Sure. besides iOS stuff there is graphic design, normal business/productivity stuff, web development, Mac/Windows/Linux development, almost any task you can think of.

The hardware is definitely up there in quality. I have never had a motherboard just "go south". The only issues I have ever had in 15 years is hard drives and one Superdrive...

sallard• 15 years ago

I think it is worth it. But it depends on what you sacrifice for it. This is by far the best computer I've ever had : amazing screen quality, amazing battery life and every Apple's neat improvements on usability.

Mac OS X is a great OS which comes loaded with a lot of high quality apps.

You can count on superior customer service too (if you have access to a genius bar)

Do you need a Macbook pro ? Probably not. Would you enjoy having one ? Definitely.

nkassis• 15 years ago

Personal Opinion follows, your millage may vary:

Depends I heard (please correct me if I'm wrong) that Apple products in India are pricier and often a generation behind then I'd say no.

I have one but I wouldn't buy a new one personally. The build quality is good but other companies are starting to equal it. (And somehow I managed to bend the case near the Ethernet port in the first week. I don't know what I did to do that, I'm sure I applied pressure there by accident but I never hold it from there)

Software wise, I live in a shell be it on linux or on the Mac. I don't develop for iOS. I triple boot the machine and that works alright.

I've ran into some issues with the laptop too. My battery after a year and a half is now dead and from the Apple site this is common. The mini display port is a pain and now that display port/hdmi is becoming standard it might be easier than carrying 3 dongles.

You can also get better specs and hardware elsewhere for cheaper.

In all if you don't want OSX look elsewhere if not, it's still a very good laptop just not far above the rest as it's claimed to be.

theone2• 15 years ago

Ya they are little costlier, but it is the case with almost all laptops. We have to pay a little extra. Secondly, in India atleast MBP are not generation behind, however they are still selling iPad 1 in India.

And thanks for your opinion.

bricestacey• 15 years ago

If a laptop is a major purchase you should probably hold off until you can save for it unless you require mobility (e.g. client visits) or a smaller form factor (e.g. small apartment). However, be sure that those requirements are actually bringing in enough money to justify the cost. If you need to make client visits, but a laptop purchase is a big deal, should raise your rates.

I bought a late 2009 MBP because I wanted a modern consumer operating system as well as easy access to linux tools. I've been very happy with it. Previously, I had been running Ubuntu on a Dell Inspiron 9300 and was fed up with the poor support for everyday things. I recommend unless you do Windows dev work or think it's a big purchase.

thiagofm• 15 years ago

Don't buy it. I don't know how applestore ou imported products are in india, but in Brazil are fucking expensive.

I can easily get the same hardware/display/everything for half of the price, at least here.

Only buy that MBP when the MBP money isn't a real big issue for you. For now it seens that you need money for that future startup.

I know that everybody here will tell about quality, OSX(which is good!) and so on... but it's not worth it for you, for now.

I've been in that dillema for the last months. I ended up not buying anything.

Money for us, in third world countries is harder to get, you aren't making 100k/year like most of people here seens to make after they have just graduated.

Have much success in your venture! And maybe buy that macbook pro later, if you have success in it!

Shooter• 15 years ago

Don't buy it if your only reason for doing so is 'buzz.'

Have you considered trying out a "Hackintosh"-type setup first? If that doesn't work for you, you could still sell the PC easily and then buy a Mac. I make very good money in the US, and I still took several weeks to talk myself into buying a new Macbook Pro to replace an '05 Powerbook (in part because I already have a 27" iMac as my main computer.) Apples are expensive. To me, it is the software that makes them a great value, though. If you bought the MBP, would you still have the funds to spend on software and to complete your freelance/startup work without major sacrifices? I think it is ridiculous to ask a question like this on HN since we don't really know your financial circumstances. Are you really just wanting us to help rationalize a decision you've already made? ;-)

[And now...my first HN cross-post ever:]

RE: Fusion vs. Parallels

I just bought a new MB Pro and am getting ready to install Parallels on it for the first time. I've always used Fusion on my Macs (to triple-boot with Win and Linux) in the past. I thought Parallels was currently the leader in the shootouts regarding speed/features? Anyone keep up to date with their VM horse race or have a good reason to use one over the other? I already have licenses for both. Thanks.

Ask HN: Does MacBook Pro is really worth its price?

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