[charmcitycop]

So I am going to get a Mac laptop... but I am very unsure of which one to get. Here are the options for me...

1) Refurb MacBook Pro (not the most recent model, but a nicer price than a new one)
2) Refurb MacBook (If I get a macbook, I want a black one... again, refurb would be cheaper but not the most current)
3) New MacBook (Hafta be black, and a new one would be faster and have some other enhancements...)

I can't afford a new MacBook Pro, so that is off the table for sure. I guess what it comes down to is, is the Pro model that much better than a refurbed older model would be a better long-term buy than a new black MacBook?

I'm also torn about wheter or not to get AppleCare. I never got it on anything previously, but I never had a portable before.

HELP!

[rjt1000]

If you do anything that makes heavy use of the video processor (GPU) then I would definitely go for the MBP core duo over the MB with either core duo or core 2 duo. This Barefeats review makes the comparison.

One concern about the refurbs is that the early MBP's and to a lesser extent MB's had a number of issues, that were resolved with the updates.

You have up to a year after purchase to decide about Apple care. If you make the purchase with a credit card, some will double the manufacturers warranty. So you could get 2 years of coverage without paying more. Call your credit card company to find out.