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manofmany · Apr 11, 2009, 11:41 AM

Just wondering if I got a decent deal on this MBP

2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
3 GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
120GB SATA 5400rpm
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600

Plus all of the other goodies such as bluetooth, wireless, expresscard slot, etc.

Was $800 about right? Also, will it have a backlit keyboard? Should be here Tuesday. I missed my old MBP enough to get another.

seanc · Apr 11, 2009, 11:48 AM

Sounds like a good deal to me.

My MBP (2GB, 200GB disk, 8600m 256mb (small dent to the vent area)) cost me £850 ~$1,246
Your deal equates to ~£546 which is the going rate for a 2nd hand MacBook normally.

It will have a backlit keyboard, they've been standard on all MacBook Pros I think.

Cold Warrior · Apr 11, 2009, 11:58 AM

Sounds like a good deal.

manofmany · Apr 11, 2009, 12:13 PM

Thanks guys! I'm now anxiously awaiting it's arrival so I can get it all setup and everything.

cwkmacuser · Apr 11, 2009, 03:43 PM

It's a really good deal, as MacBook Pros normally run for over $1,000!

manofmany · Apr 11, 2009, 03:50 PM

Yeah I was very surprised to get this deal. I actually came to realize that MBP's were going for more than iMacs. I hunted eBay for almost a week and late last night I was able to snipe a nice condition macbook pro for that great price. I had to stay up til about 2am my time but it was worth it in the end, I hope

It also comes with two magsafe adapters and all the original equipment including retail box and whatnot. I was looking at my old retail box earlier and the only differences from the last one I had is that this processor is just a tad slower but this has an extra GB of RAM installed.

Either way it should run circles around my 4 year old presario m2000 1.4ghz celeron with 1gb of ram

I can't wait to be able to use the DVI port and watch movies from it again.

cwkmacuser · Apr 11, 2009, 04:08 PM

What time zone are you in?

manofmany · Apr 11, 2009, 05:19 PM

Eastern time zone over here!

The laptop was just south so it was also in the same time zone.

jogi · Apr 12, 2009, 04:42 AM

The only issue with the 2.16ghz C2D Macbook pro is
- Its temperature. It heats up quite a bit but it doesnt cause any problems.
- Battery. It dies within a year or so.

manofmany · Apr 12, 2009, 07:12 AM

Originally Posted by jogi

The only issue with the 2.16ghz C2D Macbook pro is
- Its temperature. It heats up quite a bit but it doesnt cause any problems.
- Battery. It dies within a year or so.

I can handle the temperate. My old 2.33ghz got pretty warm as well. A year is a short time frame for a battery to die and this guy says this battery only lasts an hour or so. If I was a betting man I'd say it realistically lasts 30 minutes or less and is ready for a new one.

Performannce wise, there probably isn't a HUGE difference between the 2.16 and 2.33 is there? My old 2.33ghz was certainly more than ample.

ghporter · Apr 12, 2009, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by jogi

The only issue with the 2.16ghz C2D Macbook pro is
- Its temperature. It heats up quite a bit but it doesnt cause any problems.
- Battery. It dies within a year or so.

Your battery may have died quickly, but that does not mean that in general MBP batteries die early. My Core Duo (not C2D) MBP is on its original (mid-2006) battery and still going strong.

thechidz · Apr 12, 2009, 11:14 AM

as long as it still has some applecare that is a pretty good deal. did the seler have 100% feedback? did you use buy it now or auction?

manofmany · Apr 12, 2009, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by thechidz

as long as it still has some applecare that is a pretty good deal. did the seler have 100% feedback? did you use buy it now or auction?

Applecare until jan 2010. Can I extend it for another year thereafter?

It was an auction and yes the seller had great feedback. They have sold previous items at high prices. I'm pretty finicky who I will and will not buy from. I'm a powerseller and over the past 5 years and I have never been ripped. I'll find out in a day or two, though.

seanc · Apr 12, 2009, 11:59 AM

If it has already been extended with 3 year AppleCare, then that's it. You can't add any more.

cwkmacuser · Apr 12, 2009, 12:27 PM

Originally Posted by manofmany

Applecare until jan 2010. Can I extend it for another year thereafter?

It was an auction and yes the seller had great feedback. They have sold previous items at high prices. I'm pretty finicky who I will and will not buy from. I'm a powerseller and over the past 5 years and I have never been ripped. I'll find out in a day or two, though.

Most of the time when it the seller has good feedback you'll be OK. I don't think there's anything to worry about.

cwkmacuser · Apr 12, 2009, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by seanc

If it has already been extended with 3 year AppleCare, then that's it. You can't add any more.

That's annoying. You ought to be able to!

manofmany · Apr 12, 2009, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by seanc

If it has already been extended with 3 year AppleCare, then that's it. You can't add any more.

Gotcha. Said he got it in 2007 so that would be 3 years. Not a big deal, really. Now I'm just really anxious to get it

cwkmacuser · Apr 12, 2009, 04:13 PM

Yeah, I would be too!

I love my MacBook!!!!!!!!!!

manofmany · Apr 12, 2009, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by cwkmacuser

Yeah, I would be too!

I love my MacBook!!!!!!!!!!

Those white macbooks are very eye catching!

One last quick set of questions. On this, is the max ram 3GB? If it is 4GB, it's probably worthless to upgrade since I won't be gaming on it? Also, will installing a larger hard drive void the applecare?

thechidz · Apr 12, 2009, 11:08 PM

yeah pretty good deal, max out the ram throw in a bigger hdd and enjoy

Big Mac · Apr 13, 2009, 01:17 AM

Originally Posted by cwkmacuser

That's annoying. You ought to be able to!

If your hardware is problem free through the AppleCare period, it probably won't give you trouble afterward. If you're concerned you can probably get a Safeware insurance policy that does allow you to renew indefinitely.

Simon · Apr 13, 2009, 04:14 AM

Originally Posted by manofmany

On this, is the max ram 3GB?

Yes. Your MBP has a 3GB RAM addressing limit as explained here.

Also, will installing a larger hard drive void the applecare?

In principle that MBP's HDD is not considered a user-replaceable part and the idea would be that you should have an AASP put a HDD in for you. However, in practice AC will only be voided if you break something while installing the new HDD.

Simon · Apr 13, 2009, 04:15 AM

Originally Posted by thechidz

yeah pretty good deal, max out the ram...

Umm, his RAM is already maxed out.

manofmany · Apr 13, 2009, 11:19 AM

I got it today and everything looks great so far. I am upset though because despite the good price I was charged $65 shipping and when I calculated the postage on the two UNINSURED packages, it came to $14.95.

thinkx · Apr 13, 2009, 09:04 PM

Let's hope you actually get it.. sounds a bit like too good a deal..

thinkx · Apr 13, 2009, 09:05 PM

OK, so you did get it.. replacing the internal drive is a very complex procedure.. don't recommend it.

manofmany · Apr 13, 2009, 10:27 PM

Yes I got it today and it's in pristine condition. Even though I overpaid on shipping I still came out $300+ ahead. It came with a new retail box of 10.5 and an extra 85w magsafe adapter. Also has applecare until 2010 and I was just able to get apple to authorize a new battery replacement because it would only charge to 54% after 189 cycles.

Even though it was older than a year she made an exception and is shipping it out tomorrow and I'll have to send my current one back in. I really got lucky on this deal.The current drive is a fujitsu. I'm very happy

cwkmacuser · Apr 14, 2009, 12:39 AM

Are you going to get Snow Leopard (10.6) when it comes out, manofmany?

There is a thread on Snow Leopard if you are interested.

Go to:

http://forums.macnn.com/90/mac-os-x/...opard-release/

manofmany · Apr 14, 2009, 01:09 AM

Thanks for the link. Yes, I plan on grabbing it once it's released!

Simon · Apr 14, 2009, 04:45 AM

Originally Posted by manofmany

Even though it was older than a year she made an exception and is shipping it out tomorrow and I'll have to send my current one back in. I really got lucky on this deal.

Good to hear. In my experience as well Apple has gone out of their way to make sure batteries that don't live up to their specs (80% within the first 300 cycles) get replaced even if your warranty has already run out. This is really excellent customer service.

manofmany · Apr 14, 2009, 02:07 PM

I'm just itching to pull the trigger and get a Seagate 7200.3 320gb 7200rpm drive. I SUPPOSE I could call the apple store and see if a genius will install it for me although I hate paying someone for something I can do; I just really don't want to void my applecare.

500GB is more than I'll ever need and 320gb would be just perfect. 120gb I've currently got isn't gonna cut it.

manofmany · Apr 14, 2009, 10:34 PM

Haha I went through ebates and ended up getting $25 back as well.

Simon · Apr 15, 2009, 02:45 AM

Originally Posted by manofmany

I'm just itching to pull the trigger and get a Seagate 7200.3 320gb 7200rpm drive. I SUPPOSE I could call the apple store and see if a genius will install it for me although I hate paying someone for something I can do

You could also try an AASP. Buy the drive from them and they'll probably install it for you for a small fee. I used to know an AASP that would install the drive for free if I bought it from them. Sure they were $20 more expensive than a place like Newegg, but OTOH you have no hassle and you don't put your warranty at risk.

In the end, only you know what's most important to you.

cwkmacuser · Apr 15, 2009, 07:47 PM

Originally Posted by manofmany

I'm just itching to pull the trigger and get a Seagate 7200.3 320gb 7200rpm drive. I SUPPOSE I could call the apple store and see if a genius will install it for me although I hate paying someone for something I can do; I just really don't want to void my applecare.

500GB is more than I'll ever need and 320gb would be just perfect. 120gb I've currently got isn't gonna cut it.

I have never had to pay for genius bar service. I think they will do it for free.

jjdgap · Apr 15, 2009, 11:02 PM

I got a Macbook Pro
2.4ghz
2gb Ram
160GB HDD
NVIDIA GeForce 8600 256MB
For 1,075US on EBAY with 1.5years left of extended Apple Care, amazing deal, use it for home and for work. The listing was done extremely poorly with only one picture so people didn't bid on it, I was taking a chance but it turned out to be worth it

Simon · 03:27 PM

Originally Posted by cwkmacuser

I have never had to pay for genius bar service. I think they will do it for free.

But probably only if you also buy the disk from them, read you're limited to Apple's selection. Just my guess though, never tried it.

druber · Apr 19, 2009, 09:50 AM

I would not at all expect that the Genius bar would do this for free, or necessarily at all if it isn't a repair issue. I asked about them swapping out the hard drive in an iMac (White Core2 Duo, not the latest aluminum), and they pointed me to an AASP. If they ran free upgrades, why would you get a build-to-order machine? It's not at all in their best interest, and Apple is after all a business.

manofmany · Apr 19, 2009, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by druber

I would not at all expect that the Genius bar would do this for free, or necessarily at all if it isn't a repair issue. I asked about them swapping out the hard drive in an iMac (White Core2 Duo, not the latest aluminum), and they pointed me to an AASP. If they ran free upgrades, why would you get a build-to-order machine? It's not at all in their best interest, and Apple is after all a business.

Yep, you have a very valid point. I picked up a 7200.3 320GB Seagate 7200rpm drive for about $40. I am gonna install it myself and if I have any issues other than the drive, I'll just swap the 120GB drive back in before taking it in.

HOPEFULLY, I won't have any other issues. I've owned many laptops for years and never had any issues so I pray my MBP treats me well