Best Bargain for the price? macbook pro i5 or i7?

Question

I am using the same post, I just wrote a few minutes back so that more people can read it.
Comments are welcome.
I have been reading this forum for a while now since I wanted to buy the new macbook pro.
And I did something that nobody here tried to do which is compare prices or at least i didn't see a post about it.
Here is the link: http://ark.intel.com/Compare.aspx?ids=43560,47341,43544,
Basically, there is 32 dollars difference between I5 2.4GHZ and the I5 2.53GHZ.
Will I pay 168 dollars more to get a 500 GB HD instead of a 320 GH?
AND, there is 107 dollars difference between I5 2,4Ghz and the I7 2,66 Ghz.
Will I pay 293 dollars more (400-107) for the 500 GB HD and the 256 MB more of graphics?
You bet it a big NO.
What I did is get the best deal here which is the 2,4Ghz I5 but I had to add antiglare and no other option.

Answer 1

Everyone one has different needs and, in the Apple world, wants. Frankly, the i7 isn't capable of doing anything that the low end i5 can't do. It could be argued that the best bargain is the lowest end machine in that it is the least expensive to get the job done. There will always be people willing to pay a premium for those little bumps in performance. This has always been the case with Apple. They have always offered upgrades at what are generally considered high prices. In the case of the original MacBooks, the black version, while offering very slightly better components, was primarily more expensive just because it was black and more exclusive. For most it's really not a matter of just the best dollar value. Apple really doesn't offer more than a few models of machines to start with... and then limited upgrade options within those ranges. It's not like the PC world where there can be a substantial difference from manufacturer to manufacturer in pricing for similarly spec'd machines. If you want a Mac... Apple typically offers an "entry level" machine in each category and then upgraded versions that you'll have to pay for. Although, the range between the entry level and the high end has become somewhat blurry. The last rev of the MacBook Pros removed the dual GPUs from the low end 15" model... which made upgrading to one of the higher levels actually a necessity for some who may have actually needed the dedicated GPU. With the current models, with very limited exception, the low end version would be fine for most people... but I expect tons of people will still go for either of the two upgraded versions. I myself just bought the i7 version as a gift.