Powerbook Titanium user looking for advice on MacBook Pro

Question

Hello, all,
After almost 10 years of faithful service, I'm afraid that my 15" TiBook is showing signs of age and may soon need replacing. For financial reasons, I can't spring for a brand-new, top-of-the-line MBP, and I was wondering if you had any advice about what I should look for in a reconditioned model from the AppleStore. Aside from basic functions like emails and web, I'd be using it primarily for the Adobe Creative Suite (no animation or any really heavy stuff) and for watching DVDs when away from home. How do you feel about the glossy screens, for example? On the French AppleStore, there are a couple of MBPs from early 2011, but I'd seen that there were concerns with the temperature/fan noises… I realize that almost anything I may buy now will be light years faster and more powerful than the 667 Mhz that I have now, but I'd like for the replacement machine to be as impervious to ageing as the PB has been.
Any and all advice would be most welcome.
Thanks for reading.

Answer 1

My suggestion since you prefer to maximize your computers lifespan is to get either the new:
1: High res, anti-glare 15" 2.2 Ghz or above
2: High res, anti-glare 17" 2.2 Ghz or above.
(The 13" MacBook Pro is integrated graphics, the 15" 2.0 has a dedicated graphics card that is as weak as the integrated graphics. Both are very poor choices for the long term.)
The two models I've mentioned have the top of the line i7 Quad cores that simply blow the dual cores away in every way possible. The 1GB Radeon 6750M GPU is a monster video card that will satisfy ANY need you have for a long time.
If your trying to save money and going for a used dual core i5, your doing yourself a great disservice because those machines are soon destined for the scrap heap.
I opted for the anti-glare because with a laptop it's a necessity unless you live in a basement or a cave.
The glossy forces you to seek dark locations to see the screen because it reflects dam near everything, even your face.
Some people say to get a aftermarket anti-glare film, but those are expensive, they dry out, peal and bubble, not very nice looking and need occassional replacement.
You will not give a flying ratts *ss four days later if you don't have a snazzy black bezel, your going to want to use the machine as intended in nearly any location. The matching case bezel is just wonderful and the new anti-glare (not ugly matte like before) screen is of a higher quality, looks fantastic being able to see every inch of the screen all the time.
You can do a Google image search for "Mac glossy anti-glare" and get hundreds of pictures for your decision making process.
The new machines are easily opened up to add more RAM or switch out the hard drive with a 00 micro-phillips screwdriver and a plastic compartmentalized holder to place the screws in order so the right ones go into the right holes. Won't void your warranty as long as you don't do any damage. Don't strip the screws.
Do get AppleCare and a good case, even a MacTruck.
Use the keyboard and trackpad as little as possible, use a wired or wireless instead to keep the wear off the machine.
Keep the keyboard area covered and away from food/liquids, it gets behind the keys easily and will fry it.
If you use the keyboard and trackpad, take off any jewelry and use a pad protector as you'll wear the case and 3 years from now it will look ugly as sin.
Snow Leopard is a great OS, Apple plans on major changes in the next one to make OS X look like a iPad, you might not like it. The grumbling has already started.
So get a Snow Leopard machine now with the iLife on the installer disks while you have a chance, a few weeks from now you might not have that option as all new machines will be forced into Lion.