How long will a MacBook last?

MacBook Pros can last many years...there are many users on here trying to update to the latest Mac OS X with very old equipment. The life-time for the computer depends a lot on how you care for it or avoid abuse of it.

The differences between the MBP and the PC are big...outfitting a PC with the same specs as an MBP will end up costing the same amount of money, the MBP looks expensive because the computer is so advanced in comparison.

Go to an Apple store and spend some time with the MBP and MBPr and see how they feel to you so you can make an informed decision.

I suggest you try Oracle's Virtualbox Virtual Machine program. It is free and I've just switch to it from using VMware's Fusion on Mac and from VMware's Player program on Windows to Virtualbox.

I would not buy the Retina if you want to keep the system for longer then 3 years. The Retina modles are basically irreparable and Apple only offers a 2 year extrension to the warranty if you buy Applecare. So after the standard one year warranty and the Applecare warranty runs out, if you buy Applecare for a total of 3 years of warranty coverage, to fix a broken Retina will be VERY EXPENSIVE. So much so that it would be cheaper to buy a new computer. Also there are some major flaws with the Retina models, Just look through these forum and you will find many problems with them.

Before you invest in whether or not running Windows 7 is ideal, see if you can make do with the solutions to run on Mac OS X natively, or with WINE*:

http://www.macmaps.com/crossplatform.html

http://www.macmaps.com/macosxnative.html#WINTEL

http://www.macmaps.com/macgamepages.html

If all your stuff will run without needing Windows, and only needs the GPU found on the computer, then go with that solution. If you need a higher end GPU, getting an iMac may be a better solution unless you are frequently on the road. Sometimes you do have to make sacrifices of what games you can play if you are on the road. So be sure everything you desire is known to run on the machine in question.

I would not buy the Retina if you want to keep the system for longer then 3 years.

Considering the Retina has not even been out for three years, what evidence do you have for this? We all know you looooooove PCs but this is unneccessary.

Just look through these forum and you will find many problems with them.

Because that's what this forum is for. Problems.

Tips to make it last longer: treat it like it's the only one you will ever have, i.e. with tlc.

You cannot and should not make these decisions without getting your hands on the computer. As Ralph Landry has already said, go to an Apple store. After all it is the "fabulous experience" with an Apple product that got you to consider a Macbook. You might have the same very positive experience as you did with the iPad!

The other thing to consider is the price is there because the support is second to none, when it comes to person to person support. The price is there also because there is a whole host of software that will run Mac OS X natively that will not run on a non-Apple machine. And you can run more software on an Apple machine by virtue of the fact all Windows software will run on a similarly hardware configured machine that is non-Apple. Issues with running stuff in Mac OS X or Windows can typically be narrowed down to hardware issues, and older drivers or older software not designed to work with the hardware. Apple offers you the opportunity to buy a Mac, and within the first year extend its warranty to 3 years from date of purchase. Note the warranty does not cover accidents. For that you need either a supported homeowners insurance, or a computer insurance such as Safeware. Instead of taking this forum verbatim on what fails, simply ask what works. You are much more likely to get an answer that will be accurate. People can easily blame failure on many things, and fail to look at the problem between the keyboard and the chair.

Again.

The longest warranty you can get is for a total of 3 years. Since most all the parts in a Retina are either soldered to the Logic board or Glued into the case parts to fix one after the warranty runs out will be cost prohibitive, to Expensive, and it would be cheaper to buy a new computer.

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The longest warranty you can get is for a total of 3 years.

That is not the same as:

I would not buy the Retina if you want to keep the system for longer then 3 years.

Implying that the system will fail after the three year warranty is done.

<Edited by Host>

The Retina is no more powerful then any other Mac notebook. The only difference between the standard models and the Retina is the retina comes with a SSD. You can Add a SSD to all the other models which will make them just as fast as the retina models.

You can also install the SSD yourself, saving some money from Apple would charge for it, and you can upgrade the RAM to 16GBs yourself also saving even more money.

The only thing the retina has that the standard models don't have is the high Res screen and the thinner case. In fact if you want a DVD drive you have to buy an external for the retina and it comes with the standard.

The only parts on the standard Macbook Pros that are user changeable are the RAM and the hard drive. Basically no notebook has User Replaceable Video cards. They are specially desinged to fit into the small space available in a notebook.

The 15" standard MBP has a Discrete graphics card just like the Retina models. And Yes All have the Intel HD 4000 graphic also. That is built into the CPU.

The 13" models only have the Intel graphics. For a better reference go to the Store Link at the top of this page and then Macbook Pro and you can see all the different hardware that comes in each model.