Rants and Ramblings: random commentary about culture, media, politics, technology and whatnot.

in the market

For a little while now, I’ve been toying with the idea of upgrading to a new laptop. (Though I feel a bit guilty / cautious typing those words out on the very laptop that would be replaced … er … reassigned. Nice laptop. ::patpat:: )

There’s not really any question as to what model I’d buy: a top-of-the-line 15” MacBook Pro. When I’m running Flash and Photoshop and iTunes and Firefox and Mail all at the same time, my PowerBook G4 tends to … chug … just a little bit. (That said, I’m sure the latest edition of the Adobe Creative Suite will start to feel a bit sluggish on any new machine after a little while — as the computers get more powerful, new software releases tend to “bloat” to take full advantage of all that new processing power. Maybe Khoi Vinh’s onto something by sticking with Photoshop 7.0.)

As far as features go, I was resistant at first to the new glossy screen — I’m a bit concerned about glare — but seeing it in action at the Apple Store allayed some of my fears. Yes, there can be a bit of glare to contend with, depending on the light in the room, but the screen is noticeably brighter and the colors just seem to pop a little more.

Anyway, the big worry with any new Mac purchase is that you’ll buy at just the wrong time, and before you know it, Apple will have announced a brand-new version of your computer. The other day, Rob pointed me toward the Buyers Guide at MacRumors.com, which lists all the major Apple product lines and a bit of buying advice, based on current rumors and the time since the last product update. For example: “Recommendation: Buy only if you need it — Approaching the end of a cycle.” — the advice for the MacBook Pro.