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It would also be helpful to have a review of the Xserve included, especially a discussion comparing the advantages and disadvantages of using it to run Snow Leopard Server versus the Mac Mini and the iMac.

For me, if I were in the market at the moment, the MacBook Pro would win because it isn't that much more than the MacBook, and it includes Firewire and an SD card slot.

I think the non removable battery is a stupid move. No Firewire I can understand because USB 2 is so popular but the battery on a portable is a crucial component that has to be replaced or that you can upgrade later. I guess this is because Apple thinks that the battery will last for the lifetime of the product, I guess 3 years is what they wish.

Best Buy is giving a $150 gift card if you buy the white Macbook on Black Friday. Just thought you should know.

http://www.blackfrid...-friday-ad.html

Also, the MacPro buying advice (while tempered with the "When money's no object" caveat) seems a bit out-dated. The i5/i7 iMacs now match or better the performance of even the 2.93Ghz Mac Pros - while costing $1000 less and including a brilliant 27" IPS screen.

Unless you *absolutely* need a $3500 MacPro in the next month or so, the MacPro makesno sense to buy right now when the iMacs almost out-power any non-8-core models for much cheaper.

Within my Mac collection, I own a Macbook Air (2009, 2.13 GHz) and I really don't notice any difference in speed when it comes to email, internet browsing, document writing, basic photo editing, viewing music & video, etc. Sure, I'm going to use my quad-core Pro for major editing projects, ripping movies, etc., but the Air is my favorite notebook ever to work on. I think its performance weaknesses are overemphasized. And anyone doubting the weight advantages of the Air... I'm in the shape of my life (at 40), I have been biking and hiking as a means of transpo and recreation for nearly a decade, and I live at 7,000 feet (2100 meters). The lightness of the Air is absolutely noticeable compared to any other Macbooks and any other notebook I've ever owned or handled (other than netbooks, don't get me started on those POSs). Yes, its strength is its design, but its not like its molasses when using it for most common tasks. When I see what the majority of people use their notebooks for, I realize most people have notebooks that are way overqualified for those tasks.

"There are two 27-inch iMacs. The 27-inch with a 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo processor has a 1TB hard drive and costs $1699. (Get best current price.) Then there a 27-inch iMac with a quad core 2.66GHz Intel i5 processor and a 1TB hard drive for $1999."

The quad-core Intel i7 is a good option that wasn't mentioned.

I think that there are critical items missing from this article. For example, I have a MacBook Pro 3.06ghz with 8gb ram with the 7200rpm drive. It's a screaming fast laptop - but the processor isn't even mentioned as an available option in the article. If I solely relied on this article to buy the best available, I might have made a mistake.

Microcenter has had a $200 rebate on the new Macbooks for what seems like a month now. That makes the new Macbook an even more attractive purchase compared to the low-end MBP.

Also funny how....

The $799 Mac Mini isn't considered the better value even though for the extra $200 over the base model you get 2more gb of ram, 227Mhz more cpu and 160gb more hard drive space.

......meanwhile the $1499 MBP is considered the better value for the extra $300 over the base model because it offers 2 more gb of ram, 227Mhz more cpu and only 90gb more hard drive space.

Considering this and the $200 rebate on a Macbook, the Macbook is a steal. For $100 more than the $1499 MBP you could have 2 new Macbooks.

This post has been edited by trip1ex: 18 November 2009 - 10:00 AM

Has anyone done a comparison between the 21.5"/3.06 GHz with 3MB shared L2 cache vs. the 3.33 GHz with 6MB shared L2 cache?

brilor, on 18 November 2009 - 09:04 AM, said:

Technically the quad-core Intel i7 is a BTO option, not a standard model, but yes, it's definitely an option.

I'm looking at one of the new 15" MBP (we have a Mac and I'm now looking for a laptop). Would folks here recommend buying now or waiting until 2010 for the new Intel i7? Will those ship any time soon in 2010? Or should I buy now, then sell once the new laptops are released in 2010? Any advice is appreciated!

I've just bought the new 15" MBP to replace my 5 years old Powerbook G4 with 1,33 Ghz.

Awesome perofrmance and design, like always!