MBP + Leopard

my brother purchased a MBP over thanksgiving and I love using it. So I am planning to get one. I know about the new OS leopard coming out in "spring". So my question is... should i wait for that (is it worth waiting for)? And if i do not wait for it... can i still upgrade after it comes out? Someone told me something about it being 64 bit and I do not really know what it means.

Thanks for the advice.

 

You certainly will be able to upgrade, even if it's limited to 64-bit, provided you get a Core 2 Duo laptop, as opposed to a Core Duo. As for waiting... I dunno. That's up to you, I suppose, unless there's been some rumors it's coming out inside a week or something.

 

If you need a notebook now, then get the MBP with a Core 2 Duo like l33t said. The difference is in the way the information goes to the processor. A program or operating system written for 64 bit(Core 2 Duo, Turion 64, Turion X2), will not run on a 32 bit processor(Core Duo, Core Solo, Pentium 4, etc). Getting a 64 bit processor is the most futureproof thing you can do right now when purchasing a notebook.

 

What they said. OS X costs $125, so decide to wait an indeterminate period of time and get it with your new computer, or buy your new computer now and pay $125 at some point in the future for the new OS X.

Depending on your purchase date and the new release date there may be discounts offered on the new OS X as well.

 

Pretty sure Leopard will come in a 32-bit version also, since it's too early to give up PowerPC support (10.6 is likely to be only Intel though I'd imagine) and the G4's aren't 64-bit. And of course the Core Duos aren't either, and they are just a year old. So I wouldn't worry on that account, it will still run on a 32-bit cpu.

But right now, all Macs come with Core 2 Duos anyway (except the Mac Mini) so if you are buying a notebook you'll have a 64-bit cpu and won't have to worry

 

I would go ahead and wait if you can. Not only will Leopard be out soon, but so will the new Santa Rose chipset. That should provide a decent boost in speed (a nice FSB increase) as well as add a much nicer video processor to the MB. There may also be a new video card going into the MBP (it would only make sense).
I wouldn't be overly concerned about 32 v. 64 bit. There isn't much difference unless your encoding or using other apps that really can take advantage of 64 bit architecture. Both the CD and C2D will be obsolete around roughly the same period, so not too many worries there.

But if you must have one, I would still recommend a C2D unit, as it has a DL dvd burner as well as a higher clocked video card. They also run cooler, and possibly have a slightly longer battery life. Oh yeah, Firewire 800 is also built into them now.