2011 Quad Core 15" MBP, ATI 6750, HiRes AntiGlare Screen $1699

Micro Center - Apple MacBook Pro 15.4" MD035LL/A Laptop Computer - Silver MD035LL/A

I bought one of these last night. The website lists it as the 1440x900 antiglare screen but it's the 1680x1050 one. I also figured it would be a misprint on the website and turn out to have the low-end ATI 6490 card, but nope, it's the 6750m.

This is an insane deal, so much so that I think they've made a pricing error.

The kicker? They had an open box Applecare there for $150. I bought it just for the resale value it'll add later.

 

The same notebook from Micro Center with the 1440x900 glossy screen is $100 less. I actually bought that model today. While the high resolution and anti-glare are both nice, I prefer the larger text/icons of the smaller display.

Micro Center - Apple MacBook Pro 15.4" MC723LL/A Laptop Computer - Silver MC723LL/A

The salesman who printed my order form was shocked that the machine was so cheap.

 

Glossy version is on sale at amazon warehouse deals for $1339.96 with no tax, which imo is a steal for this model.

They're "like new," which in my experience with amazon means they're basically new.

 

Except when it comes to warranty. Apple's warranty goes with the machine, which is better than some manufacturers. However, if the system was registered, you've lost whatever coverage was available from the date that happened. For instance, if the machine was initially purchased and registered in April 2011, you will only have warranty coverage until April 2012 unless you pop for an AppleCare plan.

 

Actually a couple of people on another forum I visit have had provided Apple with the amazon receipt, and they've changed the purchase date to reflect it. Might be a little YMMV, but enough people have said they've done it to make it a possibility, at the very least.

 

Now that is interesting. I suppose if the receipt doesn't indicate that the machine is used and/or has never been registered, Apple would have no way of knowing unless they actually looked at the Amazon sale page itself. I would agree that's it's certainly YMMV.

BTW, you need to fix your signature. The graphics card in these MBPs are AMD, not NVIDIA.

 

Good catch.

My defense is I came from an Nvidia 330M, guess that update was a bit lazy. Surprised no one else mentioned it before, ha.

 

I would also like to point out that there are slight differences in the CPU between the above 2 "pre-configured" models in addition to MC723LL/A having the glossy standard (1440x900) screen while MD035LL/A having the anti-glare high resolution (1680x1050) screen.

MD035LL/A --> 2.3 GHz Intel Core i7 quad-core processor ("Sandy Bridge") with 8 MB shared L3 cache
MC723LL/A --> 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7 quad-core processor ("Sandy Bridge") with 6 MB shared L3 cache

 

Wow, this seems like just what I was looking for, thanks OP. Can't believe a similarly equipped machine bought new from Apple would be about $2500 (I was looking at this very setup without the upgraded CPU and it was $2400 IIRC)

Can anyone clarify on their return policy? I have a Microcenter within a 70 min drive, but I'm always loathe to buy anything without a full money back return policy, even if it means I can't open the box. Their policy, as written, is:

"Notebook/laptop/netbooks computers, digital cameras/camcorders, projectors, DVD/CD/VCR players, game consoles and commercial products may be returned or exchanged within 7 days of purchase, provided the merchandise is in "like-new" condition - the complete product in the original carton with all equipment, packaging, warranties, manuals and accessories. A 15% Open Box Fee will be charged on all returns and exchanges unless the product is defective and is exchanged for the identical product."

So I'm a little fuzzy on this - they say there's a 15% "open box fee", but does this get charged if the box hasn't been opened? The text makes it seem like any return (open or not) of non-defective merchandise is assessed the fee. 7 days isn't much time, either... Anyone had any experience with returns from B&M Microcenter?

I want to lock into this price since it's such a steal, but I'm not 100% sure I want it yet (I'm slightly concerned about it's gaming performance).

 

Microcenter has always been very good to me about returns and i doubt you will have an issue as long as you do not open the box.

If you are that concerned maybe ask before purchasing the item at the customer service desk and get the persons name who helps you that way in case you do return it you have a name you can throw out there.

 

Definitely ask, but you can open it afaik just have to return it with all cables, accessories and documentations and not banged up or scratched.

 

I've never tried taking back a notebook, but other items I've opened from MC have been returned with no hassle whatsoever. As advised by others, be sure to ask a salesman/manager and get their name.

 

Wow, must have been quite a few people that saw this post! Last night all of the stores near me (Philly, Rockville, Fairfax) had "10+" in stock, now they're all out. Placed my order last night, but I never got an email confirmation, so I hope it went through...

 

Depends on the game. Starcraft, Company of Heroes and AOE3 and other non-FPS games are great. There's the typical Apple loud fan when playing under Windows but other than that it is more than powerful enough.

Cheers,

 

It does run SC2 and Valve games decently, but I can't tolerate the negative mouse acceleration (RTS or FPS, doesn't matter), and to date I haven't come across any software which can resolve it completely.

That, and you'll get considerably better performance in windows... taken together pretty much spells death sentence for me. Of course, you can install windows for gaming on the mac, or just tolerate the aforementioned problems.

 

I must say I am encouraged.

Perhaps Samsung shipping a clone for $1300 with better stats and Windows on it has made Apple reconsider their pricing.

Yeah its the old version and they are cleaning out inventory, but it's a step in the right direction.

A little furthur Apple... just a little furthur.

 

Just nabbed the last one at my MicroCenter here. in Denver. I simply couldn't pass up this deal. Wow.

 

One thing I appreciate about Apple notebooks is that you can buy AppleCare any time during the standard warranty, and it doesn't have to come from the place you bought the notebook. I just picked up one from B&H Photo for $244 shipped.

Apple 3-Year AppleCare for 15" & 17" MD012LL/A B&H

 

Important to note, that standard warranty is only one year.

Many other laptop manufacturers' laptops in even the discount price range (above) come with 2 or 3 year warranties that do NOT require additional purchase.

Despite the cost, I DO recommend the extended warranty if you buy... this model has problems with heat as it has inadequate cooling for even the CPU if you push it. (We've had an inordinate number of Sandy Bridge MBP fail.)

If you tend to do heavier processing, or extended gaming, a laptop cooler is a really good idea.

 

In my experience, Apple's warranty is far better than other manufacturers, so it's a trade off. Walking into a store and getting help ASAP rather than trying to explain your problem over and over to people with thick accents as you get transferred a thousand times is the worst. Then you get to wait for a box to arrive before you can ship your computer off and hope it gets back to you safely. I would never want to deal with Dell technical support ever again. Same with HP. So I'd rather pay the $239 for 2 more years of Apple Care.

 

Not in the consumer class they don't (ie not systems such as the Dell Latitude, HP Pro/Elitebook, etc). The only one off the top of my head that has a longer standard warranty is the HP Envy.

You're probably thinking of the 3+ year warranties on Sager/Clevo notebooks, but that's only for the labor of replacing any defective parts. The standard parts warranty for those machines is only one year.

That being said, I will say that I disagree with Apple's policy of only offering 90 days of phone support as standard. Sometimes questions can simply be resolved with a phone call, and I would rather not waste my time packing up my machine and driving to an Apple store.

 

Samsung Series 9 are 3-yr warranty.

MSI laptops are 1 yr of "I don't care what you did to it" accidental replacement coverage + 1 yr of parts/labor warranty and lifetime support.

True, Sager/clevo are 1 yr of parts... but those purchased through supported retailers, are LIFETIME phone and labor support...

Either way... their standard warranties are superior by a long shot.

As for Apple care being superior... I think it depends on the provider nearest to you. Some of the Apple stores have drooling idiots running them and are unable to fix things in a month that I would have had done in 2 hours. Sometimes they have competent people who can and do fix things quickly.

Having dealt with a LOT of laptop repairs I can say that the Apple people are nowhere near the top of my list, but also aren't near the bottom. Apple techs tend to assume abuse... I had one user accused of overclocking when she only used it for work doing website and graphics work. (and facebook) Thankfully a strongly worded response got the job done, but it took almost 2 months to get what should have been a simple replacement done.

Dell retail support is the bottom of the bottom. I think I'd rather talk to a grizzly bear about repairing a laptop as the bear would speak almost as much English and at least my time on hold would be over....

 

Having owned an MSI laptop, their warranty is good on paper, but is pretty meaningless when you actually need to use it. Online support takes forever to respond. Phone support, which even though I think it's based in the US, is still staffed by people who don't have a good grasp of English. All I needed was a simple hard drive replacement. I ended up having to go through my reseller (GenTechPC). The whole process took far longer than it should have.

Asus' warranty is similar to MSI's (except if you buy from Best Buy), and their support is about as awful.

Alternatively, I've had very good success with Apple. The techs I've dealt with both in the store and over the phone were friendly and competent.

It's all a matter of perspective and your own experiences, I suppose. I will agree with you on Dell, though. It's actually far easier to ask them for your money back than attempt to fix a problem with a system you just received that had problems out of the box. Never again.

 

I had to send my X460 in for a motherboard replacement. Took three weeks, and they kept me updated through their online RMA check page.

 

I just picked one of these up today and they are now going for $1599 and it does have the 1680x1050 screen.

 

Strange, Dell (at least Alienware) support has been perfect for me throughout the 4 replacements I ordered. One battery, two hinges (some know it's definately the m11x, by now ), before I got an entirely new laptop.

Their support was too good, but the laptop, desperately lacking in quality.

 

For the cost conscious / poor man's Mac:

HP.com
Coupon Code: NBDV5528

HP DV6t Quad Edition
i7-2670QM
HD 7690m 2GB
15.6" 1920x1080 Matte screen
8GB DDR3 1333
Blu-Ray Player / DVDRW
750GB 5400RPM HDD

$925 before taxes (free shipping)

 

Well, I'm just a little bummed about this. I bought the model above without the anti-glare/HR screen here on the NBR forums for $1600 out the door.

Oh well. It was a smooth sale anyways, and I'd probably spend a bunch on gas driving to and from the nearest Microcenter (1.5 hrs away). So maybe I'm not that bummed.

 

EDITED..

I was wrong.

 

Got mine last night at Westmont's Microcenter. At the (great idea) suggestion of the cashier, I opened the box and fired it up before walking out the door (I live fairly close but didn't want to get home and find a broken screen/bad HD/box full of rocks switched for MBP).

 

He who buys cheap, buys twice.

At this price point, I think that the "Poor man" might just stay poor, considering the resale value of a consumer quality HP.

 

Eh, buys twice why? I don't get the mentality, but whatever, to each their own. Buy a laptop at $1000 that lasts two years, sell for $400 or buy at $2000, sell at $800. I've bought "cheap" for years (Dell, Sager, HP, Acer, Asus). Cost has little to do with it considering most of the components are identical. A MacBook can break down just as easily as an HP or Dell or Acer or any other laptop. Drop it, dunk it in water, same result.

 

I think the point is that you buy something which cuts corners, it doesn't turn out to be right for you, you end up having to sell it at a loss and buy the correct thing anyway.

The projected resale value is obviously up for debate. It's fine to disagree, but that's his mentality. I don't have a strong opinion either way, but I can certainly understand and respect his point of view.

 

I'm usually one to buy computers for the long haul, but the past two years I've been switching computers every 6-8 months. I think I've finally settled in on ThinkPads, having started using them only 2.5 years ago.

But Macs will always have a special place in my heart. So, I'll probably stick with my T420 and 2011 MBP for a while.

 

I dunno, I had a Sony for 7 years, Dell for over 4 years (sold it and still getting heavy use), and an off-brand netbook for nearly 3 years. I guess I never had an issue.

And I think saying "He who buys cheap, buys twice" is a bit ignorant.

I cycle my primary laptop every 12-18 months approximately and typically buy whatever is the best "bang for the buck" at the time. I've had Dell, Lenovo, HP, Sager, Alienware, Acer, Asus, Sony, Toshiba, (wow, didn't realize so many) so I guess I'm not brand loyal. I usually have my "last model" put to good use either as an HTPC, mod project, given/sold to a family member or close friend, etc, and they typically all get 4-5 years without issue. I can usually regain about 50% of my purchase price after 12-18 months.

 

Given the overheating problems and my personally experienced failure rate of 2011 Macbooks in comparison to every other brand, I'd have to say the "He who buys cheap, buys twice" statement and its context is entertaining for all the wrong reasons.

 

Slight thread necro, but figured better to post here than create a new one.

MacMall has the 17-inch version of the notebook in the OP for $2029.99.

MacMall | Apple 17" MacBook Pro quad-core Intel Core i7 2.3GHz, 4GB RAM, 750GB 5400-rpm Hard Drive, Intel HD Graphics 3000 and AMD Radeon HD 6750M, Hi-Res Antiglare Widescreen Display (Blowout Model - Installed w/ Mac OS X Lion) MD036LL/A