Why I may buy a new MacBook Pro

The new MacBook Pro was unveiled yesterday at the WWDC and Apple's next generation laptop has me really tempted to pull out my wallet. Apple pulled out all the stops with the design and construction of the MacBook Pro, and its release comes at a time when I was already considering a new laptop purchase.

My current setup is old but simple. I have a 2008 unibody MacBook, the original 13-inch model that has served me well. I have been using it as both a mobile computer for trips and a desktop system in the office. The old MacBook has worked well for me with a 23-inch Cinema Display at my desk. The two monitor system served me well until the external display died last week.

Since the Cinema Display went dark I have been using the MacBook alone at the desk. Going from a two monitor setup to the single MacBook display has worked better than I though it would, but I do wish I had more screen real estate during the workday in the office.

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The 15.4-inch Retina Display of the new MacBook Pro is a good size that will work much better as a single screen system than the old MacBook. The high-performance it would bring, especially from the SSD, would be a big boost over the old MacBook. I like the ability to change the screen resolution on the fly with the new MacBook Pro for those times when higher resolution would be productive.

Yes, the new MacBook Pro would be a much better fit for my needs than the aging MacBook, but so far I haven't pulled the trigger on the purchase yet. The price of the new laptop is giving me pause as it's a lot of money to drop on one gadget. I think it's a good value for the money compared to existing Mac laptops, but it's still a big chunk of change.

My old MacBook only has a 256GB hard drive, and it's almost full. I would need a 512GB drive on a new laptop to last me for a while, and that means the more expensive configuration of the MacBook Pro which is $2,799. While I think it would make my work time more productive and better than it is now, I am pausing before hitting the Buy Now button. ZDNet colleague Andrew Nusca must have had me in mind when he detailed why the new MacBook Pro is probably not for everyone, primarily due to the high price.

Geek that I am I will probably end up making the plunge before too long, but for now I am tapping away on the old stuttering MacBook. The high price of the new MacBook firmly removes it from the category of impulse buys. The old laptop is still getting the job done so I can take my time and let Apple work all the bugs out of the brand new model. That's what I'm telling myself, anyway.