Well I need some opinions...I currently have a 2.16 ghz 2gb ram macbook. I have had it for about a year now and it has worked great for me but I usually just use the internet and iPhoto on it. I have started to develop more of a interest in music creation and video editing. Nothing too serious though, as I won't be doing either professionally, and using it strictly for home and personal use. Do you think the Macbook has enough power for this? People usually say Macbook Pro for Video/Music/Graphics use, but as I said these won't be done on a professional level. I also need something that will last me a few more years, and I am thinking the aluminum case on the Macbook Pro would help it last longer. Thoughts?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Macbook power enough?
- Thread starter Zadiek
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Dont waste your money. Unless you want gaming or pro editing performance... the MB has more than ample performance!
Apple used some awesome cpus in the Mid 2007 MBs which were and even are really strong in their class!
What MB doesnt ship with is an DVI adapter and believe me with that kind of stuff you're gonna need it sooner or later
Apple used some awesome cpus in the Mid 2007 MBs which were and even are really strong in their class!
What MB doesnt ship with is an DVI adapter and believe me with that kind of stuff you're gonna need it sooner or later
Well money is not a problem at the moment but I am getting married in early November so I am sure that will change! So if I am going to make the change, I should do it soon. Durability is probably more of a factor since it will probably be a few years before I can get a new one. I need something that will hold up well because this will be my main computer.
Since you already own the MB, why not just start with it for a month or two and judge for yourself how it functions? A NOV. wedding should still leave plenty of time to slip a new purchase into the mix before you have to...ahem...account for the expenditure.
And the other side will argue that the Macbook will crack.
Just don't go throwing either around and you'll be fine. I managed to keep a Dell Inspiron 1100 for 4-5 years without a single mark on it.
Now that you tell me about your situation....
Dude you're in a BIG fix. I'd have gone with the MBP with its processor having 6MB of L2 cache (Only 3 for MB).
But then the Nehalem is also far too enticing with all this new MBP (If hats what Apple continues calling it) casings and stuff!
Couldnt you save or something.... I mean 'a secret stash' which GF doesnt know about!
LOL
Dude you're in a BIG fix. I'd have gone with the MBP with its processor having 6MB of L2 cache (Only 3 for MB).
But then the Nehalem is also far too enticing with all this new MBP (If hats what Apple continues calling it) casings and stuff!
Couldnt you save or something.... I mean 'a secret stash' which GF doesnt know about!
LOL
As long as you don't get too into the editing that you need high end programs, the MB should be fine
I think am going to take munckee's advice. See how interested I get into the editing, and then upgrade if I find it necessary. The new Macbooks and Macbook Pros should be out by then anyway, so it should work out for the best. Thanks for the advice guys! I guess I will be storing a secret stash after all...lol
Doesn't support 4GB. Only 3,3. But the macbook will still be more than capable of your needs.
i have installed 4GB RAM and it displays all being available. iStat aslo shows all 4GBs being used ect. i've heard of vista only using 3.5 GB of RAM but not macbooks. regardless, the macbook is fine for editing i do photoshop a lot while browsing the web, d/l torrents, using ichat and itunes open as well. computer hardly lags.
Agreed.
I don't know why you would consider upgrading until you actually tried seeing if it worked with your original system. Oh well.
Try it out, if video editing on your current setup is too slow, then upgrade.
When you say "Video/Music/Graphics" does that mean you'll be editing video, cutting, chopping frames and clips in application like FinalCut Pro, Adobe Première? Loading large image files into Photoshop, Illustrator for manipulation, Rendering scaled down models of your favourite town by creating millions of triangles in Maya, Motion etc?
If that's the case, then for some of those applications, your better off with the MacBook Pro. If not, then the MacBook will do you fine. When people talk about using the MacBook Pro, it's because they need the larger display for all the millions of application pallets, the powerful(ish) video card to refresh everything and keep it bang on time.
The MacBook is a decent bit of kit, uses the same class of CPU as the MBP and it offers many features as found in highend laptops but also misses a few important ones, especially if you need video power. The built-in video card is actually part of the Intel Chipset, the memory is borrowed from the main system - not didicated.
The MacBook comes with a miniDVI, with a few dollars you can buy an adaptor for it - However, it doesn't support Dual-Link DVI like it's bigger brother does, thus you'll be limited to a slightly lower resolution.
If you wanna watch Videos, listen to Music and edit the occasional Photo or do a little graphics work - say a small project, the MacBook is ideal!!
The both the current MacBook's and MacBook Pro will accept upto 4GBof RAM. However the MacBook Pro has been tested and proven to accept and support 8GB of RAM... should one really need it, bear in mind 4GB SODIMMS ain't cheap!! (You'll need two to get 8GB working.)