Hey guys I'm trying to decide between the 13' (core 2 duo 2.4GHZ) and 15'(core i5 2.4GHZ) Macbook Pro. Apparently the 15' one has a better processor (i5) while the 13' has core 2 duo. But what I will be doing with my computer is mostly just music editing, in addition to web browsing and other light tasks. So I will be running programs like Logic etc... but that's about it. So based on this, which one do you guys think I should get? (I'm not really on a budget but I'd like to save as much as I can...) Is core i5 really worth that extra 600 bucks? Plus, weight and size are not really a concern for me... I'm just trying to make a decision based on the cost relative to the performance increase in terms of music production... Is someone using their Macbook Pro for the same purposes? Any help/idea is greatly appreciated!!! Thanks in advance!!!
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13' or 15' for music production? DECISION!! HELP!!
- Thread starter CraigGenius
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Get the 13 inch and replace the HD with a 7200 rpm HD with the money you save, and any extra can be spent on upgrading the ram. Unless you wanna go the Solid State Drive route, I think you can get one for $600 with a reasonable amount of memory. With either a 7200 hd or a ssd, it'll be much faster than a stock i5 15 inch, but with the ssd it will FLY. Check out videos on youtube and see if it is worth it to you. The 13 inch is great because it is easier to carry and has about an hour extra of battery life. But the speakers on a 15 inch are better... they're completely internal on the 13 inch.
I'm also thinking of making the same purchase... I used to have an old Macbook Pro with 2.16ghz Core 2 Duo which ran Logic pretty well, but I got rid of it a few years ago - which I really regret...
I would personally go with the 15' Macbook Pro, but my decision is mainly based on screen size (I run Logic over two 22' screens on my Mac Pro) because it's nice to spread out. The advantage in productivity for me is worth the extra money. Do they have Logic installed on the Macbook Pros in the Apple Store? It just occurred to me that I should go and try them out for size.
I think that both would run Logic well on the move, I rarely had a problem with recording and editing on my old Macbook Pro. Just make sure you've got a decent amount of RAM in it and a speedy hard drive.
Also I found Apogee Duet great for recording on the move.
Anyway, those are just my personal opinions... I think it's far more important to be comfortable, especially with creative applications. I'm sure most disagree and will say that specs are the most important. I'm running Logic on a Mac Pro from 2006, and it still performs great. I will upgrade one day... but right now there's no need.
I would personally go with the 15' Macbook Pro, but my decision is mainly based on screen size (I run Logic over two 22' screens on my Mac Pro) because it's nice to spread out. The advantage in productivity for me is worth the extra money. Do they have Logic installed on the Macbook Pros in the Apple Store? It just occurred to me that I should go and try them out for size.
I think that both would run Logic well on the move, I rarely had a problem with recording and editing on my old Macbook Pro. Just make sure you've got a decent amount of RAM in it and a speedy hard drive.
Also I found Apogee Duet great for recording on the move.
Anyway, those are just my personal opinions... I think it's far more important to be comfortable, especially with creative applications. I'm sure most disagree and will say that specs are the most important. I'm running Logic on a Mac Pro from 2006, and it still performs great. I will upgrade one day... but right now there's no need.
"(I'm not really on a budget but I'd like to save as much as I can...)"
If you sincerely mean that, then the _best_ Mac platform for music production is definitely NOT a Mac laptop.
Instead, get a 27" iMac -- you'll need, want and desire all that display real estate for viewing your audio production software.
Or -- go whole hog and get a Mac Pro.
If you sincerely mean that, then the _best_ Mac platform for music production is definitely NOT a Mac laptop.
Instead, get a 27" iMac -- you'll need, want and desire all that display real estate for viewing your audio production software.
Or -- go whole hog and get a Mac Pro.