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15" MBP 2.16 GHz C2D vs. 13" MB 2.0 GHz C2D

C

cookie1105

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 27, 2006
426
0
London, UK
Here is the story:
I spilled coffee over my 12" 1.33 GHz ibook and it died. But it was fully insured. After a couple of weeks of wrangling the shop is willing to replace it with a brand-spanking new MB 1.83 GHz C2D. However I would like to upgrade as I would only have to pay the difference between the baseline MB and my desired laptop.

After weeks of reading reviews and ruminating, I am tearing my hair as to which of the books in the title of this post I want.

Usage:
  • Photography (serious hobbyist, definitely not pro)
  • Webdev
  • ...all the other fun stuff you can do on a mac


Apps:
  • Aperture
  • Photoshop (At the moment I have CS but am thinking about getting CS3 when it is released in full)
  • ...the usual suspects.

Whatever book I get, I am planning on putting 2GB RAM in and eventually saving up for an external display. Although the extra cash for the MBP will hurt a bit, I can do it but do I really need it?

Wouldn't the MB with 2GB RAM be able to cope with these apps without chugging?

Neither screen is great for photo-editing, but I feel that the MBP's matte screen might give me more faithful colours.

The book is going to have to be able to tolerate being zipped in a skin and thrown in a messenger bag. Will the MBP stand up to these daily stresses like my ibook did?

All in all, I love the MBP's looks and the fact that it will still be "fast" for years to come. But the MB's price point is really turning my head. The two sales men I have talked to so far both reckon I should go for the MBP (but then again they are paid on commission:p )

I'd really appreciate your opinions as I am going in to order one of them on Monday.

cheers

Cookie
 
I'm in the same boat..

After seeing the spec, the difference is only in clock speed (only a small amout if comparing the 2 Ghz MB and 2,16 Ghz MBP model), HardDisk space, and of course the biggest difference is the graphic card...

So, theoretically, isn't the MB and MBP should have a similiar performance in apps that don't require 3d? Photoshop, for instance..

Can anyone confirm this?
 
cookie1105 said:
Here is the story:
I spilled coffee over my 12" 1.33 GHz ibook and it died. But it was fully insured. After a couple of weeks of wrangling the shop is willing to replace it with a brand-spanking new MB 1.83 GHz C2D. However I would like to upgrade as I would only have to pay the difference between the baseline MB and my desired laptop.

After weeks of reading reviews and ruminating, I am tearing my hair as to which of the books in the title of this post I want.

Usage:
  • Photography (serious hobbyist, definitely not pro)
  • Webdev
  • ...all the other fun stuff you can do on a mac


Apps:
  • Aperture
  • Photoshop (At the moment I have CS but am thinking about getting CS3 when it is released in full)
  • ...the usual suspects.

Whatever book I get, I am planning on putting 2GB RAM in and eventually saving up for an external display. Although the extra cash for the MBP will hurt a bit, I can do it but do I really need it?

Wouldn't the MB with 2GB RAM be able to cope with these apps without chugging?

Neither screen is great for photo-editing, but I feel that the MBP's matte screen might give me more faithful colours.

The book is going to have to be able to tolerate being zipped in a skin and thrown in a messenger bag. Will the MBP stand up to these daily stresses like my ibook did?

All in all, I love the MBP's looks and the fact that it will still be "fast" for years to come. But the MB's price point is really turning my head. The two sales men I have talked to so far both reckon I should go for the MBP (but then again they are paid on commission:p )

I'd really appreciate your opinions as I am going in to order one of them on Monday.

cheers

Cookie
Click to expand...

Was gonna say MB but since you mentioned Aperture then MBP is the way to go. That discrete video card is gonna come in handy.
 
the 1440x900 of the mbp (as well as the 15.4" screen) is pretty important for photo work.

of course, if you do your photo work on an external monitor, this point is moot.
 
graphics card in mbp is better. mb wont run final cut studio, so photo apps would probably be best with mbp also.
 
Aperature will run fine on a MacBook. But as mentioned, the higher resolution on the MacBook Pro is always a plus.

And as always, yet more people suggest the MBP because of its discreet graphics card. It's not helpful nor thoughtful to make such suggestions with such little information. In fact, a discreet video card isn't all that critical for these uses.
 
I was in the same dilemma as you. I chose to buy a MBP 2.33 with 2Gb RAM. My primary reason? It was the real estate and resolution I get with the 15" MBP on a compact laptop (as opposed to at 17"). I use my laptop very similarly with what you describe you would use it for. Having the extra real estate and resolution is nice for multitasking across multiple open windows. I hope this helps! Good luck!
 
I was in the same situation as you but my needs differed from yours so I went with a MacBook.

For your specifications, I'd recommend the MBP.
 
i wish i could spill coffee on my ibook and upgrade to a macbook pro. :) though the macbook pro has a larger display and a dedicated graphics card, i'd go the macbook route. the dedicated graphics won't help you with photoshop, so i think you're good with the macbook. in my opinion, the performance gain of the mbp won't be significant enough to justify the cost. it also doesn't seem like you need the larger display if you've been living off an ibook all this time as well. and finally, i just don't see the macbook pro being able to live the daily rigors that a macbook could.
 
Thank you everybody who replied. It seems like it is fairly split down the middle.

Since first posting I've had the opportunity to try out Aperture on a 2.0 GHz MB C2D with 1GB RAM. It runs really well, but chugs a bit making adjustments to RAW images. Apple recommends 2.0 GHz with 2GB RAM to run aperture so I'm wondering if the extra 1GB RAM will make a big difference.

I'm also wondering how much of a difference the dedicated 128MB graphics card in the MBP will make if I'm only working with 2D applications like aperture. Surely the GPU only really makes a difference during rendering of HD video and gaming.

The question is really: To what extent is Aperture a GPU rather than CPU intensive app?

As some of you have mentioned the higher resolution and more screen real estate of the MBP would be really nice to have for photo editing...AAARRRGGGHHHH the decision is driving me nuts:confused: I'll be much happier when I eventually make it and go and lay down my hard-earned cash!!!

BTW Another plus point for the MBP is that it doesn't have the sharp edge at the edge of the casing to scrape your wrists on. A definite design flaw IMO.

Anyway, thanks for all your help making this decision.

cheers

cookie
 
Aperture is ALL about the Graphics card. That is why i won't run on my computers - not enough in the GPU area (12" iBook & eMac).

So the more serious you are about Aperture, the more serious you need to study the GPU side of things.

Tracey
 
DEfinatly get the macbook pro, the extra screen relestate and the graphics processor wil be REALLY nice.
 
Would be a great solution, but the insurance binds me to the store. Also the Danish apple store doesn't have any refurbs (at least the online store doesn't). I suppose I could get it from the UK store but I could really do with the danish keyboard.
 
a new MB costs ~$1300, a refurbished MB 2.16 costs ~$1600. if you can go for the refurb. it's more bang for the buck.

i'm in a similar situation and would normally go for the MB. but the refurb MBP seems to be the better value and now i'm leaning towards the MBP. i just like the formfactor and look of the white MB more.
 
I'm in the same exact situation, just switch Aperature with casual gaming (nothing a 950GMA couldn't handle). Ultimately, I'll be heading down to the Apple store and trying them out, but right now I'm leaning towards pro.

I got the change to try a macbook yesterday, and compare it to my current laptop. The MacBook had a much smaller screen, and I found myself squinting to see it, and it also weighed more and the sides weren't flush. The Keyboard is nice, but I kind of wanted a backlit one (especially right now!), and I just didn't like the huge boarders around the LCD screen..

Actually, the only plus is the somewhat longer battery life, and the $800 saved. I remember thinking that the iBook was a crappy PowerBook wannabe for people who couldn't afford to go Pro. After they came out with a black Macbook, I sorta got over that attitude, but after trying a MacBook I think I'm back to that mindset.

DISCLAIMER: I've never tried out a MacBookPro for any length of time, so it could be that I'll be just as disappointed with it.
 
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