2.0 ghz/2gb/60gb/SD MB vs. 1.83 ghz/1.5gb/80gb/SD MBP: You decide!

[Veritas&Equitas]

Ok all, I had a thread regarding this yesterday that was met with a lot of indecision. I've currently got a 1.5 ghz/1.5/80gb Powerbook, and I'm looking to get a portable for basic tasks (surfing, email, itunes, Adium, etc.), yet sometimes with a little Photoshop/FCP thrown in. I would *maybe* game on it as well (but obvs would only work with MBP), but I do have a really nice gaming rig PC anyways, so probably not.

I'm a law student, and use my PB for notes in class, moot court, library, etc. and would be using the new machine for similar activities. Now, I'm also looking for performance, but I don't really know how much better one will perform than the other? I'm just looking at the percentages of your votes here; they will basically decide which one I get!

P.S. The MB = $1,200, the MBP = $1,400...also, I'd probably throw a new 120 gb hard drive in the MB from newegg, bringing the price up near $1,340 total.

P.P.S. I've been assured by both owners that both MB and MBP are in perfect condition, no mooing, overheating, discoloration, etc.

 

[Veritas&Equitas]

Does anyone have any insight? Or perhaps even a vote either way? I could use any help/comments here!

 

[fivetoadsloth]

Id say macbook pro. THe pro features are worth $200 and the slight decrese of speed. You can eventually up the RAM to 2 Gig, and you will have a graphics card, the aluminum case, and a backlight keyboard, all three really nice.

 

[eXan]

Dont buy, stay with you PowerBook for now. U are doing nothing heavy on your computer, so peformance benefits will not be noticeble (aside from video rendering/encoding speeds)

Oh and dont wait for new CPUs, just use and enjoy your "old" Powerbook until you really need a new Mac

 

[shecky]

i would say the biggest decision considering your usage is size - smaller Macbook or bigger MBP. you are not going to tax either machine very hard other than PS/FCP and it sounds like that does not happen too often.

 

[xfiftyfour]

I wouldn't upgrade at all. Your PB is plenty of power for what you're using it for.

 

[livingfortoday]

Stick with the Powerbook, it's more than enough power for what you need. Upgrade when Leopard comes out, if you must!

 

[mahonmeister]

I have the same computer as you minus 1GB mem. I use it for similar stuff too. I'm eyeing the iMac personally but I'll wait until Leopard to buy anything. That way I get the next OS and justify a new machine by that time.

 

[2ndPath]

I

 

[2ndPath]

In your place I would just keep the powerbook you already have. Most of the things you are doing with it are not performance critical. And if you are using Office and Photoshop, the Powerbook might even be faster than the MacBook (Pro), as long as they are not available nativly for Intel Macs. With FCP, however, you should see a lot better performance on the Intel Macs.

 

[FFTT]

If that money is burning your pockets Bad, keep your PowerBook and buy
a well equipped iMac 20" or 24" as a primary workstation.
If you already have a good display, go for a Mac Pro 2.66 GHz stock.

 

[Veritas&Equitas]

If that money is burning your pockets Bad, keep your PowerBook and buy
a well equipped iMac 20" or 24" as a primary workstation.
If you already have a good display, go for a Mac Pro 2.66 GHz stock.

Man, I appreciate all the responses so far!

But I'm really surprised how many people think I should keep my PB...interesting...also FFTT, I really need a portable, and actually have a number of high end PC's that blow the iMac's out of the water into which I already have a few k invested (FX-60, 7900gtx, 2 gb corsair XMS; Core 2 Duo e6600, 7900 gt, looking to upgrade to an ati x1900xtx)...the Mac Pro would be a total waste of money in my opinion.

Absolutely no need for that "workstation"-like power, especially with the ungodly terrible video card...I can build an amazing machine nearly 60% of what it costs me for what I want to do instead of using a MacPro.

I guess I'm just trying to convince myself to buy a new one before Santa Rosa/Leopard b/c I've been waiting so damn long! GRR. Hm, well keep the responses coming, I really appreciate the advice!

 

[®îçhå®?]

I would go for the MB if i had to get one but your PB is good enough ATM.Wait a while