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2.0 or 2.4 aluminum?
- Thread starter vtxdig
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I went with the 2.4 over the 2.0 based on the bigger HDD and the backlit keyboard. I am a student, so being able to work efficiently in low light situations, is really helpful. The bigger HDD is a must as well, I have way to much junk. I have yet to fully use the extra .4, but I will have this computer for 4-5 years, and in my experience, any extra processing power helps as the machine gets older.
It really comes down to how you will use it, and your budget.
It really comes down to how you will use it, and your budget.
I've had both - returned 2.0 for 2.4 - backlit keyboard is a must (for me) - using it in bed and when the light is poor what a difference it makes - I think it is worth the extra £££ 
2.4 for me
I bought a 2.4 last night! Love the new body.
The reason I went with this and not the 2.4 MPB-I talked to the guy at Applestore and he was very frank.
According to him, the 2.4 with the new Nvidia chipsets performs about as well as the old MPB with ATI graphics. This is borne out by performance tests I have seen-particularly at Macworld.com
Since I hardly game anymore, this should be fine for me.
In addition, the larger HD was a must for me as I use Bootcamp and loose 32 GB right there. And the back-lit keyboard is nice. At first I didn't think I would care, but using it last night in low light, it is really NICE.
Finally, I like the light weight-I don't know if it is lighter than the old MB, but it seems lighter, and is considerably lighter than a MBP.
I bought a 2.4 last night! Love the new body.
The reason I went with this and not the 2.4 MPB-I talked to the guy at Applestore and he was very frank.
According to him, the 2.4 with the new Nvidia chipsets performs about as well as the old MPB with ATI graphics. This is borne out by performance tests I have seen-particularly at Macworld.com
Since I hardly game anymore, this should be fine for me.
In addition, the larger HD was a must for me as I use Bootcamp and loose 32 GB right there. And the back-lit keyboard is nice. At first I didn't think I would care, but using it last night in low light, it is really NICE.
Finally, I like the light weight-I don't know if it is lighter than the old MB, but it seems lighter, and is considerably lighter than a MBP.
I ordered the 2,4Ghz model with 4GB memory upgrade.
Why?:
- The backlit keyboard is a great since I'll be working a lot in the dark (Winter time in nearing in Scandinavia!).
- The slightly faster processor coupled with extra ram will be better for Photoshop work + Editing the video from my Canon HF100 camcorder.
- I plan on keeping this notebook for at least 3 years so, personally, the faster processor that I can get in the Macbook at the time of purchase, the better.
- It was in my budget.
If it weren't for the Photoshop and simple video editing, I would have just bought the 2.0Ghz model and a USB clip-on lamp aimed at the keyboard.
Such as this one:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=671905
You can always ask yourself:
1. "What 3 things main things am I going to use it for?"
2. "Will any or all of those things benefit considerably from the extra processor performance?"
3. "Is it in my budget, and if not, can I live with the slightly lower performance without kicking myself after a month?"
Why?:
- The backlit keyboard is a great since I'll be working a lot in the dark (Winter time in nearing in Scandinavia!).
- The slightly faster processor coupled with extra ram will be better for Photoshop work + Editing the video from my Canon HF100 camcorder.
- I plan on keeping this notebook for at least 3 years so, personally, the faster processor that I can get in the Macbook at the time of purchase, the better.
- It was in my budget.
If it weren't for the Photoshop and simple video editing, I would have just bought the 2.0Ghz model and a USB clip-on lamp aimed at the keyboard.
Such as this one:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=671905
You can always ask yourself:
1. "What 3 things main things am I going to use it for?"
2. "Will any or all of those things benefit considerably from the extra processor performance?"
3. "Is it in my budget, and if not, can I live with the slightly lower performance without kicking myself after a month?"
2.0Ghz MacBook
1) I upgraded the HDD myself to a WD Black 320GB 7200RPM.
2) 2GHz is plenty for what I plan to do on it. Mostly coding and just school work.
3) I wanted the backlit keyboard at first however after thinking about it I never look at the keyboard anyway so there isnt much point. I am a computer science major so I type nearly 24/7.
With all these factored in the price difference was just not worth it.
1) I upgraded the HDD myself to a WD Black 320GB 7200RPM.
2) 2GHz is plenty for what I plan to do on it. Mostly coding and just school work.
3) I wanted the backlit keyboard at first however after thinking about it I never look at the keyboard anyway so there isnt much point. I am a computer science major so I type nearly 24/7.
With all these factored in the price difference was just not worth it.
Actually you usualy end up losing more when reselling a more expensive computer then selling a cheaper one.
I took the 2.0 because I dun care about backlit keyboard, and benchmarks shows slim to none increase of performance from getting the 2.4
I just got off the phone with Apple. They said they wouldn't charge the 10% restocking fee. Now i have to decide if it is worth the 300 plus tax difference. I have to pay the shipping back for the old one and the shipping to me for the new one. Total it will cost me 400 Canadian. The price here at the educational Apple is 1349.99 for the 2.0 AND 1649.99 for the 2.4....
What to do!!! The 400 seems alot but i plan on keeping it for a while, but on the other hand i can get a bigger HD and still have the original for 109 dollars from tigerdirect.ca .(320GB)So..... I can't decode. Seems alot for the back lit.... i don't think i would notice the extra processor speed for what i use it for!!! I guess i answered my own question.
What to do!!! The 400 seems alot but i plan on keeping it for a while, but on the other hand i can get a bigger HD and still have the original for 109 dollars from tigerdirect.ca .(320GB)So..... I can't decode. Seems alot for the back lit.... i don't think i would notice the extra processor speed for what i use it for!!! I guess i answered my own question.
I don't entirely agree. Yes, people may pay more for a used 2.4 than a used 2.0, but may be $ 100-150 more, not likely $300.
In addition, it's always the cheapest computers that sell faster - check ebay, kijiji, and craiglist. People buying used computers are looking for spending the least amount of money for a given model line of computers. (I should clarify, I don't mean white MB sells faster than the black MB, but a slower cheaper blackbook would sell faster than a faster more expensive blacbook). For those that are willing to pay more for better performance, they would just buy the new model.
I like switching computer often, sell the old ones, so I always buy base models.
To the OP: I had a MB Air, and I never once used my backlit keyboard, always have it turned off to save battery. Even in a pitch-dark room, I can always see my non-lit keys with just the light from the screen. The backlit keyboard is surely pretty, but not necessary.
When buying technology, there's always the "cool-factor impulse" vs. rationality conflict.
I think you'd be more than happy with the 2.0GHz model.
You can always upgrade the hard drive and/or memory anytime you'd like.
You can always get a cheap, low energy, USB led light for the keyboard if it is an issue.
The one and only thing that you can't substitute or upgrade is the extra 0,4GHz, which you've already stated you wouldn't notice.
Good points
I also went for a 2.0. Because I can upgrade to a 320GB 7200 HD and also 4GB ram with the extra money saved.
I thought about upgrading the HDD and RAM myself too. But they are still too expensive at the moment. These upgrades will cost ~$300 (?) now, and again, the $300 that I'll never see in my resell value.
But that's just me, I am not running out of space yet on my 160GB stock HDD, and I don't yet find MB RAM-limited for what I do. May be when the RAM and SSD prices come down in a few months, which they will, I'll re-consider.
I went with the 2.4Ghz because of the simple fact that you can pretty much upgrade everything in the new MacBook except the processor. You are stuck with that CPU till the day your Mac dies.
Personally, I find having the most out of the processor the better. I can always upgrade the other stuff later and make it speedier down the road. Think about it, .4GHz doesn't seem like much, but with Snow Leopard in the horizon I can see those .4GHz packing quite the punch.
Also a side note, I love the backlit keyboard, it really does help a college student in a dark room.
Personally, I find having the most out of the processor the better. I can always upgrade the other stuff later and make it speedier down the road. Think about it, .4GHz doesn't seem like much, but with Snow Leopard in the horizon I can see those .4GHz packing quite the punch.
Also a side note, I love the backlit keyboard, it really does help a college student in a dark room.
It is worth to spend $300 for the HD and RAM upgrades. The speed and performance is much fatser! Most important, I enjoy DIY very much
I will get a 2.0
250 Euro for slight CPU upgrade and backlight keyboard is a bit much for me... the real-world difference between the CPU power is most likely less then 5% (and this won't change in the future even the other way round, with Snow Leopard the GPU will become increasingly important) and I will get an extra 2.5" HDD anyway. I would like the backlight keyboard, but there is no way I am paying 250 for it
250 Euro for slight CPU upgrade and backlight keyboard is a bit much for me... the real-world difference between the CPU power is most likely less then 5% (and this won't change in the future even the other way round, with Snow Leopard the GPU will become increasingly important) and I will get an extra 2.5" HDD anyway. I would like the backlight keyboard, but there is no way I am paying 250 for it
I purchased the 2.0 version. I upgraded the ram (4GB) and hdd (500GB) myself and don't need/want a backlit keyboard (I can touch type).
Plus, there is an incredibly bright LED-backlit display right NEXT to the keyboard. I doubt anyone is going to have trouble seeing it if they need to.
I do agree there is a "cool factor" to the backlit keys...that plus the extra CPU power might be worth it to some people. I do a lot of virtualization (VirtualBox, primarily) and the 2.0Ghz CPU is fine for my needs (ram and hdd were more important).
Plus, there is an incredibly bright LED-backlit display right NEXT to the keyboard. I doubt anyone is going to have trouble seeing it if they need to.
I do agree there is a "cool factor" to the backlit keys...that plus the extra CPU power might be worth it to some people. I do a lot of virtualization (VirtualBox, primarily) and the 2.0Ghz CPU is fine for my needs (ram and hdd were more important).