2.26 GHz 9400m or 2.4GHz 320m?

[RDL]

Hi,

I recently upgraded from an iBook G4 that I loved and had for years to this 13' MBP -
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FB990LL/A?mco=MTA4MzIzMzA

I do not play video games but I would like to start doing some basic video editting on it so I was curious if I should have paid a small price more ($100) and went with this MBP instead -
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC374LL/A?mco=MTgwOTc3Mjg

I know very little about comps (especially graphic cards) so I'm confused if I should return the one I have or not. I still have a couple of days to decide so thought I would post here and hope someone that knows more than me could help me decide.

I am not a "power user" or a pro but would like to start doing some video editting soon.

Any and all info would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

(I asked someone at Apple for their opinion and they said the newer video card would improve battery life. Is this true?)

 

[demonsavatar]

For $100 you gave up 3 more hours of battery life (which also means your battery will keep an acceptable charge for much longer), a graphics processor which is 50%+ faster in many things, and 2GB more ram standard. I would really get the new one if still possible. EASILY worth the $100.

Also if you get the educational discount, just buy a new one for $1099 and get the free Ipod Touch + printer from Apple. Refurbished price of $1019 only worth it if you don't get educational discount or if you really don't want an iPod touch or printer.

(I asked someone at Apple for their opinion and they said the newer video card would improve battery life. Is this true?)

The new graphics card uses more power at peak, but since the battery is MUCH better and the graphics switching only happens when you need it, you will still get MUCH better battery life with the new model.

 

[PeckhamBog]

For $100 you gave up 3 more hours of battery life (which also means your battery will keep an acceptable charge for much longer), a graphics processor which is 50%+ faster in many things, and 2GB more ram standard. I would really get the new one if still possible. EASILY worth the $100.

The new graphics card uses more power at peak, but since the battery is MUCH better and the graphics switching only happens when you need it, you will still get MUCH better battery life with the new model.

Graphics switching on a machine only equipped with integrated graphics?

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Certainly the better graphics, extra RAM, extra hard drive, easily make the $90 premium worth it.

Upgrade if you have the opportunity still.

 

[demonsavatar]

Graphics switching on a machine only equipped with integrated graphics?

Doh your right, the nVidia chip is the only graphics chip in the 13" model. Still gets much more battery life so I guess the video card probably is more efficient.

 

[ouimetnick]

I would upgrade. The new model has a faster GPU (graphics processor) I hear its up to 80% faster.

More powerful NVIDIA graphics.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro features the new NVIDIA GeForce 320M integrated graphics processor with 48 processing cores — three times as many as before. The result? The fastest integrated graphics on the market and a performance boost of up to 80 percent over the previous generation.3 That makes a huge difference when you’re using 3D games and graphics-intensive applications. And when you’re not, you’ll benefit from a new energy-efficient architecture that uses up to 40 percent less power for everyday tasks like writing email and surfing the web. It’s so efficient, in fact, that you can now get up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge.4

from: http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/performance.html

So faster graphics, better battery, double the RAM, larger hard drive, and slightly faster Intel Core 2 Duo Processor is well worth the extra $100.

 

[kny3twalker]

to add to what everyone else has said.

Upgrading to the ram to 4 GB will cost you nearly $100.

Then if you have a microcenter around you, you can get the latest macbook pro 13" 2.4GHz, 320m for $999

Besides all this you get the inertia scrolling trackpad, audio and video over displayport, a faster CPU, better battery life, and a larger harddrive

 

[RDL]

to add to what everyone else has said.

Upgrading to the ram to 4 GB will cost you nearly $100.

Then if you have a microcenter around you, you can get the latest macbook pro 13" 2.4GHz, 320m for $999

Besides all this you get the inertia scrolling trackpad, audio and video over displayport, a faster CPU, better battery life, and a larger harddrive

I could go to a microcenter but its not that close. Plus I prefer to go to and deal directly with Apple for repairs and/or any other problems and theres an Apple store very close to me. But thank you for this info.

 

[ouimetnick]

I could go to a microcenter but its not that close. Plus I prefer to go to and deal directly with Apple for repairs and/or any other problems and theres an Apple store very close to me. But thank you for this info.

Microcenter just is a Apple Authorized reseller. Apple can still repair it though. If you buy it at microcenter, you can bring it to the Genius Bar at an Apple Store for repairs.

 

[RDL]

For $100 you gave up 3 more hours of battery life

I didn't think it would be that significant a difference but thats definitely worth it!

Also if you get the educational discount, just buy a new one for $1099 and get the free Ipod Touch + printer from Apple. Refurbished price of $1019 only worth it if you don't get educational discount or if you really don't want an iPod touch or printer.

I don't need an iPod Touch so thats not a big a deal (although I guess I could sell it and make atleast $100) and I didn't see any offer for a free printer (I do need a printer). BUT the educational discount with tax was $1,196.54 and the refurbished was $1,109.44 so nothing would be "free". I'd be paying $100 more for whatever I got and I'd rather save that money since I'm already going to spend $100 more to upgrade from the machine I have now to the one with the 320m graphic card.


Thank you for the information! Just called Apple so they could send me an email with the shipping info to print out. I'm definitely going to get the other model since if I eventually upgrade the RAM it will cost basically the same amount of money.

 

[RDL]

Microcenter just is a Apple Authorized reseller. Apple can still repair it though. If you buy it at microcenter, you can bring it to the Genius Bar at an Apple Store for repairs.

So once I buy it from them I never have to deal with them again and everything can be handled through the Apple store?

Edit: I just remembered I'm using an Apple gift card for part of the purchase so I coudn't buy it from Microcenter anyway.

 

[ouimetnick]

I didn't think it would be that significant a difference but thats definitely worth it!



I don't need an iPod Touch so thats not a big lose (although I could sell it and made some money) and I didn't see any offer for a free printer (I do need a printer). BUT the educational discount with tax was $1,196.54 and the refurbished was $1,109.44 so nothing would be "free". I'd be paying $100 more for whatever I got and I'd rather save that money since I'm already going to spend $100 more to upgrade from the machine I have now to the one with the 320m graphic card.


Thank you for the information! Just called Apple so they could send me an email with the shipping info to print out. I'm definitely going to get the other model since if I eventually upgrade the RAM it will cost basically the same amount of money.

I'm just saying, I would go with a new one. Either from Apple OR Microcenter

 

[Vantage Point]

Buying a mac for Microcenter or any other authorized Apple reseller like B&H Photo or Amazon means you get all your support direct from Apple.

I bought a 2009 Macbook from Microcenter about four months ago for only $799. Great deal. Now the Mac special from Microcenter.com is the 13" MBP. I sold my MB and bought the MBP since it was just too good a deal to pass up - better battery, better graphics, more ram, backlit keys, firewire... Plus, the microcenter near me is in Patterson, NJ and that store only charges half tax (3.5%) to bring shoppers into the area.

 

[kny3twalker]

I could go to a microcenter but its not that close. Plus I prefer to go to and deal directly with Apple for repairs and/or any other problems and theres an Apple store very close to me. But thank you for this info.

besides what was already mentioned, you should realize by now that you got a bad deal.

 

[kny3twalker]

So once I buy it from them I never have to deal with them again and everything can be handled through the Apple store?

Edit: I just remembered I'm using an Apple gift card for part of the purchase so I coudn't buy it from Microcenter anyway.

So buy the new one from apple along with the free ipod touch and printer. Then sell the printer and ipod touch. This way, you would get the new one for less than the refurbished.

 

[demonsavatar]

(1) As other people of have mentioned, it does not matter where you got your Macbook from, Apple handles all support and repairs

(2) If you need a printer, definetely get the new macbook pro with the educational discount. Grab the free iPod as well. Go to the Apple store and they can help you do all this at the same time.

(3) You can sell the free iPod touch for at LEAST $100. They are going for about $160-175 on craiglist around me though. Hell just keep it if nothing else. The Macbook + printer deal would still save you some money I think.