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2.4 MB vs. MBP?

D

DJ Steve

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 21, 2008
5
0
Los Angeles, CA
Hello all-

While I am new to posting on the forums, I've been a fan for years going here to check out tips and advice. I thank you all for that in advance. Here's my dilemma: (I know this has probably been discussed previously but I didn't see any specifically related threads in the recent past so I decided to post).

Should I get a 2.4 MacBook with fully upgraded RAM and HDD (via Apple or DIY), or get a MacBook Pro of comparable stats?

Here are the facts:
1) I plan to purchase a monitor either way to have it function as a desktop when I am at home, therefore the screen size is not really a factor
2) I plan to use the machine for a lot of creatively charged programs including Apple Logic, Reason 4.0, and other music creation programs. Additionally I hope to run Final Cut Pro

Can the MacBook handle a decent FCP workload? I've read that it CAN. Also, will the dedicated graphics card in the MBP really make a substantial difference in terms of video editing, etc.?

As you can tell, I'm leaning towards the MacBook to save an extra $1000 for what seems like a slightly bigger screen and a firewire port.

What are peoples thoughts on the matter?
 
Thanks, kastenbrust. I had read over this before, I was looking to see if people had some personal experience to help answer the questions I had
 
Just get the Macbook, but the 2.4 version and upgrade the RAM yourself to 4GB.

If you arnt doing advanced video editing, or playing games, i dont see how the graphics card would help you.
 
Avoid the 2.4GHz MacBook. It's one of the worst value for money computers on the market today, especially when you consider the 2.0GHz model.

The 2.0GHz model's only main differing feature is that it has no backlit keyboard. Apart from that, it is ALMOST as quick (we're talking marginally slower here) as the 2.4GHz model but it is around 20% cheaper.
 
neiltc13 said:
Avoid the 2.4GHz MacBook. It's one of the worst value for money computers on the market today, especially when you consider the 2.0GHz model.

The 2.0GHz model's only main differing feature is that it has no backlit keyboard. Apart from that, it is ALMOST as quick (we're talking marginally slower here) as the 2.4GHz model but it is around 20% cheaper.
Click to expand...

He needs it to run Final Cut Pro smoothly, so the 2.4 will help with that.
 
neiltc13 said:
Avoid the 2.4GHz MacBook. It's one of the worst value for money computers on the market today
Click to expand...

How do you figure that?

You're saying the different processor with a 20% speed bump, keyboard, and 90 GB isn't worth the extra $300. Sure I can see where people disagree with those things, where the differences are negligible. But if you've got several different factors with small improvements, that's going to add up in the whole package. If you want to talk specs then the base 2.0 MB isn't a good value either, but that's a completely different argument as to the nature of macs.

Go to Amazon where you can buy the 2.4 MB for $1450, that's what I did, and for $150 the upgrades were well worth it to me.

I've had mine for about a month now and I love it. I've been using it mainly for school work, but I recently did some intense video work with some vacation footage. It was a lot better than the old desktop I used to use.

Just my 2 cents.
 
The MBP. After all, you're using "Pro" applications, so you need a "Pro" notebook.
I use without any problems Logic Studio, Final Cut Studio and several Adobe Programs with my 15" MBP. So I guess that you'll be able to do that too.
 
For me the choice was between the MBP and 2.0 MB. To me the 2.4 MB was kind of in no-mans-land, the cheaper macbook would've saved me some money and offered very similiar performance as the higher priced macbook, and the MBP offered me ability to play some games that I wanted like the upcoming starcraft2.

If I was going to spend the extra for the 2.4 MB just for the slightly bumped specs, I may as well just have bought the MBP that way I can be assured that the games will run well as well as having a nicer and bigger screen.

I went with the Pro, but if I didn't want to play games I'd have gone with the 2.0 MB. Better value for money.
 
I think the importance of dedicated graphics cannot be overstated. It improves your entire computing experience, even if you are not a gamer or graphics-intensive user.
 
neiltc13 said:
http://www.macworld.com/article/136214/2008/10/macbookbenchmarks.html

There really is nothing in it. The processor is the same, it's just one is clocked slightly slower than the other. There is no way the performance increase you see in that table on that site is worth $300.
Click to expand...

In a lot of those benchmark tests the 2.4 MB tops out over the 2.0 MB by at least 5 seconds. Sometimes it's even better than the 2.4 MBP, but no by much. Sure if you're going to fork out an extra $300, you need to know what you're getting, but if you shop around you can get the 2.4 MB for about $150 extra. Well worth it, in my opinion. Your needs may be different.
 
I had a similar sort of dilemma between the 2.4GHz MB or MBP. I ended up going for the MBP because I do want the bigger screen. I use it mainly for Apple Aperture and Nikon NX, editing images. I can't say I notice any difference at all performance wise in general computing or image editing whether I have the "better battery life" MacBook graphics adaptor selected, or the "better performance" MBP graphics adaptor selected.

The only real difference I notice is that with the "better performance" selected, the battery life drops, and the heat increases by 10C.

Of course, Snow Leopard may change this a lot, but for now, I see no advantage to the faster graphics card for what I use the MBP for.
 
Thanks for all the help everyone. Really appreciate it.

I think I'm going to take a trip to the store and let the computers "speak to me" as I am trying out both. Hopefully I'll reach some sort of revelation that way.

Any other thoughts on the matter, specifically pertaining to running Final Cut Pro on the MacBook?
 
SteveMobs said:
In a lot of those benchmark tests the 2.4 MB tops out over the 2.0 MB by at least 5 seconds. Sometimes it's even better than the 2.4 MBP, but no by much. Sure if you're going to fork out an extra $300, you need to know what you're getting, but if you shop around you can get the 2.4 MB for about $150 extra. Well worth it, in my opinion. Your needs may be different.
Click to expand...

I kind of agree with the price difference in the 2.0 and the 2.4. I only got the 2.4 because it was just over $100.00 for me after a deal with Apple and my work discount so I felt I would be stupid not to take the 2.4 at that point and the backlit keyboard is a big help for me.
 
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