3.06 vs 2.8? is the extra $270 dollars worth it for the 3.06 if I am getting a new 17" macbook pro for my design and film major? Also, I want to be able to keep this laptop for 5 years through the rest of my undergrad and grad school... what would you suggest?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
3.06 vs 2.8
- Thread starter designkf
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
3.06 vs 2.8? Not worth the $270. For $270, I can buy more RAM and external hard drive.
Also, I want to be able to keep this laptop for 5 years through the rest of my undergrad and grad school... what would you suggest?
Not get a 17" laptop or a Macbook Pro 15".
MBP 17" $2499 or Refurbished Mac Pro 2.8GHz 8-Core Intel Xeon for $2399?
No laptop is going to last you 5 years unless you do not upgrade to new versions of Creative Suite and Final Cut Studio every time.
Its my 3rd year going 4th and I have a Macbook Pro 17" thinking it would last me. It did, but man if I knew what I know now, Mac Pro and Air combo.
Also, I want to be able to keep this laptop for 5 years through the rest of my undergrad and grad school... what would you suggest?
Not get a 17" laptop or a Macbook Pro 15".
MBP 17" $2499 or Refurbished Mac Pro 2.8GHz 8-Core Intel Xeon for $2399?
No laptop is going to last you 5 years unless you do not upgrade to new versions of Creative Suite and Final Cut Studio every time.
Its my 3rd year going 4th and I have a Macbook Pro 17" thinking it would last me. It did, but man if I knew what I know now, Mac Pro and Air combo.
If you have the money, buy it, but I think the difference between the 2.8 and 3.06 is unnoticeable.
I'm with xparaparafreakx.
If film and Final Cut is your thing, none of the current MacBooks will last you comfortably 5 years.
It will be a struggle in 3 years time when everyone else is rendering on 16 concurrent threads and you're still stuck on a measly 2. Thats 1/8 the speed! It'll seem very slow.
You're much better off getting a refurbished Mac Pro and a cheap notebook. Even the $999 MacBook will do fine for note taking in class.
Such a setup might last you 5 years.
If film and Final Cut is your thing, none of the current MacBooks will last you comfortably 5 years.
It will be a struggle in 3 years time when everyone else is rendering on 16 concurrent threads and you're still stuck on a measly 2. Thats 1/8 the speed! It'll seem very slow.
You're much better off getting a refurbished Mac Pro and a cheap notebook. Even the $999 MacBook will do fine for note taking in class.
Such a setup might last you 5 years.
No, unfortunately not.
Both CPU and GPU are soldered onto the motherboard. They are not upgradable. And you'd likely ruin the motherboard trying to get them off.
You must choose at time of purchase what CPU and GPU you want.
The only things upgradable later are RAM and HD.
Both CPU and GPU are soldered onto the motherboard. They are not upgradable. And you'd likely ruin the motherboard trying to get them off.
You must choose at time of purchase what CPU and GPU you want.
The only things upgradable later are RAM and HD.
The ego boost doesn't last long, and at $270 for the big ego, all some of us do is look at you and wish we had a needle to pop your inflated head.
Money is better spent on things that you'll actually may need -- like Apple Care, RAM, HD, WoW game time cards, etc.
Money is better spent on things that you'll actually may need -- like Apple Care, RAM, HD, WoW game time cards, etc.
If you really want to be using this computer for the next 5 years, then it would be a good investment to spend the extra bit on the faster processor, but if in reality, you will be replacing it a lot sooner, consider the standard configurationalso it's easier to ask for a replacement later if need be on the standard configuration.
Any computer made today will, at most, be suitable for only basic consumer purposes in five years if you're lucky.
In 5 years the difference won't mean sh!!t just like it doesn't now. If you compare 5 year-old systems to current ones you'd be looking at 1.33 GHz vs 1.5 GHz G4 Powerbooks - would it matter if you had 1.5 GHz one? lol.
Get it if you have money to burn, but I'd rather get a FW800 hard drive and a good sleeve/backpack/bag instead.
Get it if you have money to burn, but I'd rather get a FW800 hard drive and a good sleeve/backpack/bag instead.
Myself I would get the 3.06 if you want 5 years out of it, That is completely NOT unfeasable. Seeing how my wife got her 17PB her freshman year in college. And continued to use it for three years after college until this past Feb, when we finally upgraded her rig, and sold her PB for $800 on Ebay. No PC will EVER do that!
You should get the educational discount, buy the 3.06 and I would suggest the SSD. To make back some of your money don't open the Ipod Touch and sell it on Ebay for $200.
You going to need to get as much pump that is available to you at the time, to maximize your time with it. If you decide against the SSD, upgrade to the 7200rpm option in the 320GB, you can get better deals on larger hard drives somewhere else. Stay with the 4GB Ram, you will be able to upgrade to 8GB within a year for reasonable pricing. Hopefully for less then 2-300 dollars.
You will have to upgrade your software every 2 years regardless. Educational discounts makes that easier. Then when you find a full time job, after school, your company should provide you with the needed software.
You should get the educational discount, buy the 3.06 and I would suggest the SSD. To make back some of your money don't open the Ipod Touch and sell it on Ebay for $200.
You going to need to get as much pump that is available to you at the time, to maximize your time with it. If you decide against the SSD, upgrade to the 7200rpm option in the 320GB, you can get better deals on larger hard drives somewhere else. Stay with the 4GB Ram, you will be able to upgrade to 8GB within a year for reasonable pricing. Hopefully for less then 2-300 dollars.
You will have to upgrade your software every 2 years regardless. Educational discounts makes that easier. Then when you find a full time job, after school, your company should provide you with the needed software.
Although I like Dreamails idea of getting a MP, then maybe a inexpensive MB possibly refurbished. You get the pump and the portability.
For general users, the mighty PBG4 are amazing. Tibook 1Ghz and the Al Powerbooks pack enough punch to last users for a long time. I went home and booted up my old TiBook and little brothers 1.5GHz Al PBG4. Still great for regular users.
However the OP is not our regular user. He doing CS 4, maybe with RAW images, editing on Final Cut Studio. The best the laptop can do for him is 2-3 years. No where close to his 5 years he wants.
Only if he resist form upgrading the newer versions of CS and FCS do I see maybe it last him the 5 years he wants.