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A Macbook Pro 13" enough for my needs?
- Thread starter chuckflip53
- Start date
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First of all, i know you are not trying to flame me, to be honest i am not doing that as well. You get a great point there, but I was talking about the future though. Let's say the 13 inch can last him for like 3-4 years and the i5 computer can last him like 6-7, that could save him from buying a new computer down the road and therefore save money from there.
Not to mention that the hyper-threading and dedicated gpu is going to help immensely, especially when he said he does play games. Even 320m has some trouble playing starcraft 2 at high res, and blizzard is not famous for making resource hogging games.
Now we're talking.
Spreadsheets in Excel not just basic calc's but also Pivot Tables (which if large and spread across multiple sheets - if possible - can cause serious cpu cycles).
PPT serious PPT presentations along with spreadsheets being rendered, along with an idle multi-tabbed Safari will do just fine even on the C2D 2.4Ghz 8600 on my late 2008-early 2009 AluMB.
The point is that over the past few years P4-C2D and low end Core i3 the way in which office documents are run on the cpu haven't really increased in speed and performance; it is the RAM size that makes them purr.
The MAIN thing the thread-starter needs to consider is
a) during off nights will the MBP also be his movie player/entertainment system? HD movies outted to a TV/hi-end LCD via displayport &
b) during college will his/her focus on career change significantly enough to need a higher spec'd or larger screen?
Either way bang for buck the 13" will save you considerable dollars, and if you really don't NEED the FW800 then get the similarly spec'd MBu just announced on student purchase and save yourself $150-300!! That cash can help for food, bus rides, more ram or external HDD for backups, clothes, etc.
I agree with you all things being equal. I just think that in this particular situation its better to skip the Rolls Royce and go with the Honda, so-to-speak. Its college - it will probably see a good bit of wear & tear anyhow and might not even live to see the OP graduate!
My thoughts exactly.
screw the processor:
8gb ram
512 gb of SSD
I have it on my macbook pro 13, which is really designed for size. Of course, if the 13 had the i5, GREAT, but seriously, it would be a difference barely noticeable even by a serious gamer.
By the way, if you're gaming, why r u with a mac or anything less than a 17 inch i7, 512 gb, 8gb ram? (FLAME SUIT ON!)
8gb ram
512 gb of SSD
I have it on my macbook pro 13, which is really designed for size. Of course, if the 13 had the i5, GREAT, but seriously, it would be a difference barely noticeable even by a serious gamer.
By the way, if you're gaming, why r u with a mac or anything less than a 17 inch i7, 512 gb, 8gb ram? (FLAME SUIT ON!)
I'll be the first to admit that I am NOT computer savvy and don't know much/if anything wrt to processors and whatnot - but,
I bought the 2.4 13" MBP yesterday and do the same things you do (apart from games) and this thing is FINE.
Future proofing in this industry is stupid IMO. You buy something and 6 months later is already out of date.
The comp is fine, seriously. Go in and try one out at a store, open a few apps, play around and you'll see.
IF it gets 'too slow' buy and SSD later and/or throw in 8GB RAM.....That will not be a slow computer.
Also, the argument for a getting the i5 is a bit stupid. If he wants a 13" then you don't have that option.
So what if Apple didn't put it in the 13". There isn't anything you can do about it now.
I'll admit though. If you love gaming, you're probably best suited to a PC and go the Higher end stuff and bigger screen because that will enhance your experience with gaming.
Same goes for hardcore computer work (not the PC part)
Unlike me, who doesn't game or do anything technical - this computer is great! I want an SSD though
I bought the 2.4 13" MBP yesterday and do the same things you do (apart from games) and this thing is FINE.
Future proofing in this industry is stupid IMO. You buy something and 6 months later is already out of date.
The comp is fine, seriously. Go in and try one out at a store, open a few apps, play around and you'll see.
IF it gets 'too slow' buy and SSD later and/or throw in 8GB RAM.....That will not be a slow computer.
Also, the argument for a getting the i5 is a bit stupid. If he wants a 13" then you don't have that option.
So what if Apple didn't put it in the 13". There isn't anything you can do about it now.
I'll admit though. If you love gaming, you're probably best suited to a PC and go the Higher end stuff and bigger screen because that will enhance your experience with gaming.
Same goes for hardcore computer work (not the PC part)
Unlike me, who doesn't game or do anything technical - this computer is great! I want an SSD though
Now I know your pulling crap out of your ass. 6-7 years? Just 4 years ago Apple switched to Intel leaving PPC users in the dark. No matter which model you bought, you were screwed.
In 6-7 years, the MBP15" is going to look like a Powerbook today (beyond outdated).
thanks for the responses everyone
I realized that I left out some crucial information that could have been included to help base your opinions so I will list a few now:
- I do not plan on using my laptop for gaming (if I were to game I would buy a PC-laptop, no doubt about it)
- I feel that portability and mobility of the laptop is very important since I will be carrying it around with me everywhere. Though the 15" MBP isn't giant, it is significantly bigger
- on that note, the 15" is more $600 more than a 13" and that is quite a chunk out of my wallet
- i realize that spending $1000 for a laptop is a bit much (when I could purchase a similarly-spec'ed PC-laptop for about $600) but since I am going to college, it's not all about specs. I can find very few laptops with the same size/weight/battery-life AND specs (which really isn't that shabby) as the MBP 13"
I realized that I left out some crucial information that could have been included to help base your opinions so I will list a few now:
- I do not plan on using my laptop for gaming (if I were to game I would buy a PC-laptop, no doubt about it)
- I feel that portability and mobility of the laptop is very important since I will be carrying it around with me everywhere. Though the 15" MBP isn't giant, it is significantly bigger
- on that note, the 15" is more $600 more than a 13" and that is quite a chunk out of my wallet
- i realize that spending $1000 for a laptop is a bit much (when I could purchase a similarly-spec'ed PC-laptop for about $600) but since I am going to college, it's not all about specs. I can find very few laptops with the same size/weight/battery-life AND specs (which really isn't that shabby) as the MBP 13"
I'm sort of in the same boat that you are. I'm a college student too, but I was concerned that the 15 inch might be better in the long run for what I need. Ultimately, my needs are the same as yours. Word processing, browsing, etc. And I'm on a budget as well
In my opinion, the 13 inch base Macbook Pro will be plenty and more for you. What's important is that its a solid machine built well with a lot of longevity. It has pretty great specs, and although its more expensive than most 13 inch windows counter parts, its worth it since it will keep its speed and performance up for much longer than a windows laptop would.
If you wanted to improve the life of the computer, I recommend getting the 320 gig hard drive for 50 bucks more (I ran out of space on my current MBP, and now I need a new one), and certainly invest in the AppleCare Protection Program. It'll come in handy, and you save about $70 off the normal $250 price with a student discount.
Don't forget the student discount, and to get the ipod-and a printer if you need it. Youll get the money back in a mail in rebate for them and its fairly painless.
I would say if you were a graphics design major or an art major or an engineering major, you'd need a hefty computer. And for the size and features for about $2000 in the 15 inch MBP, you're better bet would be a PC. It'd be a better value since you'd be looking for power over portability and longevity, and it would be about half the price. If you were looking in that area thatd be my suggestion, but I don't think you are.
Stick with the 13 inch. It has great specs and the promise of lasting you a while. And personally, its the perfect size for me and I use it almost all the time. 15 inch might inhibit you a bit with taking notes in class and bringing it everywhere you want.
Be confident in your decision
In my opinion, the 13 inch base Macbook Pro will be plenty and more for you. What's important is that its a solid machine built well with a lot of longevity. It has pretty great specs, and although its more expensive than most 13 inch windows counter parts, its worth it since it will keep its speed and performance up for much longer than a windows laptop would.
If you wanted to improve the life of the computer, I recommend getting the 320 gig hard drive for 50 bucks more (I ran out of space on my current MBP, and now I need a new one), and certainly invest in the AppleCare Protection Program. It'll come in handy, and you save about $70 off the normal $250 price with a student discount.
Don't forget the student discount, and to get the ipod-and a printer if you need it. Youll get the money back in a mail in rebate for them and its fairly painless.
I would say if you were a graphics design major or an art major or an engineering major, you'd need a hefty computer. And for the size and features for about $2000 in the 15 inch MBP, you're better bet would be a PC. It'd be a better value since you'd be looking for power over portability and longevity, and it would be about half the price. If you were looking in that area thatd be my suggestion, but I don't think you are.
Stick with the 13 inch. It has great specs and the promise of lasting you a while. And personally, its the perfect size for me and I use it almost all the time. 15 inch might inhibit you a bit with taking notes in class and bringing it everywhere you want.
Be confident in your decision
The current 2.4Ghz 13 inch MBP, which has 4Gb of RAM, should be perfect for your purposes. As several others have pointed out, anyone who calls the 13 inch MBP's combination of the C2D CPU and integrated NVIDIA 320M graphics "obsolete" has been misinformed. The current 13 inch MBA should easily see you through college and, depending on your needs, beyond.
the fact is a laptop should not be used for 6-7 years without upgrading. If that is the case however an i5 over the C2D would not be the deciding factor because both computers would be significantly underperforming. you wouldn't be able to do anything with the i5 after 7 years that you couldn't do with the C2D, they would both perform horribly.
YES! Why do people think the 13" is weak?? My grandpas 2004 Compaq Laptop can do all that stuff except the games! Seriously, The 13" is MEGA powerful