All things being equal...

[Bolo4u]

Ok, here goes. I am very new to the Mac world (except an iPhone 3GS), and am seriously concidering migrating from a PC (laptop/desktop) to a Macbook Pro. I have read the buyers guides, and searched around this site, but still have a purchasing question. On the Apple site, there are two 15" MBP for sale and at the same price ($1529.00). They generally have the same specs except the processor/speed and graphics chipset. That being said, which would be the one to purchase?

Here are the specs:

Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
15.4-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display
4GB memory
320GB Hard Drive
8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
SD card slot
Built-in 7-hour battery
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M + 9600M GT with 256MB
Illuminated keyboard

Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.4GHz Intel Core i5
15.4-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display (1440 x 900 pixel)
4GB (2 x 2GB) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
320GB Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm
8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR3 memory

Thanks in advance for any input and assistance.

 

[HLdan]

You listed everything except for the prices for each one. If price is the same then the 2.4Ghz Core i5 model is a no brainer. Automatic switchable graphics and hyperthreading to 4 cores and longer battery life.

 

[Hisdem]

The second one, being a newer machine and having the i5 chip, will perform a lot better than the 2.66GHz C2D (my sister owns a 15" just like the one you described). The clock speed is lower but the technology in it will cover that up. Trust me.

 

[Bolo4u]

Thanks

Thanks for the input and suggestions. I added the price to the original post.

 

[HLdan]

Now that you've added that they are the same price, hands down, the Core i5 model. Don't see why Apple would charge the same for both when the Core 2 Duo is a significantly slower CPU but the rest of the 2 machines nearly match each other.

 

[djasterix]

Get the i5, eyes closed, great deal...

 

[TrojanX]

I have read, most especially on this forum, that the I5 has had some mild issues and the same along with the transitional graphics but, this being a refurbished models you will most likely be getting a very stable and bug free model. I5 all the way is my bet. Today I purchased my very first mac and decided to go with the one in my signature because I would have more money for various things and accessories. If you are getting the 15" refurb, go for the I5 but, if you are set on the C2D save your money and get the 13" with virtually the same specs for a lot lower (as long as you can handle the screen)