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Aluminum Macbook 2.0GHz vs. 2.4GHz. Worth the upgrade?

CalmEnvy said:
In Canada the difference in models is $350 which imo is $50 to much. Anyways, I'm thinking of upgrading for the 9400M and going to get the 2.0GHz model. Seriously, spending $350 more gets me what?

- 400MHz speed bump for the cpu, to small of a speed bump.
- Backlit Keyboard, don't need as I don't have to look at my keyboard to type.
- 250GB HDD. I can buy a 320GB HDD for $97CDN+ tax.
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I think the same way you do, and save the difference for my future computer, because I know I will be replacing it in about 3 years. Some like to buy the top of the line, nothing wrong with that either if money is not a problem. It will be a problem if one sinks all one's money into a top of the line, and then cannot afford a new computer in 5-6 years. After 5-6 years, it will start to feel very slow compared to even the mid-level computers.

We do what we think is best for us...only we know ourselves better.

I don't see the point in going for the 2.4GHz model. Now, where is the best place to buy 4GB of DDR3 ram in Canada? I checked Newegg.ca but they don't have paired ones, I would have to buy the 2GB sticks separate and they each cost $82.99 o_O.
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Check out www.ncix.com, www.directcanada.com, or www.canadacomputers.com. I got a 320 GB WD from Direct Canada for my wife for about $78 + taxes.
 
HLdan said:
I just love when some of the posters try to justify the lack of need for the backlit keyboard by saying, "I can touch type" or "It's Gimmicky" or "The screen is bright enough to cast light on the keyboard so I don't need a backlit keyboard".

All of those above are excuses, personally I can touch type just fine however I won't buy another Mac notebook without a backlit keyboard. Why? Because of those pesky little F keys or all of those punctuations, back/forward slashes, symbols over the number keys and volume keys that even the most astute typist have a hard time learning by touch. $300.00 for a 400Mhz faster processor, larger HDD and backlit keyboard isn't a whole lot money.

I wish my iMac had a backlit keyboard.
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I can understand how much you like the backlit keyboard. Sometimes we don't know what we've been missing until someone shows us it is the case. Until 2006, I never had a laptop. But, I'll never go back to be without a laptop anymore. However, I can assure you that some of us don't need to look at our keyboard at all when typing. I type a lot in French and I have to use a lot of accentuated letters.

I'm not boasting. I was losing too much time looking at my keyboard when I started using computers that I decided to learn how to touch type properly including the numerical keyboard on a external keyboard.
 
^ Checked Newegg.ca again and they have a 2x2GB pair but it's not in Apple Memory even though it's compatible (checked Crucials site). They just don't have any in stock since they are $147.99+tax.
 
Although I shouldn't need the extra 400MHz most of the time, and most of the home video work should be done on a desktop with a much faster chip, on the rare occasions that I do encode for my iPhone and Apple TV I can always use Turbo.264. :)

I chose the 2.0 because in less than a years time I will buy a Mac Pro. So for my particular situation the 2.0 was the right choice. The backlit keyboard would have been nice though.
 
sjobs@mac.com said:
Although I shouldn't need the extra 400MHz most of the time, and most of the home video work should be done on a desktop with a much faster chip, on the rare occasions that I do encode for my iPhone and Apple TV I can always use Turbo.264. :)

I chose the 2.0 because in less than a years time I will buy a Mac Pro. So for my particular situation the 2.0 was the right choice. The backlit keyboard would have been nice though.
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I notice that your HDD is a 7200 RPM one (in your signature). Does it create more heat or drain your battery faster? I may replace my original 160 GB.
 
Orderd the Alum from Apple...

james4513 said:
Where did you buy? Thanks.
Think I'll go 2.4 and 4mb.
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I was saying that it comes out cheaper when you order it from Apple and buy it configured with the extra ram, rather than adding Apple purchased Ram later.
 
bearcatrp said:
I got the 2ghz model and don't regret it. If I need a light, I'll go buy a laptop lamp for around 20 bucks that clips on the top of the screen.
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Thread over. Seriously people, I think it's pathetic to spend $300 just for the backlit keyboard. It's perfectly understandable to upgrade for speed and a bigger hard drive, but for keys that light up? Spare me.

2.0 GHz is PLENTY for basic, everyday use. It also has nothing to do with lifespan. If you think having a 2.4 GHz processor will make your computer last longer, think again.
 
Rocky8814 said:
Thread over. Seriously people, I think it's pathetic to spend $300 just for the backlit keyboard. It's perfectly understandable to upgrade for speed and a bigger hard drive, but for keys that light up? Spare me.

2.0 GHz is PLENTY for basic, everyday use. It also has nothing to do with lifespan. If you think having a 2.4 GHz processor will make your computer last longer, think again.
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Rocky, you nailed it. The 2.4 and 2.0 will both be severely outdated in 2-3 yrs time.
 
8theapple said:
Rocky, you nailed it. The 2.4 and 2.0 will both be severely outdated in 2-3 yrs time.
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+1. Apple knows that some people are prepared to pay more to get the fastest CPU, even if it is fastest by a slow margin. I know people who paid more to get a MacBook Pro 2.6 Ghz over a MacBook Pro 2.4 Ghz. Will someone notice the 0.2 Ghz difference in his/her everyday usage? I highly doubt it.
 
Not really worth it.

I have the 2.0 Ghz, and I went to system requirments lab .com and saw that they recommend you to have a 2.4Ghz to play COD 4 and 5. I went to a friend's house, and he has the 2.4 and it ran exactly the same as mine.

GE THE 2.0Ghz, and buy an ipod touch
 
mezzadakiller said:
I have the 2.0 Ghz, and I went to system requirments lab .com and saw that they recommend you to have a 2.4Ghz to play COD 4 and 5. I went to a friend's house, and he has the 2.4 and it ran exactly the same as mine.

GE THE 2.0Ghz, and buy an ipod touch
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yea,, CPU has no effect on playing games, its all the GPU
 
400mhz is quite a bit.. It is about 1/5 of the total processing power! It adds up. It may not show up in your day to day usage.. But compressing files, encoding a video, compiling a program, or what ever processor heavy task you may require and you will see the benefits.
To some the price jump is worth the speed, and to others it is not.. That is the whole reason why there are multiple macbooks (white, aluminum 2.0 and the 2.4).. Some may see the extra 400mhz a big jump, others dont.

Also, to the post above stating that the CPU has no effect on games, only the graphic card does.. That is pretty wrong. The cpu plays a HUGE roll in video games. Some games rely on the CPU more than others. For example Any game that uses Valves Source engine will rely heavily on the cpu.

Personally, when I buy the new macbook I will be going for the 2.4ghz model, because my current laptop (non mac) is an older(2 year old) 2ghz dual core. Because it suites my needs. Plus the illuminated keyboard plays a big roll for me. Not because of the fact that I cant type, but because I just like them (I spend almost $150 bucks on my desktop keyboard because it lights up). It was actually the main reason why I liked the macbook pro line originally. Its just a nice feature to have (for me).
 
I took the 2.4 ghz model because of the backlit keyboard, a must have for typing in the dark, or on the plane while flying at night, and as i have been using a G15 keyboard on my pc for more then 2-3 years, i can't imagine typing on a non backlit keyboard anymore..


The 0.4 ghz difference sounded nice to me, and i wanted to fully have the mac experience with some decent power, didn't go for the macbook pro as the entry line MBP with applecare costs 3000$ here, got my Alu MB for 2200$ with applecare.
 
More than anything, I hate being played by marketing people who think they know exactly how to get people to bite. The backlit keyboard is one such example - placing it only in a much more expensive model, even though it costs a miniscule amount to include makes me irritated.

It's like the Combo/SuperDrive argument that used to go on with the old MacBook and iBook. The difference in price between the two drive components was tiny, yet Apple only included the better one on models which were much, much more expensive.

I didn't need a SuperDrive because I don't burn discs that often, so I got the low end MacBook. I was happy with that.

I ask of you all though, if the backlit keyboard was still a MacBook Pro only option, would you all be thinking "HEY I CANNOT BE WITHOUT THAT I MUST HAVE IT!!!!" and throwing double as much again at the computer?

Surely if you are answering no to this question, then you do not actually need it at all and are wasting money on the higher model MacBook?
 
Well Apple is going to replace my 2.0 because it always thinks its plugged in and they can't figure out why. I am going to ask if I pay the difference can I get the 2.4. I am not a touch typist and find typing in a dark room kinda hard. The lighted keyboard will be worth it for me.
 
I got the 2.4 because I did like the backlite keyboard and by the time I got done with my discounts and 50.00 Apple gave me, the 2.4 was only about 100.00 extra for me. I love the backlite keyboard :D
 
If you spend a lot of time with your laptop in dimly/darkly environments (watching movies, in presentations or lectures, and so on), I would get the 2.4 ghz model. Otherwise, I would go with the 2.0 model. The backlit keyboard feature should be the deciding factor for choosing one model or the other.
 
If you can afford it, go with the back lite keyboard, it's worth it if you love MacBooks. If you're seriously tight on money they go with the 2.0.
 
This thread seems to be full of a bunch of 2.0 owners trying to make themselves feel better about not having the 2.4.







I have a 2.0 and I tell myself all the time that I do not need the backlit keyboard, but the truth is...it would be nice. I am a touch typist and can do it pretty well...however, when in a dark room - I cannot always find the "not so often used keys."
 
I ended up going with the 2.0. The backlit keyboard is almost useless to me, had a PowerBook with one and it didn't make much difference (I use Dvorak rather than QWERTY, so seeing the keys means nothing, aside from the function keys which I can usually see just from the light emitted by the screen), and I think the 400mhz is negligible. I decided I would spend the $350 on a 500GB 7200RPM hard drive and 4GB RAM instead (and still pocket about $50).

That said, the 2.4GHz isn't that bad a deal. It's not as good a value as the 2.0 for raw hardware specs to price ratio, but anything above the lowest end model in any Apple product line almost never is (they usually make you pay top dollar to bump up to the next model to get little things, in the previous generation it was the SuperDrives to go up to the second level and black cases to go up the third level, in the current generation it's backlit keyboards to go up to the second level.) That said, if you can afford the 2.4, and you think that you would regret buying the 2.0, you SHOULD get the 2.4, as in many cases the $300 is a small price to pay for not constantly feeling bad about your purchase for the next 1-3 years. I didn't care, so I got the 2.0.
 
screen difference

is there a difference between 2.0 and 2.4 with regards to their screens?
 
amg99 said:
is there a difference between 2.0 and 2.4 with regards to their screens?
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No. They both have the same types of screens. 13.3" LED backlit with ambient light sensor and glossy glass plate in front, either 9c8c or 9c89 model, which one you get is random and has nothing to do with 2.0 vs 2.4, etc.
 
amg99 said:
is there a difference between 2.0 and 2.4 with regards to their screens?
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No.
Corvillus, I'm pretty sure I'm getting the 2.0 as well, not really because of the money,I just feel I don't need the extra .4 GHz. Could you tell me what cpu intensive apps you use and check how much of your CPU is used while at work? cheers
 
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