Another Macbook vs MBP thread

[edwardcheah]

Well until recently i thought i had made my decission on not waitting for a
C2D macbook and just go ahead and get the recently refreshed C2D MBP (Basemodel, but upgrade the RAM to 2GB) However with more time to think i am having second thoughts.

Firstly for those who know or have both a macbook and MPB is there a large difference in terms of portibility of the 15.4 inch MBP and the 13.4 Macbook and would i really feel the difference in weight and size?

Price isnt that big of a factor to me however obviously i don't want to waste money on something i will never need. I am not a heavy gamer but i do play some games so would the improved graphics card be worth my while? Also i plan to keep this laptop for quite a while so you think the .16 Ghz would matter to me or a 2Ghz serve the same to a person like me.

I'm a college student so this going to me my only computer, i plan to just get an externail display, mouse and keyboard and hook it up when i get home. My main focus is on portability. I'm a light gamer as stated above but other than that i do the usual stuff. Word, Itunes, watch a movie and the occasional imovie.

 

[jsw]

First, I don't think the size difference will be much of an issue. However, one plus to the MacBook is that it's generally more durable due to the different casing - something to keep in mind.

Still, the MBP will be more useful for longer as it's starting out more powerful. I'd upgrade the graphics for better future-proofing, but the CPU bump seems negligible, esp. for the price. I'd definitely go to 2GB. My min with 1GB seems RAM-starved, whereas my iMac and MBP with 2GB seem much happier, though I do sort of long for 4GB at times.

 

[ero87]

woah, i really think an MBP is a waste of money for the type of computing you're doing. Not only is the MBP less portable because of size, but also because of how "delicate" it feels. You'll feel much more comfortable putting a macbook in your backpack, takign it wherever you need it. Games won't run as smoothly i guess, but is it worth the extra $500 for better gaming? I wouldn't think so, but it's your call.

The MacBook is a GREAT deal - load it with RAM and you'll never look back.

 

[xfiftyfour]

Well, it depends on the games you play, and what kind of settings you'd want to play at. The MB can handle a lot of games, but you have to turn the settings down. There are a lot of threads you'll want to look at that have gaming results on the MB. Here's one of them. And here's another.

Besides gaming, it sounds like the MB would suit you just fine. I would just up the RAM to as much as you could afford. I had the MB in my sig as my only computer hooked up to an external everything (BT keyboard and mouse + the 24" monitor), and it worked great.

 

[shane-o-mac]

Hey as long as it is an apple....you will be fine!

From my experience I tend to log onto this site when I am getting a new mac and ineviabley alot of advice leans heavly toward buying the "dream machine". My advice is buy what you actually need....so be honest with yourslef do you need the more expensive option or do you just want it??! I had a powerbookG4 which was stolen. This time around I picked up a macbook....the cheapest one I could get and I love it. Yeah I loved my old powerbook alot, but the macbooks are steps above the old ibooks and the wider brighter screens are amazing! I saved about a thousand bucks and though I really wanted a macbook pro.....the extra cash is nice to have in the bank. So my advice is dont get caught up in the hype.....and buy what you really need and for a vast majority a macbook will fit the bill.

Good luck....I thank the computer gods for the day I got my first apple (March 2005) and I have not looked back!

 

[ctsport1234]

I had a powerbook for over a year and I found it difficult to lug it to and fro campus everday. Iam replacing it with a 13'' macbook.