BB or MBP

[bogart]

Usage:

I travel almost all the time - work in technology standards. Have to do the usual document writing/editing etc. plus some development - writing XSD's, mucking about with modelling with Eclipse, Protege, manage a few unix servers and sites - mediawiki, home grow php, python, that sort of thing. Need to run windoze under Parallels. No interest in games.

Will a black book be powerful enough ?

Why I might prefer the black book:

1. nice for travel
2. not aluminium case. Yes - I prefer the plastic
(health concerns over long term aluminium exposure -
not by any means proven but why take unneeded risk
- I use my laptop probably 10 hours a day - sad I know).

Worries about the black book.

1. Power for my usage.
2. expandability (no express slot). So in 12 months someone
brings out some feature I need to expand for, or maybe I
want to put a 3G card in and I'm stuck.
3. screen size for real use (I'm 55, my eyes are not
so good any more).

I suspect the slickness with which resolution can be changed on
the fly will overcome 3. but welcome comment as on the other
two points also. Were the case not aluminium I'd probably
go for the pro 15 inch but am trying hard to see if I could
manage with a BB (I'd put 4G in straight away of course).

andy

 

[ucfgrad93]

I'd say get the MBP because of the larger screen size. Not sure what health concerns you are talking about with aluminum, but I don't think it will be an issue.

 

[blurb23]

One thing that I'd consider is the fact that you're going to be using Parallels, and be using your laptop for an extended period of time each day.

Since Parallels opens itself up a in a new application window (and Windows will have it's own windows open within that), the extra real estate on the MBP will allow you to keep the Parallels window larger so that you won't keep having to switch around. Even with Spaces and Expose this could become tedious.

I know it's really not that big of a deal, but this may become a nuisance for you if you're going to be using your laptop for 10 hours a day.

 

[Satori]

The only place that you would feel a performance difference between the MB and MBP is with programmes/tasks that make heavy use of a GPU.

I can tell you from experience that Spaces makes working with smaller screens much more manageable.