Choosing the right MBP for me

[Nate Chad]

I've got an ageing G4 and am looking fwd to finally upgrading but would love some advice on what specs will best suit my needs. I currently run a 1.67GHz 512MB which has been a chore for the past 2 years speedwise - only apps I use are iPhoto (30GB of photos and growing), iTunes (16GB incl some videos) and Safari - not sure what takes up the rest of the space but I'm right up against my 80GB space and deleting to keep afloat.

The only extra app I'm likely to use in future is Photoshop.

I'll be buying a MPB 15" - but which one? I want at least 320GB which narrows the choice to 2 - the questions I'd love to have answered are:
- how much difference will the step from 2.66 to 2.8GHz make? And is it worth paying for the upgrade to 3GHz? Is processing speed upgradable in the future?
- Will the step up from Cache of 3MB (2.66 model) to 6MB (2.8 model) make a big difference?
- I'm happy to stay with 4GB RAM for now til prices come down - but keen to know will upgrading to 8GB in the future make a big difference to speed?

Final qn: does anyone have advice on what to do with my old G4 - would I get any money for trading it or selling on ebay?

Many thanks for your help

 

[bli625]

I've got an ageing G4 and am looking fwd to finally upgrading but would love some advice on what specs will best suit my needs. I currently run a 1.67GHz 512MB which has been a chore for the past 2 years speedwise - only apps I use are iPhoto (30GB of photos and growing), iTunes (16GB incl some videos) and Safari - not sure what takes up the rest of the space but I'm right up against my 80GB space and deleting to keep afloat.

The only extra app I'm likely to use in future is Photoshop.

I'll be buying a MPB 15" - but which one? I want at least 320GB which narrows the choice to 2 - the questions I'd love to have answered are:
- how much difference will the step from 2.66 to 2.8GHz make? And is it worth paying for the upgrade to 3GHz? Is processing speed upgradable in the future?
- Will the step up from Cache of 3MB (2.66 model) to 6MB (2.8 model) make a big difference?
- I'm happy to stay with 4GB RAM for now til prices come down - but keen to know will upgrading to 8GB in the future make a big difference to speed?

Final qn: does anyone have advice on what to do with my old G4 - would I get any money for trading it or selling on ebay?

Many thanks for your help

The difference from 2.66 to 2.8 is minimal in real world situations. But the 2.66 to 3.06 jump can probably be felt. With that said, I have a 2.66 GHz with 6MB cache from pre-WWDC and it has served me well. Photoshop runs great on it! The 3MB cache probably won't make that much of a difference unless you're doing... computational math and things like that. I think for your needs... just some photoshopping, iPhoto, web browsing... the 2.66 will be enough. Also, the CPU is not upgradeable in the future. You "can" overclock.. but that's not recommended for laptops. I suggest getting the 2.66 and then saving your money to make a RAM upgrade and SSD upgrade in the future.

 

[u49aa2]

I will try to answer some of your questions:

1) I think it is worth paying for the 3 GHz upgrade, especially if you are the type of person who doesn't change his/her mac every time a new model comes. Another reason; you will NOT be able to upgrade the processor in the future.

2) 3MB to 6MB will make a difference, for sure.

3) from what you say you use your laptop for, i would think 4GB ram is more than enough, and you probably won't need the extra RAM, however when you start using programs such as Photoshop, final cut and things like these, you will need the extra RAM and yes it will make a big difference.

Hope this help, and hope you are enjoying Dubai

 

[Nate Chad]

Very helpful advice, many thanks. You're right, my last MB has lasted more than 4 years and so perhaps it's best to pay up for the extra speed today; I'll be glad I did when it's 2011. Any other opinions are greatly appreciated

 

[Joruus]

DON'T get the 2.8 GHz Version there is a topic here on the Forum about it, either get the 2.53 or 3.06. If you don't replace the MBP for 5+ years go for the 3.06

 

[Nate Chad]

Thanks Joruus

I can't find the thread on not buying the 2.8 - can you point me in the right direction please?