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Deciding between MB and MBP

J

jdstoddard

macrumors member
Original poster
May 27, 2003
50
0
USA
Ok, so to make a story really short, I'm in the market for a laptop. I am a graphic designer that works in Photoshop and Dreamweaver with occasional flash work.

I am having the worst time deciding between a refurb Macbook 2.4GHz and a refurb MBP 2.4. I have read the "which laptop should I buy guide" but I was hoping to get some real world user feedback. I love the new style of the MB & MBP.

About me: I travel a lot. I have hauled around 15" laptops (including MBP) around and have been fine with it, but I am tempted at the MB because mainly of its cost savings, but the smaller screen seems nice as well.

My usage: 70% of the time is web surfing and updating with dreamweaver and writing emails. 20% of the time is in Photoshop. The last 10% is mainly watching movies and listening to music.

I'm curious if anyone has been able to accomplish all of this on the 2.4 Macbook. Was the screen size hard on you? My girlfriend has a 2 year old MB and I regularly use the screen and have no problem. People report having issues with the screen at odd angles, but who really works on a laptop diagonally?

Anyways, I would greatly appreciate your feedback! Sorry I wrote so much!
 
I would get the 2.0 MacBook if I were you. For what you want to do it will be more than powerful enough, and I do the things you mention on mine just fine.

The 2.4 model is an extra expense for not much gain.
 
I was using a new al. Unibody MB 2.4 but switched to the MBA v2 (the new one). I absolutely need portability. I once used a MBP, but found it too large to use in an airline seat. The MB 2.4 I had ran Photoshop and Dreamweaver really fast. Actually my new MBA is quick too. The MB did have a lower quality display than the MBP or MBA. When I was using my MB it seemed fine. But since getting the MBA I compare them side by side and the MB really has a poor quality display especially the viewing angle differences.

If portability is critical, buy the MB. If you want a better display buy the MBP. If you want a better display and portability, skip them both and buy a MBA.

I think the best value is a refurbished al unibody MB for $1099. At that price, it's one incredible value. If you do go the MB or MBP route, definitely upgrade the RAM yourself for approximately $75.

Any of them will run your apps well. It all comes down to preferences. Any of the three turn into instant desktops by powering up to a 30" Apple Cinema Display. Good luck with your decision and new Mac.
 
You can do what you need to on the Macbook. I'd save the money and size/weight.
 
I'd get the MB as well, but I'd get the Alu MacBook rather than the plastic one. Sounds like the system will be used for portability, since you said you'd be using it to "update Dreamweaver". When you need to get down and do some serious work, I suggest just using an external LCD.
 
Thanks all! I do keep a lot of files on my computer (I feel more comfortable with about 250GB of HD space (I'm currently using 90GB out of a 250). I may want to run boot camp down the line.

Also, I forgot to mention, I do take a lot of photos, how will Aperture run on the 2.0 vs the 2.4. The 2.0 refurb is about 1099 and the 2.4 is 1399 but you gain the backlit keyboard, larger HD, and processor.

I've had a backlit keyboard before, but am not on one now, but it would be nice. Is the performance that much of a difference between the 2.0 and 2.4?

Thanks.
 
jdstoddard said:
Thanks all! I do keep a lot of files on my computer (I feel more comfortable with about 250GB of HD space (I'm currently using 90GB out of a 250). I may want to run boot camp down the line.

Also, I forgot to mention, I do take a lot of photos, how will Aperture run on the 2.0 vs the 2.4. The 2.0 refurb is about 1099 and the 2.4 is 1399 but you gain the backlit keyboard, larger HD, and processor.

I've had a backlit keyboard before, but am not on one now, but it would be nice. Is the performance that much of a difference between the 2.0 and 2.4?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

The difference is barely noticeable, you might save a couple seconds here and there when you're ripping movies or converting music or something.

I got the 2.4 since my dad paid half for whatever laptop I wanted as a graduation gift, so I ended up only paying 850 CAD for it. I got it because of the backlit keyboard mainly, not because it was helpful, since I can type just fine without it, but it looks awesome! "2.4 sounds so much nicer than 2.0" in my dad's words (he's stuck in the Pentium days where clock speed made the most difference :p). And also, the 250GB hard drive is plenty to have as a stock hard drive, and it saves the time later on of swapping it for a different one.
 
The Macbook is all it looks like you need. It is enough power for you and is a good size and weight, also you can save your money. :apple:
 
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