Downgrading. How much of a decrease in performance?

[slipper]

My 2009 13" Macbook Pro 2.26ghz (with Nvidia GeForce 9400M) is my only computer. Originally i wanted to sell it to get a Mac Mini for a HTPC set-up along with an iPad since i know i would miss the portability. But then i thought a used 2006-2007 era Macbook (Intel GMA 950) might be a better solution. How much of a downgrade in performance would i see in iMovie, Photoshop, HD video play back, Netflix, trackpad (multi touch and gestures), etc. I don't play many games but i do play Plants vs Zombies often.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

The glass trackpad alone is not worth the downgrade, if you use it a lot.
The difference between the GMA 950 and the 9400M is several worlds, I have the X3100 and the 9400/9600 combo and I can see a difference in PS at least. For HD playback the GMA 950 will be okay.

 

[0007776]

I wouldn't do it, first of all, the GMA 950 is awful, plus that model probably wont support lion, so it's beginning to near the end of its useful life if you care about running new software. I don't know for sure, but I don't think that the 2006 macbooks support any gestures besides 2 finger scrolling.

Keep what you have and save up for an iPad. You will have a much better computer and the next revision of the iPad will probably be out by the time you have the money.

 

[slipper]

Mrkramer i dont think you quite understand what i'm planning to do. I will sell my main computer the MBP for a Mac Mini to be used as the main computer and HTPC. And for portability it will be between the iPad or 06-07 Macbook.

Whats the deal with the older Macbook not supporting Lion?

 

[0007776]

Mrkramer i dont think you quite understand what i'm planning to do. I will sell my main computer the MBP for a Mac Mini to be used as the main computer and HTPC. And for portability it will be between the iPad or 06-07 Macbook.

Whats the deal with the older Macbook not supporting Lion?

Ok yeah, I misunderstood what you were wanting to do, I'd still suggest you stay away from a macbook that old. I mentioned lion because there have been some rumors that Lion will drop support for 32bit CPUs which is what that macbook has.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

I mentioned lion because there have been some rumors that Lion will drop support for 32bit CPUs which is what that macbook has.

Only if it's the original Core Duo MacBook. All MacBooks except the very first generation have the Core2 Duo in them, which is 64-bit.

 

[chaoticbear]

My primary computer is a 2007 (rev D) MB 2.2. HD video playback is fine, along with Netflix. iMovie is fine for editing, compiling/exporting takes a while, unfortunately. It's been a while since I have done video transcoding, but I average about 15fps.

I don't use Photoshop, so I can't answer that.

And yes, the only trackpad gesture supported is two-finger scrolling, although you can zoom with apple+2fingerscroll.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

And yes, the only trackpad gesture supported is two-finger scrolling, although you can zoom with apple+2fingerscroll.

It's actually ctrl+scroll (any scroll, not just two finger on the trackpad; mouse scroll wheel works just as well). This is a feature of the system itself, not a gesture per se.

 

[chaoticbear]

Thanks for the correction - I kind of just do it instinctively at this point, and didn't have my computer in front of me at the time.