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first time buyer, i5 or i7? and other things

E

edge11

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 11, 2010
5
0
ill get straight to the point and say this is my first macbook pro. im finally makin the move from PC to MAC. and all i have to say is FINALLY!

but here's the dilemma, i've been reading thru the forums a couple of days now. and i think im just confusing myself more...

so here it is.. i know i want the 15 inch macbook pro. and im a photographer and on a budget.

is there a big diffference with the i5 and i7? 2.53 and 2.66? can i settle for the i5 2.53 ghz and still have the same performace?

i know that it would be better to buy the memory elsewhere so i wont be buyn that.. 4 gig it is. update it later since im on a budget.

im stickn to the 500gig. unless its better to go to the 128 SSD. and just stick to external hard disks.

now the bootcamp and parallels. im thinkn bootcamp. but my question is, can i just do this manually? i mean, the macbook is already capable of this right? or do i have to make sure that when ordern the macbookpro, i let them install it for me?-- im just thinkn that maybe i cud just install it at a later time when i have the money. or that since i already have a PC, stickn to the MAC os is better.

plannin to get antiglare, hi-res widescreen display for the screen.

gettn aperture.

is office really needed?

plannin to get a mouse.. but dunno which..

and im not sure bout the antivirus. not a fan of norton.

thank guys in advance. id really appreciate it if u guys cud help out. first time buyer and i wanna get the best on a budget. and plannign to just upgrade gradually.
 
Installing bootcamp is easy, don't worry, unless you've never installed windows before.

You can use any mouse, I'm using a logitech mx series.

Performance difference between i5 and i7 isn't much, they are both heaps faster than the Core 2 Duos they replaced.

i5 2.4, 2.5 or i7, not much difference.
If you're on a budget, get the 2.4 and get a 500GB hybrid SSD.
 
First, read some of the Apple guidelines for switchers, you are still thinking in Windows mode. You do not need an antivirus software package on running on your Mac. Next, even 2.66-2.4=0.26, so most people think the basic MBP at 2.4GHz is the best buy, and you can use the cash you save for other things, a mouse etc. You really won't notice the difference in speed for 99% of the things we use a laptop for. Stick with the stock HD and later buy a better HD and install it yourself. You can then use the stock drive as an external drive in a cheap USB case for backup.
Welcome to the community.:cool:
 
One thing to remember is that you can (fairly) easily change/add RAM and also the hard drive. But changing the processor is pretty much impossible.
However, as the previous posters say, difference in speed is really negligible.

I have a 2010 with the anti glare display - I couldn't decide whether or not to get it, but it's really fantastic - definitely worth it. And much brighter than the old matte displays.
 
edge11 said:
ill get straight to the point and say this is my first macbook pro. im finally makin the move from PC to MAC. and all i have to say is FINALLY!

but here's the dilemma, i've been reading thru the forums a couple of days now. and i think im just confusing myself more...

so here it is.. i know i want the 15 inch macbook pro. and im a photographer and on a budget.

is there a big diffference with the i5 and i7? 2.53 and 2.66? can i settle for the i5 2.53 ghz and still have the same performace?

i know that it would be better to buy the memory elsewhere so i wont be buyn that.. 4 gig it is. update it later since im on a budget.

im stickn to the 500gig. unless its better to go to the 128 SSD. and just stick to external hard disks.

now the bootcamp and parallels. im thinkn bootcamp. but my question is, can i just do this manually? i mean, the macbook is already capable of this right? or do i have to make sure that when ordern the macbookpro, i let them install it for me?-- im just thinkn that maybe i cud just install it at a later time when i have the money. or that since i already have a PC, stickn to the MAC os is better.

plannin to get antiglare, hi-res widescreen display for the screen.

gettn aperture.

is office really needed?

plannin to get a mouse.. but dunno which..

and im not sure bout the antivirus. not a fan of norton.

thank guys in advance. id really appreciate it if u guys cud help out. first time buyer and i wanna get the best on a budget. and plannign to just upgrade gradually.
Click to expand...


DONT buy AV software.
Macs don't get viruses, and anyone who tells you otherwise is full of twaddle.

The first time a mac virus is seen in the world it will be on all the newspapers and all over the TV. It would be BIG news.

AV software simply slows down your machine and costs you money.

doris
 
doktordoris said:
DONT buy AV software.
Macs don't get viruses, and anyone who tells you otherwise is full of twaddle.

The first time a mac virus is seen in the world it will be on all the newspapers and all over the TV. It would be BIG news.

AV software simply slows down your machine and costs you money.

doris
Click to expand...

Not strictly true, Mac viruses exist, but they are not as malicious as windows ones and don't spread so virrulently.

Most mac viruses are pretty much confined to computer labs in real life, and the ones that re out there, usually require the concious effort of the user to install.

So if you get one it's entirely your own fault.
 
I have the i7 and love it, I believe the only difference is more Cache and HyperThreading.

If you're on a budget, go for the basic i5 and use an external hard drive if you do need anymore storage. If its for photography, no need for better video card or slightly higher clock.
 
Aegelward said:
Not strictly true, Mac viruses exist, but they are not as malicious as windows ones and don't spread so virrulently.

Most mac viruses are pretty much confined to computer labs in real life, and the ones that re out there, usually require the concious effort of the user to install.

So if you get one it's entirely your own fault.
Click to expand...

ahem, *puts on nerd voice and starts a sentence with actually* actually, I believe the viruses you are referring to aren't capable of self-replicating so they aren't viruses at all. Simply proofs of concept, as I recall the AV vendors lis about 13 of them and if you look at them all not one is a threat.

So they aren't really ANY mac viruses.

If you want to know more OP about the lack of mac viruses search this board or the web.
 
Just get the 2.4GHz i5; you'll probably want to upgrade the HDD yourself anyways and also you can get the 15" high resolution antiglare display for the price difference.

The performance difference between the 2.4GHz i5 and the 2.66GHz i7 is about 10% more in the favor of the latter for an extra $400.

I wouldn't bother with the 2.53GHz i5; you're paying $200 more [than the 2.4GHz model] for a very negligible improvement in CPU power.
 
doktordoris said:
ahem, *puts on nerd voice and starts a sentence with actually* actually, I believe the viruses you are referring to aren't capable of self-replicating so they aren't viruses at all. Simply proofs of concept, as I recall the AV vendors lis about 13 of them and if you look at them all not one is a threat.

So they aren't really ANY mac viruses.

If you want to know more OP about the lack of mac viruses search this board or the web.
Click to expand...

There are viruses. There are worms. There are Trojans. They are just very uncommon and mostly found on inappropriate websites.
 
i ordered my first mac last night. here is my experience, might help you a bit.

first, if you want 15", go either 2.4G or 2.66G, 2.53G is the worst choice among all three. Yes, you will see difference in benchmarks, but you won't see much in daily performance unless using really CPU intensive apps. Generally speaking, they are almost the same to normal customers.

second, 7200rpm is a good upgrade. however, no matter upgrade from which model, the extra money equals to a better HDD aftermarket. So if you really really do not want to open the case and do a replacement, then choose APPLE's 7200 rpm solution.

third, graphic card, very important reason for me to go i7, otherwise i will buy a 2.4G i5. i've read a lot articles regarding to this. If you do not game or just some light gaming, then 256vram should serve you well cos people say more vram only make sense when play at much higher res (1080P or even higher). Also, if you plan to buy a newer macbook pro in one or two years later again, then 256vram will be fine for the one or two years since GT330M is not a high end card and next gen will always bring powerful GPU. well for me, i will not buy any new laptops in next 3 or 4 years and i would rather spend a little more to buy a safer that my machine would play Diable 3 better. i go 512vram. again if you do not care about game, mostly 256vram is the way to go.

forth, Hi Res is awesome and Hi Res AR is even better in most cases. you do photos, then i think you made the right choice. However, before that, i will still suggest to go to APPLE RETAIL SHOP to compare both res side by side. Do not buy hi res just because what people say so. experience it with your own eyes.

the above are my personal preference, maybe right, maybe wrong. hope it could help you.
 
doktordoris said:
ahem, *puts on nerd voice and starts a sentence with actually* actually, I believe the viruses you are referring to aren't capable of self-replicating so they aren't viruses at all. Simply proofs of concept, as I recall the AV vendors lis about 13 of them and if you look at them all not one is a threat.

So they aren't really ANY mac viruses.

If you want to know more OP about the lack of mac viruses search this board or the web.
Click to expand...

yes there are mac viruses
no you don't need an anti virus program
most of the viruses for macs literally ask you to approve it. also, the mac (OS X) community is so small compared to Windows, it's illogical for hackers to make viruses simply for a Mac computer.
 
Chaggi said:
also, the mac (OS X) community is so small compared to Windows, it's illogical for hackers to make viruses simply for a Mac computer.
Click to expand...

oh brother :rolleyes:

and for the rest of yas, primer from GGJstudios:

GGJstudios said:
A computer virus is a computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, adware, and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability.

From Symantec:
What is the difference between viruses, worms, and Trojans?

What is a virus?
A computer virus is a small program written to alter the way a computer operates, without the permission or knowledge of the user. A virus must meet two criteria:
It must execute itself. It often places its own code in the path of execution of another program.
It must replicate itself. For example, it may replace other executable files with a copy of the virus infected file. Viruses can infect desktop computers and network servers alike.
What is a Trojan horse?
Trojan horses are impostors—files that claim to be something desirable but, in fact, are malicious. A very important distinction between Trojan horse programs and true viruses is that they do not replicate themselves. Trojan horses contain malicious code that when triggered cause loss, or even theft, of data. For a Trojan horse to spread, you must invite these programs onto your computers; for example, by opening an email attachment or downloading and running a file from the Internet.

What is a worm?
Worms are programs that replicate themselves from system to system without the use of a host file. This is in contrast to viruses, which requires the spreading of an infected host file. Although worms generally exist inside of other files, often Word or Excel documents, there is a difference between how worms and viruses use the host file. Usually the worm will release a document that already has the "worm" macro inside the document. The entire document will travel from computer to computer, so the entire document should be considered the worm.

What is a virus hoax?
Virus hoaxes are messages, almost always sent by email, that amount to little more than chain letters. Following are some of the common phrases that are used in these hoaxes:
If you receive an email titled [email virus hoax name here], do not open it!
Delete it immediately!
It contains the [hoax name] virus.
It will delete everything on your hard drive and [extreme and improbable danger specified here].
This virus was announced today by [reputable organization name here].
Forward this warning to everyone you know!
Most virus hoax warnings do not deviate far from this pattern. If you are unsure if a virus warning is legitimate or a hoax, additional information is available at the Symantec Security Response online database.
Click to expand...

As of this time, there are NO viruses in the wild that affect current Mac OS X. In the past, there have been a few viruses that ran on older versions of the Mac operating system, but no longer.

There are, as of this time, trojans that can affect Mac OS X, but these must be downloaded and installed by the user, which involves entering the user's administrator password. Trojans can easily be avoided by the user exercising common sense and caution when installing applications. A common source of trojans is pirated software, typically downloaded from bit torrent sites.

Having virus protection software on your Mac is pointless, as far as protecting your Mac from viruses, since AV software can't detect a virus that doesn't exist. It is possible to have a file reside on your hard drive that contains a Windows virus, but since a Windows virus (program) can't run in native Mac OS X, it would be harmless to your Mac. Some choose to run AV on their Mac to scan for Windows viruses, so the Mac user can't pass a virus-infected file to a Windows user. In my opinion, a Windows user should be protected by their own AV software, so the burden of protection lies with the Windows user.
Click to expand...
 
TheBritishBloke said:
I have the i7 and love it, I believe the only difference is more Cache and HyperThreading.

If you're on a budget, go for the basic i5 and use an external hard drive if you do need anymore storage. If its for photography, no need for better video card or slightly higher clock.
Click to expand...

Only difference is cache, i5 has hyperthreading too! The iMac i5 doesn't have hyperthreading, but macbook pro i5 has.
 
thanks a bunch guys. y'all have been a great help.

so right now my minds pretty much set on 15inch i7. 500gig HDD 7200rpm, and the antiglare, hi-res screen. and keep everything else pretty much at default.

i'll pretty much just buy software and do needed upgrades when i have the budget.hehe.

altho a friend suggested i buy a macbookpro 17inch instead. the low end one. im not sure tho. since i thnk i rather have the high end 15inch instead of the low end one.

17 inch sounds good tho to a photographer.

again thanks guys. very much appreciated.
 
i am a bit of a photgrapher myself but not for a living, i have a nikon D60 dslr @ 10 mp - 3fps and i love the cam =D hehe. The 2.53 will do everything you will ever need to!! photos = space, i have library of like 14 700+ and i have over 50 gb in just photos, and thats me not taking photos for a living. I most certainly reccomend the 500 gb 7200 rpm hdd, and 4 gb of ddr3 ram should be plenty, movie editing and music production are the kilelrs for that, but you can watch your activity monitor for more accurate usage.

mouse = magic mouse hands down, if you have never used on TRY ONE they are quite amazing!!!


when i ran windows(for a short bit) i would use vmware fusion and have it full screen in a separate space it it runs both os's simultaneously as though there is one and you hit ctrl + an arrow key to scroll back and forth =D it was pretty sweet. I just find windows is so antiquated anymore, you will get knee deep into snow leaopard and you will never look back =D ps iphoto is amazing haha love it!!!
 
Chaggi said:
yes there are mac viruses
no you don't need an anti virus program
most of the viruses for macs literally ask you to approve it. also, the mac (OS X) community is so small compared to Windows, it's illogical for hackers to make viruses simply for a Mac computer.
Click to expand...

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!11!!oneONEELEVENELEVEN11!!!

Has that got your attention?

Macs having no viruses has NOTHING to do with market share, I hang my head in shame that a macist would believe such a thing.

Macs have around 8% of the world computer market. That is a LOT of machines. Amigas sold in tiny, tiny amounts. Amigas had viruses. So a small market share has nothing to do with viruses.

If someone made a mac virus they would become a mega-star, they would be on the front page of every newspaper, they'd be the top article on every TV news program in every country in the world.
They would then be employed by apple, MS, or symantec for a squillion quid a week.

The lack of mac viruses is a far greater incentive for malware developers than any market share considerations would be.

So please, please don't trot out the old market share myth again.
 
In terms of your HD, I would say go for a Momentus XT. Get 500GB of SSD like performance. it costs $130.

My 2.53 i5 MBP boots in 18 seconds with Chrome open and ready to fire.
 
any recommendations as to where to order macbook pro from? from apple website or a frend of mine recommended macmall.
 
does any1 know if u can just pick it up at the apple store? even with customizations to the specs?
 
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