Getting a MacBook...Couple of questions

[AppleFan360]

I already have a iMac, iPhone and AppleTV. I'm looking at getting the white 2.2 GHZ MacBook with 120GB drive.

1. I have a .Mac account. When using back to my mac, does my iMac at home need to stay on all the time so my MacBook can access it? I don't like the idea of leaving my iMac turned on while I am away. Would my iMac wake from standby mode and go back into standby when I finish?

2. Would it be better (and cheaper) for me to get the cheaper 2.0 GHZ Macbook at $1099 and upgrade the hard drive? Seems like the extra $200 for the 2.2 GHZ processor and the Superdrive is worth it rather than upgrading. What do you think?

3. How much faster is the 2.2 GHZ version really? Is it worth it? I do plan on editing some Hi-Def video and working with photos. Will it be as fast as my 20" 2.0 GHZ iMac?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Stopsignguy]

1. I'm not 100% familiar with .Mac, but I believe I heard somewhere that your computer (iMac) has to be awake for Back to my Mac to work.

2&3. Choosing between configurations is always up to what you indeed to do with your computer. Looking at your 3rd question, you want to do HD video editing, something that is helped more with a dedicated graphics card then boosts in processor speed and memory. If you are set on getting a Macbook, a low end should suffice as they of them only have a shared graphics card. Depending on the generation of your iMac, it should still remain the fastest in terms of HD video editing.

Harddrive space can be easily upgraded cheaper from 3rd party vendors as well as teh avaiability of external ones. You can also get cheaper and faster external burners as well.

Also, have you looked at a Macbook Pro? Last time i checked, you can get a refurb one for pretty cheap and it will make a much bigger different in editing speed as they all have a dedicated GPU.

 

[shoulin333]

i bought a 2.2 blackbook...

but get the 2.2 white if you want white... you will probably need the dvd burner at some point.. also take out any 5400rpm hdd they give you and buy an external enclosure for it (use it as a time machine backup) and throw in a nice 7200rpm drive


and if you want upgrade to 2 gigs of ram.

 

[doubleohseven]

1. There is a feature (not on .Mac) called remote desktop. It's when you can use other macs on your network even if they're turned off.
I've never used .Mac, but there is a service called iDisk. With that, you can access all of your photos and files when you're offline or not on your Mac.

2. It's cheaper in the long run for the bigger hard drive, faster processor and SuperDrive as opposed to upgrading the hard drive later on (which involves screws).

3. I have a 2.0GHz MacBook, and I find it fast enough for my needs (internet, e-mail, iTunes, messenger and even video editing). But since the 2.2GHz model has a bigger hard drive, it would be better for you.

 

[Fezzasus]

For backup purposes alone, the superdrive is worth the extra, you'll only notice the increased processor speed if doing very CPU intensive tasks such as ripping a DVD, and even still then you are looking at a 10% increase in speed - not much when you consider it takes around an hour in either case.

2. It's cheaper in the long run for the bigger hard drive, faster processor and SuperDrive as opposed to upgrading the hard drive later on (which involves screws)..

Upgrading the hard disk involves three screws, not a mammoth task. The problem is the data transfer involved, which is why it's best to start off with a larger hard disk - even if you are the person to install it.

 

[JNB]

1. There is a feature (not on .Mac) called remote desktop. It's when you can use other macs on your network even if they're turned off.

You're thinking of Apple Remote Desktop, and it's $299 for a 10-seat license. It's designed for remote deployment and support. And they have to be turned on, as does ANY computer being remotely (or locally) accessed. You may be confusing that with Network Wake from Sleep.

If you've got a .Mac account, Back to my Mac works great (I use it all the time on the road from my Blackbook to my wife's g5 iMac).

 

[AppleFan360]

Thanks for the help everyone.

So, I guess the rule is that my iMac must be powered up the entire time I'm away in order to use Back to my Mac?

 

[Hankster]

Get the 2.0 because the 2.2 is not much faster. I did TONS of research on this including going to the stores and comparing the speeds with applications. Also, do ALL upgrades yourself because it will cost you 50% less if not more. Get the base model from the shop and do everything else yourself - HD/RAM.

 

[JNB]

Thanks for the help everyone.

So, I guess the rule is that my iMac must be powered up the entire time I'm away in order to use Back to my Mac?

Correct. For Back to my Mac, it also cannot be in a sleep mode. Screen savers are fine as is powering down the monitor or HDD, but sleep is a no-no for that.

 

[AppleFan360]

Correct. For Back to my Mac, it also cannot be in a sleep mode. Screen savers are fine as is powering down the monitor or HDD, but sleep is a no-no for that.

Thanks for the clarification. Kind of a bummer actually. I was hoping that the iMac can at least go into sleep mode and would wake up with a "call" from my MacBook. I can't believe Apple didn't at least think of doing it that way.

 

[jvette]

I purchased the Low End Macbook refurbished and then purchased the max ram upgrade and the Hatichi 200gig 7200rpm hard drive. This drive came with an enclosure to transfer data for a windows hard drive swap. That enclosure works great to put the old drive into for a backup drive for time machine. The change in speed was huge. The upgrade cost me $270 and the refurbished Macbook was $950. Now its a great computer.