Help Me Please. 13mbp or 15mbp

[Reelknead1]

Alright guys,

I truely can't decide. I currently have a PPC 17 G4 1.5ghz and its getting really slow for everyday life at college. I do a lot of web browsing and video watching. I also am an accounting major so excel is used quite a bit. With either of them I will most likely be running windows 7 off a partition or SD card so I can have my tax software.

Coming from a 17 I feel that the 13 might be a bit small for my liking but at the same time i truly don't need the processing power of the i5 even though it might be nice to have for when I compress and encode videos from time to time.

While i was in the shower today i was also thinking, would a 13 be able to run portals and half life 2 on a low to medium setting? I would like to play those games on my new laptop if possible.

The price difference is huge and coming from a 17 the portability sucks so either one will be an improvement. What do you guys think? 13 base 2.4 1190 after tax or base 15 2.4 with hi res glossy screen 1900 after tax.

 

[Hellhammer]

Get the 13", it'll handle your gaming fine

 

[dannyjames8]

id go for a 15" but they do cost more, if you can afford it get a 15"

 

[maflynn]

As I've said in other threads.

Go for the 15" MBP. Apple laptops are so expensive, why spend a premium amount of money on a 13" laptop that contains the C2D chipset that's so long in the tooth.

Buy the i5, whether you need it now, or not, it will give you better resale value, last longer and provide you with the best bang for your buck. Given that you're moving from a PPC based laptop to an intel just goes to show that you've held on to machines for a long time. Get the most you can afford as it will last handle your needs longer.

 

[Reelknead1]

As I've said in other threads.

Go for the 15" MBP. Apple laptops are so expensive, why spend a premium amount of money on a 13" laptop that contains the C2D chipset that's so long in the tooth.

Buy the i5, whether you need it now, or not, it will give you better resale value, last longer and provide you with the best bang for your buck. Given that you're moving from a PPC based laptop to an intel just goes to show that you've held on to machines for a long time. Get the most you can afford as it will last handle your needs longer.

Your correct I do hold on to my computers for a long time. I bought the PPC in 2004. So I have had it for a good amount of time when it comes to computers. It has been great but I feel that the price difference between the 15 and the 13 might not be worth the extra 800 dollars.

The discrete graphics card would be nice for newer games and video stuff as well as the i5 for compressing videos with handbrake but I can't decide if its worth the extra money?

 

[maflynn]

Read some reviews and benchmarks for the new laptops, and see if its a good use of your money.

Personally, I think it is, but I'm not the one making the decision. FWIW, I have a 2.53Ghz 15" MBP and find its performance to be adequate for most things except apple's aperture. I find its too underpowered for that, but I've moved on to Lightroom - problem solved.

For 800 bucks, you get a better CPU, larger HD, better GPU and a larger display (admittedly this may be a detraction if you want a smaller laptop).

Regards
Mike

 

[dreven79]

Looks like i have to get Lightroom instead of Aperture 3.