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Is the 13 inch MacBook Pro really that SLOW?
- Thread starter NickZac
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Why do the two have to be mutually exclusive?
I never understood that. I mean, just cause some one wants a laptop that is easily portable doesn't necessarily mean they also don't want a powerhouse. Having a small screen doesn't explain it cause you can easily connect a laptop to a monitor so you only have to deal with the screen when you travel.
I know there has to be some market for it, Sony I know at least makes a 13" aimed at those who want power + portability. The alienwware computer also offers a small computer that supposedly is still good for gaming.
Yeah, it does mean you are very limited since only a few laptop makers feel that people will buy a small laptop that also has good specs. But I just don't understand why the two things are usually considered mutually exclusive.
I agree with you, but there's got to be the compromise somewhere (at least with current tech).
If we are talking about the same Vaio laptop, it is significantly more expensive than the MacBook Pro 13". There's the compromise there: more expensive (although, if I were in the market for a computer $500-$750 more expensive than the MBP 13", I would be all over it; I've always liked Sony Vaio hardware and design, very Apple-esque
)With the Alienware (I assume we are talking about the netbook), you are getting some pretty amazing performance for the size. However, the size is a little misleading: it is a small laptop, which is both bulky and heavy. The price, though, isn't too bad if you are looking for a small (some would argue too small) gaming computer.
Oh, and you can get superior specs for cheap: you just loose build quality.
Anyways, that's basically what I've observed. It may not be true of all computers, though it seems to be. I'm all for the super-13" laptop, though: great build quality, fast processor, ability to switch between integrated and discrete graphics, RAM, slim and beautiful design.
(hope all of that made sense; I really need some sleep
)
I agree with you, but the power of the 13 inch laptops is determined bt market demand. The Sony you reference is a kick ass machine; but one with the same specs and a larger screen is considerably cheaper. I think above size, peopl wanting a powerhouse prefer not to spend more money on the same result. Perhaps getting everything in a 13 inch is more difficult?...why this is I do not know.
I was thinking about getting the MBP 13 for myself since I just sold a late model 2007 MBP 17 (was a T series Core 2 Duo). Both of them have the same processor speed, 2.4 GHz , however the new MBP 13 has many upgrades, so its a slightly different laptop.
Before I sold that MBP 17 it was working great without any issues. So IMHO the newer one should perform very well as well.
As everyone stated it all depends on what you will use the MBP for. If you are just a casual surfer, and maybe a slight gamer you should be fine. However anything above that and you maybe disappointed.
Right now I am using ASUS netbook with a 1.6 GHz ATOM that I picked up on Black Friday. Right now it works ok, but I honestly find it laggy at times and can't play certain media online. So I will upgrading soon, or I may wait till next year, but that $999 deal is haunting me :/
Before I sold that MBP 17 it was working great without any issues. So IMHO the newer one should perform very well as well.
As everyone stated it all depends on what you will use the MBP for. If you are just a casual surfer, and maybe a slight gamer you should be fine. However anything above that and you maybe disappointed.
Right now I am using ASUS netbook with a 1.6 GHz ATOM that I picked up on Black Friday. Right now it works ok, but I honestly find it laggy at times and can't play certain media online. So I will upgrading soon, or I may wait till next year, but that $999 deal is haunting me :/
Well yes, when you use an out dated model to compair to a new one sure.
The u30 has been replaced with the U31, in that site you linked the U33 is closer to the u31 than the u30 spec wise, and the 33 trounces the MBP13. The U33 should actually be slower than the u31 as it has a older GPU and weaker i3's.
The Acer in your list is also the last generation, the 3820tg has been out for a long while now. The closest thing to it on that list is the Envy14, which also kicks the MBP13's ass. So think of that machine + a few hrs extra battery as the Acer.
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It's not slow. It may look slow if you're used to i7 MBP or equal. However, I do agree this won't be the machine you're looking for if you need to do real heavy tasks. People sometimes think they need moar powah but never or rarely use its full capacity.
On a sidenote: difference between the 13" C2D and 15" i5 is $600 aswell, i7 even more
On a sidenote: difference between the 13" C2D and 15" i5 is $600 aswell, i7 even more
When people say it's slow or old they mean the c2d CPU, and are usually talking from a spec sheet standpoint.
It's not slow.
Look at the specs on the new MBA, 1.4ghz c2d. Sounds old and slow right?
It's not. Those things are fast because of the way they are built and optimized.
Kinda like why the specs are not a good way to judge the iPad or iPhone. Those things are fast at what they do.
So, looking at the spec sheets, ya any c2d brings slow and old to mind when thinking about the ichips and sandy bridge. Fact is, in real world application for the large majority of users and their tasks for it the 13"mbp performs great and is not slow at all.
However, If you are a pro power user video editing and running the most CPU intensive apps, then you should know better to get more horsepower.
For most folks the latest 13" mbp is a very solid machine that can handle everything they throw at it.
It's not slow.
Look at the specs on the new MBA, 1.4ghz c2d. Sounds old and slow right?
It's not. Those things are fast because of the way they are built and optimized.
Kinda like why the specs are not a good way to judge the iPad or iPhone. Those things are fast at what they do.
So, looking at the spec sheets, ya any c2d brings slow and old to mind when thinking about the ichips and sandy bridge. Fact is, in real world application for the large majority of users and their tasks for it the 13"mbp performs great and is not slow at all.
However, If you are a pro power user video editing and running the most CPU intensive apps, then you should know better to get more horsepower.
For most folks the latest 13" mbp is a very solid machine that can handle everything they throw at it.
I honestly don't care if the next 13" MBP still has a Core 2 Duo processor, I just want the screen resolution of the 13" MBA...
It is about the same CPU speed as my MBP (matte screen) and faster graphics. I almost bought one, but, I decided I just couldn't stand another laptop with a glossy screen.
Apple designed the Air three years ago, but they couldn't put an i5 and a GPU in the 13" MBP?
Explain that.
Yeah, it's terrific if you have $1,800 burning a hole in your pocket.
95% of Americans don't feel that heat in their pocket
--
There isn't room for a dedicated GPU in the current MacBook Pro 13". A dedicated GPU is the only way to go with the iX processors.
With all I've said, I will say IMO if they are ever going to re-do the 13 inch, now is the time as the Sandy Bridge Quad Cores come out. Obviously, you also need something that is reasonably priced as a grand is a smaller pill to swallow than two.
Curious tale...
When I got my autumn 2009 MBP 13" (a refurb), I immediately changed the ram to 4Gb and the HD from 160Gb to 500Gb. It was a WD Green drive, 5400rpm.
To cut a long story short, this machine always ran sluggishly. Beachballs all the time, and noticeably less snappy than my old 2006 C2D 13" Macbook Black.
Something was clearly up but it took a lot of trial and error, re-installing, this-patch-and-that, and eventually I *thought* had it. Looked like it COULD have been the RAM. So that was replaced.
But it wasn't.
In the end, it transpired that the WD Green 500Gb drive I had had 'narcolepsy' problems. It was forever napping, when it ought to have been standing to attention. I applied a patch which temporarily solved the problem, but it wasn't until I finally changed the drive a few weeks back that I started to experience the machine as it should have been.
So, anyone who is finding the machine sluggish and unresponsive, check to see if you might have a similar problem...
When I got my autumn 2009 MBP 13" (a refurb), I immediately changed the ram to 4Gb and the HD from 160Gb to 500Gb. It was a WD Green drive, 5400rpm.
To cut a long story short, this machine always ran sluggishly. Beachballs all the time, and noticeably less snappy than my old 2006 C2D 13" Macbook Black.
Something was clearly up but it took a lot of trial and error, re-installing, this-patch-and-that, and eventually I *thought* had it. Looked like it COULD have been the RAM. So that was replaced.
But it wasn't.
In the end, it transpired that the WD Green 500Gb drive I had had 'narcolepsy' problems. It was forever napping, when it ought to have been standing to attention. I applied a patch which temporarily solved the problem, but it wasn't until I finally changed the drive a few weeks back that I started to experience the machine as it should have been.
So, anyone who is finding the machine sluggish and unresponsive, check to see if you might have a similar problem...
I bought the MBP 13" base model (2,4 GhZ, 4GB Ram) and the machine isn´t slow at all. Granted, i havent thrown heavy apps at it yet, but it hasn´t choked at anything i tried so far. Don´t underestimate the 320M either, i´ve tried to run Half Life 2 and Portal aswell as some Team Fortress 2, which do work great on this computer.
For me, this computer is a powerful solution while being highly mobile at the same time. Just purchased myself the Magic Mouse aswell as a Keyboard to connect this baby to my external monitor.
For me, this computer is a powerful solution while being highly mobile at the same time. Just purchased myself the Magic Mouse aswell as a Keyboard to connect this baby to my external monitor.