Macbook 1.83 - duo vs. duo 2

[chacha2]

I've decided to go macbook after gettign fed up with the screen quality on my IBM Thinkpad x31.
I'd like to spend no more than $1200 plus tax, and I'm a student. I do not game, but do lots of work in InDesign and Photoshop. At least initially I will be using Windows XP because I can't justify buying all my software all over again.

So here's what I'm looking at:
1) A refurbished Macbook 1.83 duo for $899 from apple with 1/2 GB ram = $1049/1199
2) A new Macbook 1.83 duo 2 with 1GB ram for $1,117.00
3) A new Macbook 2.0 due 2 for $1,199.00.

Honestly I'm leaning towards the first option. I don't need DVD burning for anything I do, so why pay for it?

When I need it, I plan on trading out the 5400 rpm hdd for a larger 7200rpm model, so again, why pay for a hdd upgrade I don't especially want.

I'd like to buy Macbook 2.0 due 2 with a 60gb hdd and combo drive for less money, but apple isn't giving us that option...

The two key questions seem to be:
1) For graphic design work, given the lack of dedicated graphics card, what will give me more speed: a 2.0 duo 2 with 1gb ram, or a 1.83 duo with 2gbs?
2) What the difference between a 2.0 duo 2 and 1.83 duo 2 ? Is there really a difference in speed I should care enough about to spend an extra $100 now?

 

[gr8tfly]

I'd say go with the 2.0 C2D, and upgrade the RAM later. Overall, I think the larger cache will give better performance (plus the slight increase in clock). You might see some hit editing large image files with 1GB, but again - you can always change the RAM. Can't do much with the CPU.

 

[Voltes V]

same here

MB 2.0 C2D




upgrade ram later

 

[chacha2]

seems like solid advice, but for that $100 newegg.com sells two nice hdds:

HITACHI Travelstar 7K100 HTS721080G9AT00 (0A25023) 80GB 7200 RPM ATA-6 Notebook
TOSHIBA MK1234GAX 120GB 5400 RPM ATA-6 Notebook Hard Drive - OEM

Speed bump or/or 2x storage bump, and also gives the option to pull the hdd in the mac and make a nice little external 60gb usb drive, which seems way more valuable than a DVD burner.

Am I not seeing something in the 2GHZ duo 2 model I should? Does anyone have a way of showing benchmarks for the new 1.83 vs 2.0 duo 2s?

 

[gr8tfly]

The 2.0 gHz C2D has 4MB of cache, vs. 2MB in the 1.83.

There might be some benchmarks out there for PC's using those, but I doubt any are out for the MB's.

 

[brikeh]

Yeah u should def go with the c2d...I think its gonna be free of a lot of the Rev-A probs too.

 

[SpaceMagic]

Are 7200rpm drives that much of an increase in the MacBooks (i ask because the difference between 7200 - 10,000 in my G5 was huge but it probably has the bandwidth on the sata channels, does the MacBook?). Plus, is there a problem with heating on the MacBooks with 7200rpms?

 

[reflex]

seems like solid advice, but for that $100 newegg.com sells two nice hdds:

HITACHI Travelstar 7K100 HTS721080G9AT00 (0A25023) 80GB 7200 RPM ATA-6 Notebook
TOSHIBA MK1234GAX 120GB 5400 RPM ATA-6 Notebook Hard Drive - OEM

Neither of those harddisks has a SATA (serial ata) interface. So they won't work in the Macbook.

 

[chacha2]

reflex - thanks a bunch for pointing that out!

The warm glow of computer-related retail therapy has clearly clouded my vision.

Any advice on a good model to buy?