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macbook or mbp?

ajumbaje

ajumbaje

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 30, 2005
358
0
VA
Hopefully within the next week I will be owning either a macbook or macbook pro

I am a junior in college with a history major and political science minor(which im finishing this semester)

Im not going to be buying this computer but someone is buying it for me aka my dad, so I'm wondering if you guys have any opinions on which one

I know that since my major and the classes that I take arent too computer strenuous, a macbook would be the way to go

I wouldnt mind a backlit keyboard and what not, but if its gonna cost me over 1000 dollars more, then screw it

my current laptop (sony vaio vgn fs660/w) that I have had since may 2005 has been crap when it comes to battery life. Its like 1hr 15 minutes with a full charge on a new battery. Any increase in battery life will be awesome, which I am aware that both the mb and mbp excel in.

Im definitely wanting it to carry around and actually take advantage of the "book" part of the name, but I can handle something on the heavy side, in 6'5 270(no, i dont play football)

Also, I recall the santa rosa chipset not being able to recognize 4 gb of ram even with 2x2gb sticks in the mb, is that still the case with penryn?

Im definitely gonna go to crucial to get the ram(way cheaper)

One more thing, is there a reason other than the color that the exact same specs on the black mb are $100 more than the white one?

shoot away
 
it's the color and the hd (bigger on the black)

Why don't you go with a santa rosa macbook pro (either refurbished (1449) or closeout(1599)), that would blow away a penryn macbook.

My preference is a mbp over a mb because of the screen size.

santa rosa chipset will recognize 4 gb ram.
 
If you can get the Pro but don't kill your dad either but a Macbook seems fine for what you want to do it will last longer on battery than the pro and it's smaller easier to carry even if you are tall I am too and I find it easier as apposed to the 15.4" I had before I'm 6' 3" so I tad shorter.

The Macbook is fine for day to day use and it's even good in Photoshop and demanding apps.
 
I think the Macbook will suite your needs fine. Plus it gives you a smaller footprint to carry around with. If you are looking for a bigger screen and some other extra features, the MBP is the way to go. Either one will do.
 
the MacBook is fine for your needs, but if you need/want a bigger screen, you'll have to get the Pro.

i don't know about the newer machines, but my 1.5 year old MBP gets about 4 hours per charge, running with WiFi, Bluetooth, screen half bright, and iTunes, iChat, Safari, Pages, ("lighter" apps, as opposed to Photoshop, Aperture, etc.).

enjoy whichever you get!
 
Manzana said:
Why don't you go with a santa rosa macbook pro (either refurbished (1449) or closeout(1599)), that would blow away a penryn macbook.
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How so?

The only benefit would be in using certain graphics applications, and even then, graphics apps like Photoshop see no benefit from the graphics card.

I guess if you play lots of games, the MBP would "blow away" the MB. Otherwise, it'll be about the same.

I like the 15" MBP's screen, though. That's one reason why it might be good. The MB's screen is fine, though. I write lots using my laptop, and am trying to write a 200-250 page thesis on it right now. ;)
 
I'm in a similar situation, except I'm waiting until the summer for the next update. I am looking for a college for laptop where I am entering the field of Mathematics and Computer Science. Currently I'm planning on buying a Black Macbook (Black because I like the matte finish and doesn't discolor or scratch as easily as the white ones) because I really don't need to play video games (though I was wondering what are the highest graphics games that the Macbook can play because I'm looking forward to Spore). I am also going to buy extra RAM online to put it up to 4 gigs. Does this sound like a good idea or should I get a Macbook Pro (lowest model)?
 
Abstract said:
How so?

The only benefit would be in using certain graphics applications, and even then, graphics apps like Photoshop see no benefit from the graphics card.

I guess if you play lots of games, the MBP would "blow away" the MB. Otherwise, it'll be about the same.

I like the 15" MBP's screen, though. That's one reason why it might be good. The MB's screen is fine, though. I write lots using my laptop, and am trying to write a 200-250 page thesis on it right now. ;)
Click to expand...

From what I was able to find the graphics aren't that bad on Macbooks, they can play most games, if you have enough RAM and you don't mind the lowest settings. http://www.intel.com/support/graphics/intelgm965/sb/CS-026146.htm
 
ajumbaje said:
Also, I recall the santa rosa chipset not being able to recognize 4 gb of ram even with 2x2gb sticks in the mb, is that still the case with penryn?
Click to expand...

Strictly speaking the MB and MBP should take 8 gigs. The problem is no one makes 4 gig chips for them. Also, Apple may have disabled the SR, as they did with the Core Solo/Duo Minis.

If you don't need all the bells and whistles or 15" display, then a MB is really the way to go. I'd buy the least amount of RAM and smallest HD from Apple, then spend the savings on largers of each.
 
The reality is the MB (Nov. 2k7 black model) plays WoW at the lowest resolution (800x600) at the lowest settings at a frame rate that doesn't get above 25 fps when little action is taking place on the screen. (The frame rate might improve if you play in a tiny window.)

WoW is a 3+ yr old game from a company known to design their games to run on middle of the road machines at the time the game is released.

IF you really want to play games and can't afford more than a MB I would look for a used MBP with the x1600 gpu in it. You'll get alot more gaming power than the MB can provide and you should be able to get one of those for a MB-like price.
 
If games are a non-issue, get the MacBook. I've had both the MacBook and MacBook Pro and 'loved' the form factor of the MacBook. It is so easy to carry around. The backlit keyboard is really nice though, as is the slightly larger screen + LED.

I'm glad I got my MBP, but mostly because of the faster processor, graphics upgrade (photoshop, indesign, illustrator open) and the higher ram capacity. My old MacBook was a Core Duo, so I was capped at 2GB. That said, it ran Photoshop fine, I just couldn't justify billing someone for my time while I waited for files to load.

Either way, you are going to absolutely love it. If you get the MB, get an external 22-24" monitor, and you are set!

:D
 
ajumbaje, your description seems to make you the ideal candidate for a MacBook! There's nothing you want to do that it wouldn't be able to handle so I say go right ahead and buy the latest MacBook.

Having owned both a MacBook Pro (for a short time) and two MacBooks, I can conclusively say that in my opinon the size of the MacBook is PERFECT. It's not so big that it doesn't fit in my bag (the 15" MBP didn't fit in my bag) but it's not so small that it's uncomfortable to use.

The battery life on both machines is very, very good (I typically get about 3 and a half hours out of my MacBook using the internet with WiFi on and screen at full brightness). Unless you want to do some serious, up to date PC gaming, 3D modeling or video editing then the MacBook is perfectly adequate for you.

I've owned both the white and the black MacBooks. The keyboard on the white one is better because the keys are made of a different feeling plastic which is more comfortable but overall the black computer looks much better in my opinion.
 
I am in a similar position, There is about a 500 or 600 dollar difference between the low end MBP and the high end MacBook. The only difference is the bigger screen size and a better graphics card. The processor size and ram are the same although if you want 4gb of ram i would go to crucial. I think they both have and L2 cache of 3mb
 
trip1ex said:
The reality is the MB (Nov. 2k7 black model) plays WoW at the lowest resolution (800x600) at the lowest settings at a frame rate that doesn't get above 25 fps when little action is taking place on the screen. (The frame rate might improve if you play in a tiny window.)

WoW is a 3+ yr old game from a company known to design their games to run on middle of the road machines at the time the game is released.

IF you really want to play games and can't afford more than a MB I would look for a used MBP with the x1600 gpu in it. You'll get alot more gaming power than the MB can provide and you should be able to get one of those for a MB-like price.
Click to expand...

I don't believe that I'll be playing too many games. I would like to play spore but if I can't it's not a big deal. I really don't play that many games, I may play Civ 4 if I can but I'm going to college so I really shouldn't be playing games anyway haha. It was just a question, I definately think I'm going to get a black Macbook and then buy some RAM from Newegg. I am planning on putting in 4gigs of RAM will that make a difference when it comes to video?
 
Holmes89 said:
I don't believe that I'll be playing too many games. I would like to play spore but if I can't it's not a big deal. I really don't play that many games, I may play Civ 4 if I can but I'm going to college so I really shouldn't be playing games anyway haha. It was just a question, I definately think I'm going to get a black Macbook and then buy some RAM from Newegg. I am planning on putting in 4gigs of RAM will that make a difference when it comes to video?
Click to expand...

Great decision but crucial offers 4gb of ram (2 x 2048) for $110. hell of a lot cheaper than apple's $400 upgrade
 
chriskeo said:
Great decision but crucial offers 4gb of ram (2 x 2048) for $110. hell of a lot cheaper than apple's $400 upgrade
Click to expand...

Yeah I was going to get it at Newegg, like I said in my previous message. Will this help with playing games? (Newegg prices are even cheaper than $110
 
Holmes89 said:
I don't believe that I'll be playing too many games. I would like to play spore but if I can't it's not a big deal. I really don't play that many games, I may play Civ 4 if I can but I'm going to college so I really shouldn't be playing games anyway haha. It was just a question, I definately think I'm going to get a black Macbook and then buy some RAM from Newegg. I am planning on putting in 4gigs of RAM will that make a difference when it comes to video?
Click to expand...

Yeah, well I'm not a student any more, but I definitely sometimes think not being able to play games is as much a bonus as being able to. :)

I've been debating on what new laptop I'm going to get and more and more I'm leaning to the MBA because of the lack of a gpu. :)
 
Holmes89 said:
Yeah I was going to get it at Newegg, like I said in my previous message. Will this help with playing games? (Newegg prices are even cheaper than $110
Click to expand...

Yeah you can get 4gb of Ram for under $80 easy on Newegg.
 
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