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MacBook pro 15 - developer

I

illian

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 13, 2008
228
0
Porsche-City, Germany
Hey there,

I'm thinking about getting the base MacBook pro 15 and high res screen. Since this is my last year as computer science student, i want to make use of the Apple on Campus discount.
I want to replace my small ThinkPad and my old Desktop. I do a lot of web developing and need virtual machines very often. I have a PS3, so gaming is not important for me... the base GPU should be fine, right?

Some questions still remain:

1. wait for Lion? (Don't care for Back to School, since I'm in no need for an iPod)

2. I do have an Intel SSD (80GB). Is it easy to use SSD + HDD in the new MacBooks (warranty?!) ?

3. I know ThunderBolt is a great thing but it is not yet sure which technology will be more "important" in the future. Will there be an option to plug in some USB 3.0 devices into ThunderBolt?!

thx for your help and time :)
 
Regarding Thunderbolt, since the technology uses PCI-E, manufacturers should be able to make (relaitvely) cheap Thunderbolt - USB 3.0 adapters or hubs or build in support for USB 3.0 into other devices.

I'd really love to see a new 27" ACD that has alll of the ports of the iMac, but only has 1 cable + Magsafe.
 
jdechko said:
Regarding Thunderbolt, since the technology uses PCI-E, manufacturers should be able to make (relaitvely) cheap Thunderbolt - USB 3.0 adapters or hubs or build in support for USB 3.0 into other devices.

I'd really love to see a new 27" ACD that has alll of the ports of the iMac, but only has 1 cable + Magsafe.
Click to expand...

sounds good....seems like i will be ordering it next month. thx
 
I wouldn't mind having both an HDD & SSD in a desktop machine but in a laptop, IMO it is best to get the HDD out completely and replace it with a decent sized SSD + turn off the sudden motion sensor. Aside from performance, it's also nice to have no more HHD noise / clicking when moving the laptop not to mention cooler and maximized battery life.
 
macrem said:
I wouldn't mind having both an HDD & SSD in a desktop machine but in a laptop, IMO it is best to get the HDD out completely and replace it with a decent sized SSD + turn off the sudden motion sensor. Aside from performance, it's also nice to have no more HHD noise / clicking when moving the laptop not to mention cooler and maximized battery life.
Click to expand...

that may be right...but i already have a 80GB SSD and this MB pro will be replacing my desktop/notebook.

you could also set the hdd to turn off after some minutes in idle mode.
 
illian said:
that may be right...but i already have a 80GB SSD and this MB pro will be replacing my desktop/notebook.

you could also set the hdd to turn off after some minutes in idle mode.
Click to expand...
Presumably you would want to install OS X along with /Applications on the SSD and have the /Users folder on the HDD (where media files are typically stored), in which case unless you're not using the laptop (and it goes to sleep) I can't imagine you'd see idle time come into play. Practically anything you do will cause read/writes in your user's Library folder (caching, etc.).

I would still consider selling the stock HDD & 80GB SSD & using the proceeds to buy a large enough SSD to meet all internal storage needs (not necessarily in that order) to also avoid any warranty hassles. My 2c. Either way I think you're gonna enjoy it!
 
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