Hey all! I'm in the market for my second Mac and am looking for a bit of advice. I've outgrown my current laptop, which I love (unibody Macbook 2.0 GHz), and need something a bit more capable. I've been lurking this forum and have seen a lot of threads addressing whether or not to wait for the next MBP refresh but was wondering about everyone's thoughts re: the current Macbook.
Maxing out the Macbook at 4GB Ram and 500GB Hard Drive would cost $1249, which seems like a pretty good deal! Does anyone know how this would stand up to the performance of the low-end 13" MBP? I'm planning on waiting for the MBP refresh before I decide for sure, but just wanted to start considering my options.
I do use Final Cut Express fairly extensively. My current laptop seems to handle it pretty well, but I definitely need more hard drive space and the quicker it can convert and render video, the better. I don't do any of my own filming but I do a lot of ripping from DVDs, format converting, etc. Other than that, just basic use - internet surfing, itunes, etc.
I want at least 4GB of Ram and a 320GB Hard Drive, but would prefer 500GB. Either a 13" or a 15" screen (13" has been plenty for me, and I like the portability, but I probably wouldn't mind a 15"). I love refurbs so would love to find something there, and I'm ~hoping to stay at around $1500 but could probably go over if it was worth it. I want something that will definitely serve my purposes (and hopefully last me for at least 2 years) but don't want to get way more than I really need.
Thanks so much for any advice! I'm pretty open to suggestions but am mainly interested in whether or not the basic macbook could fit my needs or if I definitely need to stick to the MBP line, just so I can start ruling things out.
Maxing out the Macbook at 4GB Ram and 500GB Hard Drive would cost $1249, which seems like a pretty good deal! Does anyone know how this would stand up to the performance of the low-end 13" MBP? I'm planning on waiting for the MBP refresh before I decide for sure, but just wanted to start considering my options.
I do use Final Cut Express fairly extensively. My current laptop seems to handle it pretty well, but I definitely need more hard drive space and the quicker it can convert and render video, the better. I don't do any of my own filming but I do a lot of ripping from DVDs, format converting, etc. Other than that, just basic use - internet surfing, itunes, etc.
I want at least 4GB of Ram and a 320GB Hard Drive, but would prefer 500GB. Either a 13" or a 15" screen (13" has been plenty for me, and I like the portability, but I probably wouldn't mind a 15"). I love refurbs so would love to find something there, and I'm ~hoping to stay at around $1500 but could probably go over if it was worth it. I want something that will definitely serve my purposes (and hopefully last me for at least 2 years) but don't want to get way more than I really need.
Thanks so much for any advice! I'm pretty open to suggestions but am mainly interested in whether or not the basic macbook could fit my needs or if I definitely need to stick to the MBP line, just so I can start ruling things out.
