Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MBP vs. Mac Pro decision...

A

altmac

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 10, 2007
47
7
Hi everyone,

New to Mac soon ...have to decide between MBP or Mac Pro...read all the posts...and still am not sure...

I will use the machine for regular daily stuff and then MAINLY for working on photographs, design etc.
I am debating if I should go for MBP or Mac Pro although tend to decide on MBP with external monitor.(Glossy Imac is out of question. saw it in store.)

Any ideas for the following?

1. Should I get one with specific graphic card (I do NOT play games...) such as the 128? 256? is there any difference for dealing with PS and Aperture? The MPB comes with 128 or 256 at the 15" size which I will probably aim at.
2. Does the speed of the HD matters? e.g 5400rpm? 7200 rpm?
3. Should I get the Mac Pro although is due for refresh soon? if yes, what configs are critical for flawless work with images/photos?
4. Any other experienced ideas about the specs I should go for?

Thank you in advanced for your time.

:) soon to be a MAC convert...
 
well i have the MBP (see sig) and im in school for graphics and it works just fine i can have all my adobe stuff open and no lag, final cut runs fine. the only thing i have a beef with is the rendering time on some 3D apps like maya. also you can bring it around if need be :D oh and as for the graphics, the 256 works fine for 3d animation and video editing so it'll be fine for what your doing
 
xtopher said:
well i have the MBP (see sig) and im in school for graphics and it works just fine i can have all my adobe stuff open and no lag, final cut runs fine. the only thing i have a beef with is the rendering time on some 3D apps like maya. also you can bring it around if need be :D oh and as for the graphics, the 256 works fine for 3d animation and video editing so it'll be fine for what your doing
Click to expand...

What about the cheaper 128? will it do the job fine as well?
 
one of my friends has that one and ive never heard her complain about it. she has alot of problems with her mac like random shut downs, yellow screen crashes alot but no problems with graphics lol:p
 
the only question is... do you need mobility? if you don't, then the Mac Pro is the only choice.

Either way, get the 256mb graphics card if you are going to get Aperture. It is very gpu dependant.
 
xtopher said:
one of my friends has that one and ive never heard her complain about it. she has alot of problems with her mac like random shut downs, yellow screen crashes alot but no problems with graphics lol:p
Click to expand...

Thats not reassuring....lol...
 
i know, sorry lol. but on the other hand my other other friend no problems, myself X2 no problems
 
I guess I will go with the 256 card version...
what about the speed of the HD? any importance?

yes, I do need some mobility so I know thats the point for the MBP...

and, yes 2GB ram is a given.
 
With lots of photos, you may want to add more hard drives. I started off with one. Now I have 4 in my Mac Pro. 400GB drives (7200rpm) can be had for $100. Lots of uncompressed files will begin to eat into your space if you have a normal iTunes library too.

In a nutshell, the Mac Pro is MUCH more expandable as your needs increase. If you *need* portability, bet the MBP. I'd say, jump on the Mac Pro now, then buy a MacBook in a year if you find yourself needing a portable machine that isn't your workstation.
 
get the 5400rpm drive...

A) its cheaper
B) its bigger
C) uses less power (longer battery life)
D) if you're doing media stuff that requires a fast drive, it should be on an external anyway.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back