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Torn between A1260 and A1181

olly666

olly666

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 27, 2008
201
0
Seattle, WA
I can't seem to decide between the A1260 (macbook pro) and the A1181 (black macbook). Specs are pretty similar side by side... The MBP has a bigger screen which would be nice, but the MB would be more portable and I could hook it up to a monitor if needed. Also, the MB would be cheaper. Any thoughts? Thanks.

MACBOOKPRO SPECS
Introduced February 2008
Discontinued October 2008
Machine ID MacBookPro4,1
Model Number A1260
Support Status Supported
Processor Intel Core 2 Duo (T8300, T9300, T9500) ("Penryn")
Processor Speed 2.4, 2.5, or 2.6 GHz
System Bus 800 MHz
Hard Drive 200 or 250 GB (5400-rpm), 200 GB (7200-rpm)
Media 8x Slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Original Mac OS Mac OS X 10.5.2 (9C2018, 9C2028)
Maximum Mac OS Latest release of Mac OS X
Hardware Test AHT 3A134, 3A136
Weight and Dimensions (US) 5.4 lbs., 1" H x 14.1" W x 9.6" D
Weight and Dimensions (Metric) 2.45 kg, 2.59 cm H x 35.7 cm W x 24.3 cm D

MACBOOK SPECS
Introduced February 2008
Discontinued October 2008
Machine ID MacBook4,1
Model Number A1181
Support Status Supported
Processor Intel Core 2 Duo (T8100, T8300) ("Penryn")
Processor Speed 2.1 or 2.4 GHz
System Bus 800 MHz
Hard Drive 120, 160, or 250 GB (5400-rpm)
Media Slot-loading 24x Combo or 8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Original Mac OS Mac OS X 10.5.2 (9C2015, 9C2028)
Maximum Mac OS Latest release of Mac OS X
Hardware Test AHT 3A143
Weight and Dimensions (US) 5.0 lbs., 1.08" H x 12.78" W x 8.92" D
Weight and Dimensions (Metric) 2.27 kg, 2.75 cm H x 32.5 cm W x 22.7 cm D
 
Thanks, I did have a look through the links. They don't give opinions about the specific model comparisons I'm asking about though.

Also, what do you think about pricing? I found the MBP refurbed for $1299+tax and the MP for $1200 new (ebay/no tax). Are those reasonable prices (the MB anyway)?
 
Well, have you considered a refurbished unibody MB? They have the 2.0 GHz unibody MB in the apple.com /store/refurbished mac for only $1099.

I highly recommend getting a new MB unibody model. The graphics are really excellent, it's a fast Mac ready for Snow Leopard, and you can easily upgrade RAM and HD if ever want to. At $1099, I think it's the best buy on a Mac right now. And refurbished means it was probably returned and fixed or maybe never even used. AND, it has full one year warranty with it just like a new one.

I just think if you are going to spend the money, you may as well get newer technology more future proofing your Mac. I love my MB 2.4. The aluminum body is much nicer than the old MBP which feels like scraps of metal screwed together or the BlackBook which is plastic and many people have problems with them cracking under normal use.

Between the two you have selected, I would buy the MBP if I were going to use it primarily at home, and I would buy a BlackBook if I were going to use it on the road all of the time. I love the portability of the MB. The size allows you to open in train, airplane seats. The MBP is really too big for most seats. However, the graphics in the BlackBook aren't very good. And it cannot drive a bigger display like a MBP (or aluminum MB). There's my two cents.
 
Scottsdale said:
Well, have you considered a refurbished unibody MB? They have the 2.0 GHz unibody MB in the apple.com /store/refurbished mac for only $1099.

I highly recommend getting a new MB unibody model. The graphics are really excellent, it's a fast Mac ready for Snow Leopard, and you can easily upgrade RAM and HD if ever want to. At $1099, I think it's the best buy on a Mac right now. And refurbished means it was probably returned and fixed or maybe never even used. AND, it has full one year warranty with it just like a new one.

I just think if you are going to spend the money, you may as well get newer technology more future proofing your Mac. I love my MB 2.4. The aluminum body is much nicer than the old MBP which feels like scraps of metal screwed together or the BlackBook which is plastic and many people have problems with them cracking under normal use.

Between the two you have selected, I would buy the MBP if I were going to use it primarily at home, and I would buy a BlackBook if I were going to use it on the road all of the time. I love the portability of the MB. The size allows you to open in train, airplane seats. The MBP is really too big for most seats. However, the graphics in the BlackBook aren't very good. And it cannot drive a bigger display like a MBP (or aluminum MB). There's my two cents.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice! I had a think about it and your recommendation totally made sense. Traded a 2.4 for a 2.0, but a faster bus anyway... Can't wait for it to arrive! Thanks again :cool:
 
huh???

okay, i know that anybody who buys macs (myself included) may secretly be vain, driven by the aesthetics of the mac... however remember two things -- the new macbooks DO NOT have a firewire port -- for me, a killer... and, I have a black mac book (no, I didn't pay the extra 150 for the case color...), and in about 30 minutes in december (well after my applecare/warranty) -- they replaced the case -- the cracking is a recall issue... not readily publicized because it is aesthetic, but hey, my two year old macbook now looks brand new. and with 2 gigs of ram, it still is just as fast (with an upgraded 7200rpm hd) in protools as a friends new macbook...
 
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