Maybe by the 8th page of posting, someone could kindly provide some
benchmarks of the two systems processing the same task! =D
I have the odd feeling the original post was trying to justify the price difference by a hardware assessment,
not OS stability and not anesthetics . So telling him one of those things makes the macbook pro "better" is contrary to what is being discussed.
So here's my shot at it, to give a better comparison between the two (because saying "i dont need dedicated graphics" equates to "i dont need a macbook pro level of apple" anyway). Ill be using the of a T61P built as close to the macbook pro as possible.
CPU:
T61P: Intel Core 2 Duo processor T9300 (2.5GHz 800MHz 6MBL2Cache)
MBP: Intel Core 2 Duo processor T9300 (2.5GHz 800MHz 6MBL2Cache)
Verdict:
The Same (the same thing, self-explanatory)
Memory:
T61P: 2 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)
MBP: 2 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)
Verdict:
The Same (self-explanatory)
Hard Drive:
T61P: 250GB Serial ATA Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm
MBP: 250GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
Verdict:
The Same (self-explanatory)
Display:
T61P: 15.4 WSXGA+ TFT (Max. Resolution 1680x1050)
MBP: 15.4 WSXGA LED (Max. Resolution 1440x900)
Verdict:
T61P (while the Macbook Pro does have a newer, LED-style display, since 1440x900 WSXGA laptops fit in 14.1" laptops, that is not enough to justify the loss of resolution. Of course, resolution is once again, personal preference, but I am under the assumption you want the highest level of resolution. If you cant read 1690x1050 at 15.4", that's your problem, not the computer's)
System Graphics:
T61P: NVIDIA Quadro FX 570M (256MB DDR3)
Nvidia Specifications Chart
MBP: NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT (512MB DDR3)
Nvidia Specifications Chart
Verdict:
MBP (for the moment) (while the specification links are general specifications, as graphics cards will vary from model to model, unless someone can provide me with information such as Memory bandwidth information, or Max resolution output, I can only award this to the macbook pro with the higher allocation of dedicated memory)
Optical Device
T61P: DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim
MBP: 8x Double-layer SuperDrive
Verdict:
The Same (Both 8X dual layer dvd writers which I could not find sufficient problems in for either product via google)
Wireless Card
T61P: Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (802.11n)
MBP: Airport Extreme (802.11n)
Verdict:
The Same (different manufacturers, although I could not find any reason why one network card outperformed the other, and there are too many variables to determine this, so they are again, at a tie)
Bluetooth
T61P: Integrated Bluetooth PAN
MBP: Integrated Bluetooth
Verdict:
The Same (self-explanatory)
Touchpad
T61P: Standard Ultranav single-point contact touchpad + trackpad
MBP: Multitouch touchpad
Verdict:
MBP (one of the not so price-significant advantages of the MBP, though is a highlight hardware-wise nonetheless)
Aux. Ports
T61P: 3USB, 1Firewire 400, 1 Modem, 1 Ethernet, 1 PCMCIA/Express slot
MBP: 2USB, 1Firewire 400, 1 Firewire 800, 1 Ethernet, 1 Express slot
Verdict:
The Same (Firewire 800? PCMCIA? 1 more USB? justifies nothing, really)
Weight
T61P: 5.9lbs (via google searches)
MBP: 5.4lbs (via apple official specifications)
Verdict:
MBP (no one wants the heavier laptop, right? unless you're preparing for an expected robbery and will be smashing them with it)
Actual Prices
T61P: $1479.75
MBP: $2,499.00
Price Difference:
1019.25 (for the T61P)
So needless to say, in terms of
Hardware you would be saving $1019.25 USD. Which OS to use? Which one is Anesthetically more appealing? That's a preference call. Apples or Oranges much? =)
