Comments on: To Pro or not to Pro?

By: rupps

rupps — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 04:05:53 +0000

i think it’s quite easy: If your primary interest is MOBILITY, go for the MacBook. If you are more after a primary computer, MacBookPro has more to offer. This said, if your usage pattern involves mostly surfing, word processing, e-mail, and stuff like that, the MB might be enough.

If you need horse power, MBP is the only option. Besides the decent graphic card, you get twice the processor cache. That’s a real boost! And specially now with multi-core cpu’s. For me, the relative importance of MBP features is: Dedicated Video Card >> Processor Cache >> Screen Size >> LED Screen technology

By: JohnL

JohnL — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 04:54:38 +0000

Luca (#7) wrote:
I was in the same boat as yourself, and Todd. I went for a Black Macbook also because the MBP was just way to much money for the personally minor benefits.

Getting a black MB costs $100 more than the exact same MB in white. I find it odd that you complain about spending money on stuff that has “personally minor benefits,” but don’t seem to care about spending money something that provides zero benefit to your system. I won’t deny that it looks snappy, but if you’re worried about cost, you should try to avoid window dressing.

By: DaveLG

DaveLG — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:26:00 +0000

I really do want a larger screen so the MBP is my only choice. I decided to wait until August/September as I think we should new hardware by then. I have reviewed some of the new Dell machines so I know what a complete hardware update can give a line.

I have looked at the MacBook and MBP side-by-side in a store. The MBP screen has an edge for me although either is good.

Well I decided… I am waiting for an update to the MBPs. I will either get a new version or a great deal on the existing versions. In the interim I will just have to suffer.

By: James

James — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:36:10 +0000

The biggest difference by far is in quality of the screen. Make sure you compare them side by side. The Macbook’s screen looks washed out in comparison to the Pro’s, which is has much better colors, sharpness, brightness – and especially viewing angle.

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:25:00 +0000

Looking back at my post, what I meant by “… and the 1″ thickness accentuated by the larger area…” was that in relative terms, the laptop’s overall dimensions make it look even more sleek and lithe. :)

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:10:39 +0000

This post is fab… I’m on the verge of getting a mac laptop, and have been debating myself over this very issue (to the point my wife thinks I’m going nuts!)
I’m 80% certain now that I will be getting the MBP 15″ within the next month (birthdays are always a great excuse!) for these reasons:
Screen – Higher res, bigger screen, LED backlighting giving more even brightness, Matte finish (I appreciate the glossy advantages, but I think it might drive me nuts)
Video card – I am sure I will dabble with WinXP 3D games now and then. Also I’m hoping that Snow Leopard would take advantage of the GPU’s processing power and help boost overall performance, but thats just rumours – dont take my word for it!
Lust – The MBP just screams out “touch me” to me. Form factor looks so much nicer, and the 1″ thickness accentuated by the larger area. And the backlit keyboard may not get much use, but would be a godsend when it is required.
The biggest issue would be me knowing what the MBP can do, and always looking back with envious looks later on if I went for the MB. Shallow thought, but like Jonas said, a part of it comes down to emotions.

Now my next challenge is: WHICH Macbook Pro??? 15″ Baseline; 15″ better graphics and more efficient CPU (ie. less heat); 17″ baseline or 17″ high res??? Buying an Apple is so hard… :)

By: raj

raj — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:42:26 +0000

From what I’ve seen, the Macbook seems to have consistently better battery life by about 30+ minutes.

Re. connecting an external monitor, I know you used to not be able to do that with an iBook, but I thought the MacBook was capable of driving a 23″ external monitor. I could be wrong.

I’ve also heard that the plastic case of the MacBook gets slightly better WiFi reception than the MacBook Pro.

Personally, I’m rather torn. I have always had a MacBook Pro, but have many time thought that maybe a MacBook with max. memory and a lot of disk might be better. (I’d love to see how a MacBook handles Second Life graphics. That gets intense on my MacBook Pro with the fans going full speed!)

By: jg

jg — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:58:38 +0000

IMHO it’s not a good idea to buy an Apple notebook right now. There have been official claims by Apple to move the entire lineup to LED-backlit displays (which will give you an hour of extra battery time on the MacBook).
In addition to this there were rumors going around about aluminium MacBooks coming up. Which you might want (I know I do) for the look and the feel.
Also Intel has moved the new Centrino 2 platform to mid-july, and Apple is often among the first vendors to adopt improved chips into their machines.

Taken together, if you can wait a month or two: Do it, there’s major improvements coming up.

By: Jörg

Jörg — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:16:04 +0000

Seriously, I have had the Pro for more then two years now and I have never, not a single time, used the backlit keyboard. In which particular situation did that come in handy for any of you guys? I’m really curious to know, maybe I’m missing something here, but that’d be no reason for me to vote pro Pro.

By: Hannah

Hannah — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 03:30:58 +0000

It seems this is a common question around the internet these days - I saw this on Sunday: SchwarzTech >> Sunday Dialogue: MacBook or MacBook Pro?

By: Kelly

Kelly — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 03:04:30 +0000

Short and sweet, spend the dough, get the pro.

By: Jonas

Jonas — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:34:41 +0000

Good analysis on the Pro’s and Cons.
Being honest about your likely usage patterns(power user, light user, gamer player, media maven ) are a crucial part of the decision matrix. But …..after all is said and done, do what makes you happy :)
It seems simplistic and sappy, but considering that e either machine would suit for the work you do, all that you are left with is which would you enjoy more.
Satisfaction is not a logical proposition, it is an emotional one.
Some prefer blondes…..
My own vote would be for the Macbook, the !!!idea!!! of the smaller yet very powerful machine speaks to me.

By: Jethro Jones

Jethro Jones — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:31:18 +0000

I typically don’t use another monitor, though I do sometimes project a mirror image or a second display on a projector screen. I have noticed some slow down on my MacBook when I have the external display (non-mirrored) up.

By: Lon Seidman

Lon Seidman — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:22:13 +0000

For your situation, the bottom line decision will be whether or not you’re driving an external display. The Macbooks are very powerful little machines but the on board Intel video becomes a major impediment when driving external displays.

At work I plug my Macbook Pro into a 24″ 1920×1200 display. The Macbook really struggled at the resolution, especially since it’s using system memory to drive the video card. The difference since upgrading to the Pro was huge.

If you don’t plan on driving a large external display you’ll do fine with the Macbook.

By: Ian

Ian — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 01:06:09 +0000

Not to hijack this thread, but I work for a Mac reseller as a service tech and am an avid reader. I’ve commented on here before about service issues.

If you or your company needs anything, or a quote, let me know. I’d be glad to help.

By: chris

chris — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:54:42 +0000

dude… In my opinion… the macbook is the worst product made by apple. the build absolutely SUCKS. it is such a flimsy piece of garbage… it creaks and groans when you pick it up, and the video card in te pro is way worth the extra cash in my book (i play video games), all that rumored gpu powered photoshop action in the future would beefit from the gpu too. I have had both macbook and a pro, and looking back… the pro was so worth my cash. LOVE IT!