Put your hand up if you have a MacBook Pro

[michael_]

So have narrowed it down to a MacBook Pro or a MacBook Pro :) just need to see what others have in terms of internal specs.

Here are my choices

15' MacBook Pro
2.16GHZ Intel Core 2 Duo
1GB memory
120GB hard drive1
6x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics with 128MB SDRAM
A$ 3,199.00

15' MacBook Pro
2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB memory
120GB hard drive1
6x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics with 256MB SDRAM
A$ 3,999.00

17' MacBook Pro
2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB memory
160GB hard drive1
8x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics with 256MB SDRAM
A$ 4,399.00

So all use the same gfx card, is the .17GHz difference noticeable for processing?, the extra HDD space doesnt concern me as i have external HDDs, is the 2x extra double-layer DVD+-R noticeable?, the only real part which makes a difference would be the 2GB Ram and 17' screen, i just cant see the almost $1200 extra being worth it, i can upgrade the 1GB Ram to 2GB for an extra A$260.

So anyone who owns these systems can you chime in with your opinions.

Cheers

[Michael]

I have a friend who has the 17" MacBook Pro. It is so nice!!!! The screen is awesome. It is fast too. He runs windows through bootcamp and it works fine. I'm not sure its worth the extra $1200 though. The 15" 2Gb RAM would probably be very good. Or, as you say get the cheaper 15" and upgrade the RAM.

[T Kubik]

I own the Macbook (standard) and I can tell you, you are going to want more than 1 GB of memory, that's for sure. My wife's is .17 GHZ slower than mine and you can't tell the difference. I think the biggest thing is to max out the RAM on these. Especially if you're going to be running Windows.

[Rumjungle]

The extra processing speed won't make much difference. What counts big would be the RAM and the HD speed. I believe the 17" books offer a 7200rpm hd option. That would certainly help speed it up to desktop levels more so than anything else.

[michael_]

cheers guys.

you are correct RUmjungle, hmm, is bootcamp the only way to run windows? does that mean running dual OS's?

[T Kubik]

No, you can also use Parrallels. With bootcamp you are not running dual OS, with Parrallels you are.

[Rumjungle]

So with bootcamp, do you just choose one OS or the other upon startup? I know parallels allows you to switch on the fly.

Also, which one works better?

[T Kubik]

bootcamp reboots the computer directly into windows. Bootcamp has less compatiblity issues (i.e.- network and printers), but parrallels is getting better all the time, and should be up to par with bootcamp soon.

[michael_]

cool, i think the 15' 2.16 option with the addition of another 1GB or even 2GB Ram sticks would be the best option, the screen size wont matter at home so much as ill use the LCDs i have now, do you need to be in windows on a mac to access a home network? which is based off windows?

[T Kubik]

hmmm, not sure about the home network one. I THINK you can run the network from either OS, but don't quote me on that. The OS x forums on the apple support site are very helpful for those types of questions.

[michael_]

cheers Kubik

[MDJAK]

I have two MacBook Pros. One was purchased back in June '06 soon after their introduction. This one, the June purchase, is a 17inch with the 100gb hard drive running at 7200 rpm. I find it makes a big difference over the 5200 rpm larger drives.

I got 2gb of ram and it runs just fine. It's been flawless since purchase.

My second one I purchased Jan 6, '07 and it is now in for repair. The fan began to run at high speed constantly. Turns out it needs a new logic board.

The second one is also a 17inch screen. It now comes standard with 2gb of ram. It is the new Core 2 Duo running at 2.33 mhz.
I am running Windows on it under bootcamp and it works perfectly. There are a number of choices. You can have the opening screen open to a choice of OS, or it can boot to OSX or Windows, whichever you choose.

It's unfortunate you have to buy it where you live, because those prices you quote are super high compared to what I paid.

mark

[MDJAK]

cool, i think the 15' 2.16 option with the addition of another 1GB or even 2GB Ram sticks would be the best option, the screen size wont matter at home so much as ill use the LCDs i have now, do you need to be in windows on a mac to access a home network? which is based off windows?

Doesn't matter which OS you are in. it will easily detect the network and connect in either windows or osx.

Be aware that the screen is so good, I gave my daughter my 24 inch Dell Ultrasharp LCD when I got the macbook pro; it is that good.

mark

[DJS]

If you can afford it, get the 17" and max out the RAM if you're planning on running Windows in Parallels. I have a Mac Pro quad core with 4GB of RAM and 1TB of disk space.

I run both Mac OS and Windows, using Parallels in Coherence mode - if you don't know what Coherence mode is, please go to http://www.parallels.com it is the absolute best thing in the world. Bootcamp is nice, but having the ability to run Mac OS and Windows simultaneously is the best.

[michael_]

It's unfortunate you have to buy it where you live, because those prices you quote are super high compared to what I paid.

mark

i was thinking about purchasing from overseas but not sure how warranty will work and the power conversion and who are the most reputable and best price offerings in the US.

Where di you purchase yours from Mark?

[blackviolet]

michael - buy the laptop as a salary sacrifice. you get it pre-tax dollars. i purchased my MacBook Pro 17" that way.

[michael_]

where did you get yours from oblio?

[MDJAK]

i was thinking about purchasing from overseas but not sure how warranty will work and the power conversion and who are the most reputable and best price offerings in the US.

Where di you purchase yours from Mark?

I got mine from:

www.tekserve.com

They are a premier Authorized Apple dealer in New York City, located on 23rd Street. They don't sell over the web, but do sell and ship if you call them. It is a huge store and has probably 50 Apple certified and trained technicians.

B&H also sells and customized them.

mark

[T Kubik]

The 15" w/2GB of RAM is $2150 for me. Do you want me to order it, then ship it to you?

[atomick]

Cider, some additional comments...

I cast another STRONG vote for 2GB minimum. My 17" MacBook Pro is rippin' fast with Lightroom...Aperture chugs a bit. Photoshop CS3 is also really quite responsive...hard disk access off the internal drive is the bottleneck more than RAM or CPU speed (for my work, anyway, YMMV). FireWire 800 is your friend.

The 15" is definitely more portable, easier to carry for longer...my decision on the 17" was as a desktop replacement. If I had a desktop already, the 15" is more agile for travel and location work. My G5 tower and my Dell XPS Gen 2 now no longer need to be synched together and are in the hands of junior staffers, allowing me to just have one machine and even reduce my physical footprint in the office because I need much less space.

If you only have 1GB of RAM and you're using Parallels, be prepared for a fair amount of waiting. With 2GB, it's an incredible way of working. Life/work-changing, for me.

Parallels v3, in beta now, promises a Windows partition that can be Boot Camp compatible. Right now you can't fully boot into a Parallels virtual machine, so most folks either need to install Windows for Boot Camp or Windows for Parallels...later this year we may see a stable way to do BOTH with one Windows install. Incredible. (Parallels also goes down as the easiest install, considering its complexity and the fact that it involves a whole other OS, that I've done in years.)

Wired networking just kinda works, totally effortless. Wireless networking in Parallels is a bit trial and error, but you can get it to work via several methods of network bridging between the MacOS and the Parallels virtual machine. Heck, to tunnel into my work firewall, I've even gotten both Windows and the MacOS to use VPN simultaneously.

Don't try playing graphics-intensive Windows games in Parallels in between your photo sessions. Better to use Boot Camp. ;-)

[blackviolet]

where did you get yours from oblio?

info sent via pm... fwiw Apple doesn't really let vendors discount branded hardware without approval (desktops, laptops, ipods, etc.) or you risk your franchise.

[rosselliot]

I have one, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. it's amazing. I got the glossy screen, it's great for photos. some prefer the matte for photos, I prefer the gloss. it's incredibly light for it's 17" stature. it's the small things that make all the different in my opinion - the magsafe power adapter, the huge trackpad, the backlit keyboard, and great speakers, the CD slot in the front, the aluminum casing...it all adds up to an incredible machine.

the OS is so easy to get used to if you haven't ever used a MAC,l don't let that hold you back, that's NO excuse!

I got the 2 GB ram, as it comes standard on the 17" Macbook Pro, I'd definitely recommend the 2 GB, it's speedy.

if you have ANY questions about my computer, you can PM and I'll tell whatever you want.

- RE

[Crash758]

I was thinking of buying a Mac book pro - it seems most people get it with the 2 gb of ram... Is that because of the price of the 3gb? Can photoshop and the operating system use the 3gb? From what I understand XP cant quite use more than 2 gb worth of ram. In other words I dont want to order the laptop with 3 gb and only find out it cant utilize it.

[atomick]

I was thinking of buying a Mac book pro - it seems most people get it with the 2 gb of ram... Is that because of the price of the 3gb? Can photoshop and the operating system use the 3gb? From what I understand XP cant quite use more than 2 gb worth of ram. In other words I dont want to order the laptop with 3 gb and only find out it cant utilize it.

Great questions - in short, yes, the more RAM, the better, and most modern apps can address more than 2GB at a time. Even if they couldn't, more RAM is still usually better. And yeah, breaking the 2GB barrier is spendy!

For me, it's largely a question of what I need to run simultaneously. I am regularly running iChat, Quicksilver (http://quicksilver.blacktree.com/), Safari, iTunes, Parallels (running WinXP, Outlook, Excel, Word, Project), Illustrator, Lightroom, and Photoshop on my 17" MacBook Pro. Having a lot of RAM (and free disk space on the internal HD) is the key to working productively in this way...as is having two monitors. ;-)

I don't think this is out of the ordinary for most Mac-based imaging professionals, especially the self-employed. And I'm pretty sure that more RAM is cheaper than a second computer in most cases. :lol:

-Atomick

[Atheist]

In for the 15'' with 2GB

[Atheist]

Also might want to check to see if they have a refurbished option. All new cases, looks the same, cheaper!

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=D8593B5A&nclm=CertifiedMac

[Citizen_Insane]

Don't buy the ram from Apple, they'll over charge you. Find out if the 1gb version ships with 1x1gb or 2x512mb. If its 1x1gb it will be much cheaper to upgrade yourself. If its 2x512, I'm not so sure, but I'd guess that it sill would be. crucial.com sells good stuff. Don't be intimidated about upgrading your own computer. If you can put together a lego kit, you are more than qualified to build a computer.

[Rumjungle]

I think the minimum is 2gb for all but the 2.16 version. However, that one is married to the 125mb graphics card. But yes, you can save a few bucks with aftermarket RAM. Apple charges $158 for a 1gb stick of RAM when you can probably find it for less than $100 outside.