MacBook vs. MacBook Pro - EVERYTHING the extra $500 gets you.

[vansouza]

Coke vs Pepsi

Just buy what you want or buy what you need. I went into the Apple store to buy a MB and walked out with a MBP. Its not always about the math. It is mostly a subjective choice. Don't pretend to be objective...

Stop acting like the MB is made by Coke and the MBP is made by Pepsi: they are both made by Apple.

 

[Martin C]

Stop acting like the MB is made by Coke and the MBP is made by Pepsi: they are both made by Apple.

That's not a very good analogy, seeing as Coke and Pepsi are the same price.

The beverages are also very similar. The MB and the MBP have their differences. I do know what you are saying though.

 

[PDE]

you should have gotten a glossy screen. I noticed HUGE differences in glossy and matte in store and went with glossy. I guess you didn't compare the 2 before you dropped $2500.

I've had both glossy and matte of the Macbook pro and I've had macbooks too. Although the matte looks worse in the lighting of the apple stores, I really don't think they're THAT different under regular lighting. The glossy brings out colors and contrast more, as well all know, but the uneven illumination and grain is still there, as well as the poor viewing angles. The grain appears a little better, but it's still there and much worse than on the 17" and 13" displays.

 

[MacManTexas56]

I've had both glossy and matte of the Macbook pro and I've had macbooks too. Although the matte looks worse in the lighting of the apple stores, I really don't think they're THAT different under regular lighting. The glossy brings out colors and contrast more, as well all know, but the uneven illumination and grain is still there, as well as the poor viewing angles. The grain appears a little better, but it's still there and much worse than on the 17" and 13" displays.

then u must have gotten bad apples haha. my MBP glossy screen has been great.

 

[PDE]

then u must have gotten bad apples haha. my MBP glossy screen has been great.

This obviously is an endless and subjective topic, but I did have numerous mbps and I looked carefully at all the mbps at the two NYC stores, as well as the apple store in London and mac stores in Stockholm, Sweden. Maybe I'm just sensitive, but NOT ONE 15" MBP display has been without grain and uneven backlighting. Were they usable? Yes, of course, but not for any kind of work that requires that the color on one side of the screen is the same as the other side. Changes in brightness make it impossible to compare two photos side by side, for example. The grain distorts whites and other light colors too.

Anyway, it's been discussed ad nauseum....but I doubt very much that my experience with MBPs over a long perioid of time and across continents is just a coincidence. If you're happy with yours, then that's great. But it can still be a bad display!

 

[jonnysods]

Wow - I've spending a little while reading this whole thread as I am hoping to buy a refurb C2D 17incher in the next 1-2 months. I'm almost afraid to admit it after I've been reading through this as there a lot of people bashing MBP's.

Each to their own - I need a bigger screen, faster chip, dedicated GPU and I love the form factor. If a macbook had a dedicated GPU I'd be all over it (although the keyboard design still makes me cringe).

MBP's are ridiculously priced in my opinion, because a 2.33 processor is something I have in my iMac, hardly a professional machine (compared to a Mac Pro, settle down!). But it is a very neat and tidy machine. How thick is a MB?

One last thing - I love Apple products, and the Apple company, and all of us should count it as a privelige to own one and stop bashing each other! Do any of you remember what it was like to put a pc laptop on your lap and look at it's design, or deal with the hardware and software problems it kept on giving you! I'm still there with my notebook, but not for long!

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Don't forget everyone - there are literally millions of Mac laptop users out there (thought it was a small club eh?), and as many different concepts of what the perfect laptop is.

Bottom line:

The MBP is a more powerful, more featureful laptop than the MB.

The MBP costs more.

Neither one is a "bad" choice.

Of course, it goes without saying that many people don't need an MBP's extra features, so why spend the extra money? I think both machines are fairly priced for what you get.

Now, to my personal opinion (YMMV). I must have a real, embedded GPU. Period. So the MacBook is out for me. Otherwise I'd take it in a minute. At the moment my 15" PowerBook G4 (1.33GHz/1.25GB RAM/60GB HDD/Rad9700/DVD-RW) suites me perfectly and only cost $1000 as a refurb 18 months ago, so I have no need for a laptop. But if I was shopping it would be MBP all the way.

I have used both new laptops and both are great. I think the MBP is worth an extra $500.

 

[ktbubster]

The creative pros? Wake up from your f***ing ideas. None of your fancy "Creative" (more like failed math in high school and too stupid for anything else lol) suite applications needs even a wee bit of power from a dedicated GPU.

Wow....that's just testy and mean hearted! Thank you very much I graduated highschool with honors and got A's in math and science through 3rd year calculus and still consider getting a design degree worthy of my time and intelligence. I would also call my parents both graduating from college with honors in education and engineering, who now dedicate a LOT of their time to their graphic and design business with their lovely 17" macbook and mac pro and large screen, VERY intelligent. I would even take a gander that a lot of the most successful and talented designers out there are pretty well rounded and intelligent.

Please keep your comments to yourself if they are going to be so mean and ignorant.

 

[iW00t]

Wow....that's just testy and mean hearted! Thank you very much I graduated highschool with honors and got A's in math and science through 3rd year calculus and still consider getting a design degree worthy of my time and intelligence. I would also call my parents both graduating from college with honors in education and engineering, who now dedicate a LOT of their time to their graphic and design business with their lovely 17" macbook and mac pro and large screen, VERY intelligent. I would even take a gander that a lot of the most successful and talented designers out there are pretty well rounded and intelligent.

Please keep your comments to yourself if they are going to be so mean and ignorant.

I apologise for that remark.

After a while you do tend to get tired of people recommending newbies to "buy a Pro" because the "graphics card will speed up Photoshop". Biggest bit of misinformation there is.

The MBP screens are a joke anyway, GPU or not.

you should have gotten a glossy screen. I noticed HUGE differences in glossy and matte in store and went with glossy. I guess you didn't compare the 2 before you dropped $2500.

I guess I am old school. Even if the glossy is really better I'd still prefer to slug it out with a matte screen.

 

[aquajet]

After a while you do tend to get tired of people recommending newbies to "buy a Pro" because the "graphics card will speed up Photoshop". Biggest bit of misinformation there is.

The MBP screens are a joke anyway, GPU or not.

I agree with you wholeheartedly. It's simply bad advice, plain and simple.

But I don't agree with you regarding the screen. Albeit not the best, it is pretty good. Certainly not a "joke".

 

[CedarPoint182]

I've owned a MB and a MBP, and I have to say I think the MBP is worth the money. The cosmetic appearance and the backlit keyboard alone made the Pro much better in my opinion. My old black MB started looking horrible after just a month of use. The speakers are also better, and I'm sure the graphics card will come in handy. I must say though that I miss the MB's battery, and the magnetic latch. I'd agree that neither one is a bad decision.

 

[typerlover]

I've owned a MB and a MBP, and I have to say I think the MBP is worth the money. The cosmetic appearance and the backlit keyboard alone made the Pro much better in my opinion. My old black MB started looking horrible after just a month of use. The speakers are also better, and I'm sure the graphics card will come in handy. I must say though that I miss the MB's battery, and the magnetic latch. I'd agree that neither one is a bad decision.

I too owned a macbook before my mbp. Completely different world it feels like. And this was even after going from a 2.0 mb to 1.83 mbp. Could never go back.

 

[CedarPoint182]

I agree. The MBP is in a class of its own.

 

[Passante]

This thread had losts its way

This was a discussion of the different feature sets of the MB v MBP. Not which one is better. Which computer is better depends on each individuals computing needs.

And be nice to each other.

 

[cervaro]

I'm in the position of being new to the Mac, and finally bought a 24" Imac last November. I want to replace my ageing Toshiba PC laptop with a Mac based solution, but am still torn over the MB or MBP. Either way I'm waiting until the next revisions with Leopard on board are out the door.

In the course of evolving the range, what's the chances of the Macbook gaining a dedicated GPU, e.g. a low-end solution from ATI or NVidia, with the Pro models upping their spec to maintain superiority in that department? I would usually have gone straight for the Pro, but want portability more than a bigger screen size for once. I don't plan on doing anything heavyweight on the machine. A bit of photo editing, office work, home video editing, etc. on the move is all I need the machine for.

£879 for a basic Macbook or £1349 for a basic 15" Macbook Pro (before upgrades and work discount). That's a big difference that may be a little too much for me to justify at the moment, unless things change sunstantially with the revised models later this year. Maybe the much talked about 12" Pro model could sit nicely inbetween the ranges and solve the problem for myself and many others. It's up to you now Apple.

 

[AdamL]

Nice list. I choose a Mac Book Pro also. It's great. My first Mac ever.

 

[Dorr185]

I've decided to get a MBP as opposed to a MB. The deciding factor for me was the video card. I've already ordered a 30 inch Dell monitor, and the MB would not be able to display on it. I guess that's a lot more money for the one deciding factor, but I'm sure they'll be other benefits too. I'm always of the buy the most expensive and over the top machine you can buy school.

 

[jaguarx]

I've been planning on buying a new MBP (my last gen G4 PB is just too slow now) so I went into the Apple store yesterday to see if this grain issue is as bad as everyone is saying. Ho.ly.****. It's like someone took a sandblaster to the display, I compared it to the MacBook next to it and it was like day and night. What the hell is Apple thinking releasing a 'Pro' machine, largely aimed at people that do visual work with a display like that? I was genuinely shocked, even after everything I'd read. Now I'm stuck deciding whether to get a MB as a temp measure and a new MBP when they release something quarter decent.

 

[ianhhh]

was that the 15 or 17in model? are they both the same quality ?

 

[ianhhh]

ps found this...

http://www.appledefects.com/?cat=3

says it a problem wiv 15inch mbp s and has been fixed.. mayb old stock on display?

 

[PDE]

ps found this...

http://www.appledefects.com/?cat=3

says it a problem wiv 15inch mbp s and has been fixed.. mayb old stock on display?

If it has been addressed, then none of the NYC apple stores has updated with the new machines/displays. They all look like crap.

The 17" has much less grain and is generally better, but many of them seem to suffer from uneven illumination instead.

 

[displaced]

Out of interest, did the screen-grain only affect Core 2 Duo MBP's?

I bought my Core Duo MBP before the MacBook was released and whilst the viewing angle is quite narrow (it's perfectly uniform head-on), the backlight is absolutely fine.

Initially, my machine had the infamous CPU whine. Rather than spend months wailing at Apple, I just logged a call with AppleCare, asked to be notified when a new revision of the logic board was available (which I was) and then sat back and enjoyed my machine.

I'm well aware that I paid a premium for this machine. However, I weighed up the longevity that I'd get and went for it. I wanted a 15" display, a dedicated GPU and the backlit keyboard. So, even after we got a MacBook in the household, I still love my MBP.

I tend to buy slightly above my requirements just to make sure I've got some leg-room for the future. Of course, there's no such thing as future-proofing, but if I can treat myself to a nice machine, I will.

Apart from my .NET programming (thank you, Parallels!) and PHP development, the machine's a star at LAN parties A friend of mine who's a massive gamer was burning through some Half Life 2 on my MBP. During one of the cutscenes, he picked the machine up and was turning it around, looking at it from every angle as if it was a shiny aluminium box of magic. Notably, he thought the screen was stunning - and really thought it was a great computer.

 

[jhande]

this is true. same with Mac Pros and iMacs. the Pros will buy the Mac Pros and the regular consumers will buy the iMacs.

"better" is a relative term because MBs are "better" for the people that need them and MBPs are better for the Pros.

Hmmm..... Oh, you mean graphics Pros, no? Otherwise I guess that the rest of us who use MB's for non-graphics, but professional (as in development, for example) uses in reality are amateurs.
/sarcasm

Until the MBP range increases the specs gap, I have a hard time taking the 'consumer' vs. 'pro' argument seriously. Powerbook/iBook, yeah, there was a real gap. MB/MBP, not so much.

Heh, unless the consumer/professional argument is only a cover for "The MBP looks cool" lust factor

If you really, really need the graphics card (really), then, of course, there is a valid spec difference. Otherwise it is just aesthetics.

 

[displaced]

Hmmm..... Oh, you mean graphics Pros, no? Otherwise I guess that the rest of us who use MB's for non-graphics, but professional (as in development, for example) uses in reality are amateurs.
/sarcasm

Until the MBP range increases the specs gap, I have a hard time taking the 'consumer' vs. 'pro' argument seriously. Powerbook/iBook, yeah, there was a real gap. MB/MBP, not so much.

Heh, unless the consumer/professional argument is only a cover for "The MBP looks cool" lust factor

So, essentially, this entire debate would be moot if the P in MBP actually stood for 'Plus' instead of 'Pro'?

Is the beef really with Apple's nomenclature rather than the hardware?

Professionals/consumers/whatever - buy based on what you actually want in a computer, rather than the name stuck under the screen.

What a silly little war this is

[edit:]

If you really, really need the graphics card (really), then, of course, there is a valid spec difference. Otherwise it is just aesthetics.

Why does it matter if someone buys what they don't really, really (really) need? Did I really, really need a backlit keyboard? Could I have foregone gaming on my Apple laptop and instead spent a fair chunk of change on parts to get my PC up to a spec similar to the MBP? Sure! But, I wanted a backlit keyboard because it's a lovely touch of design and I wanted the dedicated graphics so I could stick the PC in the attic and maintain just one machine for all my uses -- even the frivolous, non-Professional activities like a bit of gaming.

 

[iBookG4user]

I didn't opt for the MacBook for these reasons
1) I don't like the design of the white MacBook, and like the design of the Black MacBook even less
2) I don't like the keyboard
3) I hate glossy screens
4) Integrated Graphics would disagree greatly with some of the games I play
5) I don't like the magnetic latch (I may be the only one though...)
6) The Screen is just too tiny for my taste
7) The Screen resolution (while fitting the display) is too tiny for what I do
8) It doesn't have a backlit keyboard (It wasn't that big, but it's nice for typing at night when you need to make a certain key combination)
9) I don't like having all the ports down the left side of the laptop (I'd rather have one on each side so if my USB drive is in my right had I can put it in the right side of the computer, again not big but it's nice that the MBP has this)
10) The MacBook scratches WAY too easily (The iBook that I had before was just as bad and it looked terrible, I like my computers actually looking good a year or two down the line)


Yes, I was nitpicking a bit, but all of those were answered by getting a MacBook Pro.