What are the major differences besides screen size? Is battery life still bad in the pro series? Is the screen better? Right now I have an iBook G4 and am quite satisfied, but will I be happier with either of these machines? (the up in screen res seems nice).
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macbook vs macbookpro
- Thread starter cmm
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I went today to look at them(again
). I really can say that the screen on the MB looks better than the one on the MBP. You cannot tell the diffeence in screen size between the 15" MBP and the MB, but you can tell the difference with the 17" MBP. Just stay with your iBook if it is performing well.
). I really can say that the screen on the MB looks better than the one on the MBP. You cannot tell the diffeence in screen size between the 15" MBP and the MB, but you can tell the difference with the 17" MBP. Just stay with your iBook if it is performing well.
major differences, you could have 2.16Ghz processor option in the Pro series, larger Hard Drives, better Graphics Chips, and better optical drives. All those in the pro series rather than just a MB, i believe the screens are pretty much the same. you can see a side by side comparison here, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TY3LOi7fLM&search=Macbook
for cmm the screen is 79% brighter with 30% more viewing area than the iBook. Other tech specs can be found here
http://www.apple.com/macbook/macbook.html
for cmm the screen is 79% brighter with 30% more viewing area than the iBook. Other tech specs can be found here
http://www.apple.com/macbook/macbook.html
cmm said:
oh god yes. I just went from a 12" ibook to a macbook and the difference is stunning. whereas before I always kept brightness at full and was still never satisfied, now I usually keep it at 75% because beyond that it's almost too bright! And the resolution is great; now I can see two word docs open side by side which is a real help for work.
The major advantages of the MBP are screen size/res, dedicated graphics, express card slot, and the option of a 2.16 Ghz processor and 7200 RPM drive. Also, FW 800 and a faster superdrive on the 17", but it's hard to count those as advantages over the MB when even the 15" pro doesn't have them.
Trust me when I tell you that the difference between an ibook and a macbook is more than you can imagine. The speed, the screen brightness/res, solidness of the build quality, and the keyboard all amaze this long-time ibook fan, and front row, the isight, the magnetic latches and powercord are all cute little extras. Apple really has outdone themselves with the macbook (unless you play games, which I don't).
What's an express card slot? I plan to wait until Winter to upgrade when there will be rev B and lots of refurbs to pick from. Is the express card slot the same thing as airport express with airtunes or am I mixing something up?
I came from a 20" iMac and the iBook screen sucks compared to it. I am pretty disappointed, I loved that screen. Being able to have two word docs side by side will be very nice.
I came from a 20" iMac and the iBook screen sucks compared to it. I am pretty disappointed, I loved that screen. Being able to have two word docs side by side will be very nice.
cmm said:
The Expresscard is the replacement for the old PCMCIA slots that used to come on computers and have now become obsolete. A lot of people don't like PCMCIA cards cuz stuff sticks out of their notebooks, and I don't know but it may be a way around that because the expresscard slot is a lot wider from bottom to top. so...
cmm said:Yeah, no need for that.
It may be useful if you decide to install a WiMax thing in your notebook sometime down the line.
cmm said:
If you order online for the Macbook Pro, you can get a glossy screen display. But I'd recommend going to the Apple Store in person first before making any decision. Also, try out the keyboard too...
One thing I dislike is that the touch pad is so big that when I type, my hand inadvertantly moves the mouse.
The Keyboards are a matter of preference, there's no way i could tell you what would be best for you, the best thing to do is to go to a store and try it out, personally, i can get used to anything, it usually takes me a couple of days, then i'm good. actually, i think the keyboard is the least of your worries, unless you ABSOLUTELY HAVE to have it a certain way.
cmm said:
As far as layout goes, no....but I'm just used to notebook keyboards and this was really just too much of a shock for me. Like I said, check out the keyboards and make sure that they are comfortable to you. The Macbook Pro's ship with the standard type notebook keyboards that everyone else uses, these are a little more different.
cmm said:
Kind of.....some stores have alarms whenever you touch high priced computers though. But since the Macbook is relatively new, I don't think it'd be too much an issue of the keyboard being worn out.
It'd also take a lot of use to wear out a computer keyboard.
What exactly do you mainly use your Mac for cmm? I think we need to look at the applications that you run to determine which model is going to suit your needs best.
If you just like to surf around the internet, check your email, and do word processing type of tasks I think a standard MacBook would definately be the way to go.
Now if you do anything such as image / video editing the enhanced screen size, faster processor, better video card, more memory, etc etc is probably going to be something of importance to you and the MacBook Pro is where it's at.
If you're a gamer, I think the choice again is quite clear. MacBook Pro with it's bumped up video card is going to give you a wider array of "playable" (by this I don't mean incompatible, I mean your frame rate won't be so low that it's unplayable) games running in a Windows environment.
If you just like to surf around the internet, check your email, and do word processing type of tasks I think a standard MacBook would definately be the way to go.
Now if you do anything such as image / video editing the enhanced screen size, faster processor, better video card, more memory, etc etc is probably going to be something of importance to you and the MacBook Pro is where it's at.
If you're a gamer, I think the choice again is quite clear. MacBook Pro with it's bumped up video card is going to give you a wider array of "playable" (by this I don't mean incompatible, I mean your frame rate won't be so low that it's unplayable) games running in a Windows environment.
WiFi, let's put it this way....my previous laptop was a Dell with an Intel Pro/wireless card on it. Apple says I have great range whereas Intel Pro says I have eh... range...so, actually, I rather like Apple's card rather than Intel's card.
I'm surprised no one mentioned the video card. Similar to the mac mini the macbook has 64MB of shared memory. The MBP has dedicated memory. Not sure if you already knew this...
I posted a similar response in another thread. Personally, I like the feel of the MB keyboard over the MBP. It's really personal preference. With all keyboards you have to get "use" to the feel.
When I first started typing on the MB, the space bar felt odd (others may feel different). After a couple of minutes I was fine with it...
cmm said:
Well, I guess it'd be some of the high graphics that OS X requires....though the iBook required 32 MB....Oh well, you won't get 16 MB any way so might as well settle for 64.
cmm said:
In my house, all around the house. Unfortunately, I'm at my grandparents and they have three microwaves in the kitchen.
The cook (my grandmother's brother-in-law who lives with them), cooks everything in the microwave. (okay, is it just me, or does the microwave just completely destroy the taste of some types of food?). Anyways, some of the radiation leaks and the signal gets weak, but it still gets picked up. The whole house can receive WiFi.