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MB or MBP - Which should I get?

CalBoy said:
Ahh, so many things. Firstly, we cannot ignore the CPU, as the SR chipset allows more maximum RAM. In the future, should the OP decide to buy even more RAM to speed things up (and who doesn't like faster?), the macbook will be capped at 2gigs (officially, unofficially, 3.3). The mbp has an officialy cap of 4gigs. Big difference when your machine begins to slow down and needs some help.

Secondly, the $600 price difference ignores things like the LED backlit screen, the Matte option (which in my opinion is worth a lot...glossy angers me), backlit keyboard (I also happen to dislike the macbook's keyboard, it's weird feeling; the mbp is much better for me), better speakers (mind you notebook speakers are never great, but the mbp speakers are much, much better), and let's not forget the little things like a card reader, USB ports on BOTH sides (for those of you who are left-handed, or just want one on each side), an extra Firewire port, and the abilty to power a 30" external compared to the macbook's 23".

Not so simple when you look at the entire picture.



Where did you get over a grand from? the macbook starts at $1099 and the mbp starts at $1999. Not to mention that the OP is probably looking at the mid range macbook so he can have a DVD burner (Apple, what's up with that:rolleyes:), so that's $1299. Difference equals $700, and factor in RAM to give you $600.
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I would have to completely agree with all this. All these points may seem as minor things now, but you will find them very useful overtime. I currently own a first gen macbook with 2 GB ram and I am upgrading to the base MBP. The main reason I am doing so is for: 1. Santa Rosa 2. 800 MHz FSB 3. Back-lit keyboard 4. Express card slot 5. 1440 x 900 screen resolution 6. LED screen 7. Dedicated Graphics Card 8. Better speakers, my macbook speakers are way below expectations 9. sleeeker looking in my opinion and is lighter than it looks, unlike macbook which is heavier thanit looks 10. aluminum is pretty damn sexy.

Good job CalBoy!!
 
i am very glad that this was posted. I am in the same situation as Britt. I want to by a MB or MBP and use my Mothers Educational Discount. Mid range White MB is $1199 and the 2.2 MBP is $1799.

These are all excellent reasons for me to sway to MBP, but the $600 can buy more memory, external HD, and Airport Extreme but does the WHITE MB hold up? Everytime I am in the Apple Store I cringe at the sight of how nasty the WHITE MBs look. I know they have more traffic, but do the plastic cases really stand up or will I be cleaning it all of the time?
 
If the rumored ultra-thin/portable MBP were to come out by MWSF 08, that could possibly be what I am looking for...
 
for all your needs i would go with the macbook. the screen is beutiful and people underestimate the macbook...check out my geekbench score compared 2 the macbook pros in the Geekbench thread. my macbook had a higher score then some of the mbp's
 
How much ram is need to simultaneously run OS X and Windows smoothly?
 
jrodatus said:
Strong opinions on both sides. It is interesting to note that -- so far -- all advocates of the Macbook are either newbies or regulars, while all advocates of the MBP are long-time members with thousands of posts and presumably more experience with different Mac models. It is my opinion that the OP should listen more to the latter.

And yes...I am one of the newbies :eek:
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Well, it stands to reason. The regulars are computer enthusiasts. Of course they're going to recommend the MBP. But the original poster sounds like a casual user.
 
brutusvimes said:
Well, it stands to reason. The regulars are computer enthusiasts. Of course they're going to recommend the MBP. But the original poster sounds like a casual user.
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I take offense to that. I try to cater my answers to the individual. I also had a budget in mind when I made my decision (and plenty of other costs were factored in, believe me). All I'm saying is that for the price point right now, the base mbp is a better value than the macbook. Sure it costs more, but it will in turn give you a better computing experience.
 
CalBoy said:
I take offense to that. I try to cater my answers to the individual. I also had a budget in mind when I made my decision (and plenty of other costs were factored in, believe me). All I'm saying is that for the price point right now, the base mbp is a better value than the macbook. Sure it costs more, but it will in turn give you a better computing experience.
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Well, don't. I wasn't talking about you anyway. ;) All I'm saying is that regulars with a good amount of posts are often Mac enthusiasts with an interest in the top of the line stuff, and more experience with it, too. This is not to say their judgement is impaired, simply that it is logically biased.

And what *is* computing experience? Is word processing in a higher resolution really worth the amount of extra money you spend, for example?
 
brutusvimes said:
And what *is* computing experience? Is word processing in a higher resolution really worth the amount of extra money you spend, for example?
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No, but it's the same logic that makes people buy the extra-luxurious model of the car over the regular luxury model. Are the hand ful of features that are offered (for thousands more) really worth it? Of course not. But you're a fool if you don't get them;)
 
http://guides.macrumors.com/Buying_a_MacBook_versus_MacBook_Pro

Oh, and I agree with CalBoy. I bought the MacBook Pro because I like glossy screens, backlit keyboards, aluminium, and snappy graphics for the odd occasion I play games on the Windows side. If it weren't for those admittedly fairly superficial wants, a MacBook would easily have met my requirements. I think the fact that you are asking this question doesn't reflect that you actually have doubts about the MacBook fulfilling your needs, but rather that you want to be convinced the MacBook Pro is necessary so that you can feel more assured of having made the right decision once you've plonked down the extra dough. Go with the Pro, if only to have no regrets.

PS) I am getting a 1920x1200 17" MBP quite soon as a replacement for my 15er.
 
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