Purchase Question

[AlexGFX88]

Hoi Maties,

I have been really struggling over the choice of a MacBook or MacBook Pro, I can afford the MacBook Pro but how big of an improvement is it, I'd love to save some cash, and all the extra I can get toward college is nice . I'll be using it for every day computing, a little audio/video editing and some surfing, listening to music, nothing major.

I'd love some opinions on why/why not to chose one over the other.

Thanks,
Alex

 

[After G]

I'd say video editing = dedicated video card = MBP.
Can't really quantify "a little" without more input from you.
Also for audiovisual stuff the extra ports on the MBP are good.

 

[AlexGFX88]

I'd say video editing = dedicated video card = MBP.
Can't really quantify "a little" without more input from you.
Also for audiovisual stuff the extra ports on the MBP are good.

making family movies, composing some jams for fun, ect. GarageBand is something I'm also looking forward to using

I think what I'm trying to ask here, is the price difference enough to justify buying the MBP over the MB?

 

[iW00t]

I'd say video editing = dedicated video card = MBP.
Can't really quantify "a little" without more input from you.
Also for audiovisual stuff the extra ports on the MBP are good.

Do you need a dedicated video card for video editing?

The improvement from a Macbook to a Macbook Pro for editing videos are not large by the way. For the price of a MBP you can get a Mac Pro which gives a HUGE performance increase.

Justifying the price of a MBP with the meagre increase in performance is simply... not worth it. For a bit more money one can get a good desktop and a Macbook for some portability anyway.

 

[AlexGFX88]

Do you need a dedicated video card for video editing?

The improvement from a Macbook to a Macbook Pro for editing videos are not large by the way. For the price of a MBP you can get a Mac Pro which gives a HUGE performance increase.

Justifying the price of a MBP with the meagre increase in performance is simply... not worth it. For a bit more money one can get a good desktop and a Macbook for some portability anyway.

Don't you think it would be a little hard to drag a desktop to my college class's?

 

[brando06]

He stated a desktop and a macbook for your portability.

 

[iW00t]

He stated a desktop and a macbook for your portability.

A very good desktop at that

 

[AlexGFX88]

He stated a desktop and a macbook for your portability.

Ooops, regardless I have a desktop lol.

I'm still a bit confused with the answer's I've recieve (though thank you very much for taking the time to type them). For the price difference then I'm assuming a MBP is overpriced? and for what I want to do which would be a better choice, Bang for the buck type deal

Thanks for any further help,
Alex

 

[dixiehacker]

I just got a 17" MBP I think the display makes all the difference. I looked at the 13" models for a while, but I just couldn't go with a screen that small, perhaps you can, but I think the size of the dispaly is what really makes the differences.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

I'd say video editing = dedicated video card = MBP.
Can't really quantify "a little" without more input from you.
Also for audiovisual stuff the extra ports on the MBP are good.

Where does this misconception come from?

Video editing, in iMovie, Final Cut Express, or Final Cut Pro, DOES NOT BENEFIT AT ALL from a discrete graphics chip vs. an integrated chip. You will see ZERO difference between a 2.0 GHz MacBook and a 2.0 GHz MacBook Pro, assuming they have the same amount of RAM, and the same speed and capacity hard drive.

If you don't game, or do other activities that actually DO stress the video chip, the ONLY difference between the two is screen size, screen resolution, Express Card slot, and FireWire 800 port. If you don't need the FW800 or ExpressCard, then it all comes down to screen size.

 

[AlexGFX88]

Where does this misconception come from?

Video editing, in iMovie, Final Cut Express, or Final Cut Pro, DOES NOT BENEFIT AT ALL from a discrete graphics chip vs. an integrated chip. You will see ZERO difference between a 2.0 GHz MacBook and a 2.0 GHz MacBook Pro, assuming they have the same amount of RAM, and the same speed and capacity hard drive.

If you don't game, or do other activities that actually DO stress the video chip, the ONLY difference between the two is screen size, screen resolution, Express Card slot, and FireWire 800 port. If you don't need the FW800 or ExpressCard, then it all comes down to screen size.

Sorry for sounding stupid, but what's the difference betwee 400 and 800 FW?

ExpressCard? This is my first ever notebook... So I'm a bit rough around the edges.

Thanks,
Alex

 

[iW00t]

Sorry for sounding stupid, but what's the difference betwee 400 and 800 FW?

ExpressCard? This is my first ever notebook... So I'm a bit rough around the edges.

Thanks,
Alex

800 is faster obviously

But unless your devices have FW800 ports, it is useless. The two standards are completely not compatible. Expresscard is the PCI-Express version of PCMCIA.

 

[AlexGFX88]

800 is faster obviously

But unless your devices have FW800 ports, it is useless. The two standards are completely not compatible. Expresscard is the PCI-Express version of PCMCIA.

Does it still come with built in wireless? Why would you need an expresscard port? (Just curious)

 

[docal97]

Both units come with built in wireless. I have a mbp, but i actually think that my buddies wifi reception is better in his mb.

Express card slots will have many potential uses. one common one is for a multimedia adapter which can read you SD cards, compact flash cards, etc.

 

[inf]

I had this same problem before Christmas, when I was struggling with MBP vs MB. Thank god I didn't got the money to order the mbp

Nowadays I'm prolly just gonna go for the 2.0GHz version MacBook. I think it's enough for me. I'm gonna do some video editing projects in school with it, but I don't think I need the separate video card for that. I don't game at all...well maybe sometimes but nothing frequent (I have a desktop for that). So I think the MAcBook is the best bang for the buck deal

 

[myshoeshurt]

I've been using an iBook G4 for pretty much the exact same purposes as you've described. Fooled around a lot with GarageBand, some iMovie, etc. I only had the factory 512MB of RAM. I'd personally suggest a MacBook, and upgrade the RAM to 2GB. If it runs anything like my iBook (and we all know it runs faster), with the upgraded RAM it will definitely suit your needs. Not to mention the polycarbonate casing... it feels like a rock. A big flat shiny 2.0GHz rock.

 

[AlexGFX88]

Thank you all

I'm only worried about buying it now and then in a few weeks/months them releasing an updated version

Unfortunatly I'm laptop less and need one soon.

Thanks, all.

-Alex

 

[Craigy Boy]

I was in the exact same position to you a few days ago. I have now however made up mind and ordered a Macbook Pro. What sealed it for me was being able to have a proper go on each one of them. For me I loved the bigger screen, and yes I know I could get an external screen (and probably will still at some point) but i find it useful always having that size screen with me where ever I go.

I do a lot of writing (scriptwriter wannabe!) and also preferred the keyboard of the MBP. I really do like the Macbook too, and would have gladly got one, but I just clicked with the MBP better. If I were you, I'd see if you were able to actually find people that have them, and sit down with the computers themselves, as it's one thing seeing them in a shop, and totally another using them for your daily activities. That's what I did, and it finally made my decision up for me.

 

[smitty330]

I would recommend going with a beefed up macbook, you can upgrade it to around 1700 to 1800 and that would be really nice. You would be saving around 6 bills if you skip the pro. If are looking to do some video editing, and use garage band I would definetly go with a gig of ram or more. I got a gig in my powerbook and I wish I had more. Though I use several high performance programs at once. EX aperture and CS2. any who that is my advice.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

800 is faster obviously

But unless your devices have FW800 ports, it is useless. The two standards are completely not compatible. Expresscard is the PCI-Express version of PCMCIA.

??? FireWire 800 and 400 are too compatible. You can buy a cable (or even just an adaptor) that converts the FireWire 800 port into a FireWire 400 port. The FW800 standard allows for 800-only devices, but I have yet to see one. Even FW800 hard drives work fine with the adaptor.

By far the most useful purpose of the FW800 port is external hard drives. Since FW400 only reaches about 50 MB/s, and hard drives can now exceed that speed, FW800 is preferred for external storage.

As for what ExpressCard is, iW00t has it right on the money. The old CardBus standard (on the old PowerBooks,) was based on the older PCI connection standard. ExpressCard is based on the newer PCI Express standard. It also has four of its pins connected to the USB bus of the computer, so that simpler cards can use USB instead of PCI Express. This is useful because it allows for internal memory card readers that aren't horribly complex. That is what I use my ExpressCard slot for.

So, unless you plan on plugging in external hard drives that are more expensive, (since FW800-capable hard drives tend to cost more than FW400 or USB hard drives,) or connecting something through the ExpressCard slot, or playing hardcore 3d games, it is still screen size that is the main deciding factor.

 

[siurpeeman]

i bought a macbook over a macbook pro last month simply because of the size. the smaller footprint makes it easy to take notes in class, and it's easy to tote around in my backpack. plus, i think (not sure) macbooks get better battery life over the macbook pros, too.

 

[briantology]

??? FireWire 800 and 400 are too compatible. You can buy a cable (or even just an adaptor) that converts the FireWire 800 port into a FireWire 400 port. The FW800 standard allows for 800-only devices, but I have yet to see one. Even FW800 hard drives work fine with the adaptor.

So it would be possible to get an adapter for FW800 --> 400 and use my FW400 harddrive in the 800 slot, therefore freeing up the FW400 slot for something else?

 

[Anonymous Freak]

So it would be possible to get an adapter for FW800 --> 400 and use my FW400 harddrive in the 800 slot, therefore freeing up the FW400 slot for something else?

Yes. They make both adapters and 800-to-400 cables. The adapters are really hard to find, but the cables can be found at the Apple Store, among other places. What you want is a "9-6 pin FireWire 800 Cable". They carry this at the retail locations, too. You plug the 9-pin end into the FireWire 800 port on your computer, and the 6-pin end into the FireWire 400 port on your hard drive. (Or whatever.) You'll only get FireWire 400 speeds, but since that's all the external hard drive supports, you won't be missing anything. Obviously, it would be better to get a FireWire 800 hard drive. (You could even daisy-chain 800 and 400 devices. So that you have an 800 drive directly on the computer, then a 400 drive chained off that.)

 

[briantology]

Nice, I'm surprised that thought never occurred to me before. I usually think of crazy things in an attempt to make something work, but it doesn't. It just doesn't get any better than a simple cable...