Which MPB? Don't worry, not another "should I wait" thread

[MrMan112]

I have a somehwat functional PowerBook G4. Its physical damage is really what limits it (broken hinge). I've decided to get a MBP ( I didn't want the smaller glossy screen of the MB) sometime this week, but need some advice.

I was looking at the 2.33, 2 GB Ram, ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics with 256MB SDRAM model initially. I was then thinking, how much of a change in performance would I have with the 2.16, 2GB Ram, ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics with 256MB SDRAM model?

The price difference is about $342 (with student discount). Either way, it would be a big upgrade over my PowerBook (1.5 Ghz, 512 MB ram), which has been very frustrating over the last few months.

I plan on using the computer for photo editing with Aperture, internet, music, minor video editing with iMovie, Photoshop, word processing, watching videos/DVD's.

I appreciate any advice... Thanks!

 

[luminosity]

I had to get a new laptop for something similar to your trouble. It still worked, but with major impairments (power problems, in my case). I got a 2.33 refurb, which has been great (save for the one issue that I posted about this morning).

You probably won't notice much of a difference between 2.16 and 2.33, unless you're doing heavy stuff, but whatever you do, be sure you get 2 Gigs of RAM (which is what I have in the 2.33). It's nice to see that I'm using 1 GB, and still have another Gig in reserve. The 2.16 comes with 1 GB and 128 MBs of video RAM, while the 2.33 comes with 2 GBs and 256. I got the latter in part because I wanted something that will last several years in terms of functionality.

Think about a refurb, if you can find one when they're up .

 

[dojinsung]

If you're eligible for a student discount, I would suggest looking into the Apple Developer Connection (ADC) Student Membersip. It costs $99 to join, and Apple will give you a once-in-a-lifetime 20% discount on one piece of hardware. That means you can get the MBP 17" for $2,239, which is about equal to the price of the 2.33GHz MBP 15" with the education discount. It used to say that you would get any new OS X releases within a year for free, but it looks like that might have been changed for only Select and Premier members.

 

[DaLurker]

I'm not sure about aperature and photoshop but everything else you do I do and I have a 2.16ghz with 128mb vram and its more than fast enough. I'd say save the $342 (unless someone who uses aperature and photoshop say the extra vram really really helps).

 

[MrMan112]

If you're eligible for a student discount, I would suggest looking into the Apple Developer Connection (ADC) Student Membersip. It costs $99 to join, and Apple will give you a once-in-a-lifetime 20% discount on one piece of hardware. That means you can get the MBP 17" for $2,239, which is about equal to the price of the 2.33GHz MBP 15" with the education discount. It used to say that you would get any new OS X releases within a year for free, but it looks like that might have been changed for only Select and Premier members.

Do I have to be an engineering student or something related to that?
I'm a dental student, graduating in a month. How do they verify that I'm a student, and does this give me enough time to join and buy a MBP?

 

[Lovesong]

Do I have to be an engineering student or something related to that?
I'm a dental student, graduating in a month. How do they verify that I'm a student, and does this give me enough time to join and buy a MBP?

No, I did the same thing when I got my MBP, and I am physiology graduate student. All they need is an unofficial class schedule, student ID and drivers licence. Just xerox them, fax them, and within a couple of days, you'll be able to get your hardware discount. I got the 2.33 with 2 gigs of RAM. Aperture runs smoothly, and PS is great. Hell, that thing kicks FCS and Shake around as well.

 

[student_trap]

i have done exactly what you are about to, move from a 12" powerbook 1.5 to a 15" mbp. i bought the 2.33 version, and couldn't be happier. It probably isn't necessary to have the upgraded gpu, but i like to get the best computer that i can afford, and with the increasingly graphics intensive os's these days, it may well prove to have been a good move in the future!