Which new Mac should I get?

[C00rDiNaT0r]

I am a Math/Computer Science major who needs to do programming and web developement on my computer. I have a 17" iMac (with iSight) that serve me well enough. But, recently, my boss says he wants me to do some work for him while I'm at home, and it requires Windows. So I need a new Intel Mac.

Since my iMac is still kind of new (hey, it's only about 6 months old..) I don't think I should get another iMac, nor should I get the Mac Mini since I don't have another screen lying around. Therefore, I looked into the MacBook and MacBook Pro. And I found the following prices for the MBP from my school's computer store:

1.83 Rev. A: 80GB Hard Drive, 512MB RAM, and Radeon X1600 with 128MB VRAM, $1,500.
2.0 Rev. A: 100GB Hard Drive, 1GB RAM, and Radeon X1600 with 256MB VRAM, $2,000.
2.0 Rev. B: 80GB Hard Drive, 512MB RAM, and Radeon X1600 with 128MB VRAM, $1,725.
2.16 Rev. B: 100GB Hard Drive, 1GB RAM, and Radeon X1600 with 256MB VRAM, $2,200.

I can care less about gaming since I don't have the time to do so. But I want it to playback HD video (1080p) without any lagging, so I won't have to get another new computer any time soon. So... which MBP do you guys think I should get?

Also, while I'm at it, does anybody know if the MBP's are Vista ready?

 

[Queso]

Every Intel Mac in the range is Vista ready, so I wouldn't worry about that aspect of things. The Rev. A and Rev. B MBP models aren't really that different, really it was just Intel processor yields and prices that caused the revision. So you'll probably be better off going for the Rev B 2.0 model and getting as much RAM as possible. Intel Macs seem to need a lot more RAM than their PowerPC counterparts, so I would recommend going up to at least 1.5GB if you can stretch to it. If you're going to dual-boot too, the 100GB hard disk is probably worth it if you can do a Buy To Order.

As for HDTV, it's been tested for smooth playback at 1080p successfully on the high-end Mac Mini, so any of those MBPs will do it easily.

 

[C00rDiNaT0r]

you'll probably be better off going for the Rev B 2.0 model and getting as much RAM as possible. Intel Macs seem to need a lot more RAM than their PowerPC counterparts, so I would recommend going up to at least 1.5GB if you can stretch to it. If you're going to dual-boot too, the 100GB hard disk is probably worth it if you can do a Buy To Order.

Hmm... is it worth the extra $225 to be .17GHz faster? I'm asking because it seems like I can get a 1.83GHz Rev. A and upgrade it to 100GB HD and 1.5GB RAM and pay almost the same price as the 2.0 Rev. B.

 

[Queso]

Sounds like a plan to me. That will easily meet your needs.

 

[C00rDiNaT0r]

I'll probably go check the store later today and see if they still have that 1.83 Rev. A available. Thanks for your advice dynamicv

 

[Wince99]

Also, while I'm at it, does anybody know if the MBP's are Vista ready?

just make sure you have at least 1 GB RAM. And be ready to have bugs, crashes and BSOD just like a normal pc.

 

[C00rDiNaT0r]

just make sure you have at least 1 GB RAM. And be ready to have bugs, crashes and BSOD just like a normal pc.

Haha yea.. I won't be surprised to see my MBP getting loads of spywares and viruses on the PC side once I finish installing XP.

Even if I get hacked on the PC side, hackers won't have access to the data stored in "file vault" on the Mac side... right?