06-04-2010, 11:38 PM

hey guys, im swithching from pc to mac, i have the possibility to do a big invest on my new mac book pro
i dont know anything about macs,

i will use it for advanced architecture graphics im a senior year architect (Flickr: Juan Alejo Morales Mor's Photostream) (artlantis, sketchup and vector works) and for cad (archicad an maybe autocad running on windows) plus a lot of photoshop and indesign.

i know you guys cuold advise me better for all this stuff

i plan on buying the core i7 version, with the 4 gigs of ram

wich one would be the best option for me?

any accesories i must buy?

should i buy the protection plan from ebay?

please help me cuz i dont know anything about mac!!!!

thanks a lot

best regards

06-04-2010, 11:55 PM

Just get the one with the fastest CPU speed and the best GPU and you are pretty much good to go.

06-05-2010, 02:35 AM

Buying a Mac isn't too much different than buying a Windows machine in that performance wise you are looking for the same thing. If you use demanding software then you need to get the faster Macs which you are.

There also isn't too much difference between the 15" and 17". Go to Apple's website and click on the compare button to see the differences between the models. The larger screen is the main reason to get the 17" but it does have some other differences you may want.

Also I would recommend getting the 7200 RPM drive since all Mac laptops come with the slower 5400 RPM drives as stock.

06-05-2010, 10:39 AM

hey guys thank you!!!!

for what i have been reading, both have the same core i7 i think the difference is just on the screen.

im really new to mac and i would like to ask you, if you think is worth having the 17" screen having into account that it has more resolution or just the 15" screen with all the upgrades!!!


and the other question is, what accesories would you think are essential for the mbp


thanks!

06-05-2010, 04:40 PM

First to answer your first question: I would not go with a 17" screen. because the computer is so big 2 carry around. I do a lot of video work and I bought the 13" MBP and it works fine for me. My cousin bought a 17" computer about 2 years back and made fun of me for always having a 13" screen on my other laptop, but after a few months he stopped carrying it talking about it felt like he was carrying around a bag of luggage. But it is whatever is best for you. Me personally I wouldn't get a 17" screen.

2nd: I would get a case for your computer.

06-05-2010, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by ja.mor10

im really new to mac and i would like to ask you, if you think is worth having the 17" screen having into account that it has more resolution or just the 15" screen with all the upgrades!!!

That's really only a question you can answer. I got the 15" because I thought the 17" was too large to be portable. Other people are okay with it but personally for me it was too large. I think the 15" is a good compromise between the light portability of the 13" and the larger screen of the 17". The 17" might feel light when you first pick it up but after a few minutes of carrying it around for school you probably will change your opinion.

In regards to your second question, I don't have many accessories for my laptop. Just a Logitech USB mouse and a laptop bag is all I need extra.

06-06-2010, 10:06 AM

I agree with the posters above, I do quite a lot of video editing and am very happy that I stuck with the 15" simply because the other one would have been too much of a hassle to carry around.

about accessories, if I was you I would get an external HDD, I bought the Lacie rugged 500 GB with 7200 rpm and love it, then get a good bag, and perhaps a cover I have the speck cover and think it works pretty good.

06-06-2010, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by m_ove

I agree with the posters above, I do quite a lot of video editing and am very happy that I stuck with the 15" simply because the other one would have been too much of a hassle to carry around.

about accessories, if I was you I would get an external HDD, I bought the Lacie rugged 500 GB with 7200 rpm and love it, then get a good bag, and perhaps a cover I have the speck cover and think it works pretty good.

When I was shopping I went to the Apple store and looked at them side by side
and closed them picked each one up then decided on the 15.

06-06-2010, 10:53 AM

Physical size is one issue - and one you'll have to make a decision on that. The other difference is resolution - the most resolution you can get is 1680x1050 on the 15" whereas the 17" does 1920x1200. I do a lot of CAD work and it takes a lot of screen real estate so I went with the 17". It is quite heavy, make no mistake, but I really needed the maximum amount of screen resolution for the programs I run.

Also note that the 15" come with a sd card slot which is nice - whereas the 17" have a pci express 34 card slot. What that means is I had to buy a pci express multi-card reader to get similar functionality(one can also go get a usb card reader). The upside is I also was able to get a 32gb ssd card for use as a scratch disk in Adobe.

I travel a lot and I take my computer everywhere. If I didn't need the high resolution all the time - I would have considered a 15" with an external monitor. I have been seriously considering the iPad as a secondary "carry around" type device or a netbook - but for actual CAD work I wouldn't give up the 17".

06-06-2010, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by m_ove

about accessories, if I was you I would get an external HDD...

Yes an external HDD for backup is a recommended addition. I have so many of them that I keep forgetting that it's not a common item for other people.

06-06-2010, 05:35 PM

thank you all guys!!!!!!

i think im going to have the right decision!!!!



thank you for the time spent writting here!!!

best regards!!!!


dont forget to take a look at my flickr account

Flickr: Juan Alejo Morales Mor's Photostream