11-15-2006, 09:45 AM

Hi guys new to the site and wanted the opinion of some seasoned Mac Notebook users

Last week some thieving scumbag has robbed my flat and stole my lovely G4 PowerBook

Now I’m thinking the MacBook Pro, though a thing of beauty and power is too big for my potable needs (and they are pretty heavy)

In addition to my PowerBook, I also had a base model white MacBook when they first came out but sold it due to it being so dam slow, I basically brought it just to carry to uni and show presentations of my work that I had created on the PowerBook – but as it was so portable I tried to get it to run Adobe Suite and many other apps that its 512mb ram couldn’t handle, anyway it now gone and I’m unsure what to replace my PowerBook with…

Would the Black 2.0ghz MacBook be suitable for Office based programmes, Adobe Suite, Sketchup! and Something like ArchiCAD / Auto CAD (obviously the latter run in windows mode), I’d also like to use some basic rendering programs in the future (unsure of which yet) and wondered what the extent of its 3D capabilities are with such a poor graphics card

And would I have to up the RAM to 2gig or should 1 be enough?

The alternative is the 13.3” Sony C series (the black one comes with the 256mb independent graphics card for the same price as the Black MacBook) – the specs are pretty similar except the possessor speed but the body is nearly 2” thick and that sucks!

Cheers in advance

11-15-2006, 10:48 AM

i am curious about this also, since i am an architecture student with a macbook

11-15-2006, 11:07 AM

From what I have read here. If you are looking at anything 3D, consider the MBP.

11-15-2006, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by rman

From what I have read here. If you are looking at anything 3D, consider the MBP.

Well tbh i probably wont be intensivly using rendering software - i can use teh work machines for this should i need to - but i need it to be capable of running 2D drawing packages, Photoshop and indeed Sketchup!

if the graphics are not up to t then i will be forced to buy the Sony as the MBP is too large and heavey to carry 2 hours across London in rush hour - i hope that someone can come along and put my mind at rest before i buy at the end of this month.

11-15-2006, 03:29 PM

Heres the thing i just found out that yes adobe will run on the macbook but its still incredibly slow because adobe hasnt configured there software to run on the new mac intel chips. pretty lame i know, also redering programs like 3d max or autocad will not work maybe autocad i dont know, adobe says that they will release a new verison of adobe suite in 2007 sometime that will work with macbook intel chips. I have people at my work that have MBP and they hate it cause adobe software just wont work on it very well right now. So im also wondering do i sell my macbook and go with a PC or just hold on to it for sometime into 2007...

11-16-2006, 07:24 AM

I can vouch for this – running Full adobe suite on the 1.88MacBook was painstakingly slow – tho it did have no additional RAM – not that that makes much difference with it running in an emulator constantly – I think the same happens with Office 2003 which I also installed – ran so slow – office was fine once open (tho this would take upwards of 3 mins) and Adobe would take maybe 4 mins to get a blank document or open a file then the working was OK but slower than I’d hoped – I’m not sure I can wait until 2007 for new software – esp when I have already have the stuff for older Macs etc. I think in Windows mode Auto Cad should be fine as basic 2D lines again with ArchiCAD should be fine – tho I’m sure running 3D stuff will kill it lol.

I may have a word with the software guys makers later this month and see what they have to say!

05-02-2007, 08:12 AM

i am a studetn doin architecture, i am still deciding on getting a laptop or a macbook....the only thing stopping me is programs like CAD and sketch up..

if i can run em on my mac ok then no worries but i dont know what i can even run on a mac
HELP!!!