New To Mac & Need Advice

Hello all! After 12 years dealing with the frustrations of Windows, I have decided to jump ship to Macs. I am looking to buy a either a MB or MBP. I am looking to get last years MBP for $1499 (model MA896LL/A reg $2499), an 08 MBP ($1999), or the new Black MB. I know the new models have the newest processors and the new MBP has a few other enhancements, but I need some advice on which one you think is best. I travel on business a lot, so I will be using it for e-mail, word processing, and internet. I do not do a lot of gaming, so I am not sure of the MBP will be overkill. Cost is really the least important factor. Any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated!

well, the pro would probably be a bit of overkill - though you may like the larger screen size.

for you it may come down to screen size vs portability. the standard macbook is a nice little companion to take with you, and while i've heard of people denting the aluminum on a mbp, the plastic shell of the macbook seems a bit more resiliant, though can still scratch.

have you used a macbook at all? can you tolerate the minimal screen real estate?

If you do "any" gaming that will require 3d support you will want the MBP.

If you can get that 2.4 Ghz MBP for $1499 with a 12 mth warranty from Apple, I'd go for it in lieu of the black MB. Too many other things to mention with it also. Am using the previous generation 2.33 Ghz and do not feel left behind as of yet.

If you do "no" 3d gaming, and at the same price point, I agree with eric, it's really a matter of which size you would prefer to carry around.

Great points. Looks like the weight difference is about 1/2 a pound, so not really sure if it would matter that much. How about on-line gaming? Would I need the power of the MBP? I don't play on-line, but my son may borrow it and he does. Again, thanks for your inputs!

depends on the game - if it's mostly flash based stuff and eariler games like warcraft, he should be ok with a macbook.

as bobtomay said, anything that takes a bit of graphical prowess (3d mostly) will either really tax the macbook or be completely unplayable on it.

the new macbooks are better than my one (Intel 950 chip). It has 144MB of shared video memory. i reckon it's enough for medium level 3d games. my one is pretty good with Battlefield 1942 even with a 64mb graphics thing.

Honestly, from what you described the MBP is overkill. I'd get a MB and upgrade the memory (crucial.com). It's what I did and I'm very happy with my machine!