2.66 or 2.8? which macbook pro

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Ok, so I'm going to be picking up one of the unibody 15" macbook pros and really am having a tough time deciding.

I'm going to be using it mainly for my job as a loader, which is transferring HD digital shots to external hard drives, but I will be moving around large files as well as photoshop editing and various digital artwork (not too much RAW images though from digital cameras).

I've narrowed it down to the 15" 2.66 and the 15" 2.8ghz models. I'm using my student discount which knocks off $100-200 bucks so it pretty much negates the sales tax (9.75% here in California)

Both are using 4gb memory, but I'd like to upgrade the 2.66 to a 500gb 7200RPM internal drive (I think it's an additional $200 or so) but my only worries then are processor speed and the video card.

The 2.8ghz has a bit larger memory video card and a faster processor but that is it..

am I going to notice a huge difference in what I'm using the laptop for? I feel as if I wait for the quad core's to be released I can probably get a current model macbook pro for a bit cheaper, or not?

Anyway.. which would you guys go with?
 
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If you put the 2.66 & 2.8 side by side, I doubt you'd be able to tell which was which. Go withe the 2.66 and use the savings toward the purchase of a 7200 RPM drive, which will have a noticeable difference.

Also, buy the drive yourself and swap it out with the original. You'll save quite a bit. I bought a new Hitachi 500GB 7200 RPM drive last month at CompUSA for $75. Installed it, and then sold my old used 160GB on ebay for $40.

Otherwise you'll give Apple $200 for something that can be done yourself for a net cost of under $40.
 
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Well i cant recommend you get one or the other, but i will say you should put a 500gb 7200 rpm drive in yourself. That will save you around 100 dollars, then you can get an enclosure and use the old drive as an external.
 
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If you put the 2.66 & 2.8 side by side, I doubt you'd be able to tell which was which. Go withe the 2.66 and use the savings toward the purchase of a 7200 RPM drive, which will have a noticeable difference.

Also, buy the drive yourself and swap it out with the original. You'll save quite a bit. I bought a new Hitachi 500GB 7200 RPM drive last month at CompUSA for $75. Installed it, and then sold my old used 160GB on ebay for $40.

Otherwise you'll give Apple $200 for something that can be done yourself for a net cost of under $40.

You beat me too it!
 
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whitehorse84
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thanks guys!

My only concern is the minute I break that computer open, doesn't that void the warranty?

I would much rather put that money towards applecare rather than paying $140 for a bigger HD.
 
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Well i cant recommend you get one or the other, but i will say you should put a 500gb 7200 rpm drive in yourself. That will save you around 100 dollars, then you can get an enclosure and use the old drive as an external.

And if you buy the drive prior to getting the MBP, you won't even need an enclosure to clone the old drive. Install the new drive as soon as you get the Mac and just let the OS install itself off the discs that come in the box.
 
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nope doesn't void the warranty. i have an aftermarket hdd in my system and when i talked to apple about it they said they would honor the full warranty but if i send the computer in and the hdd was bad they would only replace the drive with a stock 5400 drive not a 7200 drive.. that being said i would agree with these other guys just get a 7200rpm drive and forget about the 2.66 or 2.8 you wont notice a difference with either one..
 
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Back to my old 2.2GHz C2D MB after selling my MBP and wondering what my next Mac will be :)
And I would go with the Hitachi 7K500 2.5" SATA 7200rpm HD that Jaygray mentioned.... it's a great drive.
I'm sure Jaygray will confirm that it is superfast, quiet and has no vibration :p
 
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Back to my old 2.2GHz C2D MB after selling my MBP and wondering what my next Mac will be :)
That's the one :)
And you can get external enclosures from newegg.com or Other World Computing (OWC) for around $20.
Tool Kit from OWC $4.50
 
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whitehorse84
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thanks!

now if i wanted to put it in an enclosure(which would you recommend?) and then cloned my current drive (leopard 10.6.2 with all my apps and music and pictures) onto it and THEN installed the 500gb drive on my new macbook pro (and put the older drive in the enclosure) would booting it up be identical to my current macbook pro?

as far as my mail setup (inbox?), applications, os x settings, music and pictures?
 
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Back to my old 2.2GHz C2D MB after selling my MBP and wondering what my next Mac will be :)
Any 2.5" SATA USB 2.0/Firewire 800 enclosure will be fine.
And the answer is YES :)
Identical with all mail, apps, settings, etc
 
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Yes it should be the same as long as you make sure to make a bootable clone.
 
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Back to my old 2.2GHz C2D MB after selling my MBP and wondering what my next Mac will be :)
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Just a side note that was not mentioned the 2.8 also has 6MB of shared L2 cache while
all the others underneath it has 3MB.
 

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