How are the 1.83 Macbook Pros?

hey everyone. right now im selling/trading my macbook and imac (see for sale section), and im really wanting to get a MBP.

im talking to someone about possibly purchasing a 1.83 Macbook Pro. he got it last year in march, and i believe this was the first generation MBPs. kinda curious what the differences are in this machine and the current ones. i gathered that this 1.83 probably has a 128mb graphics card. what about how many RAM slots it has? USB slots? Firewire 400 AND 800 or just 400, etc?

now when i look at sheer costs, my macbook and imac together new were about $2Kish. he paid $1999 + tax and all that. is this a fair swap? should i be looking for someone with a C2D MBP with higher processor speed?

im not gonna be using this for SUPER processor intensive stuff, but would like a laptop that can handle final cut, etc if the occasion arises. i use my current macs for photos, video/audio editing. is this a fair trade, what are the differences, and would you hold out for a better deal, or what? thanks in advance.

IMO if you already have a macbook to begin with, i dont think itll really be worth your time to do the trade.

that said. i love my mbp. i owned a nonpro for about 8months.

the speed is about the same on both, even though th MB only had 1.83 vs the 2.16 c2d in my current pro.

its just preference i guess. i wanted the bigger screen.

im not real familiar with final cut software, but if its video stuff the pro will fare better id imagine.

just reread your post. I would never trade an iMac, and a MB for a single mbp.

thats just not fair. of course he wants u to trade him he'll be getting two machines that are about the same as what he is giving you.

i see what you are saying.. two machines for one.

if its all the same, then why can apple justify charging 2K+ for a MBP and a grand for an imac, and a grand for a non-pro macbook?

my macbook was considerably more than a grand.

also, im now fielding some offers of MBPs with higher specs that the 1.83... example 2+ GHz with 2 gigs of ram... how does that stand up against the swap?

eric said:

my macbook was considerably more than a grand.

Click to expand...

looking at your specs, yeah, it was haha. mine, however, was something like 1050 after my educational discount.

IMHO the macbook pro is an amazing machine that is much more capable than the macbook....that being said, i think it would be a horrible mistake to trade TWO great macs for a single (outdated) MBP. I know im going to catch some crap for saying that the 1.83 CD is outdated....but especially in the next 6 months, i think it will really start to show its age.

The 1.83 CD MBP was my worst computer......actually worst technology experience ever. Apple thankfully replaced it with a 2.16 C2D. If not for apples awesomeness in understanding the headaches that model caused, and replaceing the machine...I may have had to jump back to PC's.
-d

ok, so ive gathered to hold off on the 1.83 MBP because of the heat issues and other headaches... how about the 2+Ghz models?

also, what do you guys think about the gloss vs. matte screens? im personally a huge fan of my friend's glossy MBP, and some of these offers ive recieved have great specs (2.16 with 2gigs of ram, 120 HD, 256mb, etc) but have a matte screen and i dont want to hate myself just for the screen. ive owned a few ibooks in the past, which had matte screens, and they didnt bother me, but after being on a MB for the last 6 months, has it spoiled me? opinions?

i would never own anything but a glossy. people complain like no other about them, and i dont know why. flourescent lighting is visible on it, but come on. i sit with windows behind me, and im just fine.

go gloss. i still stick by my original post. 2 machines of those specs, for one mbp is not in your favor. youll be upset with yourself after what you have done.

my mbp, i love, more than the mb i owned before. but the reasons for getting it, were mainly the screen size. if i had a mb, and an Imac at the same time, i woulda not even considered the mbp.

and whoever said the mbp is "SO MUCH MORE CAPABLE" than the mb, is on crack. the only huge difference is a videocard.

all good points... what if someone offered you a 2.16 2 gig 17 inch MBP for the two machines? id like a more powerful laptop... neither one of my macs can even run final cut, etc.

how about that MBP? would you go with that deal? i just want some more juice and the imac and macbook arent doing it. mac pro is out of the question as id rather have a laptop... 17 inch MBP is essentially replacing my 17 imac and i still have the portability of a laptop. anyone?

i dont know much about final cut pro. what makes it so stressful on your current macs? It looks like video editing stuff, so maybe the gfx card in your macbook may not be the best for that.

but what about the iMac, what does it have in it? if its a gma950, id be interested in the 17 mbp. if its an x1600, the 17mbp is really not gonna be a whole lot better.

i just dont see the reasoning for the switch. unless youve got gma in your iMac, specs please?

ok, thanks so much guys... after some thought, im thinking maybe i should just hold onto my macbook and imac unless i got some really great deal i cant pass up, but just run of the mill MBP that has heat issues, has about the same specs as my MB, etc im going to hold off on.

thanks much.

IM humble O, thats the right move.
-d

MBP 1.83Ghz

Hi.

Sorry if I miss out on any comments above, I just had a quick scan of what everyone was saying above.

I own a week 11 production model of the MBP 1.83Ghz. My first one had the whine, heat and screen flicker issuses, so PC world swapped it out for a slightly newer model (still the same spec) and it was fine.

I run FCP too, but keep in mind you will need at least a gig of ram for FCP to install. I use mine for video editing, DVD authoring, Photoshop, web design and After Effects.

It runs like a champ, and I have no issues what so ever with it at all. I have it on my desk hooked up to an Apple Keyboard (best keyboard I've used BTW) and a mouse. When I do have it on my knee or off the desk, it is warm, but I just use SMC Fan control to run the fans a bit higher and it compensates the heat a lot and runs cool.

(are people saying above that th enew C2D models run cooler??)

As for glossy or matte, I guess this is a major personal preference issue. I like the Matte because it reduces glare and shine on the screen 70% and I can work in nearly all lighting conditions. But I dislike it because when it gets marked up from fluid (spit when you sneeze) or food spatter (I'm not that much of a messy eater ) it takes a while to clean the screen correctly.

But

I like the idea of the glossy screen because it feels more robust in terms of if you accidentally touch it, and to clean those must be wonderfull due to the surface being smooth so a quick wipe with a cloth will remove most things. However, I have used a few glossy screened machines and found it awkward when working my way a round an intricate interface having to shift about because of reflected light.

The glossy screen also gives brighter sharper more intense colours being much like a glass screen of a CRT monitor.

I think you have 2 sweet machines to sell or swap there, and I personally would work out the average selling price for both of them individually on Ebay and then sell them seperately and stick a high reserve price so you get the best money for both.

Then I would go and buy a brand new middle spec MBP with the more RAM and the higher processor speed and bigger hard drive. I know that's what I would do if I was in your situation. If you have the oppertunity to buy or swap get the best thing you can, and don't be put off by the screen, that is like turning down a gorgeous car because the wing mirors aren't colour matched to the body.

Anyway, I can tell you the 1.83 MBP is a great little machine reguardless of what people say above. Anything you buy runs the risk of having a problem reguardless of what model it is.

I seriously use my MBP every day for work and I love it to bits, and I don't sit there and think "Awww if only I had a better one".

A better one would be nice of course, but this one meets my needs perfectly and it's the first computer I have ever had that just 'Works' and I am not distracted by any problems to hinder my workflow (unlike my PC days)

IMO, dont get the 1.86 MBP. its specs arent much different than a 1.86 Macbook.

Yeah, you'll get 128mb video card and larger screen, but that definitely NOT worth losing an iMac for. Theres nothing that you want to do that your MacBook or iMac cannot handle.

melmation said:

Hi.
(are people saying above that the new C2D models run cooler??)

Click to expand...

Yeah, but thats mainly because they bumped up the minimum fan speed from 1000 rpm to 2500 rpm. But since you have smcfancontrol, you can do te same thing.

I've got a CD 1.83 Mini and a 17" 2.33 C2D MBP, and I can tell you the difference between the machines is huge. If you're trading off two machines, just sell them and buy a refurb'd 17" MBP. I got mine for $2500ish shipped, saving near $1000 from new, and I haven't had any issues with it in a month of ownership.

how much ram is in your mini vs the MBP nukemm?

what about HD. the difference really shouldnt be huge in normal everyday stuff.