Need Help Deciding...

Hello,

I come to you in my time of need.

I will either be ordering a Macbook Pro 1799 with Student Discount from online or getting a Macbook White 1199.00 with Student Discount in the store tomorrow.

I just really have no idea which to get. The smaller Macbook seems more portable, but I worry that I will get tired of the screen size because I will not be using an external monitor. And I checked both out in a store and the Macbook seems like its built very cheap compared to the Pro.

But I really don't "need" the Pro, but the extra screen size would be nice.

Macbook owners: Does the screen size ever bother you?
Macbook Pro owners: Is portability an issue?

Help...

I have a macbook and I don't find the screen small at all.
What are you going to be using it for?

Schoolwork, Programming, basic stuff like that.
Maybe a few games.
And I am going to be abroad in Spain for the Spring 08 Semester.

I'm just generally very indecisive and this will be a big purchase for me.

Edit -- the Macbook just looks cheap compared to the Pro. Am I insane, or does this bother anybody else?

I have a Macbook and have purchased the $19 dongle that allows you to connect to an external screen. My external screen is a 20" CRT at 1600x1200, and is beautiful. It is currently, as it is 95% of the time dark and off. I have historically cranked up whatever screen I have to its maximum resolution. For some reason, the 1280x800 widescreen resolution of the Macbook is perfect.

Factor in the portability, and you have a winner. I take this thing with me everywhere, and have no problem with the screen.

Oh, sure, I'll fire up the external if I'm doing some Photoshop work, or Audio editing to get a bit more 'real estate', but the vast majority of the time, the internal LCD is perfect.

At work we have a 15" MBP, and yes, the screen is beautiful, but it's way more than what I paid for my MB, and it's HUGE in comparison. I have to lug two laptops to work, and I could see hating the MBP's sheer size. When I'm travelling, and want to go light, I take only the Macbook with me. Or, at least when I did last travel, the Dell stayed in the trunk of my rental car the entire time.

EDIT: no, perceived cheapness doesn't bother me. It's sleek, and sexy. Maybe not metallic like the MBP, but I love mine.

Big Andy said:

Schoolwork, Programming, basic stuff like that.
Maybe a few games.
And I am going to be abroad in Spain for the Spring 08 Semester.

I'm just generally very indecisive and this will be a big purchase for me.

Edit -- the Macbook just looks cheap compared to the Pro. Am I insane, or does this bother anybody else?

Click to expand...

You are insane. Apple makes quality products. The MacBook is not cheap at all. It is very sturdy and insanely reliable.

Another plus for the Pro is the better internal speakers.

It seems like the Macbook would be better for me, but the Pro is such an awesome machine

Big Andy said:

Another plus for the Pro is the better internal speakers.

It seems like the Macbook would be better for me, but the Pro is such an awesome machine

Click to expand...

Let me tell you, the MacBook is an awesome machine. So awesome infact, I challenge you to find anything that will suit your needs better. You're picking apart the smallest and most insignificant things. The MacBook doesn't look cheap! Have you seen the Black MacBooks? I've never seen something so sleek! It's a snappy machine that is truly the standard in on-the-go computing. Heck, It's basically an iMac on the go. How could you ask for anything more, seriously?
And please, trust me, the screen size IS FINE.