macbook or pro for designer

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Hello everyone, I am a inhouse designer and looking to purchase a new computer. I work with a macpro at work with a 23inch monitor, its tight.

But i need something along the lines of traveling. i have been going back and forth about which book i was going to get,

I know the pro has a better graphics card but i hear that really only applies to video. i am a print designer and deal with CS3 max 3 programs open at once. So do i go the 9 yards and purchase the pro, or will it really matter

i know that when i talked to a few cos. serv guys they said that cs3 runs of the graphics card and doesnt slow down the processer.

regardless i will go with 2.2ghz, 2gs or ram120-160 g HD..

My mind was made up with the pro, but when i went into apple today they guy said that the new macbook came out last week and there is a better graphics card than there was before.

what do u all think.. thanks
 
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My MacBook (specs in sig) runs CS3 just fine. Obviously the newer MacBooks have better specs, so they should run CS3 even better. I'd get at least 2 gigs of RAM.

The video card won't make any difference as CS3 is 2D software. My MacBook doesn't lag at all. The newest MacBooks still use shared video RAM. Sure, it's better than the previous generations, but it's still shared memory.

All of that being said...

I have only two complaints with my MacBook.

First, the fans run a lot when using Photoshop. You don't even have to tax the processor to much. Using any decent sized brush will be followed by the steady whirring of the fans. It's kind of annoying. I don't know if the Pro acts the same way. Maybe someone with a Pro can chime in.

Second, the screen is just to small for graphics work, IMO. I'm accustomed to large dual monitors at work. It's hard for me to be productive on the MacBook. Of course, you can use an external monitor, but that's not very practical if you plan on traveling with it.

If you plan on doing professional work with it, I would go with the Pro because of the extra screen real estate.
 
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decisions, decisions

Hello, first post here.

I recently had to make the same decision. After reading forums, specs and talking to reps at 2 different apple stores, here's what I decided were major issues to consider:

SCREEN
VIDEO CARD

The screen in the macbook is glossy, and 13 inches viewable. The pro will give you the option of a matte screen, and is 15 inches viewable. The extra screen space was essential to me, as I couldn't see it all fitting on the smaller macbook screen. As well, the glossy coating makes bad reflections, which kill me. (I've also heard that the gloss can impart a false vividness to colors, but I don't put TOO much stock in that).

The video card issue is one of debate. Many people will say that the GPU will only be useful in video and 3d rendering but others will say that many adobe apps (although primarily video) are offloading more tasks to the GPU. The decision came down to having more memory. I didn't feel comfortable with my OS and all applications sharing system memory with my 2gb of ram. I also do play some games, but my laptop is hardly purchased for that.

If you plan on doing any video or gaming or 3d work, the graphics card in the pro will be a necessity. For GD work, I get mixed reviews but my instincts tell me that the macbook will perform well if you put 2-4gb ram in it. However with very large files, multiple layers and effects, etc - I can't help but worry about the shared system memory.

For me, it came down to a larger, nicer screen, and the assurance that I will have absolutely no video memory woes. However, with applecare I was comparing a @1,200 purchase to a $2,200 purchase. The pro comes with a larger hard drive, 2gb ram installed and a nicer screen/video card.

And speaking of fans, I feel the control for them is hairy in leopard. I can catch my fans blazing at 5k rpm when my pro is relatively idle at 120f. Also, my pro can be heating up to 150f and still be chilling at 3k rpm.

I installed a fan utility, but it can still get under/over moderated. Under normal flash/photoshop stress the temp reads about 110-130f, under gaming or OS install the temp shot up to 150-170f with fans at 6k (kinda loud).

I'm new to macs and to leopard but not to computers and elecetronics decisions. It's never easy - but I feel like the macbook might be a better value. I made my decision partly on the assurance that I will have an adequate system, for a while.

I actually purchased the macbook and returned it for the pro before I opened it. My gut feeling told me I was putting money in my wallet and taking efficiency out of my work, which would be a bad decision.

Hope that helped in some way.

I <3 my macbook pro.
 
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I'll chime-in because I see some advice being tossed around on this subject in various places that simply is NOT TRUE.

The better video card in the MBPro DOES make a difference in CS3. I'm not sure where people get the idea that it only affects video. Try opening a 150MB Photoshop image and scrolling around and zooming in and out on a MacBook... then try it on a MacBookPro. The difference is the video card, and it's quite noticeable.

The video card and the size of the screen are HUGE factors. I also love the backlit keyboard - great for working in dark rooms, etc.

I have a MacPro like you, but needed a laptop. I eventually chose the MBPro for the three reasons I mention above. I ended up with the low end MBPro with 2GB RAM and CS3 runs REALLY well. I also chose the glossy screen. I have yet to run into a problem with reflections either indoors or out - though I can see with the right situation outside, it could be pretty bad. However, if I stay in the shade, I get no reflections.

The thing is, you will get reflections if you move to the side of the screen, just like you would on an old CRT monitor... but no matter what screen you have, you wouldn't do that because the viewing angle just isn't wide enough on LCDs anyway. The glossy screen provided nice vibrant, saturated colors - much more so than the matte screen. But both are great screens, so it's really a personal choice.

In the end, you're going to be much happier with the MBPro if for no other reason than the size of the screen. CS3 has a lot of palettes (oops, I mean "Panels") and the more screen real estate the better!

Best of luck with whichever you choose.
 

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