MB vs. MBP

slothguitar · Apr 28, 2008

So coming this summer i'm going to be getting a new computer. i will either get a Macbook Pro or a gnarly Macbook with 4gb of ram. what are the real differences between the two besides price. i know that the graphix cards are different but i'm not going to be playing any video games.

slothguitar · Apr 28, 2008

by the way i plan to also do a bit of photo editing on this new computer.

Kash · Apr 28, 2008

There's the faster processor, better video card, backlit keyboard, larger screen, and some other features that I'm sure other people will mention. The main selling points for the Pro model are its larger screen and more horsepower under the hood. If you don't need either one, the Macbook will do just fine.

slothguitar · Apr 28, 2008

yeah i wasn't really that concerned with ghz since i was planning on the 2.4 ghz mb anyway.

Dec540 · Apr 29, 2008

I own a macbook, the new one and when i was purchasing it i really couldn't justify the $900AU price difference for 2.1" of screen and some minor features which would be nice but not necessary. eg. Option to have a matte screen.. would be really useful seeming i use my macbook in classrooms mainly, and a graphics card would have been nice but if i want to play games i just use my desktop pc for that.. it has a better graphics card than the pro anyway.

dauber · Apr 29, 2008

When I bought my MacBook, the guy at Best Buy told me that a MacBook Pro is really only an advantage if you're a serious gamer.

Jaygray · Apr 29, 2008

Aside from the video game issue, it comes down to personal preference and your budget.

The MB is a little smaller and more portable. The MBP has a larger screen and a backlit keyboard. Neither one is "better" for everyone. It's all a matter of what's the most important to you. Personally, as long as you're not playing video games, I don't think you can go wrong either way.

iApple · Apr 29, 2008

For you it sounds like the Macbook would be the best choice. And please save yourself some money and DO NOT buy your ram from apple!! They are waaaaaay to overpriced! Im suprised no one has said that yet lol.

LeAstrale · Apr 29, 2008

iApple said:
For you it sounds like the Macbook would be the best choice. And please save yourself some money and DO NOT buy your ram from apple!! They are waaaaaay to overpriced! Im suprised no one has said that yet lol.

On that Note Apple has just yesterday lowered their RAM prices to something way more acceptable in denmark its only 230$ from 2 to 4 gigabytes of ram.

getuptogetdown · Apr 29, 2008

Unless money is a huge concern, I would go with the macbook Pro. For me, the screen on a macbook is entirely too small...use both for a week and you would realize how nice it is to have the larger screen to work with. Also in my opinion, the keyboard on the macbooks are terrible. They are like toy keys. The keyboard on the macbook pro is perfect in my opinion...and man is it nice when im working in a low light setting for it to automatically illuminate for me. I don't think the 15" is too big for portability either...but I would say the 17" probably is.

It comes down to personal preference...but that's just my opinion. If you have the money, get the pro, if not, consider the macbook.

macearly · Apr 29, 2008

getuptogetdown said:
Unless money is a huge concern, I would go with the macbook Pro. For me, the screen on a macbook is entirely too small...use both for a week and you would realize how nice it is to have the larger screen to work with. Also in my opinion, the keyboard on the macbooks are terrible. They are like toy keys. The keyboard on the macbook pro is perfect in my opinion...and man is it nice when im working in a low light setting for it to automatically illuminate for me. I don't think the 15" is too big for portability either...but I would say the 17" probably is.

It comes down to personal preference...but that's just my opinion. If you have the money, get the pro, if not, consider the macbook.

I would agree with GetUp word for word.... Actually, I just did! Oh, my good friend has the 17" and it is a monster! The only time that beast should be in consideration is when you are comparing to a desktop! LOL, but it is beautiful!

zyepod · Apr 29, 2008

I've had both... Nothing wrong with the macbook but I'm much happier with the pro. Biggest reason is Matte and screen size. The macbook speakers were a little low on sound but adequate. If you can go to an Apple store and check them out. I went with the intent of getting a glossy screen 17" screen and came out with a 15" matte...

Kash · Apr 29, 2008

LeAstrale said:
On that Note Apple has just yesterday lowered their RAM prices to something way more acceptable in denmark its only 230$ from 2 to 4 gigabytes of ram.

You call $240 for two more gigabytes reasonable? You can get a 4GB set for a quarter of that price!!

belunos · Apr 29, 2008

This is just me, but I think I'd really only consider a MBP as a desktop replacement. That would include anything computer related I'd want to do, including gaming, heavy video editing, etc. If you don't need that kind of horsepower, you could get a macbook and get a cheap LCD to hook it up to for when you're at home with it.

LeAstrale · Apr 30, 2008

Kash said:
You call $240 for two more gigabytes reasonable? You can get a 4GB set for a quarter of that price!!

It might not be a reasonable price in your region but Denmark is one of the most expensive places on earth. The ram MBP uses would cost about $150 to do for yourself, so it's not that much more you pay for able to do it.

Personally i would wait to see what June brings of surprises on the Mac side.

/LeAstrale - The new guy

youthpastor · Apr 30, 2008

LeAstrale said:
It might not be a reasonable price in your region but Denmark is one of the most expensive places on earth. The ram MBP uses would cost about $150 to do for yourself, so it's not that much more you pay for able to do it.

Personally i would wait to see what June brings of surprises on the Mac side.

/LeAstrale - The new guy

$240 vs $150? That's not a big deal of savings? Wow, where do you work? Cuz I really need a job where nearly a $100 is not worth saving for....

Dysfunction · Apr 30, 2008

$100 is worth removing the battery, unscrewing 3 screws and swapping 2 sodimms to me. Esp since it takes a total of about 5 minutes tops to do it

LeAstrale · Apr 30, 2008

youthpastor said:
$240 vs $150? That's not a big deal of savings? Wow, where do you work? Cuz I really need a job where nearly a $100 is not worth saving for....

That sure wouldn't be much of an issue if just the expensive company was put in our system on beforehand.

@Dysfunction: I actually didn't know it was that easy to put in extra ram in a MacBook.