Which MacBook?

MacBook Pro 13 inch 2.3Ghz i5 or 2.7Ghz i7?

I'm jumping ship from PC to Mac, and I have some questions.

1) I'm looking at the MacBook Pro 13 inch, but I'm not sure if I am going to want/need the lesser expensive one ($1199 2.3Ghz intel core i5), or the more expensive one ($1499 2.7Ghz intel core i7). I plan on watching movies, listening to music and downloading a lot of things (certainly not illegally ). Am I going to notice any performance issues if I get the lesser model, and if so, by how much?

2) Also, I know macs are known for not being susceptible to viruses and spyware, but should I get some programs to protect it anyway?

3) Is the AppleCare worth the $250?

Thank you for your help in advance.

Welcome to the Mac Forums!

1. Take a look at the latest MacWorld Magazine write ups on the new MacBook Pro machines and draw your own conclusion: LINK

2. Not necessary. However, if you're paranoid (coming from Windows) you can download and install the free ClamxAV.

3. Yes.

As chscag has suggested we can't really tell you which would be better suited to you as we are not you and don't know your daily ins and outs of computer needs!

I have a personal rule though, always get the best you can afford. This way it won't be out of date as quick as the cheaper models, it will be able to run later and more resource hungry apps and games.

HTH
- Simon

you wont see any performance issues if you are just watching movies and listening to music. an i5 will suffice for that.

applecare? if it breaks within 3 years will you be annoyed? you certainly will if you dont buy applecare

I'm getting a Mac, but I'm wondering if the higher end 15 inch MacBook pro (2.2Ghz Quadcore intel i7) is better than the higher end 13 inch MacBook pro (2.7Ghz dualcore intel i7) other than the screen size. I'm going to be downloading a lot of stuff, burning downloaded movies, playing music and watching movies. Is it worth it?

There's no doubt the higher end 15" MBP is a more powerful and capable machine than the 13" model, simply because of the fact that the 15" machine has a separate and discrete GPU. Now, whether or not it's worth spending the extra $$ is up to you. For what you intend to use it for (from your post), the lower end 13" MBP would suffice. And that would save you at least $500.

The extra money for the MacBook Pro is way worth it. I made the mistake of opting for the less expensive MacBook and wish I hadn't. If this were the only Mac that I had for comparison, I'd conclude that PCs were better, since most of the PCs that I have owned since the introduction of the Pentium have been better than my MacBook.

Read the post again. He's trying to decide between two MBP machines not a MBP and MB.

Final Thoughts

Okay. I am pretty sure that I'm going to get the 15" MacBook pro 2.0GHz quad core processor with 4GB of ram and the 7200rpm HDD. What do you think? Good decision?

That is a really nice machine, I would go for it. I think it is a great decision. Can I ask what you are going to use it for?

- Kyle

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/sw...-macbook-pro-13-inch-2-3ghz-i5-2-7ghz-i7.html
http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/switcher-hangout/231338-macbook.html

One thread would have done the trick

Downloading and burning movies, listening to music and occasional gaming.

Haha whoops. Sorry. :/

Note: Merged multiple threads

There is no need to start a new thread for your next question with the same ongoing topic.