MacBook or MacBook Pro?
Posted on January 17, 2008 in Technology
I’m in the market for a new notebook computer, and I’ve decided on a Mac.
What I haven’t decided on, though, is which Mac.
The new MacBook Air is undoubtedly sleek, and exceptionally portable, but the technical sacrifices made to achieve the notebook’s diminutive size and weight eliminate it from my list of choices.
I’m left with two choices, the MacBook and the MacBook Pro.
Being a college student, portability is important. I rarely use my current laptop (a 15.4-inch HP Pavilion) in classes, but I do take it with me somewhere at least three times a week. I haven’t had any issues with the portability of my current computer, but I don’t want a computer bigger than what I have now. That rules out the 17-inch MacBook Pro, much to my bank account’s relief.
I’m not a graphic designer, but I do use software such as Adobe Photoshop quite frequently. That makes CPU speed a key factor in my decision. My current computer has a 1.8 GHz single-core processor. It has done a sufficient job, but when using demanding programs like Photoshop, it occasionally hiccups if I try to multi-task. The lower-end MacBook has a 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo. While that would certainly be an improvement, it’s not enough of one for me. I could definitely get by with the upper-end MacBook’s 2.2 GHz. Incidentally, the lowest-tier MacBook Pro has the same processor.
While many claim the importance of RAM is overstated, it is a good idea to have a comfortably amount of it. The MacBook comes with one gigabyte, and the MacBook Pro comes with two. Apple offers upgrades, but their price is hefty. Any upgrading by me would be done after the purchase. I tend to go twice what the current minimum is considered to be when I buy or recommend computers. I know that if I were to choose the MacBook, I would end up adding another gigabyte of RAM.
Hard drive size is a consideration, but it doesn’t make or break any of the computers for me. If I choose a MacBook, I’ll end up with a 120 gigabyte hard drive. I’ll opt for a 160 gigabyte hard drive with a MacBook Pro.
Everything else which factors into my decision falls under the category of design.
The plastic case of the MacBook is more durable than the aluminum casing on the MacBook Pro. However, while I don’t baby my computers, I’m not careless with them either. The casing isn’t going to matter much in that respect. The aluminum does dissipate heat better. That’s important.
Since the last revision of the MacBook featured a redesigned keyboard, which comes into play as well. I don’t mind the new keyboard, but I prefer the more traditional feel, probably more due to being used to it than anything else. The illuminated keyboard of the MacBook Pro isn’t a necessity, but is a nice feature which I know will come in handy.
MacBook displays are all glossy, while MacBook Pros can be purchased with either a glossy or matte display. I prefer glossy, so the option of matte doesn’t affect my decision.
Perhaps the most important feature of the MacBook Pro that the MacBook doesn’t have is a dedicated graphics card. I don’t have a DVR, and I usually miss most of my favorite TV shows when they air, so I watch shows online from ABC and CBS often. Integrated graphics cards tend to struggle with the HD content. Obviously, the graphics card would also help with gaming, but I don’t do much of that on computers.
Odds are, I’ll end up getting the 15-inch MacBook Pro. The portability and durability of the smaller MacBook make it extremely appealing, but I know I’ll want to use a resolution higher than 1,200 by 800, and I like the extra hardware bonuses of the MacBook Pro, such as the illuminated keyboard. The biggest reason I have to go with the Pro is the dedicated graphics card.
What do you think? With all these considerations, which of the two would fit your needs? Is there anything else that should affect the decision?
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Macbook Pro all the way. If you don’t get it, once you start watching all the HD content like on http://www.hulu.com and other sites that are only getting bigger — if you own a MacBook, you’ll be sorry. Not that it won’t perform OK, it just won’t perform well.
Your decision is already made given what you need it to do — Macbook Pro.
–
Ramsey
I’m one of the few people who have a Macbook with Core Duo instead of Core 2 Duo and I bought the cheapest one. With 2 GB of ram, Photoshop CS3 is sweet. So you shouldn’t worry about that part.
But you seem to be picky, so the Macbook Pro is what you want. For me 15″ for a laptop is too big.
I would make the decision on two factors: funds and how often are you going to be designing stuff.
I have the black Macbook and love it. There are times though I’d rather have the Macbook Pro…really only when I am doing some design work. I love the compactness of my Macbook though!
Hope this helps some.
Something else to consider, or not is the display. If you do use Adobe PhotoShop, you will want to consider the display.
For the most part, I am very happy with the Powerbook G4 that I am using and the display is great. You get none of the “sit right in front or you lose quality” that you get from other displays.
Both of these computers should come with iLife so keep that in mind. I would imagine that the Pro would have more for you to enjoy the iLife experience.
Congrats on the new computer when you buy it.
Ramsey:
Thanks for the suggestion. I’m definitely leaning that way.
Long:
Good to know the MacBook can more than handle Photoshop. Since I’d be upgrading the RAM if I got a MacBook, that’s an important bit of info. Thanks for stopping by.
Boyd:
I’ve been planning this for a while, so fortunately, funds aren’t an issue (to a point, of course).
The compactness and portability of the MacBook is the thing that keeps me considering it. There’s a lot of convenience there.
Thanks for the suggestions.
E_Dragon:
Glossy displays tend to be good for angled viewing, in my experience. I did read something about one of the two computers having a coating that affects it, so I’m going to take a look at an Apple Store.
I’m very excited about iLife, I’ve never used any of those applications before, but I’ve heard GREAT things about them.
Thanks for the tips.
Evan - have you made a decision yet? I just ordered a new Macbook Pro, so i’ll be giving up my macbook on Tuesday! I can’t wait…there’s going to be some stuff i’ll miss about my macbook though.
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