Macbook or Macbook Pro

[ikkitousen]

Hey all,

I'm stuck between getting a Macbook or Macbook Pro. I was thinking about purchasing the top spec macbook which is the black or the entry level macbook pro, hopefully my friend will be able to purchase one of them on my behalf through the Higher Education store!

I'll be using the laptop in libraries and away from home to try to get my coursework and studying done for my A-levels! I find it too distracting at home with my rig!

I won't be gaming on the laptop however i be running Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign for my graphics coursework.

Now the problems i'm having making my choice is that i'm not sure if the MB 13.3" screen large is enough for design needs. Yet i'm not sure if i want to pay the extra cost for 2" inches more with the MBP! And then there’s the portability issue, the MB seems small enough to carry around yet the MBP seems a bit larger which could turn out to be annoying to carry.

So i'll love to hear everyone’s take on the issue!

Thanks!

[Stoo]

Hmm.. possibly a Macbook, with a bit more RAM?

Or would you prefer to have a bigger/ higher res screen if you're doing graphic work?

[muddyfox470]

Hold out a bit, either for the new OSX or for the higher education joint offer with an ipod, you can normally get a free (or very cheap ipod) if you buy a mac system

Ian

[ikkitousen]

Hmm.. possibly a Macbook, with a bit more RAM?

Or would you prefer to have a bigger/ higher res screen if you're doing graphic work?

Hey Stoo, I was planning to add 2x1gig for the Macbook to just have that extra power to multitask however i'm still not sure about the bigger screen as i have a 20" screen on my rig at the moment which i could just hook it up to or just transfer the files over and make changes to.

But would i be able to create anything on a 13.3" screen to begin with!

Hold out a bit, either for the new OSX or for the higher education joint offer with an ipod, you can normally get a free (or very cheap ipod) if you buy a mac system

Ian

I was thinking about holding off but was not sure about how long i would have to wait..do you have a date which they will offer the free ipod? And i don't really care much for the new OSX to be honest i'm still a "switcher" - I've been hammering on the Powerbook this summer in my internship at work, so i can't really remember the OSX on that. Just that it worked!

By the way what year are you in at Durham Uni?


Thanks again for the help guys!

[Gordy]

I would get the macbook with 2gb of ram and use your 20in screen on it that way you get the best of both worlds.

I'd wait though as leopard is not too far off now.

[Spud1]

Agreed with the others in terms of getting a macbook and not a pro - I have a standard macbook and my friend has the 15" pro..and if your wanting portability then I can confirm that the macbook is MUCH lighter and easier to carry around..its also thinner and obv smaller With 2GiB of ram in it its powerful enough for photoshop, and the 13" widescreen is deceptivly large really..more than big enough imo and you always have your 20" screen to hook it up to

Where I disagree though is on waiting for leopard..the general rule with any IT equipment - and especially apple products - is NEVER to buy the first release or edition of their hardware or software..Its typically not that expensive to upgrade to a new version of OSX when it's released (no where near the prices that microsoft charge), and you can only benefit by waiting a few months for the initial bugs in leopard to be ironed out. Plus unless much changes between the current build released on ADC and the final then there isn't *that* much to shout about with it anyway (unless your a developer wanting to play with core animation =) ).

So in short, get a macbook, but get one before leopard is released..preferably with one of the free iPod offers that seem to come around every other month.

[Budding]

I use my Macbook for some graphics design in Photoshop, Illustrator and Flash, and I have not yet had any problems. As long as you are experienced with the graphics packages you are using, a 1280x800 resolution screen is more than sufficient for your needs (Do remember that when it comes to design, the actual resolution of the screen is more important than the actual screen size. The extra 2" increase in screen size of the MBP is nice, but wouldn't make much difference if it had the same resolution as the Macbook. However, it has a higher resolution of at least 1440x900, which makes a noticable difference).

2GB of RAM is essential. I upgraded the RAM in my MB a month or two after I got it and the difference is enormous. Also note that RAM is almost dirt cheap nowdays.

[ikkitousen]

Thanks for the advice guys!

I guess i'm going to go with the black Macbook with 2gigs! Think i'll wait around for the free ipod offer as well; hopefully they do actually have the offer sometime soon!!!

Also what's your take on refurb's by the way? As some macbooks seem really cheap or should i just buy it from the higher education store?

[muddyfox470]

With the education store you get a 3 year warranty as standard that is offered through any of the other channels.

Leopard release is due about october (rumours), so I am hoping I will be ultra lucky and the free ipod and the new os will coincide However with all this new kit (if it gets released) apple may be a bit dubious to do this offer, however it is currently on for US students...

Refurbs are like new, with the 12 month warranty but I would buy through the student store (don't get any upgrades with them) and buy a stock one, unless you want the dvd burner / be a bit different with the black, otherwise the price difference for faster core speed and a bigger harddrive probably isn't worth it, as the speeds on the core are dynamic and they are rarely ever at 100% usage.

Enjoy it, when you get it.

Ian

PS. Just going into my 3rd year at Durham in october.

[ikkitousen]

Thanks for the tip, i guess i'll be a good boy and wait it out and just hope Apple offer the deal over here!

I know of someone who just finished their 3 years at Durham this summer! I'll be visiting the uni open day on the 12th just to see what all the fuss is about with that uni!

[CMC]

dont buy the RAM as an upgrade option when customising it, just get it with the basic ram and then buy your ram from crucial uk, its much cheaper and does the same job, i just put 2 Gb into my MB for like £60 or so

[Spud1]

Also note that with the HE warranty its slightly different to 'proper' applecare, they normally want you to post it off for repairs, and won't usually take it off you instore at the genius bar ;/ You will also only be covered if *you* buy it from the HE store - not a friend/relative etc..they would have to put in the warranty claim etc..so be careful how you do it and how you regsiter it

[charleski]

I was thinking about purchasing the top spec macbook which is the black

You do realise that all the extra £100+ gets you is a black case and 40more Gb on the HD, right? The HD on the MacBook is very easy to upgrade and doing so won't void your warranty, so I'd go for the higher-spec white one and buy a 250Gb drive from elsewhere. Unless, that is, the black case is worth the extra to you.

[ikkitousen]

dont buy the RAM as an upgrade option when customising it, just get it with the basic ram and then buy your ram from crucial uk, its much cheaper and does the same job, i just put 2 Gb into my MB for like £60 or so

Yup that's what i was planning to do, it looks dead easy to install i just hope it is!

if *you* buy it from the HE store - not a friend/relative etc..they would have to put in the warranty claim etc..so be careful how you do it and how you regsiter it

So the warranty is not transferable like the Applecare warranty? Do you have any advice on registering for the HE warranty?

Unless, that is, the black case is worth the extra to you.

Yea unfortunately its worth that bit more to me...i don't think my wallet likes me talking that way but i so want the macbook in black! I was thinking about upgrading the drive to a faster one like a 7200RPM drive yet would that not void my warranty?

Thanks again everyone for the advice and help, i really do appreciate it!

[Spud1]

The HE warranty isn't transferable no - and its much more limited than the full applecare..Apple are known for sticking rigidly to this too so its something to watch for. You can always buy full applecare when you purchase your macbook from the HE store which *is* transferable - and its only £50 or so from the HE store if you buy it at the same time as your macbook..I really reccomend doing it this way

BTW the black macbook *is* just a waste of money..they charge the earth for it being in black and it really just sits there attracting dust and fingerprints. A friend of mine has one and all you see it a mess of fingerprints..the white is just so much better and cheaper

[charleski]

I was thinking about upgrading the drive to a faster one like a 7200RPM drive yet would that not void my warranty?

Apple provide explicit instructions on how to change the MacBook HD yourself. Doing so won't void your warranty as long as you do it carefully.