MBP vs MB?

Question

MBP vs MB?

I'm going to be getting a new laptop and am considering making a change.

Right now I am using a Mac Book Pro 2.16 15"

I'm pretty happy with it. I was going to buy a desktop a couple years ago but since I do a lot of contract work at different locations, my wife convinced me to go with the laptop for both work and home and I don't regret it.

I use it for regular email and surfing, design work (Photoshop, Flash, etc.), and to play games (WoW, Spore, etc.). I also run Boot Camp on it.

The only thing that bugs me is that it is killing my shoulder lugging it around sometimes and I'm wondering if maybe I should move to a MacBook 13" instead. I had a meeting the other day and the other person had one and it seemed perfectly usable and I just peeked at the specs in the store and they seem usable.

Just wondering what people think of the two laptops in comparison to each other (pros and cons). Would I be losing too much performance sacrificing for lightness? And no the Air is definitely too low spec for my needs. 😉

THANKS!

Posted on Sep 10, 2008 8:40 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 10, 2008 8:52 AM in response to Mitchell Gross

Mitchell,

It sounds to me that you are in need of a laptop with good video memory (for your games), a good bit of RAM (for the design work). I have a brand new MBP right now, and I upgraded from a MacBook. I can tell you that one of the main cons of a MacBook is the video memory. You can get 144MB of video memory with a highly configured MacBook, but a MacBook Pro would give you AT LEAST 250MB of video RAM. The more, the better, especially with WoW. With regard to your design work, a MBP (in my opinion) is much more productive than a MacBook because of the screen size and resolution.

In conclusion, I would answer yes to your question. You would be sacrificing too much (based on the needs you listed) for lightness. I think you would find the MacBook inadequate for your needs, especially since system requirements are continually escalating.

Hope this helps.

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Answer 2

Courcoul

Level 6

18,838 points

Sep 10, 2008 11:31 AM in response to Chase Schmidt

You didn't mention the key point in terms of video memory on the MB, vs. the MBP. On the MB, the space needed for video is taken from the main memory of the system, which diminishes the total amount available for applications and causes contention for the resource. The MBP has dedicated video memory completely independent of the main memory, which really speeds things up. Plus you get 512MB on the latest MBP's.

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Answer 3

Sep 10, 2008 5:13 PM in response to Mitchell Gross

I too would suggest that you stick with the Pro line. Based on your usage, it sounds like you will benefit from the dedicated GPU and larger screen size on the Macbook Pro. I have the previous generation Macbook Pro (2.4GHz Santa Rosa, almost the exact same as the current models) and love it. The LED backlighting is terrific (much brighter than the Macbook), and the higher resolution screen is really nice for Adobe applications.

You may also benefit from buying a backpack-style computer bag, as this would better distribute the weight across your shoulders and back. I have a shoulder bag for my MBP, but if I plan on carrying more than just the computer and the power adapter, I put the computer in a neoprene sleeve and slide that into my backpack.

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Answer 4

Sep 10, 2008 5:46 PM in response to Mitchell Gross

Appreciate all the advice. Looks like another MBP is in my future!

Guess I will look for a backpack style bag... and a big bottle of Alleve! 🙂

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