Buying advice... Mac Pro vs. MacBook Pro

I agree with Kappy, having both plus an iMac which is in between, there are two separate roles for each and the portability is really the only advantage of any laptop, and thus mandatory if you need it to be portable, but the most basic Mac Pro will run circles around the Macbooks and the iMacs like they are standing still.

While Kappy says it is not a valid comparison I am going to have to disagree with him.

I faced the same decision as you are looking at right now, but mine was about a year ago now.

I chose the MacBook Pro with the faster processor, faster hard drive, and the high res 17" LED backlit display.

I have the Mac Pro right now.
The MacBook Pro 17" just wasn't what I needed to have in a laptop.
I think that it was too thin for the size it was and I had issues with how hot it was. Temp wise I really think it could get close to causing burns on unprotected skin.
The screen warped due to the hinges being overly tight from the factory (Apple store said that it was normal for them to be really tight so the large display doesn't fall, but not one of the floor models were like that) I returned the customized MacBook Pro to Apple that I had ordered online.
About 2 weeks later I ordered the Mac Pro 2x 2.8ghz Xeon, 2gb ram, 500gb hdd, Nvidia 8800GT. Then ordered more ram from newegg.com
The MBP cost me more than the Mac Pro did, even with student discount.
6 months later still happy with the Mac Pro I decided I wanted a laptop again.
I went out and got a Toshiba Satellite x205-SLI6 for way less than the MBP with system specs that are just as good. It is 2x thicker than the MBP but I think that is a good thing, I don't feel like it is going to break when I pick it up.

My suggestion would be to get a Mac Pro.

They have so much power that you will be set for a long, long time to come.

The laptop world is aimed at more disposable devices and are still at a point where they are starting to get some real power but I would wait for a quad core laptop to be released before I would ever get another one at this point.

It's a 'portability vs. power vs. what work you do' equation in my book.

I sold a G5 dual 2.3 about 18 months ago to go mobile. I got a 17" MBPro 2.4 fully loaded which seemed a little faster and handled anything with ease - the added bonus was being able to take it everywhere and look like an idiot in cafes when it didn't fit on the table. The new aluminium models seem even faster and better equipped.

I use an new alum. 15" MBPro at work and it's a joy to see how far laptops have come - IMHO, it's got more power than most users will ever need.

However, as my needs grew, I got past the mobile thing and went back to a desktop Mac Pro. And truth be known, it runs the OSX desktop about the same as any other late model Mac I have. For client appointments and field work I use a late model 15" G4 Powerbook which runs leopard with ease.

But make no mistake.

When it comes to ultimate expansion, video work or compression, photoshop work, handling huge files, the 8-core Mac Pro makes the Macbook Pro feel like a childs toy.

(with all due respect)

well, i'm still using my MBP that i got when the intel ones came out, an original 2.0 core duo. the only thing i've had to replace was battery (apple offered free battery) and magsafe adapter(burned). my mbp never has overheated, never has had a problem, still has every key and the screen is still perfect. besides dents from being dropped, and a few other blemishes, it has been by far the best laptop i have ever owned. period. reliable, dependeable and it has taken a licking all across this country for years.
my mac pro is noce, fast, and does a lot more and a lot faster then my mbp.
it comes down to what you need. mobility is one heck of an asset, but the power of the MP is hard to beat.

so, i don't know about break down faster, as my mbp is still going strong, and it's coming up on three years old.

wanpela wrote:
Dear all,

Thank you for your feedback.

I also hate to think, but someone brought up the point they have a MP + PC laptop. That is not a bad solution price wise!

I was that one that brought that up 🙂
Even though it is a PC laptop that is running Windows Vista Ult x64
I still needed my OS X fix, so thanks to the insanelymac website
I am running a fully working OS X Leopard on my second hard drive.

It is essentially a MacBook Pro 17 just a little thicker with a full number pad.

This is not even a valid comparison. One is a notebook computer and the other a desktop computer. It's like comparing apples and oranges.

Funny, but I would say your experience simply supports my statement that it isn't really a valid comparison. Either you need a laptop or you need a desktop, but one is not a substitute for the other.