Overshee Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 I've been wanting a new laptop forever. Right now I have an iBook G4 (1.07 ghz, 256 ram) POS and I'm ready to upgrade. The question is, what to get. I'd been looking at MacBooks for a while, not too expensive, but nice specs, but then I figured I might want to get a MacBook Pro just because it'd last longer and it's a nicer computer. I came to this conclusion a while back, and I've been waiting for a upgrade since. The recent upgrades, however, aren't 'wow'ing me that much though. I have an aging desktop (got it 2.5 years ago) and I can still play Crysis (on medium) on it so I don't <u>really</u> need it to be a desktop replacement. Now I'm not sure what to get. I want a competant computer (an eee won't cut it) of around Macbook specs (or better). I love OSX, so that's one reason to get a mac, but hackintosh's are nice too, and much cheaper. Please help me make a decision! Macbook, Macbook Pro, or a hackintosh laptop (with a recommendation for which laptop please). Thanks, ~Overshee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torqu3 Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Well, if you want power and portability, then go for a MacBook Pro. I am using a MacBook Pro right now and it is awesome. Also, Apple just updated the MacBook Pro with new hardware. If you want less power with more portability, go for the MacBook. As for Hackintosh laptop, I have no idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synaesthesia Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Well, if you want power and portability, then go for a MacBook Pro. I am using a MacBook Pro right now and it is awesome. Also, Apple just updated the MacBook Pro with new hardware. If you want less power with more portability, go for the MacBook. As for Hackintosh laptop, I have no idea. ^ Exactly. I want to add: Unless you're strapped for cash, don't get a hackintosh laptop, get a Mac. Go look at the Macbook Pro and Macbook and decide what you want, and what you can afford. The main things for me are the Macbook Pro has a lovely big screen, whereas the Macbook is more compact and affordable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overshee Posted February 28, 2008 Author Share Posted February 28, 2008 Well, I think I'm gonna go with the 2nd Tier MacBook (I want the black one, but $200??? WTF?!) Anyways, I'm definitely gonna get my own RAM. (I'm thinking this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16820134373 ) If somebody could make sure it's compatible I'd be very happy. I think the pricepoint is much better and since it's not a desktop replacement I'll be fine. Also, I have enough money to get it without borrowing any. Does that RAM look good? Any last thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plugwash Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 The macbook is quite nice, not the cheapest laptop but afaict of similar price to other laptops of similar specs and build quality. Specs wise the main differences between the macbook and the macbook pro are the screen size, the graphics chipset and the option for a marginally faster CPU on the pro. The macbook has intel integrated graphics which makes it pretty crappy for any 3D gaming but for most applications this is not an issue. Apple also offers more hard drive options on the pro but the hard drive in the macbook is fairly easy to swap out for whatever you want anyway (i've got a 200GB 4800RPM toshiba drive in mine atm, planning to upgrade to a 320GB 5400RPM sometime). I would never buy a mac without a DVD writer which rules out the boottom end macbook and as you say while the black macbook looks nicer a change of color is not worth the huge price difference. So IMO that leaves the middle option as the only sane choice for a macbook purchaser. That ram kit looks fine to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synaesthesia Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Dude, that thing is going to be sooo much faster than your iBook. You will be amazed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigboss Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 Amazon is selling the old Santa Rosa MBP for $1535 new with a $150 MIR (list price is $1699) You might as well get that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overshee Posted February 28, 2008 Author Share Posted February 28, 2008 I am very tempted by that, but the 2.4 (which I kinda want rather than the 2.2) is 1,800, which is still MUCH less than another MBP would be. However, it's not really much better than the MB other than the video card and the screen size, and its a few hundred more expensive. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigboss Posted February 28, 2008 Share Posted February 28, 2008 I am very tempted by that, but the 2.4 (which I kinda want rather than the 2.2) is 1,800, which is still MUCH less than another MBP would be. However, it's not really much better than the MB other than the video card and the screen size, and its a few hundred more expensive. Thoughts? All the little things like backlit keyboard, higher resolution, thinness, aluminum casing all add to the cost of the unit. If you are looking at a 2.4 Ghz model then I suggest you buy the 2.4ghz penryn model through apple. if you have an education discount, the computer will only cost you 1799 and it will have a slightly better processor, larger hard drive and a newer touchpad. i personally would never buy a computer off ebay as the risk is just too great but buying straight from amazon (and not one of the companies that uses it as a listing service) is generally much better than ebay. As tempting as that MBP is I think ill still stick with my XPS M1530 as ill have to spend extra for a relative to ship the item to canada and ill be risking tariffs along with denied warranty coverage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overshee Posted February 28, 2008 Author Share Posted February 28, 2008 Oooh. I do get a 10% education discount. The breakdown: MacBook 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 2GB memory 160GB hard drive1 Double-layer SuperDrive $1,299.00 - $129 + RAM --- MacBook Pro from Amazon (2.2 GHz) (2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM, 120 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD SuperDrive) $1,686.49 --- MacBook Pro from Amazon (2.4 GHz) (2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD SuperDrive) $1,899.99 --- MacBook Pro from Apple (2.2 GHz) 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 2GB memory 200GB hard drive1 Double-layer SuperDrive NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 256MB $1,999.00 - $199.90 + RAM --- MacBook Pro from Apple (2.4 GHz) 2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 2GB memory 250GB hard drive1 Double-layer SuperDrive NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 512MB $2,499.00 - $249.90 + RAM I can't decide... with the educational discount I don't think it's worth it to get the 2.2 GHz model from Amazon, because it's close enough that it doesn't matter. The 2.4 GHz model is more reasonable to get from Amazon, but I just don't know whether it's worth the extra money to get the MBP instead of the MB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigboss Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 Even with the education discount its better to get the 2.2GHz unit from Amazon if you don't want anything more powerful. Why? Simple, its cheaper than anything else (only $1536 with a rebate). If you buy the 2.4, it will end up being $1800 from Amazon and you won't have the Penryn processor. However, if you end up purchasing the 2.4GHz Penryn from Apple, with your education discount it will end up being $1799 + tax. In my opinion if you REALLY want a more powerful processor its best to get it from the Apple store. If you've got a friend in Oregon or something, get him to buy it there and ship it to you (Oregon has no sales tax). As for the whole MB/MBP difference, that's subject largely to one's opinion. I personally am not a fan of the Macbook myself and if I was forced to choose between the two, MBP would come out on top EVERY time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overshee Posted February 29, 2008 Author Share Posted February 29, 2008 Could somebody quickly remind me of the differences between Santa Rosa and Penryn revisions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hot hatch Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 Could somebody quickly remind me of the differences between Santa Rosa and Penryn revisions? 45nm (Penryn) vs 65nm (SR) processors, SSE4 available for Penryn, some better battery life, and the penryn MBPs have multitouch. The biggest factor there right now is multitouch. SSE4 might become more important as video apps improve with time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synaesthesia Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 I can't decide... with the educational discount I don't think it's worth it to get the 2.2 GHz model from Amazon, because it's close enough that it doesn't matter. The 2.4 GHz model is more reasonable to get from Amazon, but I just don't know whether it's worth the extra money to get the MBP instead of the MB. OK, when I look at the all the specs and prices...it comes down to, you get what you pay for...it depends how much you want to spend. If you wanna spend more than $1689, get a Macbook Pro! Yes, it's worth it, you get a bigger, LED backlit, hi-rez screen, better graphics and cool backlit keyboard... So no doubt, Macbook Pro is better than Macbook. I love the Macbook Pro. The question is, is it worth it to you? What do you want? The Macbook is cheaper and more portable... Thing is, any of these are gonna whip you iBook with 256mb RAM so badly, it's just gonna be insane The various models have different specs, and again, you get what you pay for. The old Santa Rosa Macbook Pro is an awesome machine for $1689, and I would take one, if I had the cash. The new model has lots of little changes that all add up to make it "worth" the extra money. Much bigger HDD, more VRAM, slightly faster CPU, slightly better battery life...IMO Multitouch is cool, but not the biggest factor for me...But we can't decide for you what you should buy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigboss Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 It's also worth noting that Macs have great resale value and there are tons of people on eBay that will buy used macs even if they are out of warranty. I really would be thinking of getting one but I don't know if I'm ready to part with my XPS. If I was going to buy a mac however, the Santa Rosa would be it (largely due to the price). Two particular MBPs I saw on eBay were : MBP T2400 1.83GHz sold for $1300 USD. MBP T7500 2.2GHz (8 months old) sold for $1,825 USD. PS: The penryn weighs 5.9 lbs while the Santa Rosa is only 5.4 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Djork Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 If you have the money go with the 2.4 MacBook Pro. With your discount you'll pay less than I did when I got mine from the CompUSA closeout. Portability isn't an issue for me with the 15", and I've converted mine so that I can use it for work (I'm a Network Administrator) all day everyday. And you really do get what you pay for. I know I'm not that much help, but I'm pulling for you to get the MBP. Just my $0.02 Djork Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overshee Posted March 1, 2008 Author Share Posted March 1, 2008 Well, I've decided to get an MBP. Now I need to call my boss and talk to him about my schedule this summer to see how much I can make to see what model I'll get. Right now I'm leaning towards the new $2,000 one from apple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Djork Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 Well, I've decided to get an MBP. Congrats!! Now I need to call my boss and talk to him about my schedule this summer to see how much I can make to see what model I'll get. Now you're walking down a slippery slope. If you bank on what you might make what happens if you don't make as much as you thought you would? If you don't have the money in hand I wouldn't suggest spending it beforehand. Once again, just my $0.02 Djork Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overshee Posted March 1, 2008 Author Share Posted March 1, 2008 Well, if I don't make enough my parents will bail me out (I'm not in college yet :-P) I have ~1,250 right now, and if I don't make ~$800 over the summer I will have other things to worry about... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Djork Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 Well, if I don't make enough my parents will bail me out (I'm not in college yet :-P) I have ~1,250 right now, and if I don't make ~$800 over the summer I will have other things to worry about... Well, when you put it that way you have a very good argument. I'm too old to rely on my parents anymore Not to mention I have a Son who relies on me! God help the poor kid. LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overshee Posted March 1, 2008 Author Share Posted March 1, 2008 Woot! It's only gonna be 1,799 after the educational discount! Just one last question, flat or glossy screen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ongeloof Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 Since the new MB + MBP updates , if you can afford it, go for the MacBook Pro, as it will last longer. & Concerning the thread title.... what would the Other be? i sure hope you mean MBA... & Not a PC Think Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overshee Posted March 1, 2008 Author Share Posted March 1, 2008 Since the new MB + MBP updates , if you can afford it, go for the MacBook Pro, as it will last longer.& Concerning the thread title.... what would the Other be? i sure hope you mean MBA... & Not a PC Think Mark I'd rather have a PC than a MBA. But I meant a hakintosh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synaesthesia Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 Just one last question, flat or glossy screen?Glossy, in my opinion. It has better looking colours and appears sharper, but the reflections annoy some people. For me, I just move the screen and it's fine. Read what Anand says about the issue here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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