Comments on: To Pro or not to Pro?

By: rupps

rupps — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 04:05:53 +0000

i think it’s quite easy: If your primary interest is MOBILITY, go for the MacBook. If you are more after a primary computer, MacBookPro has more to offer. This said, if your usage pattern involves mostly surfing, word processing, e-mail, and stuff like that, the MB might be enough.

If you need horse power, MBP is the only option. Besides the decent graphic card, you get twice the processor cache. That’s a real boost! And specially now with multi-core cpu’s. For me, the relative importance of MBP features is: Dedicated Video Card >> Processor Cache >> Screen Size >> LED Screen technology

By: JohnL

JohnL — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 04:54:38 +0000

Luca (#7) wrote:
I was in the same boat as yourself, and Todd. I went for a Black Macbook also because the MBP was just way to much money for the personally minor benefits.

Getting a black MB costs $100 more than the exact same MB in white. I find it odd that you complain about spending money on stuff that has “personally minor benefits,” but don’t seem to care about spending money something that provides zero benefit to your system. I won’t deny that it looks snappy, but if you’re worried about cost, you should try to avoid window dressing.

By: DaveLG

DaveLG — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:26:00 +0000

I really do want a larger screen so the MBP is my only choice. I decided to wait until August/September as I think we should new hardware by then. I have reviewed some of the new Dell machines so I know what a complete hardware update can give a line.

I have looked at the MacBook and MBP side-by-side in a store. The MBP screen has an edge for me although either is good.

Well I decided… I am waiting for an update to the MBPs. I will either get a new version or a great deal on the existing versions. In the interim I will just have to suffer.

By: James

James — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:36:10 +0000

The biggest difference by far is in quality of the screen. Make sure you compare them side by side. The Macbook’s screen looks washed out in comparison to the Pro’s, which is has much better colors, sharpness, brightness - and especially viewing angle.

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:25:00 +0000

Looking back at my post, what I meant by “… and the 1″ thickness accentuated by the larger area…” was that in relative terms, the laptop’s overall dimensions make it look even more sleek and lithe.

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:10:39 +0000

This post is fab… I’m on the verge of getting a mac laptop, and have been debating myself over this very issue (to the point my wife thinks I’m going nuts!)
I’m 80% certain now that I will be getting the MBP 15″ within the next month (birthdays are always a great excuse!) for these reasons:
Screen - Higher res, bigger screen, LED backlighting giving more even brightness, Matte finish (I appreciate the glossy advantages, but I think it might drive me nuts)
Video card - I am sure I will dabble with WinXP 3D games now and then. Also I’m hoping that Snow Leopard would take advantage of the GPU’s processing power and help boost overall performance, but thats just rumours - dont take my word for it!
Lust - The MBP just screams out “touch me” to me. Form factor looks so much nicer, and the 1″ thickness accentuated by the larger area. And the backlit keyboard may not get much use, but would be a godsend when it is required.
The biggest issue would be me knowing what the MBP can do, and always looking back with envious looks later on if I went for the MB. Shallow thought, but like Jonas said, a part of it comes down to emotions.

Now my next challenge is: WHICH Macbook Pro??? 15″ Baseline; 15″ better graphics and more efficient CPU (ie. less heat); 17″ baseline or 17″ high res??? Buying an Apple is so hard…

By: raj

raj — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:42:26 +0000

From what I’ve seen, the Macbook seems to have consistently better battery life by about 30+ minutes.

Re. connecting an external monitor, I know you used to not be able to do that with an iBook, but I thought the MacBook was capable of driving a 23″ external monitor. I could be wrong.

I’ve also heard that the plastic case of the MacBook gets slightly better WiFi reception than the MacBook Pro.

Personally, I’m rather torn. I have always had a MacBook Pro, but have many time thought that maybe a MacBook with max. memory and a lot of disk might be better. (I’d love to see how a MacBook handles Second Life graphics. That gets intense on my MacBook Pro with the fans going full speed!)

By: jg

jg — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:58:38 +0000

IMHO it’s not a good idea to buy an Apple notebook right now. There have been official claims by Apple to move the entire lineup to LED-backlit displays (which will give you an hour of extra battery time on the MacBook).
In addition to this there were rumors going around about aluminium MacBooks coming up. Which you might want (I know I do) for the look and the feel.
Also Intel has moved the new Centrino 2 platform to mid-july, and Apple is often among the first vendors to adopt improved chips into their machines.

Taken together, if you can wait a month or two: Do it, there’s major improvements coming up.

By: Jörg

Jörg — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:16:04 +0000

Seriously, I have had the Pro for more then two years now and I have never, not a single time, used the backlit keyboard. In which particular situation did that come in handy for any of you guys? I’m really curious to know, maybe I’m missing something here, but that’d be no reason for me to vote pro Pro.

By: Hannah

Hannah — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 03:30:58 +0000

It seems this is a common question around the internet these days - I saw this on Sunday: SchwarzTech >> Sunday Dialogue: MacBook or MacBook Pro?

By: Kelly

Kelly — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 03:04:30 +0000

Short and sweet, spend the dough, get the pro.

By: Jonas

Jonas — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:34:41 +0000

Good analysis on the Pro’s and Cons.
Being honest about your likely usage patterns(power user, light user, gamer player, media maven ) are a crucial part of the decision matrix. But …..after all is said and done, do what makes you happy
It seems simplistic and sappy, but considering that e either machine would suit for the work you do, all that you are left with is which would you enjoy more.
Satisfaction is not a logical proposition, it is an emotional one.
Some prefer blondes…..
My own vote would be for the Macbook, the !!!idea!!! of the smaller yet very powerful machine speaks to me.

By: Jethro Jones

Jethro Jones — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:31:18 +0000

I typically don’t use another monitor, though I do sometimes project a mirror image or a second display on a projector screen. I have noticed some slow down on my MacBook when I have the external display (non-mirrored) up.

By: Lon Seidman

Lon Seidman — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:22:13 +0000

For your situation, the bottom line decision will be whether or not you’re driving an external display. The Macbooks are very powerful little machines but the on board Intel video becomes a major impediment when driving external displays.

At work I plug my Macbook Pro into a 24″ 1920×1200 display. The Macbook really struggled at the resolution, especially since it’s using system memory to drive the video card. The difference since upgrading to the Pro was huge.

If you don’t plan on driving a large external display you’ll do fine with the Macbook.

By: Ian

Ian — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 01:06:09 +0000

Not to hijack this thread, but I work for a Mac reseller as a service tech and am an avid reader. I’ve commented on here before about service issues.

If you or your company needs anything, or a quote, let me know. I’d be glad to help.

By: chris

chris — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:54:42 +0000

dude… In my opinion… the macbook is the worst product made by apple. the build absolutely SUCKS. it is such a flimsy piece of garbage… it creaks and groans when you pick it up, and the video card in te pro is way worth the extra cash in my book (i play video games), all that rumored gpu powered photoshop action in the future would beefit from the gpu too. I have had both macbook and a pro, and looking back… the pro was so worth my cash. LOVE IT!

By: Ken

Ken — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:27:27 +0000

I saw several comments that MB also had the external video adapter. Can it do dual-head support like the MBP? A feature I use constantly is dual-head support with an external monitor above and behind the laptop. Lots of screen real estate between the two monitors and I find I’m much more productive. If MB supports dual-head with different content on the external, then I agree with others, MB is probably fine for you. For me, dual-head is a deal breaker.

By: Ben

Ben — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:23:06 +0000

Go for the Macbook. I have a MBP at work, and I would gladly go for a MB and upgrade the HD and RAM.

By: Shay

Shay — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:06:23 +0000

I agree with a lot of your justification for a MacBook over a MacBook Pro, I went through a similar decision a while back.

But in the end I chose the pro, bigger screen real-estate (not physical size but amount of pixels), video card, backlit keyboard - I love the MBP keyboard, my wife has a MacBook and I definitely prefer the MBP KB in comparison. The one thing I’m missing is the LED screen, I bought before they were introduced.

I have loved every minute with my MBP, I’ve had it hooked up to a 24″ Dell 2407 at home and have used it for keynote presentations on the road. All in all its a wonderful machine and I would make the same decision again regardless of the extra cost (not that I can afford it easily).

By: DJFelix

DJFelix — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:58:48 +0000

The biggest difference for me was the ExpressCard slot. I use an eSATA expansion card, and a flash card reader in mine. It makes life much easier for me, but I am a power user.

When I bought my wife a new laptop, I went for the MacBook. She would never use an expresscard slot, and the specs of the MacBook are more than she will ever use.

My advice would be that if they are a power user, go for the Pro. If not, get the macbook and save the cash.

By: Joe

Joe — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:47:41 +0000

i also don’t think the MBP is really that much bigger or heavier than the MB.
On the contrary, I think my wife’s 2 year old (1st gen Intel) MB is f’ing heavy for its size. My 5 month old MBP, though, feels almost lightweight when I pick it up, considering the area. Also, the MBP feels thinner to me, even though it is ~same as the MB.

By: Erik

Erik — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:38:50 +0000

I have a MBP from before and I got a Blackbook. I had to sell it due to its poor screen. I got an Air instead, mainly for the better screen. The screen on the newer MacBooks are incredibly bad. Dither and bad contrast.

By: Jethro Jones

Jethro Jones — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:51:32 +0000

Thanks for all your comments! I did not mention the LED Backlit display on the MBP. That is another good selling point. And Peter brings up a good point about wireless reception. It has been rumored that they did away with the metal casing on the iPhone because the reception was poorer than plastic.

I am still undecided, but I will post what I do get when I get it.

By: John

John — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:35:37 +0000

The MBP is really not that much heavier or larger than the MB. Not a factor really for me…

By: Francisco Mota

Francisco Mota — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:30:34 +0000

I have both – I’ve been using a 2.3 MBP for over a year now and I’m in the process of switching to a black 2.4 MacBook with 4gb of ram.

My usage pattern is very similar to yours and after a year I was getting tired of lugging the MBP all over the place – without any advantage: I don’t usually do anything with my computer that really needs a dedicated graphics card, so I took the plunge.

The Macbook form factor is perfect for me. And it has plenty of horsepower.
And between the smaller and lighter computer+power brick, my bag feels a lot lighter.
So far the only thing I’ve missed is the backlight keyboard…

When I first bought the Macbook I was thinking in keeping the 2, but now I’m selling the MacBook Pro.
I’m very pleased with my Macbook and find it perfectly usable has my primary machine.

By: longwing

longwing — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:25:32 +0000

My iBook G4 has an expiring warranty in December so I will face the same choice. I have always gone with the low end macs. Since the days of the Performa. My wife has a Powerbook G4 and the metal case feels too slick to me. I feel like I’m going to drop it. I get a better grip on the plastic iBook.

Although I’ll probably get the MacBook, if I wrote the Apple Blog I’d probably have to get a MacBook Pro.

By: Michael Vermaak

Michael Vermaak — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:25:17 +0000

I have a MBP but also use a MB on shows along side it.
One thing I find with any glossy screen is the brightness compared to the LED screen from the MBP, also the matt screen on the MBP is so useable in most light conditions while with the glossy screen I find it hard to concentrate for periods in most light conditions. Also the resolution makes a huge difference for me.

If your going to do any Final Cut work I would highly recommend a MBP over a MB but it’s all down to how much you will use it.

If your not doing lots of video editing and are fine with the glossy screen and resolution the go with the MB.

Everyone’s needs are different, a colleague has a MBP for sending emails surfing the net and running keynote and PowerPoint presentations the only reason he has a MBP is for playing COD4 in Windows!

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:15:26 +0000

I also have been doing this analysis. I concluded that if you really can convince yourself that the smaller screen is OK that the MB is OK.

Actually the difference in cost between the 15″ MBP and 17″ MBP which has more screen resolution is a tougher call to make than the MB vs 15″ MBP call. BTW the Apple refurb store usually has great deals on the MB and MBP. There are also MB there and even an occasional Black one.

I have never known how the refurbs do so any comments on that route would be welcomed. I am leaning toward the 15inch MBP just because it will be useful for a longer period of time plus the display size is something I need.

By: John

John — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:04:57 +0000

Backlit keyboard is killer. For me, that and the graphics card are worth the extra coin. With Leopard (and apps) using Core Animation/Image/Graphics for so many things it really makes a difference.

Peter - I have no issues with wireless reception. I have read it is better with the MacBook - but I upgraded from a PowerBook and there is no comparison.

By: maestroQC

maestroQC — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:51:11 +0000

My wife has a MacBook and I a MBP.
The illuminated keyboard is a trivial feature but it makes a hell of a difference.
I couldn’t go without it.

By: Peter

Peter — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:50:25 +0000

I’m very interested in this comparison but there’s one key element I’d love to see discussed — wireless reception. My wife has a Macbook and gets fantastic wireless reception — my Aluminum Powerbook can’t even pick up a signal in our living room where she’s easily able to surf the net. How do the (very similarly cased) Macbook Pro’s stack up on wireless reception? I’d go for a Macbook Pro in a heartbeat if I thought I’d get that kind of wireless reach.

By: tory

tory — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:38:55 +0000

MPB, definitely. The display makes all the difference, as has been previously noted, in a real-world work environment. Since my laptop is my work machine (some programming, occasional Linux sysadmin and XP network support), my entertainment center (music, movies, surfing), and belongs to my employer (so what difference does a couple hundred extra mean to me?), the Pro was a no brainer. Love it! It’s a wonderful machine that runs XP under parallels as fast as most native XP installs in our unit and gives me four OSes at my fingertips. If I ever get fired or leave for somewhere where they will not supply me with a replacement, the first thing I do will buy one myself.

(Wife has a MB– perfect for her needs– being dragged around libraries and academic conferences and such. Portability is the biggest issue here, of course.)

By: Benjamin

Benjamin — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:38:00 +0000

I look at a laptop as a long term purchase. With that in mind, I purchased a MBP. My reasoning was that even though it cost more upfront, it costs less in the long run because I can keep it longer between refreshes. My father has a 2 year old MB that is feeling really slow and if I were using it, I’d have to upgrade to a newer model. With my MBP I’m planning on using it for at least 3 to 4 years.

On the negative side, replacing the hard drive in the MBP is a pain in comparison to doing so on the MB. My keyboard still isn’t flush :-).

Ben

By: Litos

Litos — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:37:34 +0000

Plus, the MB DOES have a connection to an external display… At least mine does (got it last November), so a new one will surely have it.

So, down to the graphics and looks… I’d get another MB right now!!

By: monkeypox

monkeypox — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:32:38 +0000

don’t forget that the ease of upgrading the non-pro macbook’s hard drive (remove the battery, unscrew 3 screws and slide in a new drive) is a huge plus. upgrading on the macbook pro is a much more complicated procedure. save yourself some money; get the smallest drive you can with your macbook and replace it yourself.