To MBP or not to MBP?

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UncleDavid218

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I currently have a unibody MacBook. It's the 2.4GHz model, and in absolutely flawless condition (it looks like it was just taken out of the box!).

I'm starting college in the fall as a CIS major. Part of the major is doing programming (and a lot of it!).

I'm just wondering if anyone sees the benefit of upgrading to the base $1,999 model?

The bigger screen and support for more memory is a plus. And the 9600M would be really nice for LAN parties.

I would guess I could sell my MacBook I have now for around $1,200.

Any input?
 
If you want to take your laptop to class then keep the Macbook (smaller size really helps), if its a system to just keep in your room then get MBP since the added resolution and power will be welcomed.
 
450 said:
If you want to take your laptop to class then keep the Macbook (smaller size really helps), if its a system to just keep in your room then get MBP since the added resolution and power will be welcomed.
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I'm planning on buying a 24" (or whatever is biggest in August) iMac anyway, so maybe I'll just go that route.
 
I'm a CS major in college right now, and I made the decision to switch from a classic macbook pro to a 2.4 unibody -- I should have my hands on it in about 2 weeks. I'm also reducing the number of computers I have because I never can stay at one spot at college -- transporting 2+ computers via airplane isn't too fun.

While at school, I mainly tether my MBP to a 24", and it performs like a desktop. We'll have to see about the performance of uMB - I do coding, photoshop work, but no hardcore applications, and the MBP has no issues.

The portability of the macbook is just fantastic. My MBP always could not fit on the desks at the lecture hall or left me little room to type. It's almost impossible to use my MBP on the airplane too.

I'm going to miss the 8600m GT, but the 9400m isn't that much of a slouch compared to the previous Intel GMAs.

I think the 2.4 uMB is the best portable machine you can purchase right now. It has the power and it has the sex. A true successor to the 12" powerbook. Don't give it up.
 
dhuang said:
I'm a CS major in college right now, and I made the decision to switch from a classic macbook pro to a 2.4 unibody -- I should have my hands on it in about 2 weeks. I'm also reducing the number of computers I have because I never can stay at one spot at college -- transporting 2+ computers via airplane isn't too fun.

While at school, I mainly tether my MBP to a 24", and it performs like a desktop. We'll have to see about the performance of uMB - I do coding, photoshop work, but no hardcore applications, and the MBP has no issues.

The portability of the macbook is just fantastic. My MBP always could not fit on the desks at the lecture hall or left me little room to type. It's almost impossible to use my MBP on the airplane too.

I'm going to miss the 8600m GT, but the 9400m isn't that much of a slouch compared to the previous Intel GMAs.

I think the 2.4 uMB is the best portable machine you can purchase right now. It has the power and it has the sex. A true successor to the 12" powerbook. Don't give it up.
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Thanks for that. I think that about makes my mind up.
 
As a CE major who does a_lot of programming, the 13.3" would be fine & that PC has more than enough horsepower.

ATM I have a 1st gen Macbook Pro which performance wise is fine for everything but gaming (upgraded to 2gb RAM & a 7200rpm HD). I've spent a decent amount of time on 13.3" laptops too and really the delta between the two is pretty minor.

I'd say stick with the Macbook and spend what you were going to spend on the MBP on a 22/23/24" LCD and a separate keyboard & mouse.

Hell, for $800 (delta between the 1200 you think the MB would sell for and the MBP) you can make a basic gaming rig for you lanning needs ;-)
 
Unless you really feel the need for a larger screen or need the expresscard slot for 3g or something else I would not bother upgrading to the MBP just for programming.
 
CS Major here i have the base 2.0 unibody and i think its fine. The screen could admittedly be larger, but its never been something I got upset about.
 
Arkangyl said:
As a CE major who does a_lot of programming, the 13.3" would be fine & that PC has more than enough horsepower.

ATM I have a 1st gen Macbook Pro which performance wise is fine for everything but gaming (upgraded to 2gb RAM & a 7200rpm HD). I've spent a decent amount of time on 13.3" laptops too and really the delta between the two is pretty minor.

I'd say stick with the Macbook and spend what you were going to spend on the MBP on a 22/23/24" LCD and a separate keyboard & mouse.

Hell, for $800 (delta between the 1200 you think the MB would sell for and the MBP) you can make a basic gaming rig for you lanning needs ;-)
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Haha, well I've already got a 3.4GHz Q6600, GTX 260 rig for gaming. It's just a lot to carry around.
 
I don't know how you guys can program on these little screens. I had to buy a separate 22" screen as a vertical just to work. I program on the left while having the gradesheet/program requirements and powerpoints on my main 24".

I could never work on my 15" mbp, just not enough space. If you plan to game on the mbp make sure you get a laptop cooler cause mine hits close to 80C on wood.
 
I agree with all the props given to the new unibody MacBook 2.4GHz. The only reason I chose the unibody MBP over it is the screen resolution. I'm not a coder. I'm a writer and work with lots of big documents. I gotta have some screen real estate. Even the MBP's 1440x900 isn't what I'd really like. For 15.4" laptops, I think 1680x1050 (WSXGA+) is the best resolution. If Apple could fit 1440x900 on their 13" MacBook, I'd grab it in an instant.
 
Remember, Macbook Pro with college discount is $1899 and they can be found lower, $1400 or $1500 gently used so its not a big price jump at all...
 
It really comes down to portability vs. screen size. I had a 2.4 MB and I thought it was great. If I wanted to do anything that needed a bigger screen, I'd just use my desktop. But to each his own.
 
Armoured said:
I could never work on my 15" mbp, just not enough space. If you plan to game on the mbp make sure you get a laptop cooler cause mine hits close to 80C on wood.
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Only 80C? ;) With a room temp of 20C my MBP hits 100C at 50% usage before the fans ramp up past 3k rpm. The worst part is it will sit there just before the point where it ramps up all day under the right circumstances which is very discomforting. Funny Apple considers that acceptable when I can't even hold onto the chassis.
 
My unibody MB ran pretty hot. 85C or higher and I was shocked. That doesn't even have the higher end graphics.
 
Sometimes I think Apple is just pushing these components hard so that they die early and we're forced to get new equipment/warranties from them. :p
 
Those 85C-100C temps won't be accurate, intel chips throttle before then and can shut themselves down. That's beyound the tmax allowed, so it'll most likely be a reading that is like 35-45C too high.
 
My brand new UniMBP shows 26C/78.8F

And totally worth it. I'm so glad I bought it. I've been with Windows for 12 years and hated Linux and needed a change. Couldn't be happier
 
The tmax on these chips is 105C, 85C is 100% acceptable, and to be expected on the macbook pro.
 
My CPU runs at 41C after being on for quite a while. Still beats my older SR MBP.
 
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