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What Mac Laptop to Buy?
kaliyama
Left to find less-moderated foraRegistered User regular
Left to find less-moderated foraRegistered User regular
Hello,
I'm going to get a mac laptop for a few reasons:
1) synergies and scaling with other devices in my home + office environment.
2) i want to get the respect of my peers and the amorous advances of women the coffee shop down the street.
3) i want to see if they really are more reliable than the numerous PC laptops i've gone through in my day.
Besides the usual productivity apps i'd like to install a few games. The most graphically demanding game i'd want to play would be Europa Universalis III or Medieval 2: Total War while road warrioring.
My current thoughts:
I don't need to spend $1800+ on a laptop.
So i'm considering:
The basic MacBook, the 13" MacBook Pro, and the cheaper 11" or 13" Airs.
Between the MacBook (long due for a refresh, right?) and the Airs, it seems like the Air wins out - they both have 2GB of RAM, and a 320M integrated graphics chip. The MB has a 2.4ghz dual core compared to the Air's 1.4. I'm thinking the bottleneck for anything demanding is going to be that 320M rather than the processor speed, right?
So with the MB ruled out, i'm comparing the Air to the MBP: The differences are in processor speed - again, it shouldn't matter as the Pro has a 320M IGP too. The real differences seem to be in memory. I don't care one bit about storage space, which means SSD is more appealing, ceteris parabus. So I guess it boils down to this: is the 2GB memory advantage of the 13" MBP's as compared to the Air noticable while trying to run Office apps - i.e. multitasking between multiple large excel and word files while running a Citrix client in the background. If there is a major difference in perf. with the 2GB RAM, i'd think that tips things squarely in favor of the MBP as long as the 13" isn't crushingly heavy, etc.
If there's really no perf. difference for what i'm envisioning, then there are a few other comparisons: the glass multi-touch versus the MBP's interface (i don't want to pack a mouse) and battery life (the air is shorter but not materially shorter for me).
After that we're down to comparing apples and oranges - the screen real-estate/price trade off between the 11" and 13" models, the SSD, and the weight/durability/style differences.
I'd appreciate insight into the the decisions and thoughts of others making this decision.
I'm going to get a mac laptop for a few reasons:
1) synergies and scaling with other devices in my home + office environment.
2) i want to get the respect of my peers and the amorous advances of women the coffee shop down the street.
3) i want to see if they really are more reliable than the numerous PC laptops i've gone through in my day.
Besides the usual productivity apps i'd like to install a few games. The most graphically demanding game i'd want to play would be Europa Universalis III or Medieval 2: Total War while road warrioring.
My current thoughts:
I don't need to spend $1800+ on a laptop.
So i'm considering:
The basic MacBook, the 13" MacBook Pro, and the cheaper 11" or 13" Airs.
Between the MacBook (long due for a refresh, right?) and the Airs, it seems like the Air wins out - they both have 2GB of RAM, and a 320M integrated graphics chip. The MB has a 2.4ghz dual core compared to the Air's 1.4. I'm thinking the bottleneck for anything demanding is going to be that 320M rather than the processor speed, right?
So with the MB ruled out, i'm comparing the Air to the MBP: The differences are in processor speed - again, it shouldn't matter as the Pro has a 320M IGP too. The real differences seem to be in memory. I don't care one bit about storage space, which means SSD is more appealing, ceteris parabus. So I guess it boils down to this: is the 2GB memory advantage of the 13" MBP's as compared to the Air noticable while trying to run Office apps - i.e. multitasking between multiple large excel and word files while running a Citrix client in the background. If there is a major difference in perf. with the 2GB RAM, i'd think that tips things squarely in favor of the MBP as long as the 13" isn't crushingly heavy, etc.
If there's really no perf. difference for what i'm envisioning, then there are a few other comparisons: the glass multi-touch versus the MBP's interface (i don't want to pack a mouse) and battery life (the air is shorter but not materially shorter for me).
After that we're down to comparing apples and oranges - the screen real-estate/price trade off between the 11" and 13" models, the SSD, and the weight/durability/style differences.
I'd appreciate insight into the the decisions and thoughts of others making this decision.
kaliyama on
0
Posts
You haven't actually listed any reasons at all for getting an Air. I think you're probably just wanting it because it's small and slick, but really the MacBook Pro is the way to go.
-The entire line of Apple's laptops have a glass multi-touch pad. Yes, even the white MacBooks, and yes, every Pro model.
-Snow Leopard runs like liquid metal with at least 4 GB. 2 GB for anything is criminal nowadays, and you'll definitely feel it on your Windows partition.
Also, what are your main uses? Judging from the above I'm guessing basic office work with a bit of gaming thrown in? The MacBook Air would probably do you just fine, but unless you spring those extra hundreds of dollars for the 4 GB of RAM, you're going to feel it.
The 13'' MacBook Pro is probably your best bet.
Pretty much every time, and for every use case scenario.
When you have some extra money, consider buying an SSD for it.
Seriously, you guys: the MBA has two huge advantages in the lighter weight and the SSD, and you're advocating for the MBP on the grounds of a faster processor and lower price? Compare a 13" MBA w/ 4Gb upgrade at $1750, against the base 13" MBP at $1450, and you get:
* Much lighter weight (2.3lb v 4.5lb)
* Higher resolution (1440x900 v 1280x800)
* SSD
These are all substantial advantages that you will notice in day-to-day use. The SSD alone trumps the MBP's faster CPU (as specced, 1.8Ghz to 2.4Ghz). Sure, you can throw an SSD in the MBP, but that takes away some of the cost advantage, and the MBA still comes out with the lighter weight and higher res -- which I think are the most important qualities you could look for in a laptop.
And, yes, on paper the weight difference might not sound like much, and you may be able to justify it. The MBP is by no means "heavy". However, if you actually carry it around with you (as I do, literally every day), you will notice the weight.
If you can spring for the extra $300, absolutely go for it.
Really? My aluminum unibody Macbook weighs the same as a 13" Macbook Pro, and I've carried it with me to school every day since I got it in 2008. And I still find myself checking my bag to see if I forgot it somewhere.
The Air is pretty awesome, don't get me wrong. But, the processor is pretty weak compared to the 13" Pro. Not only that, but you can load the Pro up with up to 8gb of RAM if you're so inclined, while the Air maxes out at 4. If the OP hadn't said he wanted to do some gaming on it, I'd probably suggest the Air. Having tried it, I could use it myself for a very large portion of what I do on a computer.
So, this is what I suggest:
Grab the higher-end Macbook Pro 13". Stick with 4gb of RAM. Don't upgrade the hard drive through Apple, unless you want a SSD. Order a 7200rpm drive from Newegg, and install that (I've done this, and the speed difference is quite noticeable). And if you can get an education discount, use it.
Edit: To more directly answer your question about RAM, I have 2gb of RAM in my aluminum unibody Macbook, and I'm starting to find it lacking. For the most of my day to day use, it's fine. But, I've noticed slow downs when working with bigger files in Powerpoint, Photoshop, Illustrator, and even a bit in Excel, when doing something particularly crazy. When I bought my Macbook, 2gb was reasonable. Now, though, I wouldn't buy a laptop with less than 4gb. It apparently makes a pretty huge difference for gaming as well. I can run SC2 pretty well on my Macbook, but I'm fairly certain doubling my RAM would help a lot.
Turing test fails right here folks.
When you say "higher-end" Macbook Pro 13", are you referring to the 2.66GHz/320GB model?
If so, I'd recommend against making that upgrade. The 'base' MBP 13" is 2.4GHz, 4GB ram, with a 250GB HDD, all of which is more than enough. The processors offer the same FSB and cache sizes, and the bump in HDD size seems entirely unnecessary. Especially to the OP, who mentions he doesn't care about storage space.
I recently picked up a 13" MBP, after heavily considering the 11" MBA and 13" MBA. I posted impressions and reasons behind it here:
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?p=17119355#post17119355
tl;dr: The 11" is too weak for the price. I consider the 128GB SDD upgrade essential for just the OS and large program installs like XCode, Aperture, and WoW. 64 is too little. As someone who had an 08 Macbook with 2GB RAM, I considered the 4GB RAM upgrade essential as well, but there are folks that are doing fine without it.
Spending $1200-1400 on an ultraportable is fine if it's the machine that does what you need, but I was afraid of spending that much on a laptop knowing it'd be limited now and become more limited in the future. I think if next year's MBA's start to use Intel's SandyBridge/IvyBridge CPUs, it'll be a lot more viable.
So that put me between the 13" MBA and 13" MBP, and for there it was almost no contest. The MBP is cheaper and more powerful, and when comparing them in-store, the weight difference was negligible.
I carry a 13" MBP to school every day and I never notice it.
Also, the OP said he didn't want to spend $1,800 on a laptop.
I too carry a 13" MBP to school and work everyday and regularly have to check my backpack to make sure it's actually in there.
(I was used to carrying a 15.4" HP laptop with one of those bulky 12 cell batteries on it for 2 years before I got it though)
I am in agreeance with this statement.
The 13" MBP gives you more bang for your buck. The only benefit the Air has over the 13" MBP is that it's lighter and has a higher resolution.
However.
2 pounds isn't that big of a weight reduction for the premium you're going to pay.
I can't comment on the resolution issue because that's a personal problem, but having a higher resolution wasn't worth the money for me either.
I have been extremely satisfied with my 13" MBP. The graphics processor is powerful enough to run every Valve game at medium-high settings. It's actually better than the dedicated chip my 2006 15" MBP, so it's got that going for it.
That hurts. Thanks for the advice and insight, everybody. it all helps.
If the 320M is decent and the bottleneck is the processor, that weighs in favor of the MBP. This is 90% a productivity machine and 10% a gaming machine. So the RAM issue is more dispositive for me than the video card/processor trade-offs.
While I think I could skate by on 2GB RAM in an 11" MBA, I think i'm going to grab a MBP on friday if they offer any sort of a deal on it. I don't need an ultraportable. If I pick the thing up and it weighs like a ton of bricks on friday i might go with an MBA but I doubt that's the case.
Whether a potentially small, incremental update matters to you is your call. SandyBridge CPUs aren't much more powerful than their C2D counterparts, but a change in architecture does bring in the possibility for Apple to introduce discrete graphics in the 13" MBP.
My sense with that is that the recent CPU refresh meant people didn't expect a wider refresh soon. Is the thinking that any february update is going to be another minor processor upgrade rather than a chassis/feature redesign?
I'd hardly call offering two optional CPU upgrades on the 15/17 a "CPU refresh", but I don't think anyone really knows what to expect. A new chassis would be totally out of left field, but Intel is launching their new processors at CES in January and the Macbook Pro lineup will certainly be getting them eventually. Whether that happens in February or later in the year is anyone's guess.
My bet is adding a small SSD for the operating system to get the 'instant-on' that the iPad and MBA have. I seriously doubt Apple is too concerned with changing the chassis - they love making things 'smaller and lighter' but with the MBA already filling that slot I think MBP is going to stop shrinking and focus on power instead.
So slight processor upgrade, small SSD, and MAYBE a blu ray player is my bet.
Considering OSX Lion will come out around Feb as well (if I remember the announcement properly), there could be a fairly substantial upgrade coming. This of course depends on your definition of "substantial." New proc is likely; I wouldn't be surprised if they either moved to a ATI chip or refreshed the graphics chip; SSDs could be either standard or a more prolific option; possibly multi-touch as well, based on the MBA refresh.
And the last 3 versions of OS X being delayed
Huh?
My 2009 MBP has multitouch. I don't understand where some people in this thread got the idea that the MBP doesn't have a multi-touch trackpad.
Indeed. Multitouch was introduced along with the aluminum Macbooks and Macbook Pros in late 2008. The white Macbook eventually got it when it was redesigned with a unibody enclosure, and now the Macbook Air also has it. Literally any new Apple laptop you can buy now has multitouch.
Jobs is very anti-blu-ray in his computers. Digital downloads are where he thinks it's at.
I meant the screen.