[Beezer420]

I'm a first timer here! I've been a Windows PC guy for a long time. I'm finally thinking on coming over to the Mac world! I'm interested in the Macbook Pro's. I will be using this for digital photography work. Nothing major here but I like to play around with Photoshop. I also will be using various music production software like Reason and Pro Tools. Once again, I'm not a major studio but want to have something that will handle multi track recordings. And finally would like to do some video editing as well. (ie...weddings)

My biggest concern is this...I want to buy a notebook that will last me for a number of years. I don't want to spend a lot on a notebook just to have it not fit my needs in a couple of years. I know newer versions will be out all the time but hope that my notebook will work well for years to come. Yes, I could buy a very nice desktop system and have the option of adding on as needed but I'm in love with the portability factor of a notebook. I have the money to invest in a great system but it needs to last me for some years to come.

Please, all you Mac users, give it to me straight! Am I looking in the right direction with the Macbook Pro's or should I look elsewhere. Please any insight would be GREATLY appreciated!

[SSharon]

If you really want the portability, the MBP is a great option. Many people here keep their machines for many years, but some choose to sell them and upgrade since they have relatively high resale values.

The only advice I can give you (other than specific titles are better than broad ones) is to get lots of ram and not to get it from apple.

Do you want help as to which MBP to get or just reassurance that you should get one at all? I'm sure everyone here will say go for it since your intended uses are perfect for Macs.

Welcome to MacNN.

[kerisabe]

I agree w/ SSharon, Ive also just purchased my first mac, MBP 17", same use of it as you, photoshop, a little of video editing, word processing and of course some net surfing. Yes, max out the ram. I havent gotten the chance to do that and the comp is pretty slow imo when running photoshop. Other than that, im lovin this machine SO much..

[k_munic]

my 5€cents:
all my Macs had a very long lifespan... actually, I'm still using an 6y old Cube450Mega(!)Hz Mac... not the latest, but pre-latest apps are flawless running... I've read reports, even 10.4. should run on my antique system... (my Mac was delivered with Sys9... many years ago)

so, a Mac will support you for years, I'm pretty sure...

but...
laptop + photo/music making...?
is the TFT big enough? the MBP allows "spanning", means you can "add" desktop space by connecting a 2nd monitor... or better a stationary Mac?
harddrive space...
consider investing into a nice, firewire connected external harddrive... your Mac needs at last 5 - 15GB free on internal drive, just for being "a happy Mac" (UNIX needs space for socalled temp-files...)
RAM - MacOsX, esp. the Intel ones, needs at last 1GB RAM, better 2... invest into that.

final word: buy a few books, spend time reading BEFORE usage... there are many habitual rituals in the PC world, which could harm a UNIX system (e.g. reinstalling apps - no solution, often thing gets worse, on a Mac there are other solutions...); don't "fumble" the pre-installed file structure...- PCusers like to "customize" their harddrives, erase that, copy that, add here, delete there, when the new machien arrives... don't be wiser then the folks at Cupertino...

enjoy your Mac!

[Sherman Homan]

My unbiased and utterly unscientific research holds that Macs last longer than PC's. (The only exceptions were the ghastly iBook G3's.)

Some of my clients still have G4's that were delivered with System 8 and have survived years of use. Consider that these are machines running in production departments for over 6 years. They are running OS X and up-to-date software with out needing processor and logic board replacements. That is one of the great long term investments in a Mac.

I still have a IIci with a Ram card loaded with 64 megs of ram! It runs System 6...