[jesset]

I was wondering if anyone had some advice on this. I currently have a PowerBook G4 running CS3. I'm looking to get a new laptop and for portability and cost I'm thinking of one of the recently upgraded MacBooks. What's everyone's advice on this? Will I regret it?

[Thorzdad]

Have you been able to play with a MacBook to see if you would be comfortable with it? I would seriously suggest you get to an Apple store and play with one for a good long time to see if you like it.

You don't say which G4 PB you have...personally, I'd feel very cramped trying to work with any Adobe app (and all those palettes) on the 13" screen of the MacBook. If you have any FireWire peripherals, you can scratch the MacBook. It doesn't come with FireWire. The MacBook Pro does, though.

If you regularly run an external monitor with your G4, you will probably have to also buy an adapter to link the new Mini DisplayPort on the MacBook and Pro to whatever your monitor requires. The 17" MacBook Pro still features the more standard DVI port.

Again, I would seriously suggest getting your hands on one and testing it out.

[jesset]

It's really more about performance. I have an external display and don't mind the 29$ adapter. I don't have any FireWire stuff besides an old hard drive. At the apple store, their MacBooks don't have CS4 to try out. It's really all about performance.

[afx5i]

Hi. I'm using CS4 Web Premium on the last generation (the white one, Intel X3100) MacBook, it works fine when hooked to another 20" monitor. The 13" display on the MacBook is large enough for the palettes in my case.

However, since you've mentioned performance, you might want to have a look on the MacBook Pros. The reason is, Photoshop has hardware acceleration starting from CS4 (yay!). The discrete graphics on the MBPs may give you some extra juice over the MBs, which uses integrated graphics (still much faster than the white ones though).

In my opinion, the main reason to pay more for the MBPs is to buy the larger screen and the discrete graphics. I don't think there's going to have much differences on the faster CPU or the bigger hard drives. Wish you good luck.

[Veltliner]

I would not use a laptop as my main editing machine.

Except when you have an external monitor.

For better performance I'd say if you want to use a laptop, go with a MacBook Pro. Apple has done some serious upgrades in the graphics accelerator/graphics card/graphics handling division of the latest MacBook Pros. Check Macrumors (I think I got it from there).

If you're on a budget, I'd say it's more important to have an external monitor than to have a MacBook Pro. (The price difference should get you a decent monitor). How about a refurb 23" Apple cinema display?

[JasonAlexander]

The new macbook pros are amazing! They would def. cover you beyond your needs!