[The Placid Casual]

I am still deep in dilema over the replacement of my MBP, having recently seen the carnage caused by a virus on a friends XPS1330, and also realised just how much my workflow would be cramped changing away from OS X, I have veered away from a Thinkpad and back to Apple. (Heck I have been with them since 1990, so I knew it would happen), however I will *not* buy another Macbook Pro or metal cased machine. I have had 3, all of them have been cosmetically, and functionally a disaster, needing replacement with 12 months!

My new laptop will be a 'work' machine primarily (one user account for work, one for personal) 250GB+ HDD is a must, as is the ability to connect to my 20" apple display, good portability and good wireless range are also needed as I travel a fair amount. I will be maxing any machine to 4Gig RAM after purchase.

Hearing that the new Macbook models will almost certainly be in a metal case, I really want to buy now to be sure to get a plastic case one with a view to it lasting for the next few years. My current machine is an original Core Duo 2.16gz Macbook Pro with 2Gig RAM, and at times it really does get bogged when I work, so I am uneasy as to how a Macbook 2.4ghz would perform... (I'd max RAM to 4Gig after purchase)

I work across 2 screens, with my usual work applications being Firefox with 40-50 tabs in multiple windows, BBEdit with up to 10 large text files open, Photoshop CS2 with 2-5 >10MB files open, Indesign CS 2 with maybe one document, FTP application with 2 connections, Thunderbird, VNC to another machine, iChat (5 or 6 conversations), Skype, iTunes,

Any advice as to how a maxed out Macbook would perform under this load would be appreciated!

[MacosNerd]

From what you have posted, I believe the MB should be sufficient for your needs. One of the biggest differences between the MB and MBP is the GPU and since you're using PS which is more cpu bound then GPU bound you should be ok. I'd boots the ram to the max and slap in a fast hard drive into that puppy and I think you'll be happy with the performance.

[OreoCookie]

Cpu-wise, there is little difference between a MacBook and a MacBook Pro. Since you haven't mentioned Aperture or Motion, the gpu won't play a major role in what you do. Regarding plastic vs. metal case, MacBooks are (in my experience) not less sturdy than ProBooks: both show signs of wear (but differently), but the enclosures are similarly stable (it's debatable whether cracks or dents are more visually pleasing). I've had a bad bike accident (no surgery, fortunately, thanks to my helmet). I thought my computer was surely busted, but my ProBook just has a dent and a cosmetic glitch on the display (looks like a dead pixel).

I've owned several iBooks, 2 PowerBooks and I'm typing this on a ProBook. My best friend exchanged his top-of-the-line ProBook for a MacBook which he connects to a 23" ACD HD -- works just fine. It shows definite wear on the hand rests from sweat and heat (just like my iBooks).

[mduell]

For the programs you listed, the video card doesn't matter and probably won't matter over the lifetime of the machine. I think you'll be fine with a 2.4Ghz C2D and 4GB RAM for a couple years.

[forumhound]

yes i agree with all that is said here and i have first hand experience, said it all on this board before but the short of it is while traveling, i HAD to get a new macbook and max it out to get a project done, as my mbp crapped out AGAIN and went to applecare for repair. i had a TM backup of the mbp (luckily) and installed that on the new MB and never noticed any performance difference when finishing my project on the new box. Essentially, it saved my butt as well as my client relationship. The new mb is the wife's now and she is very happy surfing and emailing away with it. BUT the only problem with the mb is the screen resolution, which won't push an external monitor higher then a resolution of 1024x768. So if u want to do any serious design work, u may find that limiting. BTW, i wonder if there is a usb device that u could plug into the mbp to boost the screen resolution? If so, it would be a perfect mbp replacement if using with an external monitor. just a thought!
coocoo

[Simon]

When comparing the 2.4 GHz MB and MBP people need to keep in mind that it all comes down to
• screen
• GPU
• FW800
• design

If you don't need more than 1280x800, don't work with GPU-accelerated apps (PS for example relies ZERO on the GPU), and don't have/want FW800 expansion, a MB will be just fine. Put the saved money towards RAM and a big, fast HDD.

It used to different as there was an actual performance gap between the MB and the MBP. With the Penryn release this changed and apart from the GPU the performance of the low-end MBP is no better than that of the high-end MB.

[OreoCookie]

Originally Posted by forumhound 

BUT the only problem with the mb is the screen resolution, which won't push an external monitor higher then a resolution of 1024x768.

That's not true, my best friend drives a 23" ACD HD with his MacBook (in addition to the MacBook's puny 13.3" monitor). Works just fine.

How come you think the MacBook is limited to 1024x768?

[Simon]

The MB and MBP both drive 1920x1200 (usually 23" or 24").

The difference is that only the MBP drives the 2560x1600 (30").

[forumhound]

heck i am confused, i am sitting here in front of a brand new MB, and I can't see how it would drive anything over 1024x768! but hey, please let me know!!! thx...

Edit: Sorry, I had the wrong cable plugged into the wrong monitor! the mb does support 1280x1024 externally. that's really decent. so if u are working in a studio and u need an mbp at the mb price, and u dont need fw800, the mb is a great deal. I can't give the mbp high marks for design. Mine's junk in that regard and falling apart just like all the other pics show on the forum boards. cheers!

[OreoCookie]

Make sure to uncheck the `sync displays' box.

Does your monitor have a DVI or VGA connector?

[The Placid Casual]

Thanks for the detailed responses everyone, much appreciated. My external screen is an Apple 20" job, so looks like it will be fine... Macbook it is!