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boomerdang · Aug 28, 2006, 05:05 AM

I'm new to mac laptops and was wondering if some one had the time they could run through some real differences between the 1.83ghz and the 2.0ghz macbook.
a superdrive doesn't seem to be worth the $200 difference to me. Is the .17ghz noticably different?

harrisjamieh · Aug 28, 2006, 05:12 AM

Actually, your $200 won't even get you the 20GB extra.... thats what you get with the more expensive black model.

The middle model differs only from the base model in terms of a superdrive and a slightly faster processor.

I agree that its not good value for money, but unfortunatly its the only way you can get a superdrive in a MacBook, without taking the whole thing apart to upgrade the drive in the base model.

And no, you won't notice a difference in speed between thr 1.83 and the 2.0, unless you are doing heavy rendering like final cut, in which case you may notice a couple of seconds shaved off rendering times... but only very minor

boomerdang · Aug 28, 2006, 05:25 AM

Thanks-- How much do external dvd burners run for?

harrisjamieh · Aug 28, 2006, 05:32 AM

You can go for something like this, which retails at $55

houstonmacbro · Sep 13, 2006, 07:19 AM

yeah, i have a buddy who never uses his onboard dvd writer preferring to use an external (like the one shown).

Eug · Sep 13, 2006, 08:00 AM

After having to use an external DVD burner with a few laptops, I vowed never again to get a laptop without a built-in DVD burner. They're such a pain in the arse if you need to use them more than rarely, or if you ever travel with the laptop of course.

As for the 1.83 vs. 2.0, you may be able to notice the clockspeed in some stuff but it's certainly not a major difference.

houstonmacbro · Sep 13, 2006, 08:12 AM

the apple site has them (black macbooks) in my price range so i might just go ahead and bite the bullet. still wondering about 'what if?' with the chipspeed bumps ahead, graphics chips (integrated) and all that, but i figure i can use the money i will save to buy something else down the line.

Eug · Sep 13, 2006, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by houstonmacbro

the apple site has them (black macbooks) in my price range so i might just go ahead and bite the bullet. still wondering about 'what if?' with the chipspeed bumps ahead, graphics chips (integrated) and all that, but i figure i can use the money i will save to buy something else down the line.

Why don't you just get the white and configure it to match the black? It's hella cheaper to do that then spend the extra money on the black enclosure.

chenyichung · Sep 13, 2006, 10:01 AM

will a 1.83GHz macbook with 2GB ram be faster than a 2.0GHz macbook with 512GHz?? Also, can I just get any brand ram as long as it's ddr2 667 200pin PC5300?

Eug · Sep 13, 2006, 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by chenyichung

will a 1.83GHz macbook with 2GB ram be faster than a 2.0GHz macbook with 512GHz??

Well, 512 GHz is pretty fast.

But seriously, 512 MB is totally useless. It can get painfully slow, especially on an Intel Mac.
1 GB is OK to pretty good, depending on what you do. 2 GB is excellent.

Also, can I just get any brand ram as long as it's ddr2 667 200pin PC5300?

Yes, as long as it's good quality.

chenyichung · Sep 13, 2006, 10:18 AM

oh yea, sorry for the mistake on the 512, hehe
so is memory from compUSA good? They usually have pretty good deals on 1GB memory. Last week they had PNY PC5300 for $80 after rebates.

luckyjoe · Sep 13, 2006, 10:24 AM

My 2.0 MB typically runs around 1.5ghz most of the time, with the full 2.0gHz speed kicking in under higher loads (video editing). I too needed to have abuilt-in DVD writer, so the faster processor was an extra. I also prefer the white MB, so I was please to see that the extra $ spent on the blackbook only buys color!

If you do get an external DVD writer, you can get one that does dual layer.

Regards,

Tom P.

houstonmacbro · Sep 13, 2006, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by luckyjoe

My 2.0 MB typically runs around 1.5ghz most of the time, with the full 2.0gHz speed kicking in under higher loads (video editing). I too needed to have abuilt-in DVD writer, so the faster processor was an extra. I also prefer the white MB, so I was please to see that the extra $ spent on the blackbook only buys color!

If you do get an external DVD writer, you can get one that does dual layer.

Regards,

Tom P.

how do you know how fast your machine is running at different loads? is there some sort of widget or something that tells you this?

scheck32 · Oct 12, 2006, 11:24 PM

I have also been looking into purchasing a Macbook. One of my questions have been basically answered already dealing with the difference between the 1.83GHz and 2.0GHz models. My other question is.....is it worth waiting until Leopard comes out to order my new MacBook??