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GAMER
Gaming Demi-god
Joined: 22 Sep 2002
Posts: 1393
Location: chasing chikeds in the snow!
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 Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:20 am
Post subject: MacBook vs. MacBook PRO |
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I think i asked something similar to this a while ago last time i was considering buying a laptop...
I want to know what i should buy.
Right now, the two main contestants are the MacBook and the 13inch MacBook PRO because they've been recommended by my uni as the best for the course i'm doing...
I want to use my potential computer as my home computer but also for uni, where i will be doing graphic design stuff - possibly including video editing?
I have limited experience with Mac's...
I used them at school and also at uni, but never at home.
Possibly a silly question, but how do i play games on a mac?
Do i use WINE?
Also, i read something about the new macs being able to boot in windows if need-be... Is this something that the MacBook and MacBook PRO do? And is this easy to manage?
I am rather limited for cash, and that is why i am wondering between the MacBook and the PRO. I can't really see a huge enough difference to warrant the extra spending, particularly when i wouldn't want to fork out for the extra inchs in the 15inch PRO.
I'm open to other suggestions apart from these... but that's what i've been looking at and i'd like some opinions please. 
Thanks.
 GAMER |
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Larry Laffer
Moderator
Joined: 19 Feb 2006
Posts: 3808
Location: Romania
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| Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:58 am
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IIRC both of them can run Windows(Intel Core 2 Duo processors) so dualbooting it is an option(internet rumor has it that Windows drains the battery faster, but I don't know anything about that).
Yes, you can run Windows apps on MacOS with Wine with various success rates(ie: some may run slower).
That being said, if a MacBook can do it, so can any other notebook that doesn't have the Apple stamp on it. Video and image editing works quite well on "regular" notebooks as well.
Also, in before Wally. |
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emmzee
Site Admin
Joined: 14 Sep 2002
Posts: 2110
Location: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
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| Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 11:41 am
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| Not to be an Apple hater (I do own an iPhone so it's not like I'm anti-Apple or whatever), but since you've said you have "limited cash" why not buy a cheaper/faster Windows-based laptop instead? Unless there are specific reasons why you need a Mac for your courses (ie, programs that will only run in OSX) then I'd suggest leaving the slick-looking Macs behind and buying a cheaper Windows lappy ... there's plenty of good choices available. |
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2LT Worm
American Hero
Joined: 25 May 2004
Posts: 1232
Location: Indianapolis, IN
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| Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 11:50 am
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For the extra $300 you get
-a brighter screen
-two hours extra battery life
-a backlit keyboard
-a touchpad a la the iPhone
and it's slightly lighter.
The only problem I see with getting the smaller MacBook Pro is that the video card is really bad. If you're going to be doing anything with images or video, you want a good graphics card.
For an onboard graphics card, it's decent, but I would want a more powerful card if I could get it.
If you get a Mac, you could run Parallels or Q to run Windows inside of Mac OS X. I hear Parallels runs really nicely, but it costs money. Then, you can run any game you want. |
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GAMER
Gaming Demi-god
Joined: 22 Sep 2002
Posts: 1393
Location: chasing chikeds in the snow!
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| Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 8:50 pm
Post subject: Re: MacBook vs. MacBook PRO |
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| GAMER wrote: |
Right now, the two main contestants are the MacBook and the 13inch MacBook PRO because they've been recommended by my uni as the best for the course i'm doing...
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I'm pretty sure we need a mac...
It says on the guideline thing to get one of the ones that can dual-boot.
Worm - I'm not sure what you mean when you say, "the smaller MacBook Pro". Do you mean that the 13inch and the 15inch have different video cards? I hadn't noticed that. Or do you mean the video card in the MacBook compared to the Macbook Pro?
Is there a way to run Mac-only software through windows?
GAMER |
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2LT Worm
American Hero
Joined: 25 May 2004
Posts: 1232
Location: Indianapolis, IN
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| Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:06 pm
Post subject: Re: MacBook vs. MacBook PRO |
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| GAMER wrote: | Worm - I'm not sure what you mean when you say, "the smaller MacBook Pro". Do you mean that the 13inch and the 15inch have different video cards? I hadn't noticed that. Or do you mean the video card in the MacBook compared to the Macbook Pro?
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Both of the 13" MacBook Pro and the lower-end 15" have on-board cards, but the higher-end 15" has an additional card.
However, I put that higher-end's cost through the currency conversion, and it's pretty expensive!
I'd say, if your university recommends either of those computers, they'll do the work.
| GAMER wrote: | | Is there a way to run Mac-only software through windows? |
I don't think so.
However, if you're really that opposed to losing Windows, I'd highly recommend this: http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/stm/ |
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Larry Laffer
Moderator
Joined: 19 Feb 2006
Posts: 3808
Location: Romania
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| Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 3:05 am
Post subject: Re: MacBook vs. MacBook PRO |
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Isn't Parallels a virtual machine emulator? And doesn't it suffer from the same design flaws as Virtual PC?(ie: poor <3D> video emulation and resource hogging on lower end computers)? |
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2LT Worm
American Hero
Joined: 25 May 2004
Posts: 1232
Location: Indianapolis, IN
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| Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 9:27 am
Post subject: Re: MacBook vs. MacBook PRO |
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| Larry Laffer wrote: | | Isn't Parallels a virtual machine emulator? And doesn't it suffer from the same design flaws as Virtual PC?(ie: poor <3D> video emulation and resource hogging on lower end computers)? |
From what I hear, it works fairly well...much better than VirtualPC.
Although, if that frightens up, there's always Boot Camp. That way, you can boot to Windows if you want. But like Larry said, it'll probably drain your battery faster than using OS X. |
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dosraider
Moderator
Joined: 15 Mar 2005
Posts: 6797
Location: ROTFLMAO in Belgium.
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| Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:05 am
Post subject: Re: MacBook vs. MacBook PRO |
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| 2LT Worm wrote: | | Although, if that frightens up, there's always Boot Camp. That way, you can boot to Windows if you want. But like Larry said, it'll probably drain your battery faster than using OS X. |
Depends, if you set up your energy settings to minimal energy use and minimal performance on battery (that's what Mac does when switching to battery) it's kinda the same.
Windows usually sets a 'balanced' settibg by default, a bit more performance on battery but drains faster.
About parallels and VPC, Parallels is indeed a 'bit' better then VPC -(and it isn't cheap neither, VPC is freeware after all ...)-, but it's still only a shadow compared to the real thing. You won't run STALKER or FarCry on it in a decent manner.
And Gamer, if you really 'must' have a Mac for Uni, now yeah, don't be a cheap ass -(Mac and cheap ass is kinda contradictory, isn't it ?)- certainly if you're going to need it to do graphic and/or video editing, you gonna need a powerful laptop, sure thing.
You never have enough raw power for such applics.
It will probably hurt your wallet -(all Mac related stuffs do so)-, but you really gonna need good stuff to be able to deliver decent work.
Damn, I hate Macs .... or better said, what Mac has become lately. |
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Larry Laffer
Moderator
Joined: 19 Feb 2006
Posts: 3808
Location: Romania
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| Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 1:50 pm
Post subject: Re: MacBook vs. MacBook PRO |
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| dosraider wrote: | | Damn, I hate Macs .... or better said, what Mac has become lately. |
What Microsoft products were years ago?  |
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Dogbreath
Admin
Joined: 14 Sep 2002
Posts: 4328
Location: In the back of a jacked-up Ford.
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| Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 9:09 pm
Post subject: Re: MacBook vs. MacBook PRO |
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| Larry Laffer wrote: | | dosraider wrote: | | Damn, I hate Macs .... or better said, what Mac has become lately. |
What Microsoft products were years ago? |
But a lot more expensive. |
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2LT Worm
American Hero
Joined: 25 May 2004
Posts: 1232
Location: Indianapolis, IN
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| Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 9:33 am
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lol, that's funny, because many of the things that Microsoft is doing now is aping Apple's business model.
-Microsoft Live Market vs. Apple App Store
-Microsoft stores with on-site "gurus" vs. Apple stores with Mac Geniuses
-Windows Vista/7's on-board applications and GUI vs. OS X (since 2001)
-the Zune (a few years too late) |
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Larry Laffer
Moderator
Joined: 19 Feb 2006
Posts: 3808
Location: Romania
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| Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:25 am
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Except for the fact that the "gurus" are technically better.
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dosraider
Moderator
Joined: 15 Mar 2005
Posts: 6797
Location: ROTFLMAO in Belgium.
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| Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 11:51 am
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....... do I feel a topic split coming soon??? Do I?
Do I? |
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