Black MacBook vs. MacBook Pro

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dibbs

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 16, 2006
Messages
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I am currently in the market for a new laptop. I am looking at the Black Macbook and Macbook Pro. I understand that the Macbook Pro definitely has the edge in aesthetics but I am curious about the performance increase between the two. I notice that the Macbook Pro has a higher screen resolution and dedicated graphics but is that really the only difference between the two ... I am referring to the Macbook Pro 128mb version. In other words would I be paying $500 extra for the graphics card?

If anyone has any input please let me know. Thanks in advance.
 
I've owned both laptops (white MB and MBP). For internet, e-mail, general apps, etc. there's not much of a performance gap between the two. However, for any graphics-intensive apps (games, multimedia development, video editing, etc.) the MBP truly outclasses the MB. It all depends on what you want to do with your laptop. Personally, I think the MBP is well worth the extra cost. I don't game on mine, but use it for all my work-related stuff which includes video/simulation development. That, plus the bigger, higher-rez screen, aluminum case, thinner build, etc. made the difference for me.

Whichever one you choose, buy a 4GB RAM upgrade from NewEgg. It'll cost less than $100 and the extra memory makes a big difference.
 
Yeah, that's what I figured was the case. I am most likely going with the MBP. I wish the student discount applied to the refurbished store :(.The funny thing I noticed was that to upgrade from 2GB to 4GB in the configuration options on Apple's website that it costs an extra $700. Do they realize how cheap memory really is? Do people actually pay that much? I think it's insane.

Thanks for all of the help.
 
Well, the tihng about it is that you might be, essentially, paying that extra amount of money for the biggere screen and the better graphics card. But, there are alot of positive things because of this - alot of people know that if you want graphics and a good, high-end (but not too expensive) laptop is the Macbook and more preferably, the MacBook Pro. Before buying, you should considder whether you will need that extra graphics performance
 
I am most likely going to play some wow on it. I am pretty confident that the 8600m gt can handle wow. I had an old powerbook g4 (the last generation before they switched to intel) and it ran wow at playable frame rates (a little lag in the city) but it was doable. I also do some graphic design and photo editing (photoshop).

Also, how long do you guys usually hang onto your macbook pro's before it is time to upgrade?
 
i have a blackbook currently, and wish i had the extra cash at the time to get the MBP. I too try to play wow on my mb but it anything other then browsing the AH and solo questing is horrid. Though the cost difference at the time was double. i bought my blackbook refurb for $1000, and cheapest MBP(new) is $2k(refurbs with the 8600 were very hard to get).

When the next MBP revision comes out i will be picking one up with the 256mb gfx card in it.
 
hell i raided mc and bwl on the laptop in my sig (intel integrated shared vram) when my main was messed up, wow can run on nearly anything
 
im going to disagree, while i haven't used one with a x3100. the 950gma in mine is gets the worst framerates in any of TBC zones. Try pvping with it and its very frustrating. Also trying to do any raiding/pvping on the 13" screen doesn't seem to work for me, its way to small. Sure you can hook it up to an external monitor but then your still limited by the graphics.
 
The key is making sure your MB has the X3100. Many Apple Store refurbs have the older GMA 950.
 
Mr. Wolf said:
The key is making sure your MB has the X3100. Many Apple Store refurbs have the older GMA 950.
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Indeed. Some ways to look for this is an 800MHz FSB and a max RAM capacity of 4GB. It would also be running Leopard if it had an X3100.
 
I really like the resolution and dedicated graphics on the MacBook Pro. I am going to check into the benchmarks between the x3100 and geforce 8600m gt, I would would assume a decent if not drastic difference. The only thing I am waiting for right now is an update. If it doesn't come soon I am just going to make the purchase ... I think. I wish the term "Buyers Remorse!" was never coined.
 
It really comes down to size. Personaly the macbook pro is too big for me to want to carry around. If you are going to travel with it a lot then a smaller notebook is nice.

I was hoping that they would come out with a smaller pro level notebook like in the past where they had a 12 inch powerbook. Instead they came out with the macbook air which just really doesn't do it for me.
 
swatbat said:
It really comes down to size. Personaly the macbook pro is too big for me to want to carry around. If you are going to travel with it a lot then a smaller notebook is nice.

I was hoping that they would come out with a smaller pro level notebook like in the past where they had a 12 inch powerbook. Instead they came out with the macbook air which just really doesn't do it for me.
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Get a Sony TZ then. They are in the same price range. 2.65lbs with standard battery.

A macbook pro is 5.6lbs vs macbook 5lbs+

my macbook only gets 4hrs on regular usage. :(
 
Cheetoz said:
WoW needs a good graphics card?! :eek:

I thought MMO's are CPU intensive
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sorry to get a little OT, but the biggest thing that will help WoW along is ram, at least 1 gig of it at that, ive run WoW on a celly and a 9600 just fine
 
the next revision is suppose to come out within the next month or so
 
My blackbook C2D 2ghz is painful to use with Photoshop with other apps running. I can keep waiting for a bit more for the next MBP rev. because I'd kick myself if I buy today and they end up changing the form factor.
 
Student discount or not, Apple's online store is a total rip-off. They rake you over the coals for any sort of memory or HDD upgrades and charge you sales tax no matter where you live (presumably because they have an Apple store in your state - even though you're not buying it there). I bought my G4 iBook there in early 2005, with the student discount (because I'm actually a STUDENT), and ended up having to pay sales tax and wait nearly three weeks to receive it because I wanted a bigger HDD and a whopping 768MB RAM. Apparently this requires special intervention from Steve Jobs, who was on vacation at the time. And then about 14 months later the Main Logic Board and RAM failed (I find this fishy, but I wasn't willing to work on a Mac at the time). I did log over 20,000 actual miles with the thing, but I wasn't climbing Everest, I was on trains and planes. Eventually my $1700 (incl. "repairs") iBook was given to my mother to keep her away from Windows.

I just bought my MacBook last week from Newegg for $5 less than retail price (no big deal there, obviously) but saved over $100 on sales tax and bought 4GB of RAM for it for $120. The Apple Store upgrade price? $850. Total Newegg price with $40 2-day UPS shipping and 4GB RAM upgrade was $1650...it was gonna be $2500~ on Apple.com, IIRC. Plus tax.

Performance-wise, I don't notice a huge difference in "snappiness" with the 4GB RAM and probably would've been fine with 2GB. It doesn't choke on anything, though. I'll mostly be using Linux on it as soon as the issues with the trackpad are sorted out (it's basically broken right now, but kernel patches should have it fixed by the end of the week). Discrete graphics are nice, but my MacBook is definitely not a desktop replacement for me, so I saved $500 and am gonna buy an 8800GTS with the difference.
 
True, the reason I am leaning toward the MacBook Pro is because it will be being used a desktop replacement. A desktop replacement that I don't plan on upgrading for 2-3 years. By upgrade, I mean purchase a whole new system. The resolution and independent graphics card is looking better and better. I am waiting for the MacBook Pro update, even though it doesn't seem to be coming, so I may just take a stop off at the Apple Refurbished Store.
 
iantosca said:
True, the reason I am leaning toward the MacBook Pro is because it will be being used a desktop replacement. A desktop replacement that I don't plan on upgrading for 2-3 years. By upgrade, I mean purchase a whole new system. The resolution and independent graphics card is looking better and better. I am waiting for the MacBook Pro update, even though it doesn't seem to be coming, so I may just take a stop off at the Apple Refurbished Store.
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I'm in the same boat as you.. The more and more I read; people say to NOT use the MacBook Pro as a desktop replacement. With everything I've read, i've decided to go with a Mac Pro and later get a cheaper laptop for if I really need to go on the road. Right now, I have an aging PC that needs to be replaced and I have a Powerbook G4, which should do me just fine for now. A friend of mine has a MacBook Pro 17" and recently bought a Mac Pro... it's like night and day... and they're about the same price.
 
"Don't use the MacBook Pro as a desktop replacement" ... I never really understood that. As, of course, it is a matter of what you use the computer for. I had a PowerBook G4 and used it for everything ... graphic design, photo editing, light gaming (wow), office, etc. and it was perfect. Not exactly heavy use though.

Is carrying it around really a problem for some people? At 1" inch thick and under 6 lbs. I feel like it is extremely conducive to travel. Once again, I guess it is a matter of opinion, however, I would love to hear all of your thoughts.
 
I've owned well over 20 laptops since 2001 and my MacBook Pro is among the 2-3 easiest to carry every day. I'm not sure how Apple pulled it off, but the MBP "feels" lighter than it is. When I think about some of the true "desktop replacement" laptops I've owned, like the nearly 10 pound 17" Sager 5720 w/256MB 7800GT Go & Pentium M 2.0GHz Dothan, it's laughable to say an MBP like mine could not be considered an excellent desktop replacement. I say get yourself a big LCD and go for it!
 
Not sure if people are responding to the end of my post, or to other articles, so I'll offer a bit of clarification just in case.

I never said that the MacBook Pro isn't going to suffice as a primary computer for anyone, because I don't own one. I just said that my MacBook, which is not a Pro, is not replacing my desktop. It's portable, it's faster and has more RAM than my desktop...but it doesn;t have the video horsepower. Maybe a Pro does; I don't know.

If the responses were to something else, feel free to disregard this post. :cool:
 
I could see where the confusion happened.

Master Shredder said "the more I read people say not too use the macbook pro as a desktop replacement".

I was just replying to he said other people were saying ...

Haha, I should probably make references, my bad.
 
I love my MBP but I would never consider using it as a desktop replacement.

1) Due to its thickness (or thinness, if you will), it gets hot pretty fast. When I use it to do some serious video encoding or something else that hits the hard drive often, I start to worry about the drive. I think a good desktop replacement should have better cooling than the MBP does.

2) There is no docking station available for the MBP. That's another I want from a desktop replacement. My Dell XPS 1710 is a behemoth but it has a docking station, runs cool and happily runs closed (can be started up from a button on the docking station).

But as far as its traveling capability, the MBP can't be beat for versatility and low weight combined.
 
gunnm74 said:
I love my MBP but I would never consider using it as a desktop replacement.

1) Due to its thickness (or thinness, if you will), it gets hot pretty fast. When I use it to do some serious video encoding or something else that hits the hard drive often, I start to worry about the drive. I think a good desktop replacement should have better cooling than the MBP does.
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The only time my MBP gets kinda hot is gaming. Using Final Cut, Photoshop etc, doesn't seem to do much even when shut. When I am not at work I have it closed and connected to the monitor and receiver in my sig for my PC rig. Sure it gets a bit warm, but no more than any other laptop I have owned. I wouldn't worry too much about it unless you are working in a hot room to start with. With normal room ambient temps it is fine.

Gaming where you press the GPU gets it a bit warmer, but even then I really wouldn't worry too much. If it does bother you, no reason you can't have it open while connected to external components.
 
I would go with the MBP because it's only fractionally heavier [half pound heavier] and has a significantly better screen. The screens on Macbooks are utter trash, and I say this having one. The resolution isn't awful; I'd like 1366x768 on the 13.3" but can live with 1280x800 - however, the viewing angle is atrocious. It is awful. Do not expect to do any photo editing with it and be careful if you are in a situation where you are trying to show something to multiple people because some will be able to see it and some just won't.

Besides, either laptop should last you a couple of years, at least, and the screen issue will be enough to piss you off if you go with the Blackbook. And you can game on the MBP - although I don't, you always have that option.
 
Thank you Mad_Pyro. Coupled with all of the opinions, I feel that it safe to say that I am going with the MacBook Pro and upgrading to 4 GB of RAM as soon as possible.

Thanks for all of the input guys, honestly, it was a HUGE help!!! This forum is great!!!
 
If possible I would wait at least a week or two, apple will be refreshing the macbook pros very very soon. There is a shortage of them right now, because they are about to release a new version hopefully with the multi-touch pad and upgraded cpu.
 
Mr. Wolf said:
Whichever one you choose, buy a 4GB RAM upgrade from NewEgg. It'll cost less than $100 and the extra memory makes a big difference.
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I agree, just make sure to get a quality chip as some of the least expensive trade off on reliability. I put 4gb in mine and absolutely love it. Parallels runs smoothly with osx now.
 
Mad_Pyro said:
...the viewing angle is atrocious. It is awful. Do not expect to do any photo editing with it and be careful if you are in a situation where you are trying to show something to multiple people because some will be able to see it and some just won't...and the screen issue will be enough to piss you off if you go with the Blackbook.
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Ehhhhhh, I hate to agree with you but I have to. The viewing angle sucked on my iBook (along with an abysmally dim screen), and the viewing angle still sucks on my BlackBook. Is it better on the MBP?

Personally, I would never try to do photo editing on a laptop screen. Plug it in to a monitor and then the issues clear up (I would assume). Anyone wanna sell me a DVI adapter cheap? :D These numbnuts(es) on eBay are getting retail price and more for them (and I do my best not to buy anything from Apple itself - call me weird, but I have big, big issues with Apple as a company...they just happen to make awesome hardware)!
 
I imagine that photo editing and web design would not be that big of a deal on the Macbook...right? I mean, how bad is it, really? And is the problem in all Macbooks or just ones with certain panels?
 
the res is too low to do that kind of work, you would have to be scrolling all the time.
 
I don't know, it is looking like the MacBook Pro's won't be upgraded until May.
 
TheGodfather47 said:
I imagine that photo editing and web design would not be that big of a deal on the Macbook...right? I mean, how bad is it, really? And is the problem in all Macbooks or just ones with certain panels?
Click to expand...

It's a byproduct of the panel they use in all of the Macbooks. Photo editing is *really* hard if you plan to do any print work, especially. If I set the entire screen as one color, so if say, I set the desktop as a solid shade of blue, the top will be cerulean and the bottom will be periwinkle because of how much the colors shift based on just the angle of my vision - looking straight at it vs just deviating a few degrees.

Web design isn't nearly as bad because colors have to look good but not necessarily be as accurate as they would need to be in a photo. That said, I would also agree with the comment below yours stating that these panels are too low a resolution to do much of that anyway.

If you are just cropping stuff to 4x6 in iPhoto, honestly, it won't make a difference. I shoot for a couple of local publications and it is an issue for me but I wouldn't care if I were just editing and printing out a couple of candid snapshots. Also, glossy screens suck, but nowadays, they are shoved down your throat.
 
MB = MBP in every app including video editing except when using motion or gaming. If you don't game i would get a MB + 24inch lcd and keyboard. If you upgrade the hdd in the mbp you void your applecare too.

edit: and the MB keyboard is better imo.
 
I would agree with the "if you're not a gamer use the savings to buy a 24" LCD" comment. I have the Westinghouse in my sig and I love it so much I bought a second one. Neither one cost me more than $400 and the viewing angle, brightness and colors are amazing.

I was going to make a comment about the HDD replacement, but I just checked the guide and the MBP takes a lot more effort to get to the HDD. In the regular MB you just flip a tab up and snatch out the drive. Put the brackets on new 2.5" HDD, replace. Done. I'm no longer a stranger to the inside of my MacBook, having replaced the wireless card on Saturday, but less work is always a good thing.
 
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