They didn’t notice me in the Mac store today, thankfully. It was pretty uncomfortable, standing right next each other in such a tight space. We said hello as usual, as if nothing had changed, but we both knew it was different. It was awkward as I looked around the store, ogling others. I know that must have hurt, even just a tiny bit, but I couldn’t help it. I need to decide where to go next. We may have finally broken up. It’s still going to take some time to separate, but I think we’ve done it. I will not be buying a MacBook Pro.
Maybe.
The Case For Pro
Yes, it looks sexier than MacBook (MB), sturdier and more sophisticated. The keyboard is nicer on Pro and the casing is better material. Pro has a better graphics card than MB. Pro (the one I’m eyeing) has a 2.16GHz processor; MB only has a 2.0. I’m not a gamer and I don’t think my music production will notice the difference. My writing certainly won’t, nor will my surfing. But once I start doing some video work, I might need that extra umph.
The Case For MB
One of the cool things about my nice Brooklyn Industries bag is the neoprene case built into it. Sadly, they built the bag for 12-inch computers. This was a crushing blow against Pro.
MB fits just fine in my bag and it’s not too much bigger than my current 12-inch iBook G4. That means it won’t take up that much more lap space as I crank away these entries late at night, read student blogs in my bedroom on Sunday afternoons, churn out another helpful handout for the latest in-class project, or write up the latest anti-standardized-testing rant on some other blog. MB is also about $450 less than Pro, yet another reason to opt for the lower model.
Wireless Trouble
Trouble is that wireless broadband finds me on my laptop for more and more of my side projects. A larger computer with a better video card and more pixels means happier eyes as I slave away on some Photoshop project. A Logic Express song, with Reason and GearBox running in the background, might tax MP a bit. Throw in any impending video work and that might tip things more in favor of Pro.
I Just Don’t Know
Can you think of a reason that I should buy Pro and not MB? Is writing, music, design, and video too much for MB and just the right thing for Pro? It’s so hard to break up and I’m not even sure if it’s what I want to do.
I don’t mean to keep you hanging on, Pro. If you need to leave first, I’ll understand.
4 comments
2. Ben says:
Wow, a tough choice there. Personally, with the advent of the Intel MacBooks, I really don’t see much difference when it comes to performance. Sure the MacBook Pros are going to have slightly faster processors, and better heat management, but most of the time I’m never doing anything that would tax my laptop to the point where I feel I should have bought a faster processor.
It’s like car shopping. Do you want to pay extra for the leather and moonroof, when the base model will do exactly what you need it to do?
Then again, a laptop with leather, now that might be something to consider :)
3. Tom says:
I just got a mac book pro for work. I would not have paid the extra money for it had it been my purchase but . . . I love it. I don’t really notice the size difference (but I have no pre-owned bag to worry about).
I do really like the dual display support. I’m not sure the MB has that. I’m starting to do some presenting on a regular basis and the presenter mode is awfully nice to have.
I do a fair amount of video work as well so it’s nice to have every bit of processing I can get. I almost requested a mac pro but realized I would then never get to leave work.
Not really that strong of reasons for the money difference.
Tom
4. Todd says:
Thanks for the ideas, gents. Looks like we’ve got some similar laptop projects going on. Shaking the Magic Eight Ball, “Signs point to MB.”
@mrc: Yeah, the size of Pro is quite a difference. I love the 12-inch iBook and don’t want to wander too far from it. Good to know that things are working out just fine with MB on your end.
@Ben: I don’t think I’ll be doing anything that would make the processor difference noticeable, either. Funny, I’d rather have a laptop with a moonroof than one with leather.
@Tom: Dual-display support is on the list of features for MB. And smart thinking not to request Mac Pro. Those things would suck up your time like nothing else. And I’m feeling the same thing about money you are: there’s not a compelling reason to drop the extra cash, only a few vague ones.
1. mrc says:
[2/21/2007 - 10:07 am]
I went from a 12″ PowerBook G4 to a MacBook (the black one) last year instead of a MB Pro. I had never considered an iBook previously, but size was the controlling factor. I found that switching to Intel and Universal Binary for (most of) the apps I use daily provided a nice boost in speed, even thought I didn’t go for the Pro. I also do music production stuff with it, and it’s much faster than the G4 was. Now that Photoshop is about to come out in Universal Binary, it will run fast as well.
Now if they come out with a Pro in one of the smaller (12 or 13 inch) sizes, it would be a tougher question. The extra pixels gained going from the 12″ PowerBook to the 13″ MacBook were a nice bonus, and the additional real estate helps when tracking out a song. But for me, it’s not worth carrying around a huge (15 or 17 inch) computer just so it can be a little bit faster.