Macbook Pro 13 vs competition

I have been considering a new laptop for a while now. I want something small that can handle a bit of gaming. i.e. new games, but I don't require all maximum settings. Whilst I had been set on the Alienware M11x (R2) I recently came across the Macbook Pro 13 inch (2010 basic model with student discount). Initially I did not think that Macbooks would be a viable gaming option, however, from the videos on Youtube, it seams that the 13 inch Macbook Pro can run GTA4 and other first person shooter games quite well.

I would be very grateful if anyone could answer a few questions I have about the Macbook Pro to help me decide which laptop to get.

- How does the Macbook handle strategy games such as Napoleon: Total War or Dawn of War 2? Most of the videos on Yotube show shooter games, but I am not so interested in these.

- How hot does the laptop get when running games in Windows 7 through Bootcamp? The person in the Apple shop said that heat in this situation was not a big issue but I have noticed concerns about this raised on this forum.

- Is it a hastle to manage 2 separate systems (OSX and Windows)? Would I need to install virus protection software in OSX as well as Windows for example?

- How well does software run under OSX as opposed to Windows? For example, how does Photoshop or Microsoft Office run on the Macbook in OSX as opposed to under Windows on other laptops?

- How future proof would the Macbook be with its old(ish) processors?

- Finally, one thing I have noticed about the Macbooks are the very sharp edges where you rest your wrists. Does this become uncomfortable after long periods?

Any comments on which of these two laptops you recommend (as well as any other alternatives you might have) would also be more then welcome.

 

To start off, I'm not a Mac hater. I've owned both PC's and Mac's. From what I've found, Macs are way too hot to game in bootcamp. You should get the Alienware if you plan to play any other game besides: WoW, Sims, or Spore. For everything except gaming, Mac's are great. The Alienware is good for everything, including gaming.

 

I've never run Windows on mine, or those exact games... so I'm not quite sure. The graphics will not be as good as the alienware, its a weaker card, but its still quite good for an IGP, and decent for gaming... gaming at native screen rez and proper settings.... but its not designed for gaming, so don't expect a powerhouse.

I have no idea about Windows temps, but in OSX I have to push it really hard to get into the 80s.. often playing games its somewhere in the upper 70s.

that depends on you... I hate it, and its why I only run OSX. Yes the OSes are separate if you dual boot.. so any security software in one OS is not in play at all when that OS is not running.

not an easy to answer question... all software I run runs fantastic. I don't have other current laptops that run Windows, so I have no way to compare... but it doesn't leave me wanting at all to even worry about checking.

even right now its a quick CPU... through the life of the machine it should still function fine. Wether its a good buy for you or not highly depends on what your going to throw at it. Most games do not need a very strong processor. Theres still people with newer graphics cards gaming on old dual core Pentium 4s which aren't nearly as good as these C2Ds... and running fine. But having the "latest and greatest" is worth some bragging rights for a short time, even if the actual benefit to you is negligible.

they aren't sharp at all... I've never had any issue with comfort related to the machine.

if all you want to do is game.. get a Windows gaming machine.

 

doh123 covered all of your questions perfectly I think.

 

You're asking a lot of windows and gaming questions, so I think the Alienware is a no brainer.

FYI from personal experience GTA4 is barely playable on low settings on the 320M. Compared to the Xbox version, you notice lag even on low settings. The 320M is a huge step up for the Macbook family, but it's not yet powerful enough to handle mainstream games.

 

The Macbook Pro is not future proof. If you really are a gamer you might want to consider the Envy 14 if it's the MBP's form factor that's making you look its way.

While the MBP 13 is a competent machine, it just can't hang with the likes of the Envy 14 when it comes to gaming.

Edit: And by gaming I don't mean that Mickey Mouse stuff, I mean serious games that demand resources.

 

- How does the Macbook handle strategy games such as Napoleon: Total War or Dawn of War 2? Most of the videos on Yotube show shooter games, but I am not so interested in these.

I have a macbook pro - late 2009 model. It struggles a bit with Total War on higher-ish settings, but things run ok on lower settings

- How hot does the laptop get when running games in Windows 7 through Bootcamp? The person in the Apple shop said that heat in this situation was not a big issue but I have noticed concerns about this raised on this forum.

My laptop gets too hot to have in my lap while gaming, and I have fried components before. I do stress my systems though.

- Is it a hastle to manage 2 separate systems (OSX and Windows)? Would I need to install virus protection software in OSX as well as Windows for example?

I very much dislike it. I only have games on my windows partition and even so I don't play them as much as I otherwise might due to the hassle of switching operating systems.

- How well does software run under OSX as opposed to Windows? For example, how does Photoshop or Microsoft Office run on the Macbook in OSX as opposed to under Windows on other laptops?

Can't answer that - I use ms office x, which runs fine but is also a decade old ... heh.

- How future proof would the Macbook be with its old(ish) processors?

Hard question - the newer processors generally seem to offer better battery life and stronger performance. Its not a huge difference though - so if you saw a great deal on an old processor model it would probably be worth taking. Otherwise I wouldn't.

- Finally, one thing I have noticed about the Macbooks are the very sharp edges where you rest your wrists. Does this become uncomfortable after long periods?

Personally I've found it to be uncomfortable after a few hours of typing, but only moderately so. It depends on your anatomy/physiology.

Any comments on which of these two laptops you recommend (as well as any other alternatives you might have) would also be more then welcome.

I would recommend either:
Alienware m11x - if you value battery life /portability over gaming
HP Envy 14 - if you value gaming over battery life /portability
Macbook - if you don't really care much about windows or gaming. It sounds like you do though, so I can't really recommend it.

 

2010 13" Macbook Pros have basically 1.5X to 2X the graphics performance of earlier 13" MBPs

2010s are a bit cooler, but all Macs run hot.

just for those reading who may not know...

 

Sorry, I should specify - I have a 15'' late 2009 macbook pro, not 13''.

 

What about games like Starcraft, the new one coming July 27th and Civilization 5. Thoughts?

 

It'll probably be able to run those games smoothly on medium.

But at the moment the 320M could *barely* run mainstream games (Crysis, GTA4, etc) on low, so I don't think it's a viable or future proof gaming option for most people.

 

I see. If I could do those I'd be happy. Not a gamer PC gamer anymore per se. Thats what the consoles are for.

 

Zarzak answered as how I would answer. I owned a unibody mb 13 and at first it was just WoW and minor games.. After awhile I got more into pc gaming and had to switch back to windows for better gaming.

Anyway, yes the edges get bother some after awhile. My forearms would get uncomfortable and creases lol. Also it is very ray to boot into windows or osx but I found myself not wanting to, so I gamed less unless I was dead set on having a session. I didn't like that. Having most of my stuff in osx and having to quit out while I game. I multitask often while playing.. Chat, music, etc. write was fine thanks to mac client but my steam games didn't get played as much. Luckily steam is out for mac and but I had to use crossover games.

I love my M11x but thinking of getting envy 14 due to power and screen. Debating on giving up the m11x. Anyway if thee are tips or weird words sorry on my android with swype.

 

I actually own a 2010 13" Macbook Pro, and can tell you a few things:
1) It handles GTA4 and Crysis surprisingly well
2) It doesn't get any hotter than most laptops straining against games - certainly not hot enough to fry anything

I'm a casual gamer...I usually stick to Eve online, but I'm also playing games like Borderlands and GTA4. After reading some of the threads in this forum, I've done a few things:
- In Bootcamp, I overclock the drastically underclocked 320M to around 631/1300
- In OSX, before restarting in Windows, I auto set the fan to run at 6000rpm

That's it. Temps NEVER go above 72 celcius, 3DMark06 hits 5360. I'll check my settings for GTA4 when I get home, but I can tell you that Borderlands runs at 1024x768, all settings on medium, and I'm getting 45-60fps steady.

Everyone who posted here is correct - the 13" is not a gaming laptop, and it isn't meant to be. If you see yourself playing a lot of PC games, go with the M11x.

However, if you only see yourself causally enjoying a game once in a while, and don't feel the need to count frame rates and stuff, the 13" is VERY satisfactory.

 

Thanks everyone for the detailed and honest advice. I think that I have been slightly drawn in by the overall slick presentation of the macbook and of course, the free ipod touch (student offer). Apple are very good at this marketing stuff! When I stop and consider it, I am not sure how much I would benefit from having these things. I suppose people here have been right. Whilst it seams that the performance of the new hardware is good, other than for occasional gaming, switching to bootcamp (setting the fan at a certain speed, restarting the computer, not having access to all the things on the OSX partition) would be a real hastle. I am not a hardcore gamer by any means (my current PC has 512MB RAM!) and am sure that the processor and graphics card would be more than fine, but I aggree with others that having to switch onto bootcamp would put me off playing games in the first place.

Saying that however, I still really like the screen and feel of the trackpad, as well as some of the software that comes with OSX (e.g. the movie maker). It is just I am not sure the sacrifices I would have to make are worth it.

 

When you handle one that has been running all day, and it is cool to the touch, its hard to believe it has competition.

The 320m, long battery, metal shell and cool running put it in a class of its own.

I'll probably get one as soon as Apple adds trim support in OSX.

 

Dont worry about trim support as the intel x25-m G2 SSD drives only has a 5% at most degradation in long term usage (andtech did a testing on it) even without garbage collection or trim function.

 

MBP 13....waste of money actually.

Take a look at this for your gaming and portability needs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPNFQX1JYOU


Talk done!

 

The Envy 14 is a beautiful PC laptop....emphasis on the PC part.

If you want a laptop for games and portability, tons of pC options are available. If you want decent gaming, excellent portability, 7-8 hours real-world battery life, OSX, and a laptop that won't melt, the 13" MBP is just dandy.

It might be a waste of money for you, but if that's the case, what are you doing trolling a Macbook forum?

 

Not trolling my good man. The man asked mac vs competition and I'm in the right topic. Just informing individuals who I clearly see are jumping onto the mac hype due to the amazing marketing campaign from making a big mistake and getting a system they regret.

The only reason one should get a mac these days is OSX and programs that can run only on OSX. If I needed programs from OSX, I'd buy a mac. But the truth is that all my PC programs can run circles and outperform anything that OSX and its programs can do and at a much lower cost. More money in my pocket means more money I can spend on other tools of productivity than just one machine.

 

I know the OP asked for people's opinions, but to call the MBP a waste of money is an exagerration to say the least. Whether you go MBP or something else all comes down to priorities. What are the top things you need?

Portability
Power
Games
Longevity
Ease of Use
Compatibility
Battery Life
Value

There are probably quite a few other categories that I am forgetting. If you compare all 13 and 14" laptops on the market across all of these categories and take out the fanboy opinions, you will inevitably find the MBP on the short list. I am not even a Mac user, I JUST (this week) ordered my first. Does it have the best specs? No. Is it the lightest? Not by a long shot. Is it the most powerful? Nope. The reasons I chose the MBP over other entries (including the Envy) is that I felt it had the best combination of qualities.

Once I got over the hurdle that I should not just be chasing specs, the decision was not a difficult one for me.

 

Personally, I think your asking the wrong questions. Are you going to be gaming mostly or doing work? Are you going off to college?

From what I can tell, you seem to be a gamer. I do not own a MBP, but I passed on buying one, mainly because they're too expensive and not worth it IMO. Pardon me for saying so, I know this is the Apple subforum, and most if not all the people here probably love Apple-I apologize.

So if I were you, I'd get a Windows computer, preferably an Alienware or Asus laptop, just so you won't have to go through the hassle of bootcamp as other Apple users have stated.

If you want a decent blend between gaming and college work (I'm assuming your going to off to college), then I'd take a look at the Envy 14 and upcoming Asus models.

 

If you're going to be using this as a windows machine primarily, I would look into the Envy 14 instead. The only reason that I am getting the MBP 15 is because of OS X. The Envy 14 is a better choice as long as you stay away from the quad core processors.

Seriously, the E14 is the best choice here as long as you can deal with the crappy trackpad.