Macbook or Macbook Pro for Architecture

hey guys.

well im set on getting a mac. but the question is which one. the macbook or the macbook pro.

im a student and currently studying architecture so programs like archicad, autocad, illustrator and photoshop are what i use most.

the laptop would be mainly used in class. the computers at college are all macs and the teachers do tutorials on macs so thats why ive decided to get one to make life easier.

so anyways, the laptop would be only used in class and at home i will be using my pc. so... is it really worth forking about $1k+ extra to get the macbook pro or would the macbook just do?

thank you in advance for any replies


EDIT:

so i waited 2 months for the refresh and the time to buy has finally come! but now its the decision is harder...

so the specs and their price tags are attached.

i really dont know what specs would be efficient in running archicad, illustartor, photoshop etc.

cpu>gpu? 9400m>9400/9600gt?

with the bottom two specs in the picture attachment, im pulling out about AU$800 for a bigger screen and better graphics card? but is it really worth it? would the graphics card in the macbook still run archicad smoothly? i wont be doing any intense 3D rendering/modelling on the laptop as much, thats what my PC is for...

thanks in advance for replies!

 

I personally don't think you need it, the Macbook will be able to run photoshop etc. quite easily as it requires more processing power in conjunction with graphical power rather than graphical processing power alone, of course the Macbook Pro would do a better job but anything you through at the Macbook it should be able to handle it fine.

 

I have a friend who just qualified as an architect. If you are using Archicad, Vectorworks etc please look for a few things to make life easier.

1) High power CPU. Rendering will require heavy number crunching of your projects. My mate said the time involved in her rendering was one of the most annoying issues for her. There is not that much difference between the MB and MBP on this issue but with rendering anything is better.
2) Large amounts of ram. I recommend 4gb. Give your programs a chance to spread their wings and not stall. Our college systems when rendering bottlenecked on CPU + RAM issues. Both MB and MBP can do 4gb (don't buy it from Apple)
3) Hi-res display. Here is one of the area where I reckon the Macbook Pro would suit you best. The current MB runs at 1280 x 800 the MBP at 1400 x 900 (15.4"), 1920 x 1050 (17"). Current generation MB's have a poor quality CCFL display, the MBP 15.4" + 17" have high quality LED displays. Even a slight increase in available display space is noticeable in architectural applications. The display quality itself is very noticeable under almost all conditions and if you are going to be staring at it doing intricate work the MBP will be much better.
4) Snow Leopard + Adobe: Both Apple with Snow Leopard and Adobe with forthcoming software are looking to use the GPU not just CPU to enhance processing (in your case rendering times and display) effectively giving over heavy-duty graphics tasks to the GPU (makes sense). In this the current gen MB wont be able to take advantage as its integrated Intel X3100 isn't dedicated. The MBP's Nvidia 8600M GT would destroy it in such situations. This software is less than a year away and has serious potential to change the state of play in the architectural rendering field. Unless your planning on upgrading to a new laptop within a year the MBP is worth the extra IMHO.

I would ask you though if you can wait till the end of September please do so. The heavily rumoured new MB and possibly new MBP may change the game completely in the next 40 days. Its a lot of mney to spend on an about-to-be-replaced laptop. If they do upgrade the range you can pick up an older model oftentimes at fantastic discounts making the jump to an MBP over MB more palatable financially. Good luck.

 

If you can afford it, then I'd definitely say a MBP over a MacBook. Even though the MacBook will probably run it, the MBP, with just a higher screen resolution and larger screen alone will make running those kinds of software more comfortable.

 

You need 3D graphics. Clear case for MacBook Pro. The dedicated graphics card will be extremely useful.

 

thanks for the reply guys! it has been extremely helpful!

i will definately take Jurisprudence advice to wait a month or so to make a purchase due to the rumoured refresh. this will give me extra time to save save save! and hopefully i'll be able to afford the new MBP once/if it comes out.

what are some of the things i should do before/during/after i make my purchase? for example, is it a good idea to open up the box right then and there infront of the sales person to inspect for anything that doesnt seem right? or turn it on right there to check the specs to see if its what i wanted?

 

You won't really have to worry about, I personally think you should enjoy the unboxing process at the comfort of your home, not the business of an Apple Store .

The specs of your MBP will be found just on the box, so check with that, and it should be fine! If there's anything wrong, take it back to the Apple Store, they're really good with that sort of stuff, but I really doubt anything will come up, which is why I suggest you enjoy the set up yourself .

 

hey buddy im studying archi too and the MBP has been great for me, dont even ask me about render times though... anyway i'd say go for the dedicated graphics, bigger screen + higher res also your going to have to dual boot for autocad work, unfortunately the mac alternatives arent so great.

 

definitely macbook pro

 

edited my old post..

 

I say it depends on the screen size and stuff man, if you dont mind lugging around a big 15" laptop then go for the MBP (also dont mind spending the extra cash for the pro upgrade) if you feel 13" is fine for school stuff and portability then for for the MB as it has good enough graphics for light stuff and you can use your home pc for heavy rendering.

TBH i was in the same boat but with gaming rather then rendering and the portability and lightness of the MB won overall

home pc for gaming for me is a much better option plus is saves allot of money wasted on a little upgrade

 

Hey i'm an architect, and I use all of the programs that you use.
In regards to the GPU choice...
The dedicated gpu would be helpful for any programs/tasks that use opengl acceleration, so things like complexity or amount of geometry in 3D modeling viewports (in rhino, archicad, autocad, 3dsmax, maya, etc.) The gpu doesn't really help rendering speed, as that is completely processor dependent. And the main speed bottleneck in photoshop/illustrator is almost always RAM (large graphics/vectors/presentation boards). so if you do lots of modeling/cadding (or play games), then i'd probably go for the PRO, but otherwise, the macbook's 9400 should be fine.

*however, with the advent of adobe cs4 and gpu acceleration in photoshop, illustrator, etc., it could be interesting how much benefit you could get out of a faster gpu...

 

fair point but he said he has a desktop pc at home for all the hardcore stuff so overall i would use the extra money paying for the pro to possibly update your home pc when cs4 is out rather then paying for really expensive parts that make a fair but not amazing diffarence

 

seeing as your an aussie and how ripped off we are getting on the new machines i would recommend getting the last gen MBP, a buddy of mine had been waiting for about 2 months for the new MB to come out and when it did it was going to cost $2050 with student discount (crazy) and he ended up getting a penryn MBP for $2200 from a mac store at Monash Clayton campus, he also had no need for the 8600gt card.

anyway try and find a place that will sell ya one of the old ones, unless your in love with these new ones.

 

I use autocad and the extra resolution of the MBP is well worth the money. Also remember to buy the best CPU you can afford.

So i vote MBP.

 

All the programs you'll be using as an architect will be power hungry! CS3/4 will be the least stressful on your computer. Form z, maya, rhino, maxwell, verctor works, etc.. will all be very demanding. I would recommend the mbp. But since you do have a desktop at home, a mb does sound legit. But running these programs on a 13" screen will be Painful...

 

thanks for the replies guys.

i was leaning towards the mb considering i have a pc at home that would be doing the hardcore rendering etc.

the 13inch will probably be a pain. but telling myself to pull out another $700ish for a 15inch is even more painful.. lol but it will be worth it in the long run i guess. i know eventually using the programs i use on a 13inch is going to kill my eyes...

mac used to be affordable in australia... the prices now are so ridiculous =( even with my student discount..

 

hey mate yeah prices for us aussie are really off on these latest refreshes, especially compared to america. anyway as i said before the last gen mbp would probably be your best bet i saw yesterday on apples online clearance store a last gen mbp for $2059, i would jump on that if i were u.

 

the only reason i didnt consider the old generations was because of those nvidia chip issues?

and the new look looks pretty sweeet

 

i have had mine for over a year with no problems, there is a very very small chance you'll be affected by that plus has said they fix it even if your system isn't still under warranty so you cant lose.