Macbook or go Pro?

I've been trying to decide which is better for regular college use ie word processing, powerpoint, the internet, and anything else. The macbook or macbook pro.
Macbook pro has:
- LED
- Backlit keyboard
- 8600 graphics card
- 3/4 express
are these enough to justify the move from macbook to macbook pro for a college student? I know tech. is always advancing so I figure get the cheaper model to satisfy my needs but do the feature outway the cost? Gaming is always a plus but that can be done on a xbox360 or ps3 for the amount of money that is needed upgrade from macbook to macbook pro.
What do you guys think, I should do
A) Get the macbook pro, but does the features out weight the cost since tech. is always advancing
B) Get a macbook, but is there enough "features and power" for a college student? and use the difference to buy are 360 or ps3 for gaming.

 

If you're not a heavy osx user, or dun use osx at all, then get the dell xps m1330. It got both the features and power u need and about 200usd cheaper than the MBP.

 

The Macbook should be good for everything besides gaming. That's really the biggest difference between the two, except that I'm not sure if the Macbook has Wireless N or not.

 

MacBook Pro should be the choice if you plan on playing any games, watching movies, or doing anything besides basic web surfing/word processing.

$1799 for the MBP is totally worth it in my book.

 

I'm a univesity Computer Science student and I've been very content with my Macbook. Sure, I have quite a number of external peripherals to make up for some of the Macbook lacks in comparison with the Macbook Pro (for example a DVI port), but in terms of processing power, as long as you do not play hardcore 3D games, the Macbook is more than sufficient.

 

MacBook + XBox 360.

 

I think all of the Core2Duo Macbooks and Macbook Pro notebooks have n.

 

I was in this same situation a few days ago. I decided to go pro. Im getting the Macbook Pro 2.2ghz model. I have never got to actually have a laptop worth having. I decided that I wanted to splurge a little. It has to many nifty features to pass up. Plus, I wanted the Santa Rosa processor. I dont really NEED the Nvidia card but I wanted it. With education discount its well under $2000, not to bad if you ask me. Its cheaper than my other choice which was the Asus G1S.

 

I'd be more comfortable developing on the MBP than the MB.

 

If you think you will game, get the Pro also. Another thing to think about is screen size, will you be happy with the smaller screen? If you will be and you won't really use the other features, the MacBook is the way to go.

 

Go for the pro

 

I'll use this thread to ask a question since I'm in the same boat.

Will the macbook be ok to play downloaded movies/series on my tv without a graphics card?

Besides gaming what are the drawbacks of the macbook?

 

The regular Macbooks don't have Santa Rosa on them yet.

 

Graphically intensive situations are really the difference between the MacBook and MacBook Pro in my opinion. Not only do you upgrade to a relatively powerful discreet card in the MBP from something integrated, but the screen is larger and LED.

 

Is there a time for a macbook with Santa Rosa?

 

to answer your question directly - yes, the macbook will be 100% capable of meeting absolutely any and all school related requirements you may encounter. i am just about finished an engineering degree and there is nothing i cannot do (drafting, 3d modelling, video presentations, etc) on my 6 year old toshiba with an 800mhz processor. now, it's not the best tool, and lately i've been using my desktop alot more for screen size and rendering speed, but my point is that it works. and between a mb and mbp, you will not see a usable difference performance 99.999999% of the time, for school use.

the proviso, and this holds true for all new macs, is that if you need to use something that is pc only, like AutoCAD, you will need to install bootcamp and Windows.

having said that, the weight penalty in moving to a 15" mbp is almost negligible so unless you plan to go to school with a tiny man purse, there is very little portability penalty to the mbp. thus, i also reccommend the mbp as a beefier and more future proof system provided it is _easily_ within your budget. you don't want to eat mr. noodle for the last 3 months of 2nd semester because of a computer. i have been down this path, it is not fun (didn't even have a computer to show for it either...)

edit: ok, thought there was an a/b choice. i evidently endorse b). having games on your laptop when a paper you aren't interested in is due the next day is death.

 

Did your Toshiba have a dedicated video card?

 

Yes, my dad has a toshiba satellite a135 (core duo 1.73ghz, 1gb ram, gma 950) with vista home premium, and i can watch hd movies silky smooth (in 720p) either full screen or in window mode with some programs like messenger and firefox running in the background.

I'm still waiting to get my macbook but Im assuming that should handle movies better since it has the better core2duo processor.

What you can do is download a short movie sample in 720p, and a episode of a series you normally watch, store it on a flash drive and watch it on a friend's laptop so you can see for yourself. But you'll be fine since the macbook is better spec'd than my dad's toshiba.

 

if you can, I would go with the macbook pro it seems more future proof with the video card and I would suspect that it would have better performance with leopard and would be a lot better with vista.:yes:

 

the toshiba has integrated video with a maximum of 8mb of shared ram. system ram is maxed out at 512mb.

 

I'd say go with the Pro. I've got a Macbook, and if I hadn't really wanted the smaller form factor (would have preferred a 12"), then I would have gotten a MBP. The graphics card in the Macbook struggles even with an external monitor, and I find the native resolution of 1280x800 limiting.

In any case, I think the larger screen and resolution would just feel nicer for everyday use. That's been my experience. And I don't know if the MBP is any better, but my Macbook's fan is really annoying. It's got that "tiny jet engine" noise whenever it can find an excuse to kick in.

I'd be willing to bet the MBP gets better wireless reception than the Macbook too, which has been a bit of an issue for me in one corner of the house, where I regularly go, where it tends to drop down to a lower network speed.

And don't forget the lightup keyboard. The expresscard slot could prove useful too, at some point.