Need help deciding! MBP CD or C2D?

I originally posted over in the "What notebook should I get" thread, but since then I have decided to go with a MBP instead of Windows machine. I was originally leaning towards a Windows machine due to the fact that my work is completely Windows dependent. How ever after reading several good threads here I'm convinced that Bootcamp or Parallels will do the trick when I need Windows for work related stuff.

With that said, now I am having a hard time deciding between getting a MBP with a core duo or core 2 duo processor. I've pasted in my completed FAQ from the other thread below. Hopefully I can get some feed back on which model would be better suited for my needs.

Currently Apple has refurbished MBP units with the core duo processor for around $1500. I have no problem purchasing refurbished. I've also come across a new MBP core 2 duo model for $1894.

Thanks,

-Sean

*****************FAQ*****************
General Questions

1) What is your budget?

$1200 to maybe $1800. I'd rather stay around $1500-$1600.

2) What size notebook would you prefer?

c. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen

3) What tasks will you be performing with the notebook?

Internet/Email
Word processing
Photo/Video editing

4) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places or leaving it on your desk?

90% at home
10% travel

5) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?

Possibly WoW, but most likely none. Rather use my xbox for this.

7) How many hours of battery life do you need?

2-3 hours

8) Do you mind buying online without seeing the notebook in person?

Not at all

9) Please select your country's flag as a post icon and tell us what country are you buying this in?

USA

Screen Specifics

10) Would you prefer standard or widescreen?

Widescreen

11) From the choices below, what screen resolutions would you prefer?

Widescreen
1440x900 or 1680x1050

12) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen?

matte/non-glossy

Build Quality and Design

13) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?

Not really. How ever I would prefer a smaller designed case and a keyboard that doesn't have all those extra buttons placed around it. Like hotkeys for email, web, word processing, etc.

14) When are you buying this laptop and how long do you want this laptop to last?

Going to purchase in the next couple weeks. Would like to keep this book for at least 2-3 years.

Notebook Components

15) How much hard drive space do you want; 40GB to 160GB?

60-100GB 7200 RPM drive

16) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a DVD-ROM, DVD-CD/RW or DVD-RW drive?

DVD-RW

 

Do you need a notebook *now*? the only reason there are only CD refurbs is that the C2D Macbooks are so new. In a few months or weeks we will probably see C2D MB/MBP as well, for the same prices.

That said, the only reason for preferring a C2D is 64bits. We don't know how different willthe 64 bits Leopard be, but I daresay it won't be much different in resources from its 32bit sibling (in fact they will be bundled as one version). Vista is a different story however and there will be many things not available in 32bits versions. So if you plan to install Vista buying a C2D is a good idea.

 

Good points. Actually I just checked the Apple site and the Macbook is now available with the C2D processor. I wish they would offer it with a 14" or even 15" screen. The 13" just seems like it would be too small for my needs.

I have no plans to purchase or install Vista. Based on my needs do you really think I would benefit that much from 64-bit processing?

 

Not much. Apple says there is a 39% increase in performance, but reviews put it more at 10%, and a Core Duo at 2GHz is fast enough. If you'll be using XP for most of your work than 32/64bits won't matter. You might loose some benefits from some improvements in Video/Photo editing software that may come along, but I doubt if that will be significant. You may notice that Core Duo MBPs had their GPUs quite underclocked, while the new ones seem to have more of a normal speed.

 

If you plan to do a lot of A/V editing, you should see a decent difference in performance. That seems to be the main area where 64 bit will be able to take a big lead. I know there aren't many apps that take advantage of 64 bit... but in a years time or so, we should see a lot more apps being able to take advantage of 64 bit processing.

but yeah, wait as long as you can. If you can wait till next year, the new Santa Rosa platfrom will be out and there will be a much bigger difference in performance due to the increased speed of the front side bus. Plus we should see a 15" MB out around then.

 

I only do photo/video editing in my spare time, not for work. I'm a novice-to-medium level user at that. I guess that's why I'm questioning whether I need the more powerful C2D MBP. I'm far from a professional designer or editor, but I want to make sure I get the most for my money and do not have a need to upgrade in the next couple years. Basically I'd like to get my money's worth out of what ever I purchase.

 

I can wait...if I must . Now that I've decided that I definitely want to go with a MBP, I can't wait to get my hands on one. Price is a big deal to me right now though. I can afford the more expensive MBP w/ C2D, but if I can get by just fine with a 1st gen MBP, I'd rather go that route and save the difference. Not trying to be cheap, just logical about what I really need versus what I want.

 

Wife is putting a cap on my spending. I know, I know. How much of a difference in performance will I notice between the below setups? Is the extra 128MB of video worth it?

1. Refurb. MBP 2.0 core duo, 512MB 128 video, w/ upgrade to 2GB
or
2. Refurb MBP 2.16GHz Core Duo 1GB 256MB video

 

I bought a macbook for audio / DJing with a Core 1 Duo after seeing that benchmarks put C2D and C1D at EXACTLY the same for audio. Everything else ranged between only a 5% to 15% increase in performance. Not worth the extra hundreds of dollars in my case.

J