Still don't know whether to take the plunge...

I've posted on here recently about whether I wanted to purchase a macbook pro...My decision has now come down to the macbook...the only games that I play are the sims 2 and I do "some" photo editing and video editing and I heard that the graphics card is equipped to handle such tasks. My dilemma stems from this...I could get the student discount and get the black macbook for 1399 which sounds fair I guess...I just recently purchased a inspiron 1520 for my g/f for x-mas which cost about half of that and it is blazing fast...I'm actually on the computer right now and at the moment vista doesn't pose a problem...I want to go with a mac though...I played with one in the store and I feel in love with the keyboard that it has on the macbook...for some reason the space in between the keys really appeals to me...maybe because I have huge hands...anyway I'm just not sure whether a 13.1" screen will get the job done when it comes to looking at photos and editing video...15.4" seems to make a huge difference when it comes to screen real-estate...I'm a college student and I wish there was another apple 15" option because 1800 is just a lot to spend on a laptop..at the moment....so I'm just wondering if you guys had any advise for me...I know at the end of the day it comes down to the actual user and no one else but from you guys experience is 13" good enough for photo and video editing...or should I consider getting a mac at a later date...like when I'm out of college...? Thanks for your help in advice in advance...

 

I'd get a refurbished Macboook. You can find them for as low as 900 @ the Appple Store.

 

If screen real state is a problem then just buy an external monitor. These days you can get cheap 1680x1050 monitors. And sadly if black is the color you want you will have to pay the premium. If money is more of a concern and can't stand refurbished products then buy the low-end macbook, which only costs $1099 without discounts, but it doesn't have a dvd burner.

 

Yeah, I'd say get a MacBook and connect it to an external display for a larger screen and resolution. The 13.3-inch 1280x800 screen isn't terrible, but could be bigger for Photoshop work. The external display solves this problem.

As 00fez said, the black MacBook will be expensive...if you can live with a white MacBook, it will be cheaper.

 

We're talking about a couple of hundred pixels difference here. 1280x800 vs 1440x900.

It's funny how my dad has an old 20" CRT with 1600x1200 on it, but still I feel there's much more real-estate on my Macbook Pro...

So, 1280x800 would be too small for my own taste.. It depends on your needs. Can you go back down to the Apple store and see if they have Final Cut or Photoshop and would let you fire it up and test it?