which one should I get?

Alright, so I'm here because I need some input on which Macbook I should purchase. I've never owned a Mac before (my total experience with Apple starts and ends with having an old Apple desktop in the early 90's and I own a 1st generation iPod shuffle).

I have pretty much set my mind on getting an Apple. Though I'm open to anything at the moment. But my focus over the past month or twho has been Apple's which is obviously why I'm in this part of the forum.

A little about what I need from it/what I'd use it for.
I'm a college student (business: finance major/international business minor). I'm into photography. I do a lot of photo editing/graphics stuff with Photoshop. I recently got into video editing. So I'm going to want a good video editing program and have heard that iMovie trumps WMM, and I'd probably invest in Final Cut if that's even better I, as pretty much everyone does, surf the web quite a bit (facebook, forums, etc). I might do a little gaming stuff on it, but my focus is primarily on photo/video editing, and general computer use.

Now what I'm trying to figure out is whether I should go for the Macbook, or the MacBook Pro. I'm not sure the intricate differences between the two. And while I know some about computers, I'm not sure what I should be looking for with what I want to do (other than a good amount of RAM). I have been looking at the aluminum versions of the 13" Macbook and the 15" Macbook Pros

Cost, obviously factors in. I know Apple products are a bit more expensive than others. I don't want to spend an excessive amount on a laptop. I won't be putting a cost limit on this right now though. Only because I did spend a lot on the computer I have now, and therefore don't feel like I should limit my choices this time either (though I will take more time to analyze my options than I did previously).

Any help would be wonderful. =)

 

I would recommend the Macbook Pro, seems like it would suffice your needs. It has a dedicated graphics card since you'll be doing photoshop and final cut.

 

I agree. A Macbook Pro would be better for your needs, especially the more screen real estate for Photoshop. The screen is also pretty good, so that's a bonus. The dedicated GPU would help with gaming too. The Macbook is also a contender too though.

 

I agree with both of the posters before me. MBP would be the perfect solution for your needs. It is an investment but a worthy one. Plus, if it doesn't fit your needs, I highly doubt it though. The good news is Mac's tend to have a higher re-sale value than PC's, IMHO.

 

I figured the answers would go this way, I just wanted to get confirmation. Guess I should start figuring out how much I'm gonna need.

Are the back-to-school promotions Apple has pretty good? I know last year they were giving the option of getting iPod Touch's with new computers/orders. Can we expect as much this time around? I'll probably wait until sometime in summer anyways to make the purchase, so I'm wondering if I should just wait a little bit longer for the back-to-school promotion. I wouldn't mind updating my music player with no big extra cost to me.

 

Yep, Apple will have the back to school promotion again usually starting sometime in July. However you have to put the money up first, then you will get mailed a rebate IIRC. But cmon a free Ipod Touch isn't bad at all, you could even sell it to many your notebook cheaper. =)

 

Another vote for the MBP here. The screen, dedicated GPU, Educational pricing etc... are enough justification. Just get the entry level one and Aperture (if you're serious about Photography) and you'll be set. You can also get Applecare on educational pricing too but you won't need that right away, just within the first year of ownership. And if you can score an iPod Touch for free by waiting a bit then that's icing on the cake.

 

Agreed. I have Aperture, and I absolutely love it. It's very, very in-depth, and has a ton of features. +1 for Aperture.

 

+1 for the 15 inch Macbook pro.

 

15 inch Macbook Pro
no Doubt

if you dont want to buy it directly from apple because of high pricing, I have seen a few high spec'd 15inch MBP's around ebay.

look at this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-MacBook-Pro-15-MB471LL-A-2-53Ghz-UNIBODY-Laptop_W0QQitemZ280320638370QQcmdZViewItemQQptZApple_Laptops?hash=item280320638370&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1234|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50

really good specs for about $700 off

 

If you are willing to pay cash then take a look at www.craigslist.org. There are possibilities some of them are scams, but majority of them are real. I was able to find mine (early 2008 model) for $1400 brand new still in its sealed wrapper after 2 wks of patiently searching on CL. Doesn't hurt to look and you might get lucky as I did.

 

Hmm. I think I'd probably rather go through Apple (be it through their site online or in store). I'm just very paranoid about buying one off someone. I know usually you can trust people, but I'd rather not have to deal with that.

I'll give it a look. But I'll probably go the more traditional route.

Thanks for the input everyone =) I appreciate it.

 

OP has a similar story to me. I got a macbook pro after taking the time to look at both the macbook and the macbook pro.

Now you can have my macbook pro, when you can pry it from my cold dead fingers