I Know I Should Know This but I Do Not.

Is Core2Duo still the best processor for notebooks? If so why have they not come out with something better in such a long time. What happened to the dual layer Core2Duo? Just curious because I need to leave the MacBook Pro behind and get a new notebook for my teaching job.

 

Theres quad-core, but those are really for really high end systems, gaming systems.

 

Core2Duo is still the best for the overwhelming majority of notebooks. If you're getting something that can handle high thermal profiles and you don't mind the expense, there are now mobile Core2Quads.

As to why the Core 2 architecture is still dominant... AMD isn't doing anything at the high end (or even the mid-range) of mobile processors and Intel doesn't feel the need to rush because everyone is buying the CPUs anyway. Still, they will bring out the Nehalem-based laptops sometime later this year.

 

Why do the options for the MacBook Pros seems so much more advanced? Like the 320GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm HD, 8GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2X4GB (when other non Mac notebooks make a big deal about 3-4gb of ram),& 2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor is so much faster than the average tyoeof Mac?

Just curious? I really need a good, high-quality, notebook, but I do not want to get locked in to a Mac with my teaching job. Just wondering why the windowezz based but so much adware, soyware, and still get the lesser advanced techno components.

Makes no sense to me.

somebody help me understand.

 

You can get a similarly specd PC for much less than the macbook pro you listed

You may want to post in the "what notebook should I buy" thread, fill out the form and see what people suggest.

 

ok, to some degree you confuse me... lesser quality parts?
let me what's greater...
320GB 7200rpm from the mac... or a 500GB 7200 rpm from Dell
you can't compair a 2000$ Mac to a 800$ PC and expect the PC to be as fast...

If you want a well built machine look a Lenovo Thinkpad T400 or T500 you will have all the options Apple has at 1/2 the cost.

Adware and malware? what are you planning on doing with this thing? I do all kinds of 'stuff' the SHOULD land me a pile of malware but I haven't had any yet. just use AVG free or Avira free.

the T500 has everything you listed except the 500GB HDD with could easily be done your self for a little over a 100$. but it you really want a fast computer, buy it with the Intel 80GB SSD.

hope that helps.

 

Ah yes, but how much are you paying for that? For an equal amount of money, you'll be able to find a PC with much much better specs, but the fact is, for your uses, you'll most likely not need that hardware.

And although it may seem like Core 2 Duos "have not changed," realize that each Intel refresh brings faster processor technology with reduced power consumption, which you can't recognize immediately from the GHz rating.

 

You don't need 8GB of memory man. If you need 8GB of memory, then well, you should probably be looking at a desktop.

Furthermore, what laptops are you looking at? Heck, on a portable HP DV4 (14.1in) you can get 2.66ghz on it. You can get the 2.93 on the bigger notebooks I am sure. Heck man, if you get one of those crazy Sager notebooks or similar, you can get Core2Duo Extreme processors. Trust me, Windows based PCs can obliterate Macs if you want to compare available max specs on a Mac vs available max specs on a PC- if for no other reason than there are a hundred vendors making PC based laptops.

As far as the adware/soyware? is concerned, it's more prevalent on PCs simply because more people use them. Some will argue Macs are more secure, but well, hook up Kaspersky/NOD/Avira Internet Security Suites with NoScript/FireFox, and you got yourself one heck of a secure system as far as I am concerned.

I have no clue what a dual layer Core2Duo is, sorry.

Like Mullen suggested, post in that thread and people will give you very well informed suggestions.

 

very true, also in the last couple of years in the PWN2OWN Hacking contest...
2years ago Mac OSX lasted 2 minutes before it was hacked...
Windows lasted an extra DAY longer

this year... Mac OS X lasted 10 SECONDS
Windows... was some time after that (I don't remeber how long specifically)

OS X has less/nearly no virus's but a PC is very secure.

Edit: I'm not trying to say Mac's are bad, but they are under less attackes than windows and have less defenses built up.

 

Core 2 Quad draw much more power than core2 duo. More power = less battery life because of this, it is not so suitable for laptop. It draw almost twice as much as core 2 duo

 

actually only 9watt's more than any T9xxx CPU...

 

But nearly twice the amount as a P-series processor (45W versus 25W TDP).

The thing is, very few users have any real use for a multi-core processor (referring to tri-core and up) as of right now - listening to music, watching videos, and playing an occasional game of the Sims or Halo hardly takes a quad core processor. In fact, the cons of a powerful quad-core would overshadow the benefits for such users: the laptop would run through its battery a lot faster, it would run hotter, it would be heavier (to accomodate a necessary larger cooler), etc.

@OP: Although I don't know for certain seeing as you didn't put up an FAQ, I'm pretty sure you're among the users who would see little benefit in a quad-core (or even in a dual-core higher than the 2.4GHz P8600).

 

you got my point but you got a little defensive. Another person got the point. Why 8 GB of RAM? For a better notebook or a richer owner??
Also, this is exactly the forum I wanted this post to be. You see the responses come in now which do not tell me what computer to buy but I really wanted to know what is up with the amount of Ram and HD size, etc. they are trying to make people think they need.