MacBook vs. MacBook Pro 15"

I'm trying to decide between the two.

Does anybody out there have one or the other of the latest models and want to chime in on the pluses and minuses?

Obviously, the MacBook Pro 15" costs more than the MacBook. I've heard though that the MacBook Pro is a little better built -- two fans as opposed to one fan to one and metal case as opposed to plastic case to keep the hard drive from getting too hot. Where I'm at right now financially, I'd rather spend the extra money money now when we were just about to start saving for a house rather than buy the cheaper computer and have the hard drive fry the day we sign the papers on a new house, if that would be the case if we bought the white MacBook. Also, I'm a little concerned that the MacBook's monitor is a tad small for my eyes and the keyboard is a tad small for my hands.

At the same time though, I've heard the MacBook has a much better battery and $700 is $700.

Can anybody speak to these issues?

I'm coming from a Power Book G4 with the bad hinges, which finally gave out on both sides the week we had decided to try to start saving for a house.

Any Mac pros out there want to chime with some advice? Again, I'm only interested in the MacBook and the MacBook Pro or anything new and similar that might be coming out in the next month or so. I'm not interested in PCs, and I'm not interested in desktops.

 

MacBook Pro is nice if you are going to edit video. Otherwise go with the plain old MacBook. Heat hasn't been an issue with mine.

 

Not a day goes by that I don't wish I had sprung for a Macbook Pro instead of the Macbook I bought, building quality being just one of many issues.

 

You might save the difference in price by buying a refurbished MacBook Pro - which is what I did. Same warranty as new. Here's the link:

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=A35F9A4&nclm=CertifiedMac

 

The entry-level MacBook is plenty enough. My only gripe is that it won't take the cell/wireless cards. You have to find a wi-fi/hi-fi/hot spot/whatever the fuck it's called if you want to file from the interweb (or hook a network line straight to the machine).

 

How long have you had your refurbished Mac? I might check into it.

 

Agree with adkins. The wife pounds numbers and words on her MacBook without a hiccup. I lust for it. So much cooler than my PowerBook G4.

 

I actually own 3. I've gotten 5 years out of a refurbished PowerBook G4 550, which I still use when I travel. We also have a 4-year-old refurb. desktop eMac. And we have the new MacBook Pro, which I bought - again, refurbished - in January. Never had a problem with any of them, and saved a substantial sum on each.

I got the MacBook Pro because I've been such a huge fan of my unkillable PowerBook, which now has several hundred thousand hard miles on it. Also because my wife's a photographer, and while she has several laptops of her own from her agency, the extra processor power to handle Photoshop comes in handy around the house sometimes.

Again, the warranty is the same, but you're saving up to 40%.

 

In my little Macbook's defense, it did survive having water spilled all over it this morning.

Good work, little one.

 

You've convinced me. Frankly, I can't afford to pay $2,700 for a new laptop, but I could pay $2,100 without feeling that I was hosed.

Do you get much use out of desktops these days? Mine has been down for months, and I don't much miss it. I'm probably not going to replace my iMac, just do the repairs. But that's why I really need the processing speed for the laptop, because it's going to become my workhorse.

 

We bought the eMac at a time when we needed another computer, but wanted to save a few bucks. Laptops are proportionally more expensive for the same computing power of course, so we went with the desktop. But I think we're apt to remain an all-laptop family from here on out. We don't have the room or the need. As much storage space as she needs for thousands of RAW files, we can always plug in a portable hard drive; and as often as she needs to use a bigger screen, we can always plug in a 24" display.

One of the tricks to using the Apple refurb page is to be diligent in checking for what you want. Really popular models can sell out in an hour or two. So do your research, figure out exactly what you want, and when you see it, order it.

 

I'm not really interested in the refurbished route. I'm not heavy into video and gaming, but I do like to store music and take pics and my Powerbook G4 is busting at the seems storagewise.

The real reason for this purchase though is, like I said in the first post, my stupid hinges finally gave out on both sides. So I think I have the first Powerbook G4 Titanium Woody, because my laptop is currently sitting in a wood L-brace that my husband rigged up to hold the stupid computer open.

UT Shooter, you said in your first post that you regret every day that you didn't spring for the MacBook pro, better build being one of many reasons why. I'd be curious what your reasons are. Because the main thing with this purchase is that I don't want to regret the choice I made. $700 isn't nothing. But I'd rather spend the extra $700 than be thinking the entire time I have the computer, which is usually about 5 years, I wish I had spent the extra $700, I wish I had spent the extra $700 ... And I REALLY don't want it to break the day we sign the papers on a new house, which we just started looking for.

I guess where I'm at right now is that I'm inclined to get the better model if it's not a total waste of money and my spouse is inclined to go the cheaper route. I need help convinicing him, especially if there are legitimate reasons, why we should go the more expensive route. ;D