MacBook Pro owners sound off! (Interested Buyer)

[yaddam205]

After a year of my roommate and various co-workers bugging me to get a Mac I have semi decided to look at a MacBook Pro while I also look at Dell and Sony.

So I have a few questions being the Microsoft "arrtard" that I am.

1: Running XP Pro w/ a MBP: A few people have told me that window will run very slow regardless of spec in comparison to a regular notebook with the same specs. Is this true?

2: .Mac worth getting: I already have a flickr account and love it, however it looks as if I might find it easier to manage and upload my photos from iphoto. Is .mac worth subscribing too and can I upgrade it from 10GB?

3: Configurable Keys: I hate having to use the "apple" key to copy, paste and so forth. Can I configure it to crtl being the main key?

4: Electronic Music creation. I enjoy mixing and occasionally producing hardcore and hardstyle eletronica. I currently use fruity loops and like it. What program for the mac will be similar to that?

Most importantly what do you like best about your MacBook Pro? Whats the one truly defining feature that makes you proud to whip out the white apple in public?

Here's what I am looking at: 15" MBP @ 2.5 with 8600GT 512.

Finally are there any quirks or interesting tid-bits I should know before purchasing?

Thanks A lot.

[cTx]Yaddam205
Microsoft "Arrtard"

[ZOMGVTEK]

yaddam205;2850941']After a year of my roommate and various co-workers bugging me to get a Mac I have semi decided to look at a MacBook Pro while I also look at Dell and Sony.

So I have a few questions being the Microsoft "arrtard" that I am.

1: Running XP Pro w/ a MBP: A few people have told me that window will run very slow regardless of spec in comparison to a regular notebook with the same specs. Is this true?

2: .Mac worth getting: I already have a flickr account and love it, however it looks as if I might find it easier to manage and upload my photos from iphoto. Is .mac worth subscribing too and can I upgrade it from 10GB?

3: Configurable Keys: I hate having to use the "apple" key to copy, paste and so forth. Can I configure it to crtl being the main key?

4: Electronic Music creation. I enjoy mixing and occasionally producing hardcore and hardstyle eletronica. I currently use fruity loops and like it. What program for the mac will be similar to that?

Most importantly what do you like best about your MacBook Pro? Whats the one truly defining feature that makes you proud to whip out the white apple in public?

Here's what I am looking at: 15" MBP @ 2.5 with 8600GT 512.

Finally are there any quirks or interesting tid-bits I should know before purchasing?

Thanks A lot.

[cTx]Yaddam205
Microsoft "Arrtard"

Windows runs just fine on mac MBP. I dont see how it would run slow, there is nothing going on here. Its normal hardware... Im running 64 bit xp pro on my MBP and it runs as fast as you would expect, other than the wireles dosent have a driver in 64 bit that is known to work... gigabit ethernet works, as does the keyboard backlit, isight...etc. If you demand your xp to go online wirelessly, run 32 bit and use the bootcamp drivers.

.mac is cool, and definately convienent, but i just use other services.

Yes, you can change it to be control, but the apple key is closer and slightly larger, thus easier to hit.

all macs come with ilife 08', wich includes garage band. It works prety good, and would be comparable to fruity loops.

And i dont know if im 'proud' to have had a glowing white apple, thats why its black, and no longer glows... ;)

Just play around with one in the store, i find it to be the best laptop in the 1-3k price range you can buy... And there is little reason for windows on it, just learn to love OS X... i have significantly less problems with it than windows, or linux.

[yaddam205]

Windows runs just fine on mac MBP. I dont see how it would run slow, there is nothing going on here. Its normal hardware... Im running 64 bit xp pro on my MBP and it runs as fast as you would expect, other than the wireles dosent have a driver in 64 bit that is known to work... gigabit ethernet works, as does the keyboard backlit, isight...etc. If you demand your xp to go online wirelessly, run 32 bit and use the bootcamp drivers.

.mac is cool, and definately convienent, but i just use other services.

Yes, you can change it to be control, but the apple key is closer and slightly larger, thus easier to hit.

all macs come with ilife 08', wich includes garage band. It works prety good, and would be comparable to fruity loops.

And i dont know if im 'proud' to have had a glowing white apple, thats why its black, and no longer glows... ;)

Just play around with one in the store, i find it to be the best laptop in the 1-3k price range you can buy... And there is little reason for windows on it, just learn to love OS X... i have significantly less problems with it than windows, or linux.

I talked with my friend and he said the cause for "slowness" in windows was due to the fact he was running it in VM Ware fusion. So I was told just to use boot camp if I want to play a game or two.

Where I can get all the divers for XP32? I assume everything is intel standard off 965 so intel.com might be the only place I need to be but I don't know.

[gr8golf]

Some benchmarks have shown the Pro to be the FASTEST Vista notebook out there - when running Windows in boot camp. Running it in Fusion is comparable to most of the virtual machine cases - slower, but very useful. Fusion rocks!

I ordered the 2.4 with the glossy screen and the 7200 rpm HD. The drive access / speed will more than make up for the drop in CPU. I'll bet the user experience will be better than that of the higher machine. Mine gets here on Friday - will compare it directly with another MBP with the same CPU and the slower drive. :up:

[ZOMGVTEK]

yaddam205;2852159']I talked with my friend and he said the cause for "slowness" in windows was due to the fact he was running it in VM Ware fusion. So I was told just to use boot camp if I want to play a game or two.

Where I can get all the divers for XP32? I assume everything is intel standard off 965 so intel.com might be the only place I need to be but I don't know.

It is preinstalled on every new mac. Just go to spotlight and search for the bootcamp startup assistant. Or go to programs -> utilities -> bootcamp startup assistant. It wil make the partition for you, then you insert a blank cd and burn the drivers, pop in the install disc and it will reboot. Install as normal, then when it is up and running, throw in the bootcamp driver disc. You can get better performance by downloading better video card drivers than the stock apple ones, and overclock your under-clocked 8600M GT.

[ZOMGVTEK]

Some benchmarks have shown the Pro to be the FASTEST Vista notebook out there - when running Windows in boot camp. Running it in Fusion is comparable to most of the virtual machine cases - slower, but very useful. Fusion rocks!

I ordered the 2.4 with the glossy screen and the 7200 rpm HD. The drive access / speed will more than make up for the drop in CPU. I'll bet the user experience will be better than that of the higher machine. Mine gets here on Friday - will compare it directly with another MBP with the same CPU and the slower drive. :up:

Its a significant improvement, the hitachi 7k200 200gb drive is currently the fastest 2.5" hdd on the market, and its quite noticeable for most. But it is slightly louder, and lower capacity. Now, remove your optical drive and throw another 7k200 or maybie some SSD's in there in RAID 0 and you migh t be getting somewhere.. ;)

[WrigleyVillain]

yaddam205;2852159']I talked with my friend and he said the cause for "slowness" in windows was due to the fact he was running it in VM Ware fusion. So I was told just to use boot camp if I want to play a game or two.

Where I can get all the divers for XP32? I assume everything is intel standard off 965 so intel.com might be the only place I need to be but I don't know.

Yes, run Windows via Boot Camp and you have an excellent "PC" notebook, period. Apple supplies the drivers; you stick the OS X Leopard DVD in after you install Windows and it auto-runs a driver install.

You can install/update some yourself same as any PC afaik, such as if you want better video drivers. I used Mobility Modder (http://www.driverheaven.net/modtool.php), for example, on my old MBP to update the Catalyst drivers a while back.

[dippyskoodlez]

yaddam205;2850941']
So I have a few questions being the Microsoft "arrtard" that I am.

1: Running XP Pro w/ a MBP: A few people have told me that window will run very slow regardless of spec in comparison to a regular notebook with the same specs. Is this true?

2: .Mac worth getting: I already have a flickr account and love it, however it looks as if I might find it easier to manage and upload my photos from iphoto. Is .mac worth subscribing too and can I upgrade it from 10GB?

3: Configurable Keys: I hate having to use the "apple" key to copy, paste and so forth. Can I configure it to crtl being the main key?

4: Electronic Music creation. I enjoy mixing and occasionally producing hardcore and hardstyle eletronica. I currently use fruity loops and like it. What program for the mac will be similar to that?

Most importantly what do you like best about your MacBook Pro? Whats the one truly defining feature that makes you proud to whip out the white apple in public?

Here's what I am looking at: 15" MBP @ 2.5 with 8600GT 512.

Finally are there any quirks or interesting tid-bits I should know before purchasing?

Thanks A lot.

[cTx]Yaddam205
Microsoft "Arrtard"

1.) running windows native boot is 101% faster than a normal pc. 1% extra because its a mac. and I said so. :)

2.) Dont really need .mac.

3.) Windows uses the ctrl key for ctrl, and apple as a windows key with bootcamp.

4.) Garage band is cool, fruity loops will run in windows if you want.

5.) The design. Its such a slick piece of hardware it makes me happy just using it. Plus its blazingly fast. :) OS X is what keeps me with apple though, Its just a dream if you're open to its ways.

Vmware fusion and Parallels were both about the same progress when I left for basic (so I havent had a change to play with the latest versions yet) but running windows or linux virtualized in either really is FULL SPEED when it comes to using the OS. Its a marvelous creation.

My macbook pro is my favorite laptop, NQA, theres almost no way you can be disappointed.

Especially when you use the backlit keyboard as often as I do. :up:

[sixthsense]

yaddam205;2850941']4: Electronic Music creation. I enjoy mixing and occasionally producing hardcore and hardstyle eletronica. I currently use fruity loops and like it. What program for the mac will be similar to that?

Most importantly what do you like best about your MacBook Pro? Whats the one truly defining feature that makes you proud to whip out the white apple in public?

Here's what I am looking at: 15" MBP @ 2.5 with 8600GT 512.

Finally are there any quirks or interesting tid-bits I should know before purchasing?

Thanks A lot.

[cTx]Yaddam205
Microsoft "Arrtard"


Ableton Live 7 rewired with Battery and Reason (when you get addicted Novation Remote SL Zero and Motu Ultralite interface :D )


What do I like about my Macbook Pro? Texas Instruments Firewire chipset, 6 pin Firewire, Leopard, no brainer bootcamp install for MS Windows that a 3 year old can do , LED screen, The applications that run flawlessly in the MAC enviroment ( Logic 8 , Ableton, etc etc) opposed to a windows enviroment.

Now the ghey, gaming is pathetic for the price you pay for a Macbook Pro. Don't let that discourage you, that's why we have pc's :up:



On a sidenote the Macbook are white & the Macbook Pro's are silver

[ZOMGVTEK]

I never heard of someone NOT liking the MBP, people just love to complain about its price though... Your friend is aware you can get $200 off if you flash them a college id, right?

[WrigleyVillain]

1.) running windows native boot is 101% faster than a normal pc. 1% extra because its a mac. and I said so. :)

2.) Dont really need .mac.

3.) Windows uses the ctrl key for ctrl, and apple as a windows key with bootcamp.

4.) Garage band is cool, fruity loops will run in windows if you want.

5.) The design. Its such a slick piece of hardware it makes me happy just using it. Plus its blazingly fast. :) OS X is what keeps me with apple though, Its just a dream if you're open to its ways.

Vmware fusion and Parallels were both about the same progress when I left for basic (so I havent had a change to play with the latest versions yet) but running windows or linux virtualized in either really is FULL SPEED when it comes to using the OS. Its a marvelous creation.

My macbook pro is my favorite laptop, NQA, theres almost no way you can be disappointed.

Especially when you use the backlit keyboard as often as I do. :up:

Great post. Say/think what you want about Jobs and Apple et al. but Macintosh computers are now excellent, cost competitive PCs with an equally excellent OS (+ whatever other one(s) you want to install). Can this ridiculous and uniformed hating finally cease?

A recent thread such as "Why I hate the Mac Community" still get way too many posts even here. And don't even get me started on places like [H].

Sorry /end rant

[ZOMGVTEK]

Can this ridiculous and uniformed hating finally cease?

People appear to have a severe problem with mac's. And theyre getting worse than the ocassional crazy mac owner who loves it soo much, he has to sign up for forums to tell people how awesome his new mac is... in all caps.

[Zytek_Fan]

Great post. Say/think what you want about Jobs and Apple et al. but Macintosh computers are now excellent, cost competitive PCs with an equally excellent OS (+ whatever other one(s) you want to install). Can this ridiculous and uniformed hating finally cease?

A recent thread such as "Why I hate the Mac Community" still get way too many posts even here. And don't even get me started on places like [H].

Sorry /end rant

It's quite alright to rant like that. I can't post a small question on the possibility of buying a Mac without being bombarded with anti Apple stuff.

I used to HATE Apple with a passion. The only thing that bothered me though was minor incompatibilities and the raving Apple fanboys.

I realized that my hate of Apple was completely ridiculous, and now I want a MacBook Pro.
I like OS X, it's nice and snappy. I also like Vista, but I want to try something different. Sure the gaming catalog isn't huge for Mac, but I can get my fill of gaming with World of Warcraft and Call of Duty 4 on the Mac. And I'll probably being buying an Xbox 360 and PS3 soon as well.

Looking at various applications and types of applications, there isn't ONE thing that I would miss from Windows. Everything I use on a daily basis is available for Mac or there is an alternative.

I'm going to have to buy an iPod because Zune does not work with Mac, but that is perfectly fine. I barely use my Zune anyway, so I don't really care what my MP3 is. Probably going to grab an iPod Touch 16GB or 32GB :)

Just my 2 cents :up:

[Deux]

I'll throw my experience up here also.

I have one of the original 17'' 2.16 GHz Core Duo Pros. I bought it on a whym when I say it for ~50% of MSRP brand new with a ton of software. Previously I had used a mac and about half the coomputers in my house were Macs but I rarely used them and didnt really like OS X. Once I had my Pro everything changed. The Mac I was acostomed to using was a iMac G5 with 1 gig of ram shard by 4 people;) not really the fastest machine. On decent hardware OS X is more responsive, and more user friendly once you start thinking logically instead of how windows does things.

On the topic of boot camp. I did it while it was still in beta and not included in the os. It was fairly easy even then and everything worked well. Initially I spent most of my time on XP but over time I found myself just staying in OS X. I never had any speed problems or driver problems or anything. It even managed to play BF2 and SupCom decently.

I have .Mac and don't really use it much but at the same time I don't use Flickr or the like either. The only .Mac service I really use it the sync thing to keep some of my stuff the same on all my Macs.

When I first switched from windows the command key was a pain for me too but I adjusted quickly and haven't looked back since.

Sound editing, as others have mentioned Grageband comes wiht all Macs and is ok. Nothing very in depth at all. The only other program I have used is soundtrack, it comes with Final Cut Express which can be had for $99 when you buy a new mac. It is far more in depth and powerful. I haven't used it much just when I find something I can't do in garage band.

Most importantly what do you like best about your MacBook Pro? Whats the one truly defining feature that makes you proud to whip out the white apple in public?
My favorit thing is OS X and possibly the MagSafe power adapter. I can;t count the number of times it has saved me. I don't carry my MBP around much as at 17" it's a bit big for most things.

If you take the plunge and get a Mac I doubt you will regret it.

[Zytek_Fan]

I've tried various music mixing programs, and I like Logic the best (only tried it for a short while, but loved it).

Most major DJ's use MacBook Pro's and Logic for music mixing if that's worth anything to ya ;) :D

[yaddam205]

Thank you for all your input.

I headed down to the mac store yesterday with my MAC Pro owning roommate and was very impressed with numerous aspects of the MBP ; Multi-Touch, Dynamic Back lit keyboard, The amazing LED screen and the blonde that was helping us out.

It looks as If I am now scrapping my Sony and Dell ideas and will be purchasing a MacBook Pro long with Logic. I am not sure witch version of logic to get Express or Studio.

Another preference based question for all you owners out there, which screen did you choose? The no-glare or Glossy?


Cheers.

[lowfat]

Really depends on your lighting that use. If you are using florescent lighting or have lots of daylight in the room, I would definitely go for a matte screen.

[WrigleyVillain]

yaddam205;2854871'] and the blonde that was helping us out.




:ROTF: :p: :up:

[Deux]

My MBP has the matte and compared to my dad's MB with a glossy I prefer the glossy by a fair bit. Generally I use it inside so no glare problems though. As said before, it really comes down to lighting.

[gr8golf]

My MBP has the matte and compared to my dad's MB with a glossy I prefer the glossy by a fair bit. Generally I use it inside so no glare problems though. As said before, it really comes down to lighting.

I've seen them both and very much prefer the glossy. Getting excited to get mine tomorrow and get everything set up over the weekend.

[[XC] mysticmerlin]

Mine is the Org 15" and is glossy and I love it. It doesn't go out much and sits back in my roll top desk so it works out great.
You will love it. I have had a few Mac's and this is the best one so far. :woot:

[Zytek_Fan]

Glossy is a bit better. Colours seem richer :up:

[blank]

Best feature of the MPB is OSX and the fantastic screen.

[Papu]

you could spend half the money and get a much better dell laptop instead , then take that blonde out for dinner :D

[yaddam205]

you could spend half the money and get a much better dell laptop instead , then take that blonde out for dinner :D

Lets not get OT please.

[Papu]

yaddam205;2860312']Lets not get OT please.

heh just a suggestion , why do you want a macbookpro anyway? did you win the lotto? are you getting one for free?do you enjoy the simple interface? or do you like wasting money? i'd really like to know

[lowfat]

heh just a suggestion , why do you want a macbookpro anyway? did you win the lotto? are you getting one for free?do you enjoy the simple interface? or do you like wasting money? i'd really like to know

Why not stay out of the thread if you have no important information to share? :down:

[Papu]

Why not stay out of the thread if you have no important information to share? :down:


you could spend half the money and get a much better dell laptop instead , then take that blonde out for dinner :D

i have plenty of information , lots of it is important , the thread title is interested buyer not , I must buy now or the world is going to end. im just interested if he wants to save money or make a smart purchase decision is all :D

[lowfat]

The thread starter is asking about MacBook Pros, he never once asked if he should buy a PC instead. So unless you have information about one, why not stay out of the discussion?

[Papu]

The thread starter is asking about MacBook Pros, he never once asked if he should buy a PC instead. So unless you have information about one, why not stay out of the discussion?

right erm

dont get the 512m 8600 it has ddr2 and the 256 version has ddr3 which is much faster

dont bother with extra ram as apple overcharge you for it

get the cheapest dual core you can anything over 2.0 2.2 ghz is just a waste of battery and adds extra heat

try a 7200rpm harddrive loading windows and apps will be much faster
that being said dont get it from Apple , buy a seperate 200gg 7200rpm drive and replace the one you get in it

get a matte screen unless you want to use the thing as a mirror


i could go on and on but i think ive made my point
just cause i hate macs doesnt mean i dont know about them :P

[ZOMGVTEK]

right erm

dont get the 512m 8600 it has ddr2 and the 256 version has ddr3 which is much faster

dont bother with extra ram as apple overcharge you for it

get the cheapest dual core you can anything over 2.0 2.2 ghz is just a waste of battery and adds extra heat

try a 7200rpm harddrive loading windows and apps will be much faster
that being said dont get it from Apple , buy a seperate 200gg 7200rpm drive and replace the one you get in it

get a matte screen unless you want to use the thing as a mirror


i could go on and on but i think ive made my point
just cause i hate macs doesnt mean i dont know about them :P

The slowest macbook pro you can get new is 2.4ghz 45nm, and it is not a waste of battery, it is noticeably faster than my 2.2. and I love my glossy screen on my MBP. Even in direct sunlight, i prefer a glossy.

[Papu]

The slowest macbook pro you can get new is 2.4ghz 45nm, and it is not a waste of battery, it is noticeably faster than my 2.2. and I love my glossy screen on my MBP. Even in direct sunlight, i prefer a glossy.

noticeably faster at what loading pong?
booting safari?

go for the slowest cpu you can get that is all.

guess you like looking at yerself :P
anyway glossy's usually for movies / games ( lol games)
and matte is for everything else
why not just pop into an ishop and have an ilook for yourself :D

[Vapor]

Papu, I've thought about this one for awhile...if someone went into the Intel/AMD section and had the tone/attitude about Intel/AMD (respectively) that you have about Macs, they'd be given an official warning.

The precedent is set, and regardless, it's essentially trolling. I strongly recommend you don't come into the Mac section and constantly rip on Macs.

Frankly, that goes for anything on this forum. Don't go into Intel and rip on Intel. Don't go into Watercooling and rip on wc. Don't go into Xtreme 3D Team and rip on 3DMark benching.

[Papu]

Papu, I've thought about this one for awhile...if someone went into the Intel/AMD section and had the tone/attitude about Intel/AMD (respectively) that you have about Macs, they'd be given an official warning.

The precedent is set, and regardless, it's essentially trolling. I strongly recommend you don't come into the Mac section and constantly rip on Macs.

Frankly, that goes for anything on this forum. Don't go into Intel and rip on Intel. Don't go into Watercooling and rip on wc. Don't go into Xtreme 3D Team and rip on 3DMark benching.

sounds like a deal , i've given my information ,if its followed or not is up to the op :D

[ZOMGVTEK]

Correct...

Not only is there no need, it is only making you look worse. I dont think someone who thinks they hate macs is going to come in this thread, and from the evidence you provided then start to go on forums promoting mac hatred. Although i have seen several people go on forums and start saying how stupid buying a mac is, never someone as persistent as you.

Why would someone get the slowest cpu? I dont think you understand that a mac is actually a computer. It runs just like any other, and you can do the same things you would do on any other laptop... And believe it or not, the screen is bright enough that i can still see it in daylight.

UT04 runs fine on my laptop, and UT3 is supposedly out for it, but i dont have it. Its not a gaming rig, but for a laptop it games quite well, even in os x...

You clearly dont understand why people buy apple computers, so there is no need for you to actively go around seeking chances to tell people how bad mac's are. And you are quite dedicated at it. You put links in your sig that were then removed, changed your avatar, and made the I HATE MAC's much larger by adding a pic... Impressive.

[Papu]

Correct...

Not only is there no need, it is only making you look worse. I dont think someone who thinks they hate macs is going to come in this thread, and from the evidence you provided then start to go on forums promoting mac hatred. Although i have seen several people go on forums and start saying how stupid buying a mac is, never someone as persistent as you.

Why would someone get the slowest cpu? I dont think you understand that a mac is actually a computer. It runs just like any other, and you can do the same things you would do on any other laptop... And believe it or not, the screen is bright enough that i can still see it in daylight.

UT04 runs fine on my laptop, and UT3 is supposedly out for it, but i dont have it. Its not a gaming rig, but for a laptop it games quite well, even in os x...

You clearly dont understand why people buy apple computers, so there is no need for you to actively go around seeking chances to tell people how bad mac's are. And you are quite dedicated at it. You put links in your sig that were then removed, changed your avatar, and made the I HATE MAC's much larger by adding a pic... Impressive.

heh thanks


Its not a gaming rig

yes i know this , its just 300 dollars or so doesnt quite justify a bump of 200mhz on the cpu.
ive been to the apple store and in all its wisdom it has maybe 1 or 2 options , im saying not to big the bigger one because it doesn't warrant the extra money
a 2.0 2.2 ghz processor is still an animal of a processor and well capable of doing everything you need it to do. and the fact that it is penryn means a 20-25% boost anyway

[ZOMGVTEK]

Hmm.. and now changed your avatar back, and removed the incriminating evidence from your sig...

OP, Tell him to just GET it... If he is considering it, He will LOVE it. This is fact. Theres little need for the average user to get anything above and beyond the stock $2k version, unless you really need that extra cpu power, and more slower video mem. Upgrade the mem yourself, it takes 5 mins and does not void your warranty. I would consider getting the 3 year applecare just to be sure, then you have you can know the thing will run for 3+ years, problem free. The apple hd's arent crazy overpriced, so if you want to you could pick up the 200gb 7200rpm one from them. And it is slightly more involved to swap that out. Its more like 20-30 mins if its the first time doing it. Glossy screens are awesome, and i see no downfall to them, so if youre on a fence, glossy...

[Papu]

Hmm.. and now changed your avatar back, and removed the incriminating evidence from your sig...

OP, Tell him to just GET it... If he is considering it, He will LOVE it. This is fact. Theres little need for the average user to get anything above and beyond the stock $2k version, unless you really need that extra cpu power, and more slower video mem. Upgrade the mem yourself, it takes 5 mins and does not void your warranty. I would consider getting the 3 year applecare just to be sure, then you have you can know the thing will run for 3+ years, problem free. The apple hd's arent crazy overpriced, so if you want to you could pick up the 200gb 7200rpm one from them. And it is slightly more involved to swap that out. Its more like 20-30 mins if its the first time doing it. Glossy screens are awesome, and i see no downfall to them, so if youre on a fence, glossy...

external links are external links :D

head into a shop and have a look , try one out , 2k is allot to spend on a shiny image on a website.

that is all :up:

[gr8golf]

I've spent 3 days getting my MBP set up. I love the glossy screen. I agree that the base 2.4 model is all you will need - and the 7200 RPM drive was one of the best $100 upgrades I've ever done. I have it running Leopard and Vista in BootCamp as well as running Fusion to host virtual machines. Gonna download some of the Linux appliances off the VMWare website tomorrow. :up:

[yaddam205]

I've spent 3 days getting my MBP set up. I love the glossy screen. I agree that the base 2.4 model is all you will need - and the 7200 RPM drive was one of the best $100 upgrades I've ever done. I have it running Leopard and Vista in BootCamp as well as running Fusion to host virtual machines. Gonna download some of the Linux appliances off the VMWare website tomorrow. :up:

Good to hear you like it, keep me updated.

[gr8golf]

I ordered a 4GB G.Skill kit from Newegg and installed it today. It definitely makes a difference when running Virtual Machines in both Mac OS and Vista. Too bad Apple doesn't have drivers available for x64 Vista - I could use that extra GB of RAM that the x86 version doesn't see.

[furrylemmings]

macs are the best dell or sony can not match mac

eep, papu is so gonna flame you..

[FischOderAal]

why? because he works for Dell and will lose his job if he stops raping Mac-Threads? *SCNR*

Dell has seen better days, I agree. but Sony is not bad, though I'm a big fan of big blue.
a friend of mine works in a company that develops programs for companies that sell things via internet or print catalogues. my friend just got the third Dell notebook within two years and he's sick tired. the Dell notebooks in the company are just dieing for different reasons. the few macs they have run flawlessly. too bad they really need windows as their customers most likely will run them on Windows (though the programs are written in Java).

€: just noticed. Kilkenny? god I love your beer :up: :up:

[gr8golf]

The 7200 RPM HD on my MacBook Pro bit the dust today. 3 days of installing and configuring stuff - and I am pissed!:mad:

[yaddam205]

The 7200 RPM HD on my MacBook Pro bit the dust today. 3 days of installing and configuring stuff - and I am pissed!:mad:

That's not good to hear.
It Probably just a dud but was the brand?

[gr8golf]

Hitachi - some earlier post reported them using Hitachi's for the 7200's and they were correct. It probably was a fluke, but I wish it would have died in the first hour.

[furrylemmings]

Actually i find dell (at least in ireland) are excellent quality, i've had two of their desktops and my dad is on hid laptop for about 4 years now, we haven't had any problems.

[gr8golf]

yaddam205;2871561']That's not good to hear.
It Probably just a dud but was the brand?

I called the web sales group and they paid for shipping the MBP back to them and will return the full amount charged. They then gave me a $100 discount and I ordered up the exact same config. I'm still pissed about the lost time setting it up - but that was pretty decent customer service.

[ZOMGVTEK]

I just had one 7K200 on my MBP fail as well. Except i put it in myself so it has little chance of being apple fault, and it really sucked since i didnt do a backup in about 2 weeks, so i lost far too much ...

Now im back to backing up data religiously. :)

I dont know if these 7200RPM 2.5" hitachi's are prone to failure?

[Zytek_Fan]

Hitachi hard drives are called "Deathstar" for a reason :rofl:

[ZOMGVTEK]

Hitachi hard drives are called "Deathstar" for a reason :rofl:

*sigh*... i thought the moved on past those days of massive hd failaure. This is the second hitachi deskstar i had fail. One was a 2001 or so vintage, and the 7k200 is 2007... still?

But i did have a bunch of other drives fail as well, a 6 month old seagate, 2 month old western digital, and the rest were at least 3 years old, so failure isnt unheard of after then.

I have 3 more of these drives, so the better not go failing on me like this one...

[Andrew LB]

C4
Gaming Laptop
XPS 1530
1440x900 screen
200gig 7200rpm hdd
3 gigs of 667mhz ram
8600gt M 256m DDr3 modded drivers

Gaming + Laptop = Oxymoron


I mean, come on.... Anyone who has the audacity to troll the Mac forum while telling them that MacBook Pro's are not gaming rigs, while at the same time has a laptop that Dell calls a "Gaming Laptop" to fool people into thinking they're getting a real gaming powerhouse.


Anyways, the MacBook Pro is an excellent laptop. It's fast, has an awesome operating system, and is built very well. It also isn't trying to be something it isn't...

What brought me to this section of XS, a place I've rarely visited, is that I'm in the market for a new laptop much like the OP. My current Toshiba Satellite M45 which is about 3 years old has a dying LCD screen and the USB ports on the right side are no longer functional. I take excellent care of my notebooks and have never dropped one.... but this Toshiba as well as the IBM ThinkPad I had before it BOTH ended up crapping out just after the 2nd year of ownership.

I'm considering a MacBook Pro because I'm sick of wasting my money on store bought PC notebooks that just don't last. I make my living as a systems consultant and work on both PC and Macs, and I'll admit that Mac's are FAR MORE RELIABLE. They have far less bugs, failing components, and actually have quality customer service if you need help.

Here is the one I'm looking at buying: (gonna cost around $2k... but i'll probably do a monthly payment thing)

15'' MacBook Pro
2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB/250GB/8600MGT/SD

* 15.4-inch (diagonal) widescreen LED-backlit display
* 1440 x 900 resolution
* 2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor (Penryn); 6MB shared level 2 cache
* 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
* 250GB 5400-rpm SATA hard drive
* 8x slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
* NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 512MB GDDR3 memory
* Built-in iSight video camera
* Built-in Airport Extreme Wi-Fi 802.11n
* Built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
* Built-in Gigabit Ethernet
* Built-in Stereo Speakers
* DVI or VGA adapter included
* Built-in Dual-Link DVI Support
* ExpressCard/34 expansion slot
* One Firewire 400 port
* One Firewire 800 port
* Two USB 2.0 ports
* Kensington cable lock slot
* Backlit keyboard and ambient light sensors
* Solid-state trackpad with Multi-Touch gesture
* Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard

[Andrew LB]

*sigh*... i thought the moved on past those days of massive hd failaure. This is the second hitachi deskstar i had fail. One was a 2001 or so vintage, and the 7k200 is 2007... still?

But i did have a bunch of other drives fail as well, a 6 month old seagate, 2 month old western digital, and the rest were at least 3 years old, so failure isnt unheard of after then.

I have 3 more of these drives, so the better not go failing on me like this one...


Man... hard drives just don't seem to like working for you! In 20+ years of computer ownership, I've had 2 Maxtor 3.5" drives die and 2 Samsung notebook drives die.

In the IT work that I do, the most common drive I see die are Samsung notebook drives. The one in my Toshiba Satellite lasted 1.5 years... so i replaced it with a Western Digital 7200rpm 100gb model and have been very happy.

All my Western Digital drives have been flawless.


Now im back to backing up data religiously.

Yep. To keep the data on my desktop rig and notebook safe, I bought a 1tb RAID-1 backup system that's on my home network. Works great.

[ZOMGVTEK]

Man... hard drives just don't seem to like working for you! In 20+ years of computer ownership, I've had 2 Maxtor 3.5" drives die and 2 Samsung notebook drives die.

In the IT work that I do, the most common drive I see die are Samsung notebook drives. The one in my Toshiba Satellite lasted 1.5 years... so i replaced it with a Western Digital 7200rpm 100gb model and have been very happy.

All my Western Digital drives have been flawless.



Yep. To keep the data on my desktop rig and notebook safe, I bought a 1tb RAID-1 backup system that's on my home network. Works great.


Yea, well the ones that failed after 3 or so years are 24/7 operation for a media server. I have backups of the stuff though, so i never lost anything.

And i probably should get a second hd to backup my laptop on 2x Right now im using a 1tb external and have 2 partitions on it, 1 for one backup, then the next time i backup, i put it on the second. So, i always have 2 different backups on hand...

Oh, and get the macbook pro RIGHT NOW... You wont regret it...

[Andrew LB]

^^^ hopefully soon. The LCD on my Toshiba Satellite is dying fast.

[gr8golf]

Got my MBP replacement today - setting it up now. I still vote for the 7200 RPM drive.

[Deux]

Just thought I should share my experience with Apple's support. I have one of the original Macbook Pros that was purchased about 2 weeks after release. In august of last year I woke up one morning to find my Macbook sitting about 3/4 inch off the table. Turns out the battery had decided to expand to about 3x its normal size. It was still working but who wants a giant puffy battery. So the next day I called Apple forgetting that my Macbook was out of warranty. The representative was courteous and helpful and was quickly able to get a new battery sent next day UPS and also a $100 dollar store credit. I was quite happy with the speed they responded and the fact that they seemed to actually care unlike the "John" at Dell who I talked to for ~3 hours and still couldn't tell me to do anything I hadn't tried already to fix my printer.

[vengance_01]

I would like to mention, the new 320GB 5400RPM drives are just as fast as the 200GB 7200RPM drives due to the platter density. I have one is my XPS 1330. The thing flies. Also with all of those vmware machines, the extra space will be worth it. Also just grab it. MBP's are fantastic machines. My sister has a 24inch Imac and loves it. It's all about what you want and what will make you happy. Mac OS is different and for some its better, others still prefer Windows. But Let me ask you this, Why not a Black Macbook. Same power as the MBP, but minus the 8600GT. I agree that gaming on a notebook is a bad investment.

[vengance_01]

Just thought I should share my experience with Apple's support. I have one of the original Macbook Pros that was purchased about 2 weeks after release. In august of last year I woke up one morning to find my Macbook sitting about 3/4 inch off the table. Turns out the battery had decided to expand to about 3x its normal size. It was still working but who wants a giant puffy battery. So the next day I called Apple forgetting that my Macbook was out of warranty. The representative was courteous and helpful and was quickly able to get a new battery sent next day UPS and also a $100 dollar store credit. I was quite happy with the speed they responded and the fact that they seemed to actually care unlike the "John" at Dell who I talked to for ~3 hours and still couldn't tell me to do anything I hadn't tried already to fix my printer. Thats fantastic. But you can't judge support by just one call. I have owned several Dells and have never received bad customer service. I have not owned an apple product yet, so I can not comment directly about their support.

[gr8golf]

I would like to mention, the new 320GB 5400RPM drives are just as fast as the 200GB 7200RPM drives due to the platter density. I have one is my XPS 1330. The thing flies. Also with all of those vmware machines, the extra space will be worth it. Also just grab it. MBP's are fantastic machines. My sister has a 24inch Imac and loves it. It's all about what you want and what will make you happy. Mac OS is different and for some its better, others still prefer Windows. But Let me ask you this, Why not a Black Macbook. Same power as the MBP, but minus the 8600GT. I agree that gaming on a notebook is a bad investment.

Hadn't heard that any of the 5400RPM drives were performing on par with the 7200's - but that would be awesome if they did. I think the only option on the MBP was a 250GB 5400 drive. I really could have used the extra space.

[ZOMGVTEK]

Hadn't heard that any of the 5400RPM drives were performing on par with the 7200's - but that would be awesome if they did. I think the only option on the MBP was a 250GB 5400 drive. I really could have used the extra space.

500gb 2.5" drives will be available soon, or they might be already?

Anyways, they should be within a month. So pick up the base MBP and then get the drive separate and swap it yourself. Its not hard, just some may call it insane buying a new '2k' laptop and cracking it open right away, but oh well.

I think they are going to be 5200rpm, and they must be quite fast in comparison to the stock drive. But seek times will likely suffer, but not by much. The 7200 rpm drives are still quite slow at seeking.

[vengance_01]

Hadn't heard that any of the 5400RPM drives were performing on par with the 7200's - but that would be awesome if they did. I think the only option on the MBP was a 250GB 5400 drive. I really could have used the extra space. I was surprised too. I can post a screen shot. Its avg 50-55 MB/s which is quite good in a Laptop drive. Min was around 30 MB/s

[ZOMGVTEK]

http://www.tt-hardware.com/img/news5/news250907_2.gif

This is about what to expect with a 7200rpm 200gb 2.5" drive.

[WrigleyVillain]

Just thought I should share my experience with Apple's support. I have one of the original Macbook Pros that was purchased about 2 weeks after release. In august of last year I woke up one morning to find my Macbook sitting about 3/4 inch off the table. Turns out the battery had decided to expand to about 3x its normal size. It was still working but who wants a giant puffy battery. So the next day I called Apple forgetting that my Macbook was out of warranty. The representative was courteous and helpful and was quickly able to get a new battery sent next day UPS and also a $100 dollar store credit. I was quite happy with the speed they responded and the fact that they seemed to actually care unlike the "John" at Dell who I talked to for ~3 hours and still couldn't tell me to do anything I hadn't tried already to fix my printer.

That's cool. Though any company is going to a lot more "lenient" warranty and replacement-wise with any type of battery malfunction as you could sue their pants off it it harmed you or even your property somehow.

[Andrew LB]

Well.... it seems my plans for buying a Mac Book Pro have changed. Even though the MBP is a killer machine, the price for what you get is just too high and I need a notebook which is better suited for the types of onsite computer tech services I do part time for a living.

Since my current Toshiba Satellite has a crapping out backlight, I've decided to throw in the towel and buy a .... gulp..... Dell.

-XPS M1530
-Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T8300 (2.4GHz/800Mhz FSB, 3MB Cache)
-Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition
-Tuxedo Black
-Memory 4GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz (2 Dimms)
-High Resolution, glossy widescreen 15.4 inch LCD(1440x900) & 2MP Camera -256MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8600M GT
-160GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive Free Fall Sensor
-Combo or DVD+RW Drive Slot Load DVD+/-RW (DVD/CD read/write) -Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy HD Software Edition
-Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card
-McAfee SecurityCenter with anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall, 36-months
-56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
-2Yr In-Home Service, Parts Labor, 24x7 Phone Support
-Finger Print Reader XPS M1530
-Dell Wireless 355 Bluetooth Internal (2.0+Enhanced Data Rate)
-DataSafe Online Backup DataSafe Online Backup 30GB for 1 year


Retail price: $1,824.00
25% Discount: -$456.00

My price delivered: $1,368.00

... not a bad deal if I do say so myself.

And after reading a few reviews, the base model stomps pretty much all the competition. I've upgraded mine quite a bit. http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4135

[ZOMGVTEK]

For the money you paid you cant bet that. 25% off is a nice deal, but at $1824 a macbook pro is better.

So +1 for dell's assorted sales where you dont ever see a sale at apple
but dell is... ehhh....

[furrylemmings]

In all fairness dell are a brilliant company, never had a problem except once wehn my usb ports started working, rang up dell, they replaced the board. My last dell's parts live on admirably in my current rig and the pc was a steal when i bought it so i give dell my vote for value for money. Mac's are nice, but if you dont REALLY want to run os x then im with Andrew, just buy the best value for money!

[Andrew LB]

For the money you paid you cant bet that. 25% off is a nice deal, but at $1824 a macbook pro is better.

So +1 for dell's assorted sales where you dont ever see a sale at apple
but dell is... ehhh....


I've used both, and the only thing I found better about the Mac Book Pro was the operating system and case.

And if you were to spend $1824 on a MacBook Pro, it would be FAR FAR less powerful than the Dell I ordered. To get a MacBook Pro with similar performance, I would have had to spend almost $3,000.

... maybe next time. ;)

[ZOMGVTEK]

I've used both, and the only thing I found better about the Mac Book Pro was the operating system and case.

And if you were to spend $1824 on a MacBook Pro, it would be FAR FAR less powerful than the Dell I ordered. To get a MacBook Pro with similar performance, I would have had to spend almost $3,000.

... maybe next time. ;)

Well if youre nice you can get the student discount without being a student, or if you are a student, you get about 10% off MBP's. The base is $1800 vs 2k and the add ons are a little less. The processor is the same, same video card, same lcd, except i dont think the dell has a LED backlight. And the MBP only has a 1.3MP camera i believe. 200gb 5200 rpm drive vs the 160gb 7200, similar burner, the MBP has better built in audio, slightly lower cap battery, wireless N, i find the fingerprint readers useless and insulting, bluetooth 2.1+EDR.

Only thing thats really different is the 160 7200 vs 200 5400, and 2gb vs 4gb mem. But 4gb of 667 mhz laptop mem is about $60 from newegg on sale... So no biggie there. So its quite comparable.

But yea, the dell at the price you got it for is a nice deal.

And its not like im in love with Apple... I find my macbook pro to be the best laptop out at the time of purchase for the money, and its had its share of problems. But i had a Sony, Dell, and then a Toshiba... This one is far, far superior in terms of reliability and durability.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820144084
Heres what i got for my lappy 4 months ago. Except its $4 cheaper now.
You can find some for <$60 if you search around, but about $60 is normal for a decent sale, usually without MIR's too.

[Andrew LB]

^^^ Yea. My Toshiba Satellite has had quite a few problems and most friends with Sony notebooks have had lots of issues as well. I'm sure i'll be happy with this. If for some reason I don't like it when it gets here, i'll return it and get a Mac. ;)

[vengance_01]

You will like the dell. its a nice machine. Should suit your needs very well. battery life will be lacking on that 6 cell.

[Andrew LB]

The LED LCD screen that I ended up going with should help with battery life some.

Any of you MBP owners have the new LED screens? I hear they're great.

[lowfat]

The LED LCD screen that I ended up going with should help with battery life some.

Any of you MBP owners have the new LED screens? I hear they're great.

see your other thread.

[Reinvented]

I've read through here several times, and I'm trying to figure out which type of LCD is best for a MBP. I've decided I want a 17", and a 200GB 5400 RPM hard drive. Not sure what LCD though, but I do know that it's gonna be the 512MB video adapter. Just couldn't quite figure out what type of LCD would be best for gaming (Warcraft 3), and video watching, and just general office use. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

[vengance_01]

I think the 15inch would be a better buy. As much as the 17inch MBP is nice, it just costs way to much $$$.

[ZOMGVTEK]

I've read through here several times, and I'm trying to figure out which type of LCD is best for a MBP. I've decided I want a 17", and a 200GB 5400 RPM hard drive. Not sure what LCD though, but I do know that it's gonna be the 512MB video adapter. Just couldn't quite figure out what type of LCD would be best for gaming (Warcraft 3), and video watching, and just general office use. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

I would get the glossy screen, a 17" laptop can be a hassle if you are on the go alot, but if you dont need to carry it that far often, go for it. The extra space is nice. I would without a doubt get the higher res 17" if you want a 17, its fantastic. I bring my main 15" MBP with me most places i go, and it can get heavy in a bookbag at school. And every once in a while i bring them both for some hardcore computing. Mobile dualie 15"s FTW!

You should be able to play warcraft on that no problem too.