Apple Mac Book or Mac Book Pro

[mikepry]

Rover,

The real differences are in the screen size, larger hard drives, more ports, Firewire 800 vs. 400 port, longer battery life due to larger battery, and the Express card slot.

If you are using it as a desktop replacement, you may want the MacBook Pro.

If you travel a lot, grab the MacBook.

A note of caution if you use Aperture, it will not run on the 13" MacBook without an external monitor because it requires more vertical screen resolution.

Best,

Ray

I just got through editing about 760 images from a wedding I shot down in florida last weekend. It does just fine on the wee MacBook. I did however up the RAM to 2gigs and use a sata 160 gig hard drive in an external enclosure. That way my Apererture library can run on my iMac or the MacBook.

 

[Shaocaholica]

Macbook has shared graphics memory, Pro has separate memory from the RAM and better graphics card. Only necessary if you are doing intensive graphic design/editing, like rendering special FX in Final Cut Pro.

Actually, this is not true. The graphics memory and graphics processor have very little to no impact on 'graphical' and video applications which rely on the CPU to do all the work. Simply put, they are only good for REALTIME 3d graphics such as games and 3D modelling applications. Not for rendering video, 3D, or image processing. Indeed Apple's Aperture application does use the graphics processor to do some of the work but real world tests have shown that the performance difference in Aperture with a low end graphics processor and a high end $700 optional desktop card are negligible. You'd be better off spending that extra money on a faster CPU and more memory.

 

[jdos2]

A cautionary note: if you are setting up a home network with a Macbook Pro, know that Apple is in the process of fixing the drivers to work with "other" vendor base stations, like (my) Actiontec. WEP isn't working correctly right now, and I have to use other forms of security to make things go. Apple's aware (as are others)

Otherwise, spend the $ and get the Good Book. 🙂

J

 

[sepiareverb]

I believe the Pro has a faster hard drive, which may speed up image work a little. I know that for recording my 4200rpm ibook was hopeless. I have a 7200rpm drive in this powerbook and can record easily. I don't do much image work on computers so don't know if the additional speed is really worth it for that.

My son has the MacBook, and it has been flawless in every way, just like this machine and both the iMacs my wife has used. My iBook was great, except for the hard drive speed. This machnie has fallen off a table to the oak floor after hitting a chair, and had the screen smashed- nothing else was harmed. It was running at the time.
The wireless is easy to do (I use an Airport Express for all the computers in the house)- only drawback is range in our rambling stretched layout. If I can manage to get the network up and running it has to be simple.

The Pro will also be easier to upgrade- the upgrading is why I switched to the Powerbook, and I've recently put a bigger hard drive in this and more memory. If you are buying for the long term the Pro may have some advantages there.

 

[photogdave]

Actually the Macbook has a user-swappable hard drive but the Pro doesn't.

 

[rover]

Playing some more at Apple.com

I just configured a white Macbook 2.16mhz processor with 2gb RAM and 160gb 5400rpm HD and it is $130 less expensive than the black Macbook, same features, same processor, same machine.

Pristine black is more expensive, just like cameras. 😀

 

[harmsr]

Joe & Mike,

Aperture refused to install on my 5 month old travel "black" Macbook with 2GB of memory. It stated that the vertical screen resolution was insufficient.

I will try again, here in just a few minutes.

Looking at my Aperture box, it states 1280 x 854 is required resolution. The screen on the black MacBook is only 1280 x 800.

Ray

 

[harmsr]

OK - My disc copy of Aperture is 1.0. Loading it up, it continues to tell me that my hardware is inadequate because of the screen resolution.

I was trying to start Aperture and then update automatically.

After updating to 1.5.3 prior to opening Aperture, it is running on my 13" MacBook.

I'm very happy.

Ray