I can't decide which mac laptop to get. I want something that I can do school work on, im, play sims, email, listen to music, watch dvds, and surf the web. I don't want something that is way too complicated and overly expensive.
2007-03-04 07:10:40 · 8 answers · asked by Lauren C 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Laptops & Notebooks
I don't know the difference btween the pro and the other one. Most helpful gets 10 points
2007-03-04 07:13:51 · update #1
I would say just go with the Macbook rather than the Macbook Pro. The main differences are the $900 price difference, screen size (13" for macbook, 15" or 17" for Pro), the speed is slightly less for the macbook, and the storage space is variable. But the Macbook will meet all of the requirements of what you need to do well. The macbook pro would be excessively expensive for your needs and would be more suited for someone intending to do photo, video, or music editing. (really intense graphics usage) I recomment the $1299 13" Macbook in White.
2007-03-10 20:05:47 · answer #1 · answered by lapyramid 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The MacBook Pro is aimed at professionals, like graphic designers, music composers, video editors, etc. The MacBook is aimed at consumers. I would recommend the MacBook unless you want to pay more for the Pro version. The MacBook Pro is more powerful than the MacBook and it has a bigger screen. That's really the only difference between the two. For what you want to do the MacBook would be a great choice, so I would get that. If you need more information go to Apple's website and find an Apple Store near you. If you find a store go to it. Just ask questions. The Apple sales people are extremely knowledgeable and will help you decide which MacBook is right for you. Those are the best people to ask. Hope this helped, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions! Good luck!
2007-03-04 16:07:31 · answer #2 · answered by csalm87 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The primary differences are:
MacBook Pro:
Larger screens (15.4" or 17" widescreen glossy or non-glossy)
Better selection of faster processors
Dedicated graphics card
Lighted Keyboard
MacBook:
13.3" widescreen glossy or non-glossy displays
slightly slower processors
integrated graphics
That being said, if you want the advantages of the MacBook Pro then you are going to end up spending well over $2000 to get the perfect model. My problem with the MacBook is the integrated graphics, I can't move past that in the PC world and I couldn't move past that in the Mac world. The problem here is that if you want to play the Sims 2 at all then you will need to spring for the MacBook Pro, I'm sad to say that with the horrible GMA950 in the MacBook (non-Pro) you won't be able to play the Sims 2 (or any other game for that matter, yes, yes Halo 2 works with 2GB of memory in it). But I tell you what, if you configure a MacBook with 2GB of memory, you've just about encroached on MacBook Pro price territory. And in that case, it's best to go with the Pro.
2007-03-04 15:20:51 · answer #3 · answered by conradj213 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You will probably be just fine with the regular macbook. The macbook pro just has more and better features such as more ram, a faster processor, and a better graphics card. The macbook will do everything you need it to and you won't have to spend the extra money and the pro.
You can check out the websites i listed below. They list the specs and tell you what comes standard on the computer. If you want you can even go through the purchasing proscess and see how you can up grade it, but you don;t have to buy it until you make a decision
2007-03-04 21:58:10 · answer #4 · answered by aj_horse_girl 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You sound like a typical MacBook owner. If you're in college (or have been accepted already), don't forget to take advantage of the student discount. I doubt you would notice much difference with a MacBook Pro, at least not enough to warrant the difference in price. Also note that if something goes wrong with it out of warranty, the repair costs for MacBooks are cheaper than MacBook Pros, and AppleCare is cheaper for MacBooks as well. MacBook Pros are made for creative professionals.
You do not necessarily *need* Office to do schoolwork, as suggested by a previous answer. If you do buy Office, there is only one version and one price you need to care about, which is the Student/Teacher edition. It has the exact same versions of the exact same software as the Standard edition, but is licensed for people who are not using it for business. You qualify to buy it whether you are in high school or college. Also, you can install it on three computers instead of just one, and it costs a lot less ($149 instead of $399).
If you are not submitting your schoolwork electronically (thus potentially needing it to be in an MS proprietary format), there are plenty of other options out there which are even cheaper than the Student/Teacher edition of Office. Look into Apple's own iWork software for page layout and presentations and Mariner Calc for spreadsheets, or OpenOffice or NeoOffice for the whole suite.
If you live near an Apple Store or other reseller, go in and play around with a MacBook before you buy.
2007-03-05 14:12:01 · answer #5 · answered by L S 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A mac is never overly complicated, they're all equally easy to use. However, you're not doing anything too extensive with the laptop from what you've said (like video editing) so just go with a MacBook. If that's not suiting to you price-wise I'd say get a Used or Refurbished iBook or PowerBook even.
2007-03-04 15:14:35 · answer #6 · answered by Tyler W 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i have a macbook pro and i love it. however, i dont know the difference between the pro and the regular macbook. i have sims and it runs great. also dvd's run great on my computer as well. for school work, you will need to get office mac. there are diff versions at diff prices. office mac includes microsoft word, excel, and other programs like power point. all macs come with itunes so theres no problem with music. it also comes with a remote [macbook and macbook pro]. safari is a great web browser which is the default browser for mac. however i use firefox. macs are great computers. although if you are switching from a windows it will take some getting used to but you will get accustumed to it quickly. go to apple.com to see prices and more info.
2007-03-04 15:23:03 · answer #7 · answered by jen. (: 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I agree with the previous reply, just don't skimp on RAM, 1 Gb is the minimum on a dual core laptop, from my experience.
Also, if you want a DVD burner, get the SuperDrive too. Trying to add later can be more expensive than ordering with your new Mac.
2007-03-04 15:22:01 · answer #8 · answered by ELfaGeek 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋