Buying advice?

Hello, I previously looked at buying a mac back in January. For whatever reason, it did not happen. Now, I have money saved up and should be able to buy a MBP next month. I am not sure which model would be the best for my needs. I can afford the 13in model much more than the 15in. I would have to wait another month or two after november to afford it. I would prefer to buy a MBP as soon as possible. I am a sophomore at college studying computer art. My goal is to become a web designer. I use CS5 in every one of my classes. It has become tedious to not be able to work on my projects outside of the computer labs. As you can see from my signature, my current laptop is extremely outdated and falling apart. I don't think it could handle CS5 if I even tried. I need this laptop to last at least 3-4 years while I finish college and enter the career field.

So, in short I will be using the laptop for:
Adobe CS5
Microsoft Office
Internet
Music
Pictures
Sims 3
Second Life
WOW

I rarely play the games but I would still like the laptop to be able to handle them comfortably.

I know that a 13in screen is very small for a graphic designer, but I will be doing the majority of my work on the IMacs in the lab. I also plan to purchase an external monitor in January. I really need this laptop so that I can start gaining more experience with the programs and maybe begin some freelance work.

I am mostly concerned that the 13in will not be powerful enough to run the programs I need at a quick pace. However, I prefer the 13in for its portability and cheaper price. I also am wondering how much of a difference is seen between the two 13in models?

Sorry this was a little bit confusing. The bottom line is: Which MBP model would be the best for my needs? (Keeping in mind that the 13in is my preference.) Also, is there a big difference in performance between the different processors?

Any advice is appreciated!
Thank you!

 

The Core 2 Duo is still an excellent CPU. I've never noticed any lag in my system with it. Only if you're pushing the system to the extreme, which CS5 can do, will the Core i offer somewhat better performance. It's not like they re-invent the wheel and the Core i is 5x faster. The 13" MBP offers excellent battery life if that's what you need. I would think it boil to to whether you want the battery life and portability the 13" offers or the resolution and slightly better CPU the 15" offers.

 

If you're having that much trouble affording a Mac, why not consider a PC? All of the programs you listed will run just fine on a PC, and the keyboard shortcuts are essentially the same.

The 13-inch MBP will run the programs just fine. I don't think you'll be using AE and Premiere that much, probably, which can be pretty rough. You can even save up later on and put an SSD in and get a further benefit. The 1280x800 would, for me personally, be a bit of a pain to work with Photoshop in all the time, though.