Chemical Engineering Student torn on Macbook and MBP

I'm kind of torn at the moment. I'm not sure if I want to go to the Other Side in getting a Macbook or Macbook Pro or stay with Windows because it is what I know..

I have a good budget for this, but don't want to spend it if I don't have to.

I'm looking at configuring a regular Macbook (which I have an education discount for) which is $1199, and then add the memory and if you all think it is a good investment, the Applecare Protection Plan thing.

On the other hand, I could do the new MacBook Pro, the cheapest one, with the LED screen and only have the AppleCare Plan as well.

I'd also add the 200 dollars for the Nano, only to get it back in a few weeks (hopefully) via mail in rebate.

Ideally I'd like to get the Macbook, I only run a handful of programs that need Windows, so that's not a huge issue. I don't game, though the editing capabilities of a Mac seem awesome. If I buy the Macbook, I could easily buy a nicer digital camera and get back into photography. So that is another thing that's holding me back.

So what would all of you do in my situation, take the plunge into the Macbook Pro or take the economical advantage with the Macbook and get a Digital Camera too?

Any advice, hints, whatevers would be greatly appreciated!

 

With Boot Camp, you can run your Mac with Vista quite well, and as it gets finalized, I'm sure any current issues will be resolved. At the very least, you'll be able to run those few programs that need Windows just fine.

I feel that it's a waste to get a Mac and let such a nice OS go to waste if all you wanted was a PC. Up to you of course though.

I suggest you go to your local Apple store or a friend who has a Mac and spend a few hours playing with OS X. You might find that, instead of being a limiting factor in your decision, OS X could well be an incentive instead--as I did.

 

It sounds to me like a MacBook could do just fine for you, although I think the value difference between an $1199 MB and $1799 base MBP model is still enough to be worth it.

If you are thinking of getting into photography, apps like Lightroom and Aperture will certainly benefit from the dedicated GPU, and you'll also benefit from the higher res of the MBP's 15" screen.

And the LED-backlit screen is almost a reason in and of itself to get it, in my personal opinion at least.

But I know plenty of photographers who use regular MacBooks too, so you'd probably still be fine. From what you've described as your purposes, I think a MacBook would do everything you need, and you can install Windows too. A nice perk is that it's very simple to easily replace the hard drive on the MacBook (compared to the MBP), so you can easily upgrade your RAM and hard drive and be all set to run Windows as well.

You could then invest in a digital camera and probably even have some money for the educational discounted version of Adobe CS3.

Especially if you buy the Nano and then resell it, that's like another $200 off, which you can use for whatever.

Note that you don't need to buy AppleCare right away; you can buy it any time within the first year of ownership (and you might decide to take your chances and not bother with extending the AppleCare coverage anyway).

 

My macbook screen is pretty dang sharp looking. My buddy has a 17" Dell and he loves how sharp my little screen is

 

Yeah, the MacBook screens are actually very nice. I always found them to be superior to the old MBP screens actually (the MacBook screens didn't seem to have the same uneven brightness issues, etc.).