MBP vs MB and Is extra 2GB worth it?

I'm deciding between the MBP and the MB. Is there really much difference besides the screen size? Is it worth the extra money for the MBP?

And I'm also trying to decide whether I should pay the extra $200 to upgrade to 4GB of memory. I do run a lot of programs at one time. I sometimes have 2 different internet browsers open, a photo editing program, photo viewer, itunes, videos playing, music downloading, and various other programs all running at the same time. My laptop I have now doesn't do so well with that many tasks at one time. But maybe 2GB is enough for all I do?

 

With the MBP you get a dedicated graphics card, more screen real-estate, it's slightly thinner, and an aluminum finish. For the tasks you mentioned above though, the MB will work just fine.

For memory upgrades, don't pay the asking price on Apple's website. You can find a much cheaper pair of 2 GB sticks from the web (i.e. www.newegg.com, www.crucial.com, www.owc.com, etc.). You can probably get a set for under $100.

Edit: Forgot to answer your last question at the end. 2 GB would be ok, but if you run ALL those things or most of them at the same time then the 4 GB option would work much better.

 

The worst thing you can do is buy RAM from Apple. They charge you 8-10 times the price... Just get a couple os 2GB sticks and do it yourself.

MBP is much more powerful than the MB because of its video card, and it has a nicer screen. I strongly recommend the MBP for photo editing because of the screen resolution.

 

2 GB is fine for the tasks you are running...of course, more RAM doesn't hurt. Your Mac will function fine with 2 GB, but you will get things moving along faster with 3 or 4 GB, and prices are much lower nowadays for that stuff. As others have said, you can get RAM much cheaper at third party stores like Newegg.

If you can afford it, the MBP definitely has its benefits. It has a larger, brighter (LED-backlit) screen with a higher resolution, the backlit keyboard, a dedicated graphics card, faster processor options, more ports and is a little thinner and one of, if not the lightest 15.4-inch notebook on the market. So if you can afford it, there's no real disadvantage to getting a MBP.

Do keep in mind, it seems pretty likely there will be Mac notebook refreshes over the next month, as Montevina (Centrino 2) just arrived and there are rumours of a MacBook Pro redesign (which is a long time coming, because as great as it is, its been the same design since the PowerBook G4 Aluminum).

 

Thanks for all the replies! I think I'm going to go with the MBP but now I don't know whether to wait for the newer model or not. I really want to get it before school starts. Do you know when these new versions are coming out? Are there any set dates yet? I don't know if it's worth it to wait or not?

And as for installing the ram myself, I would have no idea how to do that. Do I buy something from this page? http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=551&name=Mac-Memory Which one would you recommend? And is it difficult to install? Because I've never done anything like that before.

 

It's really easy to install if you remember to be gentel. there are videos of it on youtube. Theres a little door at the bottom of the MBP where the ram is. You just open it, pop them up, unclip them, and put the new ones in. You need 200-pin, and I hear good things about Corsair.

 

Apple keeps its secrets quite well, we don't know when they release their new notebooks other than a general timeframe (following Intel releases). Any Mac updates will be on Tuesdays though, so you will know that . That's a long Apple tradition. Its most likely worth the weight, if its going to get a redesign and Montevina and other stuff. Maybe new graphics cards too.

You can get Mac RAM but its not necessary either. As long as its the right type of notebook RAM, you don't need to specifically look for "Mac RAM". What you'll want is 200-pin, DDR2 667/800 MHz RAM. Any big name manufacturer is good, you don't have to worry too much about branding. Get the cheap one. I personally like OCZ, Crucial and Corsair.

 

Thanks for all the help! I know you don't know for sure but do you think the refresh will be out within the next month? I'm kind of in a bind and need it soon but I'm willing to wait a couple more weeks if the new version will be out soon.

Do you think the upgrade will be of much use to me if I just mainly use it for the above? Is it worth it to wait a couple of weeks? If I get the MBP now, I don't want it to be out of date in just a month or so. I'm not really sure what to do.

 

Alumuminum > Plastic. Get the updated MBP in a few months time.

 

But isn't the MBP already aluminum?

 

If you are going to use the Mac for real "work" and not gaming then all of your other needs will suffice just great with a Macbook. As others mentioned the only way you can go wrong by adding more ram is buying it from Apple. New Egg has great prices, 18004memory.com has great prices, just get 3rd party ram and yes you should max out ram, it doesn't matter what your uses are, you will need it.

As far as waiting for the next version, at this point you should, the timing is getting closer for the next revision.