plz convince me to get a MBP

Hi everyone. I'm new to the macs. I have owned quite a lot Windows notebooks but never a mac. Now I wanna cross the street and see what this side looks like.

So here I am, trying to get a new laptop, cuz I kinda have to, my last laptop was broken twice in the last few months. I had to send it back for refund. I actually never thought I'd be interested in mac, but the other day I was just looking around then suddenly I thought MBP is a nice choice, especially now they can run Windows simultaneously (with VMware or parallel of course, or use boot camp). But I have seen a lot of people complaining about the heat and noise, it that true? and the how is the battery life? The battery life is actually my biggest concern. And is it powerful enough to run some system resource intensive apps? and games?

Last thing, I know it is very very expensive, I'm not rich, but if it is really worth it I can afford the price, IF IT IS WORTH IT.So could you guys tell me if I should purchase a macbook pro? or any other suggestions? I'm a university student in software engineering. I need my laptop to be somehow powerful but not too noisy. I don't mind it's heavy and big but I do need a very decent battery life.

Thank you in advance!!!!!!

 

Heat? Not too bad.

Noise? Very quiet.

Battery life? Nice. I can squeeze out 4 hours with light usage.

Powerful enough? Certainly.

Games? Yup. You're probably better off with a Windows PC though for intensive gaming.

 

for games... heavy resource apps... limited budget... it sounds like windows might be the way to go for yah. try the Dell XPS 1530

on another note if you want to try OS X go to an apple store and play around with one, it's way cheaper that way if you find you don't like it/find it not worth it.

 

The OP set the bar up quite high as he's expecting a perfect machine and mostly for the reason to run Windows. The build quality of the MBP is top notch, much better than other notebooks because of the all aluminum design. However if that's not enough your best course of action is to buy a new Windows notebook. You shouldn't have to feel that the forum needs to convince you, if you feel that way a Windows notebook will work best for you, in fact I recommend it highly, the Mac OS may not be for you if you need convincing.

 

check out the Thinkpad T61p. Not the greatest screen, but games awesome, has a great cooling system, and i can get around 4.5 hours on my 9 cell battery

 

If you decide to get an MBP and are in no rush, I'd suggest waiting until after WWDC in the beginning of June. You'll be able to pick up the latest model (assuming that the rumored upgrades take place). If nothing else, you'll at least be able to get a free iPod with it.

 

You'll get more for your money with a T61p and a more durable laptop as well. Macs don't have spill resistent keyboards, they do not offer accidental coverage, and their warranties are expensive and limited compared to the warranty options available from Lenovo or most other major laptop brands. I am considering getting a Mac as well. The main reason is I like Unix and would rather not have Vista on my laptop. Whichever way I go I'll run Windows XP and either Linux or the Mac OS. I am not sure of the compatibillity of the many usefull open source software that is available with Linux on the Mac. There have been excellent deals available on T61p's lately. Both Apple and Lenovo are likely to refresh their models in June. Lenovo will offer better discounting on current models than Apple will. Regarding screen quality the MBP screens are considered better regarding brightness, color depth, and accuracey, although still not even close to what someone requires who does critical image editing work. I am hopeful the new models from Lenovo will offer improved LED backlit screens. I am waiting till June because I would like an HDMI port and LED screen.

Article Regarding New Mac Laptops:
http://www.macrumors.com/2008/04/07/apple-notebooks-to-see-major-design-changes/

 

Not a big fan of Lenovo screens either. I've always found them to be a bit dim.

 

i find it funny you say plz convince me to buy a MBP, why do you need convincing it seems like you want one? just get it you wont regret it

 

if you plan on running windows most of the time; get the lenovo t61p for sure!

heat and "noise" problem is on the 1st generation MBP, i think we're on the 4th or 5th generation now... be warn that when running windows, it might gets warmer than running mac.

battery life on mac is excellent! 3-4 hours of usage no problem.

still... if you plan on windows.. especially if you want windows vista... go get the thinkpad t61p instead.

 

This is debatable, as one of the big complaints about MBPs is the heat they generate. It's not so much that they run unusually hot internally, but the fact that most of the exterior is metal. The entire top of the MBP acts as a big heat plate. Good for getting heat out of the laptop, but it runs warmer than your standard PC laptop in a plastic casing.

Truth. For what they have, they do run very quiet. Even a fully loaded 17" model is virtually inaudible from an arm's reach. Again this goes back to the fact that the fans don't have to be mini-turbines due to the mass of the laptop working to dissipate heat.

The absolute highest end video card available today in a MBP is the GeForce 8600M GT 512MB. This is a mediocre chipset, but unfortunately for laptops both Mac and PC it's very common and often touted as a high-end thing. It's fine for things Macs are known for, ie. 2D graphics work and maybe some not-GPU-heavy rendering, but it's not something you crank up the settings on Crysis with.

 

I apologize. I forget to include the disclaimer that my subjective findings are based on my usage.

And heavy usage to me is running 6 applications at once (sad, I know)

With that kind of use, heat is rarely a problem. And without the need for games, I can attest the video card is certainly powerful enough for my needs.

Even with games, I've seen quite a few tests done with Oblivion, COD4, etc... etc... and the system seems to run just fine.

Cranking up the settings on Crysis is something that can really only be done on a desktop or a gaming-style laptop (you know, those behemoths that weigh a ton)

 

Thanks you guys. I'm pretty set on getting a MBP now. Never had a MAC and would love to try it. The build quality and style are important to me. Also the OS.

 

Get one NOW!!!!! =D

 

how was it like working with 16gb ram dude?

 

muyao0118,

Like others have said, if Win is your main OS, get a Win box. The Pro is a great machine, and does run XP well (I use Boot Camp), but you won't be getting the gaming performance with Win games that you'd get with a Win box. And, for what you'd spend on a MBP, you'd get one h*** of a Win box Mine is quiet enough, but it's a hot box...you can't (or I can't anyway) set it on your lap, running off AC, battery isn't much cooler. You may find Hackintosh interesting.

jb

 

Can you elaborate? what do you mean by "Good for getting heat out"?

are the laptops more heat resistant to melting and such things, but just FEEL warm? or do they tend to melt and degrade the same OR even worse than plastic PC's (macbook)?

 

I just explained it. I'm not sure what else you need to know. The Macbook Pros are made of titanium. The heat from the laptop's various heat sources is spread out over the entire surface. They don't need to force as much air out of vents and holes with larger fans because thermal transfer takes care of some of the work.

I'm not sure if you've ever seen or handled a MBP, but they have no visible vents and are not elevated so there's no holes underneath either. The only holes are the speaker grilles.

 

just to start an argument, the gpu can handle 3d rendering tasks just fine. the 8600m gt is a plenty fast card, and is the fastest available in the 15" category (aside from a crazy unconventional alienware machine)

it doesn't do well with crysis, but does fine with every other game on the market. and crysis isn't even that good. tf2 and cod4 ftw.

also, to the op, you may be better matched to an xps m1530 like originally stated.

 

S.SubZero,

Sorry to nitpick, but as reagrds " The Macbook Pros are made of titanium.", the case is aluminum. More importantly, re: " I'm not sure if you've ever seen or handled a MBP, but they have no visible vents and are not elevated so there's no holes underneath either. The only holes are the speaker grilles." Look at the back, underneath the hinges. Air comes in through the keyboard, out those vents in the back. Here's a quote that covers all that from Apple:

" Using Your MacBook Pro
When you’re using your MacBook Pro or charging the battery, it's normal for the bottom of the case to get warm. For prolonged use, place your MacBook Pro on a flat, stable surface. Do not place your MacBook Pro on your lap or other body surface for extended periods of time. Prolonged body contact can cause discomfort and potentially a burn. The bottom of the MacBook Pro case functions as a cooling surface that transfers heat from inside the computer to the cooler air outside. The bottom of the case is raised slightly to allow airflow, which keeps the unit within normal operating temperatures. In addition, warm air is vented from the slots in the back of the case."

jb

 

the MBP are made from (anodized) alumunium. it resist heat better than plastic and also dissipate heat better, so it is actually a better material for laptop's internal, as the heat is not insulated inside the case - as in the case (no pun intended) of the plastic base casing/chassis. there are previous generation of macbook pro - they were called powerbook then - that is made from titanium.

i believe the cooling system of the MBP works by taking IN cool air from the center of the vents and exhaling the air in the edge of the vents.

crude illustration below...

legend:
^ = out
/ = grill
* = in

[^/^/^/*/*/*/*/*/*/^/^/^]
--CPU-----------------GPU--

the speaker grill is sealed from the internal component, and also is the keyboard, so there is no air (and dust) intake from there. the bottom of the laptop feature a rubber feet that raised the laptop slightly.

but... as with most modern powerful laptop outthere... it can get pretty hot.. and the thin case of the macbook pro, and the alumunium material, make the outer casing feels hotter than if it made from plastic and feature thicker casing.

i have not have any heat issue while using the mbp, the macbook runs hotter.