unibody Macbook pro 2.4 or 2.53??

Hi

I am currently saving up for a laptop and i first thought about the sony fw because of its high res screen and blu ray player along with the 2.66 processor. I dont use any really demanding software but would like to play a few games.

Im also looking at the macs beacuse they look amazing and have better build quality than sony...i think. will i notice any significant difference when web browsing/light gaming with the faster processor listed in the title. The ram is not an issue because i would upgrade it myself as its cheaper.Im also going to upgrade the hdd to a 7200rpm one.

Also what are the macbook pros viewing angles like for watching films, as my sister has a unibody macbook and its pretty bad for watching and films.

Just wanted your opinion as i dont want to spend the extra money if i wont see a difference.

Thanks

 

Gaming performance is mostly dependent on the graphics processor. A 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo versus a 2.53GHz one (even if the 2.53GHz one has 6MB of cache) is negligible. You won't be able to tell the difference.

 

Although it shouldn't matter too much, you may also want to take note that the 2.4GHz MBP (MB470LL/A) has 256MB dedicated GPU while the 2.53GHz MBP (MB471LL/A) has 512MB dedicated GPU.

 

There won't be much of a difference between the two, because it only has a 128-bit bus, which limits the speed on which it can travel. That basically means that even if you have more VRAM, there's a limit on how fast it can access it.

 

Sony is well built too, and I will go for Sony if I want to play some games I would suggest you to take a look at Sony, or you want something else from macbook pro. If only for the build quality, Sony has everything that macbook has, nothing less.

 

The mid-level MBP is now 2.66ghz minimum instead of 2.53.

Sony has a lesser vid card (ATI 3650), poor tech support with many unhappy users, lots of plastic, and most importantly runs Vista instead of OS X. Very different from the MacBook Pro.

Anyway.

I bought my latest personal MBP from MacMall for $1699 with free shipping and no tax after rebate. I ordered 4 GB of memory and a 320 GB WD 7200 rpm HD from New Egg and saved my self hundreds of $$$ over the 2.6 ghz MBP. Speed difference is negligible. I run both the Mac and PC versions of Call of Duty 4 without issue.

My work laptop is a 17 inch Unibody MBP at 2.93ghz and 8 GB of ram btw. Very nice.

Here are some performance tests for the 2.4 and 2.53
http://www.macworld.com/article/136269-2/2008/10/macbookpro.html

 

I have no intention to turn this post into a war about which one is better post. But Can you give me evidences of how Sony has 'poor tech support with many unhappy users, lots of plastic' ???In fact, Apple also has many unsatisfied customers.

please don't lead the OP into a wrong direction of thinking Sony has poor quality, and I think both Sony and macbook are well-built

 

The MacBook Pro has a higher quality screen vs. the MacBook. The viewing angles and image quality are one of the best for notebooks.

 

Just go with the 2.4Ghz, bump the hard disk to 7200rpm, buy a 4gb kit separately and do the upgrade yourself. You'll save a lot of money. If you have money though (mind you, i said only if), there's nothing wrong in getting the more powerful laptop!!

 

if price is a factor, or performance/price is a factor, sony > mbp

you might get a marginally slower video card (3650 vs. 9600mgt), the screen resolution is more than to make up for it on normal use.

also, with the similar or less price, you also have better spec as well.

tech support and such are preference but apple do enjoy some famous stories with their CSR(there will always be frustrating customers anywhere).

style is a preference but i am more incline with FW over the new macbookpro since i see too many macbook/pro around in the campus.

blue-ray too, mbp doesn't have that.

 

You can't buy the 2.53GHz anymore, it has been upgraded to the 2.66GHz model.

 

Yes, at this moment you still can get the 2.53GHz model (MB471LL/A). There are still a number of Apple authorized resellers trying to clear them out.

 

also,check ebay-you can find sweet prices there

EDIT: ebay OC

 

What's an ebat?

 

I have a unibody 2.53 its an awesome machine... glad i got it over the 2.4 .. faster processor with double the cache... and double the video ram on the 9600... already loaded with 4gb ram, didnt have to upgrade...

 

I think he means ebay

 

Sony's build quality is pretty excellent, especially on their business line. The build of the Sony Z with the carbon fibre is excellent, and definitely much more durable than the Macbook Pro. There isn't much of a performance difference between the 3650 and the 9600M either. However I'd still go with the Macbook Pro, because in my opinion, the only thing more overpriced than a Mac is a Sony.

Regarding the speed difference, you aren't likely to notice the difference unless you're playing a game/running an application that is extremely CPU intensive. Honestly, I would just go with the base model and overclock it up, because it's extremely pricey to buy higher end Apple models.

The screen viewing angles on my early-2008 Macbook Pro is excellent. Even when I'm looking at my screen at almost 90 degrees from the center, I can still see the colours can all still be seen. Compared to my sister's Macbook, I can barely make out what's on her screen when I'm looking at it 45 degrees off the centre. I read that Sony uses better screens than Macs though.

 

Try to see the 3dmark06 score between the ati 3650 vs nvidia 96oom gt. To me, it appears that the 9600m gt wins by far. I love my laptop and will advise the O.P to stick the unibody macbook pro. Go for the loaded version only if you can afford it, else stick with the 2.4Ghz.

 

Personally if you could afford I would go for the 2.66Ghz model! If I had the money I'd all over that in a second...

 

Agreed. The 2.66Ghz is better but it has a higher power rating which will decrease it battery life.