View Full Version : help me with some buying advice please
sseligson
2006-11-24, 17:30
Long story short..
I was a die hard PC guy. Last year I decided to sell my laptop PC and get a macbook as a second computer to play around with. At the same time I built a new PC. The PC died over the summer and I decided I can just use my macbook for a while until I decide what I really want to do.
I love the macbook and would never go back. One thing about the mac that I do miss is the ability to play graphics intensive games like half life 2 etc. So decided to purchase a macbook pro and then sell my macbook on ebay. I orderd the macbook pro which Idid not get yet. When I orderd the MBP I ordered the gloss screen. After thinking about it I decided the gloss screen was not for me. So as soon as I get the macbook pro. I am going to return it.
The MBP I got was the cheapest one with the 128 vid card. When I was in the apple store I was talking to one of the guys and he told me, I shoudl keep the macbook and go ahead and get an IMAC 24". It has a better video card and it a great machine.
After thinking about it I decided this was a good idea. The problem.... THe Imac 24" will not fit on my desk. The height is 20.6 and I only have 19.5. ( I hvae a hutch on my desk).
So now, I am looking at the 20" imac which has the same video card as the MBP that I orderd and returning.
I do not understand why the 20" imac does not have the gforce graphics but it doesn't. So.... the advice I need do I
a) Keep the macbook and be happy until apple comes out with the next round of new computers which will hopefully have a better video card.
b) Return the MBP Gloss and Just get the MBP matte and deal and keep one computer for now.
c) get the imac 20" upgrade to 256 on the video card and keep the MBP.
d) Another idea I have not thoght of
I few mort things. I use my macbook with an external display and keyboard as my main desktop.
I would not consider myself a regular gamer but when I play a game I want great graphics. I also want the computer to last me a decent amount of time and be able to play future games.
So please help me to make this decision.
There's no need to get an iMac. None at all. I'd say you should go for one of two options:
1. Get the MacBook Pro as your only computer, or
2. Keep the MacBook, and build a dedicated gaming PC
If you're ONLY using the secondary computer for gaming, then why not drop just a few hundred bucks on a gaming PC? If you get an iMac you will just end up booting it into Windows anyway to play games, so what's the point in getting a Mac then?
It sounds like you are also simply addicted to buying and changing computers. I was like that once. Then I realized that a computer is a computer and you don't have to own two or three of them and get new, updated ones every few months just to be happy.
The MacBook Pro is a fine computer. It's portable and also powerful, so you can play games just fine in Windows. But if you just keep the MacBook and get a gaming PC to supplement it, you're fine too. You keep your portability and at the same time you have gaming capabilities, and you don't have to spend too much money.
There is NO reason at all to get an iMac. It's more expensive and less powerful than a comparable gaming PC. The iMac is fine, and it'll play games well too (especially in Windows), but it's not designed for gaming. The processor is faster than is really required for gaming, and meanwhile the graphics are a bit underpowered if all you're doing is playing games. If you build a gaming PC you can specifically design it to be well-suited to playing games, and maybe spend $200 on a processor and $200 on a graphics card, as opposed to $400 on a processor and $75 on a graphics card (which is what the iMac is doing).
sseligson
2006-11-25, 07:43
Luca,
You probably gave me the best advice yet. You are probably right. I am a terrible upgade addict. I should go to Upgraders annonomous or something. I think your point is also well take about the MBP too. I think I will take your advice. The one question I have is... As I mentioned when I get the MBP glossy I am going to return it ASAP for the matte model. Do you think I should get the 128 video or pay for the upgrade and go for the 256 video which will build in some logivety into it.
Your thoughts?
You can go for the extra VRAM if you want - it can't hurt, and it's something you can't upgrade in the future. However, I don't think it'll really help much (if at all). Not many games require more than 128 MB of VRAM, and those that do probably won't run too well on a Radeon X1600 anyway. Also, increasing VRAM doesn't gradually improve framerates - you either have enough VRAM, or you don't, and performance drops off rather suddenly if you're short. So I wouldn't expect the extra it to help that much. Still, if you can afford it, it's probably a good idea to get it. Like I said, it can't hurt.
And yeah, the MacBook Pro is the perfect "best of both worlds" computer. It's fast and powerful, it can run Windows for games, it can run OS X for everything else, it's pretty sturdily built, and it's portable too. If you are going to own a single computer, a MacBook Pro would be the one to get. Unless you're super concerned with maximizing your graphical effects and framerates in the latest games, there's no reason to build a gaming PC if you have a MacBook Pro instead.
Good adice Luca. I'm strongly considering of selling off my current machines for a single machine, a 15" Macbook Pro. I'm sitting back wondering, if the extra 128MB VRAM and small speed increase of the higher end Macbook Pro (along with 2GB RAM default) is worth the few extra hundred it will cost me.
I am not a upgrade addict, but I do think getting a Macbook Pro will serve me better in the years to come than the two aging machines I have now.
That does sound like a good idea for you. A MBP will be a lot faster than either your Power Mac or your iBook, and it'll be much more future-proof as well.
Then again, if you're doing fine with what you have, why not keep your machines around a little longer? There's no harm in waiting to upgrade. You won't be able to sell your old computers for as much money, but you could always just keep holding off until the next revision (or until you get so annoyed with your current machines that you simply must upgrade).
I sometimes wish I had gotten a MacBook instead of the 12" PowerBook that I ended up getting, but it's not too big of a deal. I will probably end up replacing my 1.5 GHz PowerBook G4 with a MacBook in a year or two.
I like the Macbook a lot as a complete portable solution, except for the absence of an expresscard slot. I was this close to springing for one myself, but ended up taking the 2.16Ghz Macbook Pro instead -- just yesterday in fact.
What really changed my mind is the screen. 15.4" matte widescreen is very nice to look at -- this turned out to be a big consideration for me. My sight sucks. I have to put long hours in in front of a screen. Though an external display is possible, the screen is good enough to be my primary screen. When I work in word, I like to keep the text big. With the 12" this meant that I really couldn't see too much of the document. This is a big improvement.
The second big consideration was the keyboard. Loved it on the 12, and it's just as good on the 15. I've not ever used the MB chicklet keyboard for extended typing, but my casual (in-store) sampling left me a little skeptical. It could just be my way touch typing, but the keys seem to fall to my hand better on the MBP.
Connected to a big 300GB external, I've eliminated my workplace desktop -- a Dell with CRT.
That does sound like a good idea for you. A MBP will be a lot faster than either your Power Mac or your iBook, and it'll be much more future-proof as well.
Then again, if you're doing fine with what you have, why not keep your machines around a little longer? There's no harm in waiting to upgrade. You won't be able to sell your old computers for as much money, but you could always just keep holding off until the next revision (or until you get so annoyed with your current machines that you simply must upgrade).
I sometimes wish I had gotten a MacBook instead of the 12" PowerBook that I ended up getting, but it's not too big of a deal. I will probably end up replacing my 1.5 GHz PowerBook G4 with a MacBook in a year or two.
I've thought about waiting, but I have been looking at the Core2 Macbook Pro, and it does look like a good setup. Since I am not an upgrade addict, I don't care so much about having the latest and greatest (ie waiting for MWSF). I play some games, but nothing heavy duty, and want the ability to record on the go without having to get something the iMic from Griffen. The iBook can record via the built in mic, but that doesn't work so well when I am working at the sound booth at the back of a gym or large room. I'm looking forward to having the optical audio input.
Schnauzer
2006-11-26, 11:32
Keep the macbook pro, it should have the x1600 which i was able to play BF2 and CS:S fine on,, till i built my gaming pc (so i would just stay with the MBP)
If you really wanted to build a gaming PC, here is my parts list.... here (http://jkl4life.com/forums/index.php?topic=3240.0)
Pics of it here (http://jkl4life.com/forums/index.php?topic=2631.0)
defaultmike
2006-11-27, 21:32
I'm not much of a gamer, but I figure that the MBP would be able to hold its own for at least a year or so. Sure, it's not the cutting edge of gpus, but it's pretty good for a laptop. So take that into consideration.
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