appl3bottomz00

which would mac laptop will be best suited for graphic and web design macbook or the macbook pro?? and please explain your answer i will be using programs such as photoshop, illustrator, quarkexpress, dreamweaver and maybe flash

Michae

Both, of course. They're Macs, they're made for designers.

The Macbook is a 13 inch screen, while the Pro has 15 inches or 17 inches. That's the only main difference. The Macbook pro comes with bigger standard harddrive, but if you order from apple online you can choose how big the harddrive will be (bigger harddrive costs more, though)

So it really is no difference. The only thing is, wichever you choose, buy extra ram. I have 4GB on my Pro whereas my fiancè has 2GB on his Macbook. So his is slower when running low of CS3 programs at the same time, but that's because I've got twice the RAM.

So in reality, it comes down to the screensize you want. Because you can upgrade a Macbook so that it's just as powerful as the Pro. And the difference really isn't that big anyways, as long as you get extra ram.

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alyCe

Plus!!! When you buy a macbook pro you can choose a matte screen. I love my glossy screen but for seeing colours as they appear on other peoples screens, or especially when printed matte is the way to go

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infektsu

If you ever work with high res stuff, 300ppi or higher I wouldn't suggest anything but a Macbook Pro (If you have to get a laptop).

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leftover_color

Also, the pro's have a seperate graphics card, whereas the macbooks have it integrated, or at least really low quality.

Gino

Pro if you can afford it =) more powerful!

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HertlandDesigns

Pro is extreamly powerful... (and i think extreamly expensive too :P)

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designhide

go pro if you can!

just a note on adding RAM:

1.) Definitely DO it, get as much as you can!
2.) Definitely DON'T buy it from Apple!! Buy from somewhere like memory4all.com and you will pay half the price or less... installing it takes less than 5 minutes, just youtube how to do it.

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Distill

I bought a base-model MacBook (1GB Ram, 100GB HD)about a year ago, and, with a few memory upgrades, it's served me very well. Definitely upgrade memory on your own, and definitely buy it someplace like NewEgg.com--I've never had any trouble with them, and they're cheap.

Also, pick up an external display--being limited to 13" (or even 15") of screen real estate is a pain in the ass when you're laying out anything bigger than a business card (especially if you're coding and want to preview often). I got a 22" HP monitor (HP w2207h) about a month ago for like $330 and I've LOVED it (so much so that I picked up another one for my web developer to add to the 24" of his iMac). It really does pay for itself (unlike an aluminum shell) when you don't have to waste time/get frustrated by scrolling around or swapping windows.

The MacBook Pro, to me, seems like a foolish compromise between utility (when you could get a more versatile and expandable Mac Pro) and portability (when you could save $1000 and buy a MacBook plus a large external display). Decide which (utility vs. portability) you need and act accordingly.

If you need to work "on the go" (or just fancy yourself brandishing your purchase at some trendy coffee shop) the only real reason to go for the MB Pro over the MB (besides that sharp-looking aluminum exterior) is if you do a lot of video editing or 3D rendering. Then the graphics card of the MB Pro will smoke the MB (and might justify the extra $1K). I don't do a lot of video, so I've never missed it. I do run Photoshop, Illustrator and Dreamweaver (along with the usual Firefox, MacMail, iTunes, etc.) simultaneously on my MacBook with 4GB of memory with no problem.

So unless you're doing a lot of video or 3D, do yourself a favor: get the MacBook with 1GB ram, buy 4GB of ram for $130 (definitely not from Apple), buy an external display for $350, and spend the $500 you STILL saved on marketing your business.

Just my opinion, but I've done a lot of homework on the subject.

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ChinChilla

I am a new graphic design student and recently got a MacBook Pro. After speaking with a sales representative at a nearby Apple store, I decided on the base configuration which is a 2 GB hard drive and a 15.4 inch screen. The person I talked to is in illustration and told me that a larger hard drive and all those upgrades were not necessary. I was very impressed that they did not try to tell me I needed all those upgrades so they can make more money. She was honest with me and told me what I need. I have a Western Digital 500 GB external hard drive, so 2GB on the hard drive is fine for me. As for the display, since I am a student, smaller is better for portability purposes. Besides, I can always get an external monitor if needed in the future. Even though I only have a 2GB hard drive, my MacBook Pro is exceptionally fast and I am thoroughly satisfied with it. I chose the MacBook Pro over the MacBook because of screen size (the MacBook is just too small for designing in my opinion) and power. I hope this information helps.