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Author Topic: MacBookPro - which one?  (Read 6801 times)

vantomas

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MacBookPro - which one?
« on: January 28, 2010, 01:07:06 pm »

Hi,

right now i work with a mac pro 2 x 2,8 quadcore with 10GB ram (about 2 years old) and a black 1st generation mac book (about 4 years old). due to a variety of reasons i have to sell the big machine and get rid of the old MB at the same time. working almost only with LR2 and a 5D2, my questions is which MBP i should opt for? it will be my only computer.

i think the 15' non-glare version is the one for me. any real world advice? will the smallest model do the job or should i get the one with the dual graphic card, since i will sometimes have to connect an eizo 241. is 4gb ram ok? or should i stock up to 8GB?

i read the entire macintosh performance guide, but i was wondering what you guys say.

thanks in advance for any advice

thomas
www.dashuber.com
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francois

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MacBookPro - which one?
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2010, 03:19:51 am »

Quote from: vantomas
Hi,

right now i work with a mac pro 2 x 2,8 quadcore with 10GB ram (about 2 years old) and a black 1st generation mac book (about 4 years old). due to a variety of reasons i have to sell the big machine and get rid of the old MB at the same time. working almost only with LR2 and a 5D2, my questions is which MBP i should opt for? it will be my only computer.

i think the 15' non-glare version is the one for me. any real world advice? will the smallest model do the job or should i get the one with the dual graphic card, since i will sometimes have to connect an eizo 241. is 4gb ram ok? or should i stock up to 8GB?

i read the entire macintosh performance guide, but i was wondering what you guys say.

thanks in advance for any advice

thomas
www.dashuber.com
Thomas,
I would buy the 15" non-glare with the 9600M GT graphic card (dual graphic card). As for memory, more can't hurt but I would not buy it from Apple. You'll find better deals on the internet and installation is easy. Here, I'd go for 8GB.

With Lightroom 2.6 and Photoshop CS3, I not noticed any speedup using the more powerful graphic card but who knows if it won't help with the next version of Lightroom and Photoshop.

If you're short on cash, then it makes sense to purchase the base model and add more RAM

Be aware that a refresh to the MBP line is rumored…
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Francois

vantomas

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MacBookPro - which one?
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2010, 03:43:50 am »

thanks francois. will keep my eyes open for the new MBP.
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francois

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MacBookPro - which one?
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2010, 05:50:30 am »

Quote from: vantomas
thanks francois. will keep my eyes open for the new MBP.
Remember, it's just rumors but since Intel has released new powerful mobile processors, Apple will undoubtedly use them in the MBP lines…
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Francois

Ken Bennett

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MacBookPro - which one?
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2010, 07:21:08 am »

Rumors: http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#MacBook_Pro

I have the previous generation 15-inch MBP, which has the Express 34 card slot., two Firewire ports, and a real DVI port. IMHO this is the best laptop Apple made for photographers. The size, connectivity options, replaceable battery, and the very usable keyboard make it the best I've ever used, anyway. I need to make it last awhile.

Of the current models, only the 17 inch offers as many options for connectivity, especially for fast external data drives (using an eSATA connection through the card slot.) The downsides are the size and weight, built-in battery, and the (for me) unusable keyboard.
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evonzz

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MacBookPro - which one?
« Reply #5 on: February 25, 2010, 10:51:58 am »

Quote from: francois
Thomas,
I would buy the 15" non-glare with the 9600M GT graphic card (dual graphic card). As for memory, more can't hurt but I would not buy it from Apple. You'll find better deals on the internet and installation is easy. Here, I'd go for 8GB.

Francois - installation is easy?  My understanding was the new MBPs are all sealed units, which cannot be modified.  So i thought all RAM additions, or battery replacements or any other internal mods had to be done by apple techs.
is this the case or is there a way to crack the walnut?

Cheers
RE
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francois

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MacBookPro - which one?
« Reply #6 on: February 25, 2010, 11:27:46 am »

Rodney,
Some parts can be swapped/changed by the user without voiding the warranty. Hard drives and RAM but not  batteries (on newer MacBooks). The step-by-step instructions are provided in the user manual.

Here's the link to the MBP 15" model: http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/MacBoo...GHz_Mid2009.pdf

Changing the HD is described on page 36 and RAM on the following pages.

HTH
« Last Edit: February 25, 2010, 11:28:21 am by francois »
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Francois

Nigelfrommanchester

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MacBookPro - which one?
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2010, 03:20:28 pm »

I have a 17" MBP and love the screen (and its glossy but that's another story). It has the same resolution as my 24" screen at home and that makes a big difference when using Lightroom. I haven't shot much video with the 5Dii but have found iMovie adequate to handle it.

I have two different backpacks that allow me to carry it with gear, and it isn't really much heavier than a 15".

I'd buy the fast processor with 4GB, and then decide if you need 8GB later. You can't upgrade the processor whereas RAM will one day be cheaper.

My 2 cents.

Nigel
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evonzz

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MacBookPro - which one?
« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2010, 06:32:41 pm »

Quote from: Nigelfrommanchester
I'd buy the fast processor with 4GB, and then decide if you need 8GB later. You can't upgrade the processor whereas RAM will one day be cheaper.

My 2 cents.

Nigel


My colleague was discussing that some people think its better to get 4GB of Ram as 8GB puts too much pressure on the battery or can possibly create more heat in the system.  
My naive understanding is simply that having 8GB would just make everything faster when doing things like tethered capture with MFDB, and running PS at same time.

Is there really a big noticeable difference in the processor speeds between 2.8 and 3.06?

RE
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francois

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MacBookPro - which one?
« Reply #9 on: February 26, 2010, 03:01:19 am »

Quote from: evonzz
My colleague was discussing that some people think its better to get 4GB of Ram as 8GB puts too much pressure on the battery or can possibly create more heat in the system.  
My naive understanding is simply that having 8GB would just make everything faster when doing things like tethered capture with MFDB, and running PS at same time.

Is there really a big noticeable difference in the processor speeds between 2.8 and 3.06?

RE
FWIW, my MacBook Pro has 6GB of RAM. I didn't notice anything good or bad for the battery when I upgraded from 2 to 4 and then 6GB.
I don't think that you'll see much difference between the 2.8 and the 3.06 versions. Both seem to share the same amount of cache memory (6MB). I would think that more memory and a fast HD are better options.

By the way, the new MBP line hasn't been announced but some sites report very low supply ( http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/02...h_macbooks.html ).
« Last Edit: February 26, 2010, 03:02:16 am by francois »
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Francois

Jeremy Roussak

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MacBookPro - which one?
« Reply #10 on: February 26, 2010, 04:01:29 am »

Quote from: evonzz
My colleague was discussing that some people think its better to get 4GB of Ram as 8GB puts too much pressure on the battery or can possibly create more heat in the system.  
My naive understanding is simply that having 8GB would just make everything faster when doing things like tethered capture with MFDB, and running PS at same time.
I would have thought (and I admit I have no data to support me) that if having more RAM results in less swapping to and from disk, it is likely to have a very beneficial effect on battery life.

Jeremy
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Snook

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MacBookPro - which one?
« Reply #11 on: April 04, 2010, 03:02:07 pm »

I am in the same boat.. My aluminum body 17" is dying and everything is SOOOOOOOO sluggish all the time it is frustrating to say the least.
Anybody suggest the best set up with P30 Phase one and Capture one?
I am always having problems with mine.. Takes for ever to load.... etc....
Also what are you tethered shooters with phase using since there is no fire wire 400 and only One 800...
Does this mean we have to use an adaptor and external hard drives with USB only???
What the heck is only one fire wire port?????
Thanks for any comments
Snook
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ErikKaffehr

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MacBookPro - which one?
« Reply #12 on: April 04, 2010, 04:23:22 pm »

Hi,

Speed difference between 3.06 GHz and 2.8 GHz is just nine percent, should not be noticeable. Having more memory is a good thing.

Here is some good info on choosing Mac: http://macperformanceguide.com/index.html

Best regards
Erik



Quote from: francois
FWIW, my MacBook Pro has 6GB of RAM. I didn't notice anything good or bad for the battery when I upgraded from 2 to 4 and then 6GB.
I don't think that you'll see much difference between the 2.8 and the 3.06 versions. Both seem to share the same amount of cache memory (6MB). I would think that more memory and a fast HD are better options.

By the way, the new MBP line hasn't been announced but some sites report very low supply ( http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/02...h_macbooks.html ).
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Erik Kaffehr
 

DavidB

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MacBookPro - which one?
« Reply #13 on: April 04, 2010, 09:14:23 pm »

FW800 connecting to a FW400 device (e.g. a tethered camera) is easily achieved simply with an adapter cable. They're not too expensive, and are sometimes called "6-pin to 9-pin cables".
However, external FW800 hubs so you don't have to daisy-chain all your devices (and can cope with multiple devices that don't have two FW ports) are hard to find. Even most of the FW400 hubs that are around only have 3 ports (i.e. only introduce one extra port!).

Currently I'm using an older 15" MBP with matte screen and 6GB of RAM. With 4GB you can cope with LR and PS with 5DmkII images, but it can run out of RAM every now and then and slow down (especially when you start stitching images!). I'm very happy with the performance of mine at 6GB (but even more would be nice occasionally).
However, I went from a 12" PowerBook to a 13" MacBook before the 15" MBP, and am keen to get back to the smaller size, so I have my eyes on a 13" MBP. I'm prepared to put up with the glossy screen again, as when I'm at my desk I use a 24" monitor with the laptop screen being the secondary display. I have the opportunity to upgrade as I can pass this 15" MBP to my partner.

For me CPU speed and cache size is less important than having lots of RAM and a fast disk. I could go and get the current 13" MBP, but am happy to wait a while longer to see what new option comes out (it'd be a bit silly to buy on the tail of the old hardware if I don't have to). I'll get a FW800 hub (to which I can connect my current FW400 hub as well as my current FW800 and FW400 disks) and the I/O options will be fine for me. Whatever I get will be fitted with 8GB of RAM and a 7200rpm 500GB disk (even if not directly from Apple).
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