[crazy4laptops]

My 15" MacBook Pro came today! It had a $2350 price tag (after education discount) So my wallet hates me right now, but to have this much power at my fingertips is just awesome!!! Intel i7 Quad-Core... hello VirtualBox!!

The secret sauce to a good Mac laptop is a High-Res screen @1680x1050 I got mine glossy because it protects the screen with a layer of glass and it also is much sharper than the matte screen. Perfect for some awesome photoshop work!
Next is the 128GB SSD, and you thought a 7200 rpm hard drive was fast... wait until you see SSD, you will be blown away with the fact of almost zero wait time... for launching applications, surfing the web, booting, etc.

My internet connection just got faster in a visual and responsive sense. Now, a typical webpage loads in .5-1.75 seconds, aka as soon as I hit enter, the page is loaded! (most impressive Apple)

So yes, you have permission to be jealous, I'm going to load my photoshop soon!

[compnovo]

I lust in my heart...
Congratulations!

[smax013]

Enjoy!

After your wallet recovers, you can think about getting one of the Thunderbolt RAID drives for all that photo storage!

[techie4fun]

Congrats on the new buy. Hope you enjoy it. I'd certainly buy one IF I had the money, but for now I'll stick with Windows Pecees.

[LiveBrianD]

crazy4laptops, on 27 July 2011 - 08:01 PM, said:

My 15" MacBook Pro came today! It had a $2350 price tag (after education discount) So my wallet hates me right now, but to have this much power at my fingertips is just awesome!!! Intel i7 Quad-Core... hello VirtualBox!!

The secret sauce to a good Mac laptop is a High-Res screen @1680x1050 I got mine glossy because it protects the screen with a layer of glass and it also is much sharper than the matte screen. Perfect for some awesome photoshop work!
Next is the 128GB SSD, and you thought a 7200 rpm hard drive was fast... wait until you see SSD, you will be blown away with the fact of almost zero wait time... for launching applications, surfing the web, booting, etc.

My internet connection just got faster in a visual and responsive sense. Now, a typical webpage loads in .5-1.75 seconds, aka as soon as I hit enter, the page is loaded! (most impressive Apple)

So yes, you have permission to be jealous, I'm going to load my photoshop soon!

Hey I had an i5 quad-core a year and a half earlier, and it is likely somewhat similar - an older chip, but a desktop one, where power consumption isn't much of a concern. What about RAM? And graphics?

Say, what internet connection do you have? I get about 2MB/sec peak, typically 1.5MB/sec (rated 15megaBITS).

And long-term, you can't be sure about SSD reliability. If I really cared about performance, I'd get a WD VelocRaptor 10K RPM drive, or 2 in RAID 0. Of course, you can't do that with a laptop!

And is apple still using 16:10 screens? Why? Sure, it's a bit better with documents and web pages, but still...

Still, nice! Will you stick with OS X or switch to Windows? If you switch, run Novabench - I want to know how it compares to my PC.

Congrats!

[crazy4laptops]

Sandy Bridge... it's that simple its the 2.2GHz with 4GB of RAM, I will be getting the 8GB upgrade later on... it's cheaper to DIY the RAM than pay $200 extra when the RAM is only $80 from OWC. (wow mouthful of acronyms)

I've got muni fiber internet- 35mbps or 5MB/sec download (and 92% of that in upload) I am gonna miss it because my sister says the univ. internet is slow.

Quote

And long-term, you can't be sure about SSD reliability. If I really cared about performance, I'd get a WD VelocRaptor 10K RPM drive, or 2 in RAID 0. Of course, you can't do that with a laptop!

I will be fully testing how reliable the Apple SSD's are when I goto university in a month, but I have a firewire disk (WD Passport Studio) just-in-case my SSD goes down in flames.
I can technically Raid0 two SSD's in my MBP (aka remove the DVD drive) but I'm not ready... plus, if MacOS Lion is this fast (instant response) with one SSD, two is going to be INSANE!!!

Quote

And is apple still using 16:10 screens? Why? Sure, it's a bit better with documents and web pages, but still..

Yes they are, I got the high-res screen because anything lower requires me to scroll alot more when browsing the webs. Plus it was only a $90 upgrade, I can handle that
And i remember when I thought 1280x768 was high-res, boy was I wrong...

Quote

Still, nice! Will you stick with OS X or switch to Windows? If you switch, run Novabench - I want to know how it compares to my PC.

What a silly question... I choose OS X, its so much faster and the fact it is virus-proof is just awesome (i know there will be more crafty Mac viruses, but right now, it is resilient)
I will run Windows in VM's for school projects and such, but I really want to go windows-free (one day) I kinda can't because my entire digital life of about 2.5TB is currently on NTFS formatted disks

[waldojim]

Sounds like a nice machine, enjoy it.
I don't care for the glare-type displays personally, but that is me. The i7 should treat you extremely well. And the AMD video card in that machine is beast! Games should post no problem at all. One of the few things that bothered me with the Macs are that the displays are still under 1920x1080... not sure why they haven't stepped up yet, but I am sure it will be coming with the next refresh.

As for the SSD, is there any way to tell which chip types you have? EG: 25nm or 35nm process chips? Or could you post the make/model/revision of the drive?

This post has been edited by waldojim: 28 July 2011 - 05:27 PM

[crazy4laptops]

waldojim, on 28 July 2011 - 05:26 PM, said:

Sounds like a nice machine, enjoy it.
I don't care for the glare-type displays personally, but that is me. The i7 should treat you extremely well. And the AMD video card in that machine is beast! Games should post no problem at all. One of the few things that bothered me with the Macs are that the displays are still under 1920x1080... not sure why they haven't stepped up yet, but I am sure it will be coming with the next refresh.

As for the SSD, is there any way to tell which chip types you have? EG: 25nm or 35nm process chips? Or could you post the make/model/revision of the drive?

I approve of all things Mac √ And all I know off-hand is that it is a Sandy Bridge i7 CPU (quad-core with HT = 8 processing cores) I can live with the glare of the screen, I am OCD about having a clean screen and I love the sharp picture the shiny screen gives too! And yes the shiny will make my screen a mirror, but i'll just avoid the windows when using it

All 20"+ iMacs and 17" MBP's are 1920x1080 or higher...

I understand why 1920 is not on the 15" or 13" MBP... everything would be so darn tiny I'd need glasses, and I have laser-sharp vision too! Unless Apple moves Retina display to the Mac, then 1980 will work perfectly!

Apple SSD info-
Model: APPLE SSD TS128C
Revision: CJAA0201

I will hunt more info down later, gotta be awake early for work!

[smax013]

waldojim, on 28 July 2011 - 05:26 PM, said:

Sounds like a nice machine, enjoy it.
I don't care for the glare-type displays personally, but that is me. The i7 should treat you extremely well. And the AMD video card in that machine is beast! Games should post no problem at all. One of the few things that bothered me with the Macs are that the displays are still under 1920x1080... not sure why they haven't stepped up yet, but I am sure it will be coming with the next refresh.

As for the SSD, is there any way to tell which chip types you have? EG: 25nm or 35nm process chips? Or could you post the make/model/revision of the drive?

crazy4laptops, on 28 July 2011 - 05:55 PM, said:

I approve of all things Mac √ And all I know off-hand is that it is a Sandy Bridge i7 CPU (quad-core with HT = 8 processing cores) I can live with the glare of the screen, I am OCD about having a clean screen and I love the sharp picture the shiny screen gives too! And yes the shiny will make my screen a mirror, but i'll just avoid the windows when using it

All 20"+ iMacs and 17" MBP's are 1920x1080 or higher...

I understand why 1920 is not on the 15" or 13" MBP... everything would be so darn tiny I'd need glasses, and I have laser-sharp vision too! Unless Apple moves Retina display to the Mac, then 1980 will work perfectly!

Apple SSD info-
Model: APPLE SSD TS128C
Revision: CJAA0201

I will hunt more info down later, gotta be awake early for work!

I have the high-res screen with my 17" MBP. Stuff is a bit small on it...it took me a while to get used to it. It is still kind of tough to use in my default configuration where I have it stilling on a stand with an external keyboard, mouse, and monitors hooked up to it. I tend to use the external monitor mainly because of it...but again I have gotten more used to reading that screen in that setup. It is definitely something that I am used to now when I use it in true "laptop mode"...i.e. on my lap or on a table right in front of me. But, it was a DEFINITE switch going from my low-res screen on my original 15". It also did help me prepare little bit for the 11" MBA's screen as well.

As to the glossy screen, I generally don't mind it too much on my Air. But, the other day I had it up with me at my folks cottage out in their "sun room". With all those windows with light coming in, the glossy screen was a real bear to deal with. The mirror effect was tough to minimize in a room like that. So, I know that if I have the option, I will definitely go with another matte screen when/if it comes time to replace the MBP.

[LiveBrianD]

Personally I don't find glossy any better than matte - matte has good enough colors. Good matte screens actually look better in my opinion.

I know what you're talking about, RAM wise - lenovo wanted $80 for 2GB more, but newegg had a 2GB stick for $25. My choice there is obvious.

[Evildave]

Actually, I can recommend 'Parallels' with absolutely no reservation. It's a LOT faster than VirtualBox; it even runs Steam games OK that only have windows versions. Not free, though.

If you 'have to' run some windoze apps, it can run them in windows on the desktop. And it fixes the 'Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V' to 'Cmd+C/Cmd+V', among other keyboard shortcuts, so the integration is pretty tight, and you're not annoyed by 'switching' between one and the other.

[smax013]

Evildave, on 29 July 2011 - 04:35 PM, said:

Actually, I can recommend 'Parallels' with absolutely no reservation. It's a LOT faster than VirtualBox; it even runs Steam games OK that only have windows versions. Not free, though.

If you 'have to' run some windoze apps, it can run them in windows on the desktop. And it fixes the 'Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V' to 'Cmd+C/Cmd+V', among other keyboard shortcuts, so the integration is pretty tight, and you're not annoyed by 'switching' between one and the other.

I will second the recommendation for Parallels. I have been using Parallels to run Windows XP for my structural engineering applications since I got my first MacBook Pro in the summer of 2006.

[smax013]

LiveBrianD, on 29 July 2011 - 04:26 PM, said:

I know what you're talking about, RAM wise - lenovo wanted $80 for 2GB more, but newegg had a 2GB stick for $25. My choice there is obvious.

I will hardly ever pay a computer company for upgraded RAM and instead do it myself.

Did it that way with my original MBP (upgraded from the shipped 1 GB of RAM to 2 GB, which was the maximum, within days of getting it) and did the same for my current MBP (upgraded from shipped 4 GB to 8 GB, again the max, but this time waited about couple of months as the price was bit more steep for this upgrade and 4 GB was certainly livable for those couple of months).

For my MacBook Air, I did pay Apple for the upgrade (from 2 GB to the max of 4 GB), but then you HAVE TO since the RAM is soldered to the mobo.

OTOH, for Apple at least, they no longer do complete total rip off prices for such upgrades typically. Their charge of $200 for the 4 GB to 8 GB RAM upgrade for the MBP is not completely out of bounds. Yes, there is a pretty significant markup, but not like what they used to do not that long ago. And for someone who might not be too comfortable with cracking open their computer (even if RAM upgrades are typically VERY simple and realistically just about anyone could do safely, even very inexperienced computer users), the extra $100 is worth the piece of mind and lack of queasiness that they might feel at the prospect of cracking open their computer. Thus, while I likely would never do it myself unless I had no other choice (such as with the Air), I can certainly understand why some might.

[IJ24]

Well, you will find no reason to regret making a valuable purchase. The new MacBook Pro has a class of its own and for sure, with its latest technology, you will have a great time exploring it. Like the usual Mac products, it can last a long time especially if proper care and maintenance is given to it.

[Evildave]

Not that long ago, the price of the RAM they used was a lot higher, AND they had their little 'markup', too. I remember my 2009 iMac the 8GB upgrade was insane. But it was still pretty deranged when I shopped on other sites, too. A few months back, I looked at the prices again, and it was nothing. I upgraded the RAM. Fortunately, 'upgrading' RAM on the iMac was cake. It didn't make much of a difference overall, but now the VMs can have 4GB. Now the 'crazy' price is for the SSD.

I like my Macbook Air, but everything inside one of these is pretty much soldered down. So you either pay Apple's price or get a gimped one.

I've started the internal argument about upgrading the iMac for some time after the next refresh of those. Maybe my first 2012 write-off. I'll have to ping my nieces/nephews about who wants a nice, giant 24" iMac after I get my nicer, gianter one. Maybe I'll make a special effort to get my Apple hating brother's kid to take it. I already turned him on to Linux. Turned his crap windoze notebook into a champ... instantly. Showed him where to get more software from. 100% free. Happy camper.

[smax013]

Evildave, on 31 July 2011 - 12:41 AM, said:

I like my Macbook Air, but everything inside one of these is pretty much soldered down. So you either pay Apple's price or get a gimped one.

The current generation as well as the one from last fall of the Air does have a replaceable SSD. OWC sells such replacements/upgrades. Going to a 480 GB drive ain't cheap...it costs more than you likely paid for the Air (i.e. about $1400).

OWC also sells replacements/upgrades for the second "design" of the Air as well (version 1 had IDE drives, but version 2 had SATA drives...version 3 are the two most current generations), but it appears that they top out at about 240 GB.

Everything else is soldered to the mobo, including RAM, as far as I know.

[Evildave]

Nice to know!

[LiveBrianD]

smax013, on 31 July 2011 - 08:38 PM, said:

OWC also sells replacements/upgrades for the second "design" of the Air as well (version 1 had IDE drives, but version 2 had SATA drives...version 3 are the two most current generations), but it appears that they top out at about 240 GB.

Really? I thought back in 2007 (if I remember right) everything was SATA. IDE was already on its' way out back then.

[asiafish]

LiveBrianD, on 28 July 2011 - 03:53 PM, said:

crazy4laptops, on 27 July 2011 - 08:01 PM, said:

My 15" MacBook Pro came today! It had a $2350 price tag (after education discount) So my wallet hates me right now, but to have this much power at my fingertips is just awesome!!! Intel i7 Quad-Core... hello VirtualBox!!

The secret sauce to a good Mac laptop is a High-Res screen @1680x1050 I got mine glossy because it protects the screen with a layer of glass and it also is much sharper than the matte screen. Perfect for some awesome photoshop work!
Next is the 128GB SSD, and you thought a 7200 rpm hard drive was fast... wait until you see SSD, you will be blown away with the fact of almost zero wait time... for launching applications, surfing the web, booting, etc.

My internet connection just got faster in a visual and responsive sense. Now, a typical webpage loads in .5-1.75 seconds, aka as soon as I hit enter, the page is loaded! (most impressive Apple)

So yes, you have permission to be jealous, I'm going to load my photoshop soon!

Hey I had an i5 quad-core a year and a half earlier, and it is likely somewhat similar - an older chip, but a desktop one, where power consumption isn't much of a concern. What about RAM? And graphics?

Say, what internet connection do you have? I get about 2MB/sec peak, typically 1.5MB/sec (rated 15megaBITS).

And long-term, you can't be sure about SSD reliability. If I really cared about performance, I'd get a WD VelocRaptor 10K RPM drive, or 2 in RAID 0. Of course, you can't do that with a laptop!

And is apple still using 16:10 screens? Why? Sure, it's a bit better with documents and web pages, but still...

Still, nice! Will you stick with OS X or switch to Windows? If you switch, run Novabench - I want to know how it compares to my PC.

Congrats!

Why are you talking about desktop components in relation to a MacBook Pro? A laptop made with desktop components will weigh a ton and measure its battery life in minutes rather than hours. Clearly, such monstrosities are not Apple's competition. If you are referring to those components in actual desktops, well, those sure aren't very portable, and likewise aren't in the running for someone shopping for a MacBook Pro.

[LiveBrianD]

I'm just talking about a performance comparison to what I happen to have... I know I'm comparing an apple to orange.