Decaflon

It really comes down to: Do you need something with a good graphics chipset?

Macbook doesn't have it.

You'll need a good graphics chipset for games, or some of the newer image editing apps that leverage the gpu (Aperture and pixelmator... nothing else really.)

I always thought it was a pain in the but to have to carry around a mini-DVI adapter in order to hook up to a widescreen external LCD. That alone would be enough motivation for me to go Pro.

* And I had no idea MacBook's were capable of being configured for 4GB of ram. I knew the MacBook Pro's could do it, but the baseline MacBook's? Man oh man is the line being blurred between the consumer and pro level hardware. Are you certain the white and black models can take 4GB? *

My macbook (black, first core2duo version) can take up to 3, but you have to be mismatched to do that. I'm running at 2.

I've never felt the need for more than 2 yet. I'm sure I will one day.

This may show my ignorance Ozone, but, what does Aperture do that Photoshop doesn't?

There will be no games at all, so maybe gpu doesn't matter so much?

isdereks - hmmm...that was my point about the ports. And the MB is limited to 23", isn't it? Having said that, I don't see that as being too much of a problem for me.

As for the spec, check the Apple store. MB are upgraded to 2.2 processor, potential 4gb ram, and an upgraded shared graphics card, which is 144mb (or something like that) rather than 64mb.

Aperture uses the GPU to process image changes, it takes loads off the cpu where a gpu would do a better job. To do a better job, you need a non bottom line gpu. It'll operate on systems with more budget graphics, but not nearly as well.

Aperture also heavily leverages dual cpus, but photoshop has come a long way in doing that in recent years.

I've been in the same quandary for a few months now, I and I've finally decided to buy the Macbook Pro. There's too much going for it. After configuring my macbook (2GB RAM, HDD etc.), it was ~$1600. For $400 more, I could get an nVidia Graphics card.

The main reason for the Pro, though, is the screen. Although its only a difference of around 2 inches, when you've used both the MB and the MBP, there's a seemingly huge difference. And since I'm going to use the notebook as my sole machine, I don't think I could live with a 13-inch screen.

I'd be buying it in mid-May (got exams soon), so I'm going to wait until WWDC '08 (1st week of June), and then make a decision. Hopefully there'll be major upgrades to the notebook line, or maybe even a new notebook.

I'm torn between a baseline 15" Pro or the black MacBook (yes, I know I'm paying more for the color, and I'm ok with that). I have a 17" PowerBook now which is getting a little long in the tooth, and the optical drive only seems to work on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Other than that with some more RAM this baby should have at least another 2 years in it (a 6 year run for a machine is damned good in my book).

I like the screen size and the overall power of the Pro, however I really don't do anything that requires that power anymore. Honestly, for what I do today and what I've been doing for the last year or so, I could probably be perfectly fine with an Air. I'm not going to another 17" because of price, weight, and I think that the screens are too hi-res for me (everything looks so tiny).

I'm looking for something that's more luggable, and the weight difference between the 15" and the MacBooks is negligible to me. I just don't really know if I'm going to need $2000 worth of computer, especially considering the fact that the newly-refreshed MacBooks blow my PB out of the water.

The most intense thing I can see myself doing in the forseeable future is running iMovie or maybe FC Express...assuming I get a camera ever (which I'm not planning on). My only question is if the MacBooks can handle any form of HD playback (I know they can't go higher than 720p if they can do that at all). Thoughts?