all this mac spec talk??

A V A

could some one please explain to me what the new specs like i5 etc on macs mean?? i dont understand it atall?? im looking at buying a macbook pro 17" 2.53ghz 4gb ram i5?? im seing macs with 2.8ghz processors , is the higher processors not better?? or is a mac better with that 15 much stronger even with a low processor speed??

snappieT

The i3/i5/i7 are Intel's new consumer processors, replacing the "Core" series, such as Core 2 Duo.

While clock speed (GHz) matters, it's only really fair to compare within a certain brand. The new processors are more efficient and, depending on model, have more cores. That said, unless you plan to be doing some video editing or Photoshop/CAD stuff, an i5 will be more than enough, at any clock speed.

A V A

ok well il be using logic pro studio 9 , am i still ok getting a 2.8 ghz mac?? is that still good cant really afford the i5models

jtsuited

A V A wrote: »

ok well il be using logic pro studio 9 , am i still ok getting a 2.8 ghz mac?? is that still good cant really afford the i5models

logic runs so well on osx that anything over 2 ghz is perfect. I run logic 9 on a 2.4 ghz mbp and never have even come close to running out of cpu. And that's with a shedload of convolution reverbs (the archvillain of cpu usage), softsynths, and a billion eq's and compressors.

Now if it were PTLE we you were planning on using, then maybe try to get the fastest you can afford, but like I say logic is rock solid so any mac at this stage is more than up to the job.

banquo

It's worth mentioning that the higher you go, the more future proof your macbook will be. The base model is great, but you'll be able to run the high end programs that are released 5 or 6 years from now with the i7. Unbelievable processor. Then again, it's all about budget.


As you're choosing your specs, spend you cash on a better processsor over ram, as ram can be upgraded down the line; the processor can not.

A V A

banquo wrote: »

It's worth mentioning that the higher you go, the more future proof your macbook will be. The base model is great, but you'll be able to run the high end programs that are released 5 or 6 years from now with the i7. Unbelievable processor. Then again, it's all about budget.


As you're choosing your specs, spend you cash on a better processsor over ram, as ram can be upgraded down the line; the processor can not.

ye im justtrying to budget my money on what i have

was rhinking of this one form the refurb store
http://store.apple.com/ie/product/FC226B/A?mco=MTA4MzI4Mjg#overview
and this one from ebay
http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250656068422

would you recommend buying from ebay and if people could tell me about it looks dodgey

A V A

jtsuited wrote: »

logic runs so well on osx that anything over 2 ghz is perfect. I run logic 9 on a 2.4 ghz mbp and never have even come close to running out of cpu. And that's with a shedload of convolution reverbs (the archvillain of cpu usage), softsynths, and a billion eq's and compressors.

Now if it were PTLE we you were planning on using, then maybe try to get the fastest you can afford, but like I say logic is rock solid so any mac at this stage is more than up to the job.

ye i know yes i was using ptle and my god my god it was eating the cpu up !!!! it was ridiculous !!

Jev/N

A V A wrote: »

ye im justtrying to budget my money on what i have

was rhinking of this one form the refurb store
http://store.apple.com/ie/product/FC226B/A?mco=MTA4MzI4Mjg#overview
and this one from ebay
http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250656068422

would you recommend buying from ebay and if people could tell me about it looks dodgey

Go with the Refurb, safer and cheaper, especially since you're looking at getting one in from the States which, more than likely, will incur customs of a nice size! Also, you would be able to rely more on the warranty buying direct from Apple.

BTW, 17" is obviously a good idea for Logic 9 windows etc. but do you want something for portability also?

snappieT

I think Core 2 Duo is a mistake. You're spending a huge amount of money on o,d technology...

Sad Professor

snappieT wrote: »

I think Core 2 Duo is a mistake. You're spending a huge amount of money on o,d technology...

Well, I suppose the inevitable response to this is that technology becomes old about 5 minutes after you buy it. Tbh I'd be inclined to encourage people toward the i5/i7 processors as well, but not everyone needs the latest and greatest. And in this instance, there's a substantial saving to be made by going for the refurb.

K.O.Kiki

Macworld review

Comparing the new 2.4GHz Core i5 MacBook Pro with the previous top-of-the-line 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro, the new entry-level 15in was 5 per cent faster in our Speedmark 6 testing, with 7 per cent faster scores in our Photoshop test, 17 per cent faster Cinebench CPU score, 16 per cent faster MathematicaMark 7 score, and 19 per cent faster Aperture score.

The £1,649 system, with a 2.53GHz Core i5, was only about 3 per cent faster than the low-end 2.4GHz Core i5 in our Speedmark 6 test suite. Some tests, like Cinebench and MathematicaMark 7 showed the benefit of the 2.53GHz’s faster processing speed, but other tests, like Aperture and Compressor were actually faster on the 2.4GHz system.

The top-of-the-line 2.66GHz Core i7 model was 7 per cent faster than the middle model and 10 per cent faster than the new low-end laptop. Compared to the model it replaced, the 2.66GHz Core i7 MacBook Pro was 15 per cent faster than that previous 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo model.

If it's speed you want, any of the Core i5 processors would beat the 2.8Ghz Core2Duo.
But that 17" does have the high-res screen.

Weigh up what's important & then buy

ozt9vdujny3srf

I cringe whenever I see people talking about "future proofing" your computer.


When considering hardware, unless you have some particularly demanding piece of software you need to run, it's always best to buy the best price/performance combination available. Once you go beyond the best price/performance ratio, you have to pay through the nose for incremental performance gains. In 3 years time the extra money you spent will be meaningless, as hardware will have had exponential perfomance gains over your generation of hardware.

There is no such thing as "Future Proof".

A V A

cheers to everyone who got back to me



if i buy that mac from the refub store does it come with mac osx snow leppard or do i have to buy it

ozt9vdujny3srf

It comes with snow leopard. Be caeful, not everything in the refurb store is a bargain.

A V A

what do yo mean ????

Third Eye

You should double-check what you intend to buy as refurb against what is for sale in the current model section. Some ipods have dropped in price to the point where there is no sense in buying a refurbed one and the discount is mis-leading because it refers to the old price. So you might be saving €145 on the refurb but if you check the price of current generation your 'saving' is much reduced. Not a very nice practice imo. Having said that, I think it's really only a problem on the ipod section.

ozt9vdujny3srf

Third Eye wrote: »

I think it's really only a problem on the ipod section.

It's an issue across the board, the only issue is when there are models being sold that are their since the last referesh. For instance this 13 inch MBP in teh refurb store:
http://store.apple.com/ie/product/FB991B/A?mco=MTA4MzI0OTE comes in at 1149, which is the same price as a brand new base spec one, which has longer battery life and better graphics, and a (very) marginally less powerful processor.

A V A

i nderstand everyone iv had a look around and still the refurb is a better option,http://store.apple.com/ie/configure/MC024B/A?mco=MTc0Njg5ODI
i know thats an i5 model at 2250 but i just cant wait and stretch my cash out a little bit more ye know

davmigil

The i5 models are starting to show up in the refurb section. It's just a matter of checking back regularly. There were some 15 inch MBP i5 there recently.

I would personally wait for a refurb i5 model. Even with a discount the old models are not bargains.

Savman

davmigil wrote: »

The i5 models are starting to show up in the refurb section. It's just a matter of checking back regularly. There were some 15 inch MBP i5 there recently.

I would personally wait for a refurb i5 model. Even with a discount the old models are not bargains.

Why so? About to pull the trigger myself so trying to decide between C2D and i5, I'm assuming there's more to both processors' performance than just "clock speed"?

ozt9vdujny3srf

Savman wrote: »

Why so? About to pull the trigger myself so trying to decide between C2D and i5, I'm assuming there's more to both processors' performance than just "clock speed"?

Yep, I think the i5's are a pretty big jump, but dont take my word for it. (read tech site benchmarks)

Savman

Everett Flat Jack wrote: »

Yep, I think the i5's are a pretty big jump, but dont take my word for it. (read tech site benchmarks)

Daaaaamn. Big jump price wise too

A V A

Savman wrote: »

Daaaaamn. Big jump price wise too

ye thats what i was saying

A V A

Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro6,1
Processor Name: Intel Core i5
Processor Speed: 2.53 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache (per core): 256 KB
L3 Cache: 3 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Processor Interconnect Speed: 4.8 GT/s
Boot ROM Version: MBP61.0057.B00
SMC Version (system): 1.57f16

guys what about this ??? its that still good


you see the problem i have is im looking at the ghz?? ryt i see that this mac has 2.53 ghz and i think thats slow but the i5 system makes that alot better and is alot better and fast than a mac that is 2.8 ghz with no i5/i7 has a intel core duo??? doe sthat make sense??

davmigil

Some real world benchmarks here:

http://www.barefeats.com/mbpp18.html

A V A

A V A wrote: »

Model Name: MacBook Pro
Model Identifier: MacBookPro6,1
Processor Name: Intel Core i5
Processor Speed: 2.53 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache (per core): 256 KB
L3 Cache: 3 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Processor Interconnect Speed: 4.8 GT/s
Boot ROM Version: MBP61.0057.B00
SMC Version (system): 1.57f16

guys i got the mac it is so so good and the screen is amazing seems a bit slow loading up my internet server tho ,

i got it €1500. . .what a bargain and i was thinking of spending 1800 on a refurb with a lower spec , the one i have now is a 2.53 ghz i5 model :O:O aww im so so happy right now