A Random Image
Comparison of Apple Laptops - MacBook, MacBook Pro
I've been an Apple user for a few years now, and I don't see myself switching back anytime in the medium term. But the Apple laptop line-up has some strange configurations and I wanted to see which laptop is best in a couple of different categories. So, I took a look at the spec sheets, and I decided to compare the line in the following headings:
- Cost
- Footprint (area of laptop)
- Performance (CPU only, no cache comparison taken into account, so this is a poor comparison really!)
- Volume of the laptop
- Screen resolution, i.e. the number of pixels
I took a look at the current MacBook Pro line, the 13", the 15" and the 17", I also included my old 13" white MacBook, as a baseline. Though I didn't account for every variable, this is a rough comparison only. Also, I chose the 512MB graphics card version of the 15" MacBook Pro, which is several hundred euro more than the base version.
Let's take a look at the numbers (all values are normalised):
(changed to an image - something weird going on with tables...)
MacBook Comparison - Table
Tables are well and good, but I made some pretty pictures to visualise these differences:
MacBook Comparison
You can see in the image above that the cost of the 17" is quite a bit higher, as is the 15", however with the 17" you also get all those lovely pixels, which you fall short of with the 15" (though the 15" does have a dedicated Graphics card, which neither of the 13" guys do).
MacBook Comparison - Screen Size
This image shows the relative screen resolutions for the line of laptops. You can see that the 17" has a significant margin over the 15" here too. If Apple made a 15" laptop with the same screen resolution as the 17", I'd buy it to replace old Marv here in a second.
My last comparison is of the phsysical dimensions of the laptops:
MacBook Comparison - Dimensions
The amount bigger that the 17" is versus the amount of extra screen, that seems worth it to me... but I'm still very much on the fence.
I have a 24" that I connect as an external monitor to my 13" MacBook (whose name is Marvin, in case that wasn't clear earlier!) and all those pixels make work move a lot smoother, a heck of a lot less flicking around of windows. I *want* all those pixels with me all the time.
Comments
Weight factor?
Interesting comparison. There has been a huge amount of controversy about the MBP screens, as to whether they actually do millions of colours. I agree that a 1920x1200 15" would be a major draw for me. I think that it would be worthwhile also considering the weight factor in the choice, since even my old-model 15" MBP is pretty heavy, and I would say the 17-incher would be seriously unwieldy.
Weight is important...
Yeah, the weight is important too... I forgot about that one. When I started looking at them I was only looking at the screen resolution to be honest. My 13" MacBook is just too small a screen, when I use the 24" external it's just so much easier to get work done - you know have a paper open, BibDesk to write notes. Or Terminal, TextMate and Java Documentation all at once, it's just so much nicer.
Then I decided to examine some of the other issues at hand too.. weight just slipped through the cracks! I might add that one in later.
Great Post
Great comparison Eoin. Actually really helpful to see some of the basic differences between the MB Pros. Any chance you could stick in a comparison to the mid-level MacBook, which in many ways seems to me to be pretty good relative to the price difference to an MB Pro.
Good stuff!
Aebhric
I might...
I put this together because I was doing some of these for my own benefit, and decided to share. I'm not looking at the mid-range one, so I didn't add it to the mix! If I get some free time, I'll put that up there too!
Has anyone compared the sound
Has anyone compared the sound output/quality between 15" and 17", there is a massive difference on the previous models.
I don't know of anyone who
I don't know of anyone who has made that comparison. I would love to say I have a 15" MacBook Pro and a 17" MacBook Pro to compare, but I have neither! C'mon Apple, I'm a friendly blogger, just udpated to Snow Leopard, a 15" or a 17" MacBook Pro my way would increase the number of Apple related posts up here!!
Apple MacBook Pro
I’m a bit mystified by the author’s opinion that glass or glossy screens look better when turned off. I can’t imagine why that aspect would warrant evaluation by anybody unless a blackish mirror is desired. For that matter I don’t know of or imagine that many people work in the dark thus justifying glossy screens. Apparently Windows PC makers must think they do since a tour of Best Buy, the only major retailer left, shows nothing but glossy screens.
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