Macbook or Macbook Pro?
I'm trying to decide between the upper range macbook or the lower range macbook pro right now.
I'll be using it mostly for school and internet stuff. This means that the macbook would be great since it's a bit smaller. Desks in college are ridiculously small. However, I also do music engineering. I mostly do it either on my imac or we use the guitar player's mac pro. But, my imac is 2 years old (2.33Ghz core2duo, 2GB of ram, only upgradable to 3GB) so a macbook pro would actually be faster than what I'm on right now. The macbook would do fine for recording our gigs and such, but our interface is firewire, so the lack of firewire is bad for me. I figured I can bring my imac to gigs, since I'll have power, and I have so much I'm bringing that one more box for my computer isn't too bad. The issue, however, is that since my computer is 2 years old, I don't know how much longer I'll be holding on to my imac, because I plan on getting a mac pro in the next year or so.
This will be my first laptop, so I'm not really sure what to do. I figure with either one I'll update to 4GB. The biggest issue is the firewire for me. If the macbook had firewire, I'd get it in a heartbeat, but since it doesn't, I'm wondering if moving up the macbook pro would be work it. I could get another interface that uses usb for gigs, but I just got my last interface (motu 896mk3) partially cause it would work great for gigs.
What do you guys think? Money is sort of an issue. I've talked to my dad about going and working at his company doing a few hours of work a week to pay for the computer. I don't have the time to work even 20 hours a week because school takes so much time, and with my health problems, if I push myself too hard I know I'll get sick again and will mean failed classes, which are not ok since grad school is in the future.
The firewire is making me want to go the pro. My hesitancy is that I would like the smaller computer for school, because it's easier to haul around and fits the desks better. Most my usage of the computer will be done with this. I just am deciding whether the music stuff is worth the extra money and size or not. It may be, it may not be. I'm gonna have to think over it in the next couple days, because I want to order it this week.
Part of me wonders if I should not upgrade the ram on the macbook, and save the money for a future purchase of a mac pro, but I'm still left with no options for gigs, and would be limited in my ability to do mixing on the road (I use logic, so i can connect directly to my computer's headphone jack, or use my m-audio fastrack to monitor things).
I'll be using it mostly for school and internet stuff. This means that the macbook would be great since it's a bit smaller. Desks in college are ridiculously small. However, I also do music engineering. I mostly do it either on my imac or we use the guitar player's mac pro. But, my imac is 2 years old (2.33Ghz core2duo, 2GB of ram, only upgradable to 3GB) so a macbook pro would actually be faster than what I'm on right now. The macbook would do fine for recording our gigs and such, but our interface is firewire, so the lack of firewire is bad for me. I figured I can bring my imac to gigs, since I'll have power, and I have so much I'm bringing that one more box for my computer isn't too bad. The issue, however, is that since my computer is 2 years old, I don't know how much longer I'll be holding on to my imac, because I plan on getting a mac pro in the next year or so.
This will be my first laptop, so I'm not really sure what to do. I figure with either one I'll update to 4GB. The biggest issue is the firewire for me. If the macbook had firewire, I'd get it in a heartbeat, but since it doesn't, I'm wondering if moving up the macbook pro would be work it. I could get another interface that uses usb for gigs, but I just got my last interface (motu 896mk3) partially cause it would work great for gigs.
What do you guys think? Money is sort of an issue. I've talked to my dad about going and working at his company doing a few hours of work a week to pay for the computer. I don't have the time to work even 20 hours a week because school takes so much time, and with my health problems, if I push myself too hard I know I'll get sick again and will mean failed classes, which are not ok since grad school is in the future.
The firewire is making me want to go the pro. My hesitancy is that I would like the smaller computer for school, because it's easier to haul around and fits the desks better. Most my usage of the computer will be done with this. I just am deciding whether the music stuff is worth the extra money and size or not. It may be, it may not be. I'm gonna have to think over it in the next couple days, because I want to order it this week.
Part of me wonders if I should not upgrade the ram on the macbook, and save the money for a future purchase of a mac pro, but I'm still left with no options for gigs, and would be limited in my ability to do mixing on the road (I use logic, so i can connect directly to my computer's headphone jack, or use my m-audio fastrack to monitor things).
Comments
I'm trying to decide between the upper range macbook or the lower range macbook pro right now.
I'll be using it mostly for school and internet stuff. This means that the macbook would be great since it's a bit smaller. Desks in college are ridiculously small. However, I also do music engineering. I mostly do it either on my imac or we use the guitar player's mac pro. But, my imac is 2 years old (2.33Ghz core2duo, 2GB of ram, only upgradable to 3GB) so a macbook pro would actually be faster than what I'm on right now. The macbook would do fine for recording our gigs and such, but our interface is firewire, so the lack of firewire is bad for me. I figured I can bring my imac to gigs, since I'll have power, and I have so much I'm bringing that one more box for my computer isn't too bad. The issue, however, is that since my computer is 2 years old, I don't know how much longer I'll be holding on to my imac, because I plan on getting a mac pro in the next year or so.
This will be my first laptop, so I'm not really sure what to do. I figure with either one I'll update to 4GB. The biggest issue is the firewire for me. If the macbook had firewire, I'd get it in a heartbeat, but since it doesn't, I'm wondering if moving up the macbook pro would be work it. I could get another interface that uses usb for gigs, but I just got my last interface (motu 896mk3) partially cause it would work great for gigs.
What do you guys think? Money is sort of an issue. I've talked to my dad about going and working at his company doing a few hours of work a week to pay for the computer. I don't have the time to work even 20 hours a week because school takes so much time, and with my health problems, if I push myself too hard I know I'll get sick again and will mean failed classes, which are not ok since grad school is in the future.
The firewire is making me want to go the pro. My hesitancy is that I would like the smaller computer for school, because it's easier to haul around and fits the desks better. Most my usage of the computer will be done with this. I just am deciding whether the music stuff is worth the extra money and size or not. It may be, it may not be. I'm gonna have to think over it in the next couple days, because I want to order it this week.
Part of me wonders if I should not upgrade the ram on the macbook, and save the money for a future purchase of a mac pro, but I'm still left with no options for gigs, and would be limited in my ability to do mixing on the road (I use logic, so i can connect directly to my computer's headphone jack, or use my m-audio fastrack to monitor things).
If you have the extra money and need the firewire I would say MBP but if you need the portability sell your interface and get a USB interface from the money you got from selling your old interface and the money from the difference between the MB and MBP and go with the MB. HOPEFULLY THAT MAKES SENSE!!!!!
If you have the extra money and need the firewire I would say MBP but if you need the portability sell your interface and get a USB interface from the money you got from selling your old interface and the money from the difference between the MB and MBP and go with the MB. HOPEFULLY THAT MAKES SENSE!!!!!
Selling the interface isn't really an option. I have a portable USB interface, but it is not nearly adequate. The current one is a 28 input, 32 output interface with internal effects and mixer, that can also be daisy chained with my mixer or other interfaces. This simply isn't available in USB and I am not in position to downgrade.