practical advatages of C2D over CD?
I'm going to buy a laptop fairly soon, and I'm just wondering if anyone could explain what practical advantages, if any, the Core 2 Duo has over the Core Duo for an average user. The laptop would be used to shuttle back and fourth from home to work, and it would primarily be used for internet, word processing and spreadsheets, nothing really processor intensive.
I've been thinking of waiting to see if the macbooks get updated with a C2D, but the prices on the refurbed core duo MBPs are pretty tempting, and i'm sick of waiting.
Any thoughts?
I've been thinking of waiting to see if the macbooks get updated with a C2D, but the prices on the refurbed core duo MBPs are pretty tempting, and i'm sick of waiting.
Any thoughts?
Comments
My reasons for this are simple: Longevity and accompanyment. The C2D is 64 bit, and although that may not be signifigant right now or over the next year, it will start yielding huge advantages over the CD shortly thereafter as more programs become apt to take advantage of it. Also, as far as accompanyment, consider that the C2D MBP (or MB, presumably) will provide much higher specs overall than their CD (current) counterparts; upgrades that're likely worth more than the savings you'd get from buying an outdated model.
Personally, where Apple is concerned, I feel it's always best to order RIGHT AFTER a product launch. That way you aren't waiting forever, and that way you get eight-or-so months to know yours is the best product out there.
My advice?
Get this:
1499
Refurbished MacBook Pro, 15-inch, 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo
15.4-inch widescreen display (1440x900 resolution)
1GB (single SODIMM) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM
100GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive
Slot-load SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW)
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB GDDR3 memory
Built-in iSight Camera
Front Row and Apple Remote
And this:
599
Refurbished Apple Cinema Display (20-inch flat panel w/ aluminum enclosure)
20-inch (viewable), 1680 x 1050 optimal resolution, 16.7 million colors, DVI Display Connector, 2 port USB 2.0 Hub, 2 FireWire 400 ports, VESA mount compatible
That comes to 2098 and you'd have a sick setup that cost only $99 more than the current baseline mbp
Or an extra 100 on top of that gets you the 2.16ghz CD with the same specs.
I wish the Canadian apple store had deals that good.
Of greater interest would be if the GPU is upgraded in the next macbook release. This would likely have more of an affect on your day to day use than the inclusion of a C2D. 64-bit computing might be alluring but is of little use currently and for the foreseeable future. (for most people)
I figure if you can live without the extra 15% performance, core duo machines are just fine. There effectively is no other difference for the vast majority of users.
I would get a matte refurb Core Duo MBP if I were you.
You don't need to worry about 64-bit. You won't see advantages for another year or more.