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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
MacBook Pro with Bootcamp or PC Notebook?
Paul W Gillespie, Photographer
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Annapolis | MD | USA | Posted: 10:03 AM on 10.30.06 |
->> I really did not want to bother the list with another gear question but I figured who would know better. I currently have a PC for my desktop with most of the programs one would use for photography including PhotoShop.
I need a new laptop and have been leaning towards a PC because of price and the fact that my copy of PhotoShop CS2 is for PC. I wanted to install it on the laptop in addition to my desktop, since that is permissible under the license. I wanted to spend 1,000-1,500.
Here's the questions. With the new Core 2 Duo's out there are refurbished MacBook Pro's with Core Duo selling for around $1,500. I was going to probably get a dell e1505, but the MBPro seems like a well built machine and I like OS X. I could run Windows XP with Bootcamp for PS CS.
What do you think? Is it worth getting a dual boot Mac? Are any of you using Boot Camp and PS CS2 with XP. Is it too much of a pain to switch back and forth? Would a 1,500 Dell or other PC be as good or better than a MBP Core Duo 2ghz, 100 gig hd, 1 gig memory, 256 meg vid card.
Thanks
Paul |
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Zach Honig, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Columbia | MO | USA | Posted: 10:17 AM on 10.30.06 |
->> Paul-
Though I don’t have a good reason to use Windows (other than to play Solitaire), I have had Windows XP installed on a boot camp partition on my MacBook. I recently removed the partition after installing Parallels (a program similar to Virtual PC but a million times faster).
It’s definitely a pain to switch back and forth, but Parallels allows you to run Windows within Mac OS X, so I no longer have to restart each time I want to use the other operating system. I haven’t tried installing Photoshop for Windows on my Parallels virtual machine, though I have used Office 2007, which runs just as fast as it did with boot camp.
You can think of it this way though: If you do end up with a Mac, at least you have the option of running OS X – with that Dell you’ll be stuck with XP. Another thing to keep in mind: I’ve had a much better experience with AppleCare support than I’ve ever had with Dell. Apple doesn’t transfer you to a call center in India, which means you’ll have a technician who can diagnose your computer based on their training and experience rather than a script they’re instructed to recite to you. Keep in mind though, as of now, Apple does not provide support for Boot Camp.
I have a BlackBook (Black MacBook in Apple lingo) with a 2Ghz Core Duo, 100GB HDD, and 2GB of RAM. The more RAM you have, the happier you’ll be, I promise you that. |
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Paul W Gillespie, Photographer
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Annapolis | MD | USA | Posted: 8:40 PM on 10.30.06 |
->> Zach thanks for the reply. Does Windows XP run well with Bootcamp? It would be great to have the best of both worlds with the Mac and Windows OS at my finger tips. Since I would most likely be using the Windows XP side for running PhotoShop CS2 and Photo Mechanic I just want to make sure that Windows XP runs smoothly on the MacBook Pro. I wish that I could use my PhotoShop license on both the PC Desktop I have and the MacBook Pro but you only can have one disc either PC or Mac.
For all you folks who have had experience with the MacBook Pros and PC notebooks do you feel the Macs are built any better?
Anyone, Bueller.
Thanks
Paul |
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Jon Thorpe, Photographer
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Mississauga(Toronto Area) | On | Canada | Posted: 9:37 PM on 10.30.06 |
->> Im running a macBook (non pro) with bootcamp and I can say that it runs GREAT. The latest version of bootcamp (that i will be running once i reformat) has some added features that make a big difference too. Camera / Mic support, right click support (by holding the right alt key while clicking the pad i believe), better volume control (the speaker mutes when headphones are in) etc.
Even with 512mb, photoshop runs quite fast. I will be maxing it to 2gb this week, and should be even better.
when running OSX my partitions are visible. I can share some files this way without saving to an external drive.
All in all.. you can operate windows without a problem. if you use the laptop, get an external keyboard and monitor, and you have a good desktop replacement, which is what im using mine for now. |
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Vincent Laforet, Photographer
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New York | NY | USA | Posted: 10:19 PM on 10.30.06 |
| ->> Paul - I've heard many people say that XP actually runs faster on the MBPro than on their PCs... it runs incredibly fast. I'd say that given the variety out there (and such laptops as the ToughBooks being out there) the MBP is as well built as most if not better. To date I've been able to run every PC piece of software/hardware on the MBP - and that alone is worth it to me. I used to have Bootcamp but now rely on Parallels as well - it's great to have both open at the same time and to share files effortlessly. The truth is though - I seldom find myself NEEDING to use the XP system anymore - as just when this new Intel chip has come out -it seems most companies out there are writing software for both XP and OS X... |
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Michael Burns, Photographer
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San Mateo | Ca | USA | Posted: 10:35 PM on 10.30.06 |
| ->> Friend of mine purchased his first Apple computer & MacBook Pro over a week ago, he was so hesitant to buy a Mac. He has installed Bootcamp (windows XP) and loved it. Says the speed is amazing compared to his older Dell Laptop. He has the autocad and solidworks installed and says works great. Today he emailed me and says that he has no regrets owning the Macbook pro even he had to spend lot for it. He also enjoys learning the Mac OSX when he switches over to explore Mac OSX features. Especially his 5 year old daughter loved to play with the Photo Booth for hours! |
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Jim Metzendorf, Photographer, Assistant
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Galloway | OH | United States | Posted: 11:03 PM on 10.30.06 |
->> Hi Paul,
The performance of Windows XP and apps running with bootcamp is identical to a comparably configured/spec'd PC because it IS a PC. It is now an "apples to apples" comparison between Apple's hardware and that of other computer manufacturers. When you use bootcamp, you are getting full, 100% native performance of the hardware. So with overall specs being equal, you can focus in on issues such as ergonomics, weight, build quality, etc...
One thing to keep in mind with the MacBook and MacBook Pro is that there is no right mouse button. As a result, you cannot perform a right click without using an external USB mouse or using a keystroke modifier.
Best of luck,
-Jim |
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Paul W Gillespie, Photographer
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Annapolis | MD | USA | Posted: 11:11 PM on 10.30.06 |
->> Thank you everyone for the replies and keep them coming. I think I am going to go for the MBP. I will have to look into Parallels as an option. Does it run the XP programs as fast as Bootcamp?
I already use a mouse with the PB Ti500 I have. I am not much of a trackpad guy.
Paul |
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Jim Metzendorf, Photographer, Assistant
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Galloway | OH | United States | Posted: 11:28 PM on 10.30.06 |
->> Hi Paul,
Parallels is great, but is not quite as fast as bootcamp. It's loosely 80% of native performance (i.e. bootcamp, or a regular PC) for many tasks. It falls well short with 3-D (unusable for gaming) and other graphically intense tasks, and is not as widely compatible with various applications. Some programs may be buggy or not work at all.
Unless you wish to adopt a workflow that directly incorporates OS X applications with things you do in Win XP, you're better off using bootcamp for your Photoshop needs. It will run faster, and you'll have no compatibility issues. It is possible to use bootcamp and parallels on the same machine, but that cosumes a great deal of hard drive space because you have to maintain a physical Win XP partition for bootcamp, and a virtual Win XP partition for parallels.
I hope this helps,
-Jim |
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Dirk Dewachter, Photographer
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Playa Del Rey | CA | USA | Posted: 12:19 AM on 10.31.06 |
->> Paul
I am somewhat in the same position as you and will add a MBP to my equipment. PC Connection has good prices and I think they offer an almost full rebate until either tomorrow or the first of november if you add parallels to your MBP order. That was another question I had and I am glad you started this thread. |
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