Apple :: Late 2008 Unibody 15 Inch MBP Vs Mid 2010 Equivalent
Apr 19, 2010
I just wanted people's opinions on how they compare the two model lines, and whether or not they would make the upgrade. The specs of my MBP are:
C2D 2.53 Ghz
500GB 7200RPM HDD
4GB DDR3 1066 MHZ RAM
512MB 9600mGT w/ 9400m Integrated Graphics
Performance wise, I havent been disappointed with the laptop, but one of the main drawbacks I see in the machine is its battery life - Apple has taken strides in improving battery life over 2009-2010, and its kinda annoys me that I'm stuck with the battery I have now.
I commute a lot to/from school, work on the bus/train, and have to use my laptop in places where power outlets are not readily available (some lecture rooms). Realistically, I get about 3-3.5 Hours with screen brightness on minimum, wifi and bluetooth turned of, and doing some basic word processing, as well as reading pdf's.......
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Jan 1, 2009
I worked my off to get this laptop. So I want to protect it as much as I can for as long as I can. I realize that since this is aluminum, it may experience corrosive pitting if I'm not careful.
SO, what case is the best to prevent this and to keep scratches off? I dont care if it changes the look, just give me the best one!
Another question, how are u supposed to pull out the magsafe anyway? Everytime I try to take it out, it always feels like the edge is going to scratch near the ports
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Aug 22, 2009
Does anyone know if it's possible to install the new mid-2009 Macbook Pro 15" battery in the late 2008 macbook pro 15"? I looked at the pictures and it seems to be an identical fit, just no screw to secure the battery but from what I see all it is is a simple change in battery./
Has anyone debated trying this? I would love the extra battery life and I don't see why we couldn't do this aside from maybe the charging being 80w compared to the 73w for the new battery...
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Nov 1, 2009
I got my aluminum Macbook back in February 2009. When I first turned it on, I noticed the DVD sound make some noise every time I turn it on.
My girlfriend who uses the 13" Macbook Pro heard that noise and asked me what the heck that was..
I told her that I hear that noise every single time I turn on the laptop. She said that its not the case for her....
Is what I'm hearing normal? I do not know of anyone with my particular version of the Macbook!
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Jan 31, 2009
I've been gaming on my MBP's 9600M GT since I got it in October and I've been pretty satisfied with the results. I just started Mirror's Edge and I get an average of 30fps outdoors on Med/High settings at max 900p res and 2x AA (I'd take off AA, but it just looks ugly to me without it). The trouble is that when I enable PhysX my fps drops down to about 26fps avg. I'd like to make up this difference with overclocking, but wasn't sure if I should.
I game about 1.5 hours at a time, and usually GPU-Z reports nothing higher than about 74C (I'm running 181.22 drivers from LV2G). I have a dinky little plastic cooler with three 80mm fans underneath it, too. I was thinking of a modest overclock, say maybe 10-15%, but was wondering what the dangers were, if any and what temps I would see. IMO the newer MBPs are MUCH better at dissipating heat than last gen, so hopefully that won't be much of a concern, plus I could always grab a program to boost the fan speeds as well right, SMTFan I think it's called. If I do go ahead and overclock, which speeds should I increase, core/shader/mem and by how much?
What say you NBR? Worth the performance gains or stupid risk on a relatively new laptop?
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May 6, 2010
after getting a new 13" I have been noticing that it seldom gets warmer than 50C while in a speck case on a soft surface, while my 15" on the other hand is normally running at the high 70s and mid 80s and easily reaches the 90s if I begin watching a video on youtube when not in any sort of case and kept on a hard surface. I have been ramping up the fans using SMC Fan Control whenever I witness the machine getting warm but it makes me wonder if I have a faulty machine and is reason for me to get it checked out(it is still in warranty).
And just recently I switched to using the 9600M GT graphics card(for the first time since I got it really) and the temperatures hover at about the high 70s to mid 80s as usual but this time the fans are up to 3500-5000rpm on average without me setting anything with SMC Fan Control. Even just letting the machine idle for awhile doesn't get the fans to lower to 2000rpms(which I would assume is the expected normal speed considering my 13" seldom revs up a hair past 2000rpm).
I generally leave my 15" MBP on all the time(5 days/week), or put it to sleep whenever I am going to transport it(as I am sure most of us do). What I constantly have running is:Firefox(with around 40 tabs)Xcode or Eclipse(maybe both, but definitely one of them)Terminal(with a handful of tabs[3-7])AdiumPreview(with up to 15 or so documents open)iTunes
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Feb 27, 2009
I have an issue with my MBP when I'm using vista. It just freeze after a few hours and I don't know why (I don't think that it is the network card driver, as suggested in other posts because I installed the driver provided there.
I just know that it is a driver issue because I got a blue screen with a notification from windows and it said that windows is shutting down to prevent damages to the computer because of a problem with a driver.all the drivers are from the Leopard DVD (excluding the network card driver).
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Jan 30, 2009
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if I touch the area, and when I close the lid during shutdown. Need to know if yall have the same issue before I get a replacement.
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Jan 16, 2009
My photography hobby is getting more complex than originally anticipated, so I now want to upgrade my HD from the standard 120GB to something bigger, since I only have about 10 GB left.
I have been looking at the WD Scorpio Black (320GB, 7k200, priced $89 at newegg and 150 on WD site), but was wondering if it would work with my MacBook (late 07/early 08) and if there would be any difference with the sales package from Newegg and WD own site..
Also I was wondering how the performance is, and if there would be any noticeable difference between the 320 Black and a 500 Blue (both WD)?
Also, what is the procedure, when upgrading? My present drive is backed up via TimeMachine (with all docs, pictures, music and apps).
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Jul 16, 2009
I just got my sisters old macbook pro which is a late 2007 model with the following specs:
15.4 inch LED screen (1440 x 900)
160 gb 5400 rpm HD
2 gb of ram (the standard that it came with) - 667 mhz ddr2 sdram
GPU: nVidia Geforce 8600M GT with 256mb
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 ghz (T7700)
Superdrive: 4x DVD+R DL writes, 8x DVD+/-R read/write, 4x DVD+/-RW writes, 24x CD-R, and 10x CD-RW recording
No applecare left on it
Condition: Very minor wear and tear, but its in excellent condition because its been in a speck plastic case from day one with all the protective casing features below and kept in a neoprene sleeve when on the go
Battery: there are two, one is absolute shot (as in it lasts about 1 minute before i get a low battery warning), the other is brand new and hasnt been opened yet
Accessories: it also came with a brand new (not even opened) battery, a full body speck plastic case, rubber keyboard cover, trackpad film cover, and rubbery/felt like cover for the part below the keyboard and trackpad buttons, oh and a 15 inch neoprene sleeve...my sister is sort of a freak about protecting it............
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Mar 11, 2009
I've had my MBP for about 4 month now and have been having problems with its keyboard since I bought it. First, the "Z" key sank in (I think there was a problem with the spring). I took it to the Apple Store, and they "fixed" on the spot (it's much harder to press and only registered a key press 70% of the time). The lower right corner of the "E" has noticeably sunk in, and I need to resort to pressing the upper left corner. Also, the left side of the keyboard feels "mushy", not hugely so, but definitely noticeable after typing a few sentences. Can I request that Apple just replace the entire keyboard instead of just individual keys?
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Apr 26, 2010
I recently purchased a new base model 15" Macbook Pro with the firm intention of upgrading the main drive to a SSD. Historically, there has been some issues with a do-it-yourself upgrade to SSD using Mac hardware and I happy to report that I have had no issues, save those caused by myself in the doing the swap.
I decided the best course of action was to use a SSD for my main application and OS drive, and use a standard 2.5" mechanical HD for my files. The downside is, of course, you lose your internal Superdrive. However, as I was contemplating this, I realized that I rarely use my optical drive outside of software installs. It then became an easy choice. Of course, you can always just swap the standard internal drive for a SSD, but space and cost quickly become deciding factors. Keep in mind that if you plan to install Windows 7, you need at least 20GB of space just for it, before any other Windows software. Snow Leopard takes around 8GB and some of the higher end software can take gigabytes on their own (The Final Cut Studio suite alone takes around 50GB).
After a ton of research with some conflicting information I decided on the Crucial M225 128GB SSD. It uses the Indilinx Barefoot controller with 64MB of cache and is price competitive at around $325. The Kingston V-series is cheaper, but uses a modified J-micron controller (meh - sorry J-micron, too much history there). Another choice, and one I nearly made, is a Corsair series drive. Note that apparently the Nova series has some issues with the Macintosh notebook line, so the P series will be your best bet there. Of course, you could go for the gold and choose an Intel based SSD. Most Mac guys seem to have the best luck with these drives, but I decided I like the price/performance of the Crucial better..............
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Sep 17, 2009
I had received my refurbished MBP last monday, and have been using it frequently since then. It takes on average 4-5 hours to charge it fully, which is ridiculous in my opinion. And the most I can get it to last is around 2:40 with lowest brightness, microsoft office 2008 open, bluetooth off and wifi on. Shouldn't I be getting more battery time?
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Jan 10, 2010
I have had my 2008 unibody macbook for sometime now. 3 weeks ago there was a clunking sound in the fan constantly. picture a Ford Model T sound like " dugdugdugdugdug" or something i cant explain the sound. suddenly today it got a ton worse. now sounds like a lawnmower. Here is a video of someones macbook that sounds EXACTLY like mine.
YouTube - macbook pro fan problem
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Jun 20, 2009
i would just like to know how hot the 15 inch macbook pro unibody runs after being under load for a few hours. I will be playing games 3-4 hours straight some nights.
i heard it runs at 70 degrees celsius under load and it stays around there, but if its running that hot:
Is it uncomfortable to use on your lap? will you want to take it off your lap after a few seconds?
Any tips on keeping it cool? i dont understand how a notebook cooler helps that much, as there are no intakes on the bottom of the notebook. And because of that how does keeping the macbook on your bed affect its temps at all? as long as you keep the vents sucking air in and blowing air out clear shouldnt it not matter?
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Jun 10, 2009
I just want to know if games (world of warcraft mainly) look good in 1680 by 1050 resolution, and not fuzzy or distorted.
My current laptop is a vostro 1700 with a 1440 by 900 resolution and if i use any resolution below that resolution, games dont look too sharp.
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Aug 16, 2009
I just got the new Macbook Pro and its awesome! I was a PC user earlier .However I was wondering whether the Macbook Pro 17 inch ( newest model) memory can be changed, I got the 4 GB RAM and want to upgrade to the 8 GB ram.
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Dec 27, 2009
Can we expect HP to be introducing updated laptops at CES? I am mainly intrested in the HP Envy 17 inch, think we will hear anything about it (if not when)? I want a new laptop (updating from my xps 1530), and will like a 17 inch screen instead of a 15 inch screen and thats why i am waiting for the envy to come out with a 17 version,
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Mar 28, 2010
I'm looking to purchase a powerful notebook for my development needs. I use MS Visual Studio 2008 (in a VMware virtual machine), currently running on my DELL Precision T7400 desktop workstation (Dual Intel Xeon X5482, 3.20GHz / 32GB RAM / 4 x 300GB SAS HD with 15,000rpm). This thing is a pleasure to work with, everything just flies, even when multiple virtual machines are running at same time.
In next months I need to spend some time developing and testing at my customer's site. Now I need something comparable to my T7400 in means of performance, but portable. My first idea was, of course, a M6500. It seems to be a very powerful beast. However, until now I have no experience with such "mobile workstations". Can this thing really deliver what it promises?
Here is my configuration: .....
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Mar 21, 2010
I had a chance to stop by at apple store today, and compared the anti glare screens on both 15 inch and 17 inch models. To my surprise, the 15 inch one was much brighter than 17 inch one. I made sure that both had max brightness settings, and it was clear that 15 inch one was superior. maybe this 17 inch display model was defect? anyone has opposite experience? (btw, I hate seeing myself and losing focus because of reflective glassy screens)
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Jan 20, 2009
I use both mac at work and pc at home and there's a few applications for the pc that I miss a lot in the mac, so this thread would be for people to say which application of one platform they are missing on the other and also to say what they found. For instance, say I use pidgin on my pc and I find Adium to be a great replacement on the mac. But I couldn't find any decent replacement for programs like foobar2000.
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Mar 22, 2009
Apple will mail me a new 17 inch MBP unibody(Intel Core 2 Duo 2.66, 4G memory, 320G hard drive) and I found out that I like the 15 inch MBP unibody more (lighter yet the same powerful machine). Is there anyway that I can take it back to apple store and exchange for a 15 inch MBP?
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May 10, 2009
I am planing to buy a new laptop at the end of august and right now I am planning to buy the macbook pro 15 inch with all the hardware specifications to their highest. As you might know, this will cost me about 4000 Canadian dollars. Now since this is a lot of money I need to make sure that it is well worth it so I have been trying to find a PC equivalent to a macbook pro in order to compare the two laptops and which is relatively small, has very good hardware and a long battery life I have not found anything that comes even close! so my questions is, do you guys know any pc laptops that can match the macbook pro?
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Jun 26, 2009
Does anyone have suggestions for a OS X MP3 tagging program that's as powerful or more powerful than Windows' MP3Tag? (www.mp3tag.de)
I definitely want to be able to access Amazon's database and have the program auto-tag an album.
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May 20, 2009
I'm winding down my search for a new laptop for business and personal use, and after a week or so of due diligence researching windows alternatives I've all but decided to return to Apple.
In deciding whether the MBP is worth an extra $400, my question to the Apple subforum is: What (other) differences are there between the MB and MBP?
Obviously, their footprints are different, and they have different screen resolutions, and the 9600 GPU is exclusive to the MBP. The MB isn't offered with factory 7200 hard drives, but since Macs don't need to be restarted as often as Windows PCs, I don't place a lot of value on that. I have a 1TB external drive w/ FW and USB. I'd be sad to give up Firewire, but I could live with using its USB connection...
What I'm wondering is whether there are other differences that add value to the MBP. I've read that, resolution aside, the MBP has a higher-quality display. Is there any truth to this? Is it that noticeable? Is it true, but inconsiderable? Or is it just flat-out wrong?
Along those lines, are there other differences that would make the MBP more attractive?
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Aug 9, 2009
I opened my case at the bottom and 2 screws fell out, while trying to put them back in, they both got stuck half way and would go further in or out.
im sure this messed the undercase up(the one were the screws go in and not the easy flap opening thing).
It may also have casued some damage to the screw holes under the case lid which cant be replaced without replaceing the laptop i think.
So now iv just left both screws out as its not affecting anything.
would this affect my warranty at all if i damage the screw cases and could i order a new one from anyone?
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Apr 14, 2009
I've been using my new Macbook for a few weeks now. I must say, I'm impressed with the hardware and the OS. Definitely don't regret making the switch from Windows.
There is one issue that I have been having. The availability of only 2 USB ports has made using my peripherals difficult.
I am in the process of looking for a USB hub so that I can work more efficiently. I did some research and was able to find limited information. From what I know, the only thing I should be aware of is whether the hub draws its power from the port or powers itself.
Are these newer Macbooks about to power the port without any problems.
I'm looking to use an external HD (has its own power supply), wireless mice, iPods, and Blackberry. These aren't too power intensive.
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Feb 2, 2009
Before I bought this laptop, I asked apple about 5 times if the new single right click on the trackpad is supported in Windows and they said yes. I buy the laptop, install windows.. and the only way to do a right click is to tap using three fingers.
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Aug 6, 2009
I managed to buy a 6 week old refurbished macbook pro at 2.8ghz, with 4gb ram and a 320gb HDD. its a late 08 model. Arnt they surpose to have 500gb HDD's and if they only have 320gb hdd's? Also is it 540rpm or 7200 rpm and is there any way to find out?
Also didnt the macbook pros only go to 2.66ghz?
Although the apple info on the box(pic on ebay) shows 2.8ghz, 320gb HDD.
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Mar 7, 2009
I have a late '08 unibody MBP. Every once in a while, generally not every day but once every few days, I have a split-second issue where half of the screen on my MBP flashes black for a split-second. Everything's perfectly normal before and afterwards, just that. I suppose it's not terribly bothersome, but it is noticeable. I've done some searching and it seems to be happening to many people and may be software based.
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