getting a macbook pro for live use and for DAW?

[Adambomb337]

Will a 5400 rpm hard drive be drastically different than a 4200 or 7200 rpm?

Is it better to buy more ram from another place that is cheaper? Have any recommendations?

Is it worth getting the AppleCare Protection Plan (APP)?

What kind of sound card do you recommend with it?

Do you need VMware Fusion to use bootcamp? Do you recommend getting VMware Fusion and why?

Which free printer (after rebate) do you recommend getting? The Canon MP470 Photo All-in-One or the HP Photosmart C4280 All-in-One Printer, Scanner, Copier?

Do you think a 15" compared to a 17" would really make a difference? Would a 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo make a big difference compared to a 2.4GHz?

What kind of USB hub do you recommend? I've heard there are power issues with the USB ports.

Does it come with a wireless card to connect to the internet?

Do you know which sequencers and DJ software run best on OSX compared to running it on windows xp?

Is there anything else I should know about them?



I was thinking of just using this as my main DAW also... The only problem is that I have about 173 GB of samples. Would they run well off of an external hard drive? What's the best way to do this?

Is it possible to get a video card in it that will allow you to connect it to two monitors?

[debra1rlo]

Don't know if I can answer all those questions, but...

You won't need to buy a sound card but you may need some sort of audio interface if you intend to record decent quality audio such as guitars or vocals, etc.

Wireless internet is built-in through the AirPort card.

I've heard most people say that aftermarket ram can be just as good and less expensive. I maxed my MacBook out to 2GB memory thru an Apple dealer and I think I got a good price on it. Defintely recommend adding as much memory as you can afford, I'm glad I did.

I didn't get the protection plan and have had no problems in a little over a year. Am planning to upgrade again within 2 yrs as I've been doing more of my day job work on it also (graphic design & print production)

I run Logic Express on my MacBook 2Ghz Dual Core with an external USB 120GB drive with no problems as yet. My internal drive I believe is 5400, my exteral is 7200 and again I notice no difference in performance.

[derek]

absolutely do get apple care...

[Adambomb337]

Thanks debra1rlo!

derek - why get apple care?

[justin3am]

For me, Apple care is a "just in case" thing. If you plan on taking your laptop live or putting it at risk in any way it's definitely worth it. I've broken my Mac Book Pro twice now (definitely my fault, I'm a clutz) and have not had to pay anything but the $350 Apple care fee for repairs. Both times they have just given me a new computer.

You don't need Fusion to run Boot Camp, Boot Camp is free and it's only limitation is it doesn't do the "Virtual Desktop" thing. You have to reboot to get into Windows.

I use a Belkin powered USB hub that works magnificently with 4 USB midi controllers connected to it. I can even use it to power my midi controllers when I use it with hardware synths.

[botkiller]

I'll put it to you this way - I LOVE my Macbook, but get Applecare. You get 1 year of service when you buy it. After the year is up (well, just before) you can buy a 3 year applecare plan. DO IT. Why? Because just like any other machine, they can have issues - in my case, my motherboard went out twice - actually, the sound went out twice. Thankfully, the warranty covered it. If I had not had it, it would have been $1000 or so each time - The Applecare coverage is also MUCH BETTER than the warranties I've seen with most other companies, and I've been thru them all, believe me.

People are going to say, "HA HA MAC N00B THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD GET PC". Whatever. I've had more than two laptops blow up on me, only to have the idiots who I bought them from tell me that they would not fix them for me, or if they would, they'd charge me more money to fix it - I thought a warranty was supposed to give you extra COVERAGE - I guess HP thinks the opposite.

But, I can tell you that after these issues, this machine is rock freaking solid, and I've played so many shows with it I cannot explain.

[Adambomb337]

Thanks botkiller! Is the Applecare the same price if you were to wait just before one year and buy it then?

Is there a discount to upgrading the warranty to applecare later?

[C00kie]

Will a 5400 rpm hard drive be drastically different than a 4200 or 7200 rpm?

Yes. Do yourself a favour and get the 7200 rpm model.

Do you think a 15" compared to a 17" would really make a difference?

More screen estate is always nice.
15" = 1680 x 1050 pixels
17" = 1920 x 1200 pixels

Would a 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo make a big difference compared to a 2.4GHz?

Only an option on the 15" model. The difference is only about 9% CPU power.

Do you know which sequencers and DJ software run best on OSX compared to running it on windows xp?

This is the question you should have asked yourself first, since it influences everything. Why go for Mac anyway? It's the end of running cheap hosts and free VSTs as you know it.

Is it possible to get a video card in it that will allow you to connect it to two monitors?

It's not possible to get another video card me thinks. But you can connect an extra monitor through DVI and you'll get a dual screen setup.

[jupiter8]

But, I can tell you that after these issues, this machine is rock freaking solid, and I've played so many shows with it I cannot explain.

So it worked perfect except for when it did'nt ?

[Adambomb337]

Will all the hardware in the macbook pro work when you use windows xp on it?

For instance, will I be able to use the AirPort card to access the internet in windows?

[botkiller]

Will all the hardware in the macbook pro work when you use windows xp on it?

For instance, will I be able to use the AirPort card to access the internet in windows?

Hey Adam,

you can use the airport card to access the net with a winXp install running in parallels. My friend Jason here at K2S does it all the time on his MBP. As far as I can tell, everything runs just fine in Parallels on the mac running winXP, I have not even seen audio bugs popping up, that could always happen, but that could happen with anything.

As to Applecare - as far as I know, you can buy the further coverage anytime within your initial 1 year of coverage - so that means buy the extra coverage before the year is up. It's about $300 for the most coverage, but I think it's worth it.

Finally, C00kie asks why you should get the Macbook - and here's my answer why.

I AM NOT TURNING THIS INTO A MAC VS PC ARGUMENT, DO NOT THINK THAT I AM. I AM VOICING OPINION.

Here's why I would get a Mac, and why I did for live work - Because it WORKS. Yes, you lose many of the free VSTs - and you can't use some free hosts - IF you don't install Parallels. And if you don't, I wouldn't get down on yourself. I went from working in a windows only environment to OS X entirely - and what did I lose? Distractions. I like lots of VSTs, they're great - but I spend entirely TOO MUCH time futzing with them, and I don't make music. I want to open a host, open a softsynth that I like and can use, and start making music. Why? Because I'm a working musician, and I need to get things done. It made me focus, and use the tools that I have at my disposal to do more. To me, it's like having 30 guitars - it's nice, but if you focus on playing the hell out of one, you're going to get good overall.

I have not had my Mac give me issues on stage once. My previous PC laptops bluescreened NUMEROUS times on stage - and they were beefy. OS X runs rock solid for me, and deals with what I throw at it on stage. That's what I want, and what I need.

As to hosts that work on OS X - everything major works just fine - Cubase 4 (which still, might I add, needs a patch that is semi-working to get it to work on Vista), Ableton Live, Pro Tools and Logic. You've also got RAX, Luna, Metro, Renoise, Garageband, and probably others I've not heard of.

In short, it's up to you - but my personal feeling is that Macs run solid and do everything I need them to do. If that's what you need, I'm sure you can find other machines out there that can do it, as well - you'll know what you need.

[botkiller]

But, I can tell you that after these issues, this machine is rock freaking solid, and I've played so many shows with it I cannot explain.

So it worked perfect except for when it did'nt ?

wow, hilarious. It worked fine, even when it had the issue. The issue that I had was that my soundcard decided to stick itself to digital out mode - which was a defect on the MOBO. Still better than my $2000 dell machine whose battery literally exploded on stage, only to have Dell tell me "Sorry, that's not under warranty".

Or how about the HP whose screen fried out and went to only half a screen because of the sub-par ATI card inside of it, also while in the middle of a set?

Let's not forget my windows home machine, which likes to BSOD itself due to IRQ errors in the middle of sessions - a machine I built ground up, and is only dying because Windows likes to kill itself for the fact that it doesn't know how to allocate IRQs right.

I got news for you, everything works fine, until it doesn't. Some things just actually WORK more often than others. My Mac, despite a motherboard issue, has worked longer and harder than any other behemoth laptop that I've had on stage with me, ever.

[Adambomb337]

What does it mean when winXp is running in parallels?

Is that bootcamp? or VMware Fusion?

[derek]

Thanks debra1rlo!

derek - why get apple care?

see the other replys. to bring some balance into this thread with people claiming not to start a mac vs. pc debate only to then start
with the usual clichees anyway, i play in a band where we have severals dells and several macbooks that are on the road and on stage with us
all the time, and after several years, the track record aint looking good for the macbooks.

theyre nice, light and slim machines, but thats as much a con as it is a pro. they break easily. theyre not truly roadworthy. neither are most other notebooks
btw (allthough the dell models we use have that dell certificate where they let them fall on the floor from 1.5 meters high and the notebook
must fully survive that to get the certificate, which we accidentally tested twice and it seems to be true - oops :-)
...but all in all thats just the truth, a notebook in a bag is not the same as a 25 kilogramm keyboard
in a flightcase.

so regardless of mac vs. pc clichees: get applecare. i would even do it if it were just for home use because the macbooks are generally rather touchy.
but if you plan to take a notebook on the road, then its really no question at all. dont save money in the wrong place here.

and should it never break you can then thank yourself and murphys law because it then surely only didnt break because you had paid for the extra warranty ;-)

[botkiller]

Thanks debra1rlo!

derek - why get apple care?

see the other replys. to bring some balance into this thread with people claiming not to start a mac vs. pc debate only to then start
with the usual clichees anyway, i play in a band where we have severals dells and several macbooks that are on the road and on stage with us
all the time, and after several years, the track record aint looking good for the macbooks.

theyre nice, light and slim machines, but thats as much a con as it is a pro. they break easily. theyre not truly roadworthy. neither are most other notebooks
btw (allthough the dell models we use have that dell certificate where they let them fall on the floor from 1.5 meters high and the notebook
must fully survive that to get the certificate, which we accidentally tested twice and it seems to be true - oops
...but all in all thats just the truth, a notebook in a bag is not the same as a 25 kilogramm keyboard
in a flightcase.

so regardless of mac vs. pc clichees: get applecare. i would even do it if it were just for home use because the macbooks are generally rather touchy.
but if you plan to take a notebook on the road, then its really no question at all. dont save money in the wrong place here.

and should it never break you can then thank yourself and murphys law because it then surely only didnt break because you had paid for the extra warranty

The only road worthly laptop I've ever seen is a Toshiba Toughbook, and it sucked for audio. A good carrying case is just as essential for a laptop as it is for a keyboard, IMHO.

No matter what you buy, it's worth getting a warranty. Nothing is without it's issues.