On Nov 7, 2007 1:24 PM, Andy Matthews <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > A co-worker of mine said that a friend of HIS is selling a Macbook. Since > I know that's an Intel machine I was curious > so I asked about the specs.
Here's a spec list for the Late 2006 MacBooks: http://support.apple.com/specs/macbook/macbook_late_2006.html > Can you guys tell me what you think this machine > is worth? The current models run from $1,099.00 - $1,499.00, so probably not more than $1500. > It's a late-2006 Macbook. 2GHz Core 2 Duo with SuperDrive. He upgraded the > > RAM to 2GB and the hard drive to 160GB. The model number is MA700LL/A > (Google says that this is a 13.3 inch screen). But, that series is > generally > called the Late 2006 Macbook. It's the white 2GHz one from that series. > He's > got all of the original packaging, accessories, disks, etc. > > More importantly, I'm needing a new machine to work on. My PC is nearing > the > end of it's useful life and so I'm wanting something that kicks some > hiney. > I need to run Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. on it. I also need to run code > on > it. The MacBooks use integrated graphics[1], which borrows system memory to do its work. This could be an issue for you, though I've never used any of those programs on a computer with integrated graphics, so I really can't say. > At the moment I only have CS2 and I've heard that CS2 is pretty slow on > Intel Macs. I've heard this as well, though can't personally confirm it. On the (somewhat) bright side, upgrading to CS3 Web Premium is only $499 from CS2, it comes with Photoshop and Illustrator, and it's supposed to run much better on Intel processors (I don't think you can upgrade cross-platform, but I've heard of people talking to Customer Support about it and arranging something). > Finally, I need comparisons on this computer to a newer Dell workstation. > I > prefer to have a desktop machine, but if I can get away with a laptop that > can run fast, can run Windows, and can be hooked up to a real monitor, > then > a laptop is okay. You might wanna take a look at these benchmarks: http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/apple/memory/Macbook_Memory_Benchmarks http://lifehacker.com/software/upgrades/macbook-pro-1-2-and-3gb-memory-speed-tests-306070.php What I got out of it is: 3GB+ memory plus 7200 RPM hard drive = very very good, especially if your running Parallels Desktop[2] or VMWare Fusion[3] (Fusion's my personal choice -- it seems to run a lot more efficiently that Parallels). Photoshop seems to particularly like the 7200 RPM hard drive as well. Note, however, that the Late 2006 Macbooks can only support a maximum of 2GB of memory, while current models can support up to 4GB. Since any of the current generation MacBooks would fit into your budget (most are actually cheaper), you might wanna consider buying one of those or a low-end MacBook Pro (which have a dedicated graphics card) and pick up some extra memory and a better hard drive from somewhere like http://www.newegg.com or http://www.macsales.com. > Amazon has this price listed for the machine: > > http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacBook-MA700LL-Notebook-SuperDrive/dp/B000GABVOS WOW! Amazon is seriously overpricing that thing; Not even Apple sells a MacBook for that much. [1] The Late 2006 Macbook uses Intel GMA950 ( http://www.intel.com/products/chipsets/gma950/); Current MacBooks (Late 2007) use Intel GMA X3100 ( http://softwarecommunity.intel.com/articles/eng/1488.htm) [2] http://www.parallels.com/en/products/desktop/ [3] http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/ -- Aaron Heimlich Web Developer [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://aheimlich.freepgs.com
