Which MacBook Pro? 1GB-128 mb or 2GB-256mb?

I am about ready to buy a 15" MacBook Pro [my 4.5 year old PC died last night ]. The guy at the Apple store recommended the lower priced unit with 1GB memory and 128 mb SDRAM, because he said I could upgrade the memory to 2GB fairly cheaply ($175) if performance is slow with 1GB, which makes sense to me. That would more or less allow me to equalize the machines if necessary, except for the 256 SDRAM on the more expensive machine.

Any thoughts on how important the 256 mb SDRAM would be for SL versus the 128 mb on the lower price machine? Is the extra 1 GB and bigger SDRAM worth the extra $500 for use on SL?

Thank you!

the extra vram is worth it as there are many places that go well over 128mb but not for $500. see if you can get a custom config for less on the web site

Thank you leliel! I had no idea whether 128 mb was even close to adequate.

The web site doesn't allow you to customize video memory, other than moving up $499 to the $2,499 configuration.

i would say that 128mb of vram is adequate, that's how much my card has. it's real obvious when it goes over, but i'm using a G4 so it may not hurt as bad on a MBP. consider how long you plan on using this machine and what other games you might play before buying.

Thanks once more, leliel, for the thoughtful comments.

I am strictly an SL player. I don't play any other games. I do play with other graphics programs like Gimp for SL clothing texture designs, but I am just a beginner in that and I don't know how serious I will be.

I tend to keep my computers for a long time. My old one lasted over 4 years.

I guess I am leaning toward the 128 mb model, but it will be a tough decision.

Thank you!

I also keep my macs for a long time. The machine you're purchasing is not easily upgradable. But the demands of SOFTWARE are constantly growing. To me, that means you should spring for the more expensive machine now if you can afford the $500. You'll definitely feel the difference between the two machines, and you'll be happy with your Mac Book Pro for an extra year or two if you buy the more powerful one.

...my 2¢, which will cost YOU $500

Thank you Sterling! What you say makes sense.

I wish it was 500 L$ instead of US$. LOL. It would make this decision a lot easier!

I'd advise you to go for the 2GB/256M provided you can afford the difference. Even if you're not planning to make the best use of it today, who knows what you'll think in four or five years time. If you're in education, don't forget the Education Applestore, the discounts can be very worthwhile.

You can always just turn up the draw distance in SL.
Decisions, decisions.

Thank you Raloc!

I do want to get something I will grow into, rather than grow out of; I'm just concerned about paying too much for the privilege.

I am typing this on an old 90 mhz Windows 98 machine. I am having SL withdrawal pains, and my old computer only died last night. I need to decide something soon, even if it's wrong.

Thank you for your help!

I just want to let my advisers know what I ended up getting.

I bought the 15" MBP with 2 GB main memory and 256 MB vram. It definitely stretched my budget, but the strain was reduced somewhat by the mail in rebates that I got on the MBP and Parallels from an online reseller. Now I just need to make sure I get the rebates in on time.

I still don't know if I would have been happy with the less costly version with 1 GB main memory and 128 MB vram; but I do know that I am very happy with the machine that I did buy. It is so much faster than my old one. The images in stores appear so much quicker now. It is amazing! But to be fair, my previous machine was 4.5 years old and had 32 mb of vram. All things considered, it did pretty well.

Many thanks to those who helped me with their guidance!