About to purchase Macbook Pro but . . .

Hi all, I am about to drop a lot of cash on a Macbook Pro.

However, I am a little nervous about some of the posts here about Apple on
SL since I plan to use it for SL as well as other things.

Is this a bad idea, impossible, or were these problems temporary glitches?

Thanks,

Addison

Addison, I'm a recent PC to Mac convert, and spent 3k on the MacBook Pro 17". After overcoming the initial learning curve on how things work differently than on my old windows laptop, I am very happy with my Mac's performance on SL.

The only negative comment I have about the MacBook Pro is that the unit is HOT! I mean, "fry your legs" hot. There is a reason that Apple doesn't market these as "laptops". So if you envision yourself sitting back in bed or easy-chair, with the MacBook Pro resting comfortably on your lap, you may want to rethink it. Otherwise, I say "yay Mac!"

I am really glad to hear good news.

I spent about 2 hours at the apple store last night trying to figure out which on I want.

I did download SL onto both 15 and 17 inch MBPs and it seemed to work fine. You are right about the heat though, all of the machines were hot.

I Was going to get an imac, but the current version is really old and overpriced. I dont want to wait for them to get around to the update because they keep delaying.

Thanks, ejoy your computer!

Addison

I got so tired of the graphics problems running SL on my PC that I went out and bought a Mac Mini, upgraded the memory to 2GB, and I am in heaven compared to the PC.

Thought I'd throw this your way in that the mini is basically the same setup as the laptop.

Glad you're liking your mac mini!

For the OP, though, be aware that both the mac mini and the iBook use graphics cards that share system memory (Intel GMA?), so don't expect particularly good 3D graphics performance.

I have the brand new 15" Macbook Pro (2.4GHz, 2 Gb RAM, about to upgrade to 4 Gb, 256 Mb video RAM), and it is a SWEET machine. It runs SL fine from OS X, but there's another thread here on the forums that suggests the client / video works even better when dual-booted into Windows. I have no complaints though.

Good luck deciding!

no, not really. The mini has the same video but a different processor as the normal Macbook. The Macbook Pro the poster is looking at is much different than a Mac mini.... much better in fact.

I got a macbook pro coreduo, not a core 2 duo.

Problem is that sl seems to take out one full processor.
Also sl is eating my ram very quickly, while doing nothing, just sitting on a bank.
When i leave sl open and let's say i'm surfing, sl stops eating my ram and the processor drops to half load.

I've read on the forum that there were memory leaks from sl, seems to me that this issue isn't adressed yet.

Now, this normally wouldn't be a real problem because sl works, but, i'm a dj and i use a program on my mac for it so I get hickup's when i chat in sl when i dj. Sl doesn't have to be running to broadcast the stream, but the club owners want to be able to chat if there is a problem and they want my avatar behind the decks...


So, in short,
-Is there an option to reduce the graphics as much as possible? Maybe shut them off?

-Why does the processor load go up when i'm in sl opposed to when i'm doing something else, load drops by half while sl is just doing the same.

-Memory leaks...?

I have a Macbook Pro 2.33 with 2GB of RAM and the ATI X1600, (which is now the Previous generation machine) and SL runs just fine on it, I can really crank up the draw distance without causing bad effects. If you measure the framerate under controlled conditions, say at First Look Isle with the same settings each time, you will probably notice that each viewer version produces a slightly different framerate, unless you measure it, you probably will not notice the difference. Other things that you have no control over will have a much bigger effect, the network bandwidth you have available for instance. SL for me is very stable, at least as stable as the Windows version. Crashes do happen, though generally quite rarely and certainly not often enough to become a major annoyance.

I have same as Raloc 17-inch (using a laptop lapdesk from the sharper image to keep my legs cool) and I LOVE IT. Am a PC-to-MAC convert with this purchase and it runs SL great, have had virtually no crashing problems even in the face of the terrible SL viewer updates of late. I can even run multiple sessions together with iSeeU, IMovie and Parallels open at the same time without feeling a slowdown on the system. It is far more stable than any PC I've ever owned, and though some here are saying the 17" is not portable, I use it all over my house, out on deck, etc and it is the best machine I've ever owned.

Drink the kool aid baby, MAC is your friend.


Mysti

I can't wait to join in. I'm visiting the
Apple store right now, experimenting with what I hope will become my new machine.

All I have to decide now is 17 inches or 15 with some kind of display.

Analysis Paralysis:0)

-Addison

I use a Powerbook G4 and am hesitant about choosing a laptop of any sort for a primary SL machine. It just runs it too hot, and laptops generally don't have the cooling efficiency to remove worries about long term thermal damage and eventual malfunctions because of heat-stressed components.

There are all sorts of reasons to get a MacBook Pro, though. IMHO they tend to be RL reasons

Like Derevaun I have a PowerBook G4 (1GHz Titanium) and it gets 'damn hot' when using it for any moderate length of time but I also have a newish ThinkPad T60 which seems to never get any more than 'warm'. Why?

Also, SL is the only app that ever crashes on the PowerBook but I'd still buy a new one even though it's the only laptop I know of that should never be used on a lap unless you are a sadist!

The titanium and now aluminum skinned PowerBooks and MacBook Pros do get a bit toasty because the thin metal skin acts as a heat sink, conducting heat away from the expensive innards.

The thick plastic cases of most other brands provide better insulation (for the user) against the generated heat, but the downside is that they must compensate by using larger fans (which can be noisy). A friend of mine has a top-end HP laptop with a huge single fan inside and an exhaust vent at the rear of the case. After he's run SL for a while you can't put your hand anywhere near the vent unless you want a nasty burn. Also, he calls it his personal 747 for all the noise the thing makes when that fan revs up. He also can't put it on his lap unless he wants to forget about ever having a family.

Heat is a fact of life with modern processors and high performance video cards.