I decided to go for the MacBook when upgrading from my old Powerbook 12". The graphics performance is fine for everything except games, and a key decider for me was to be able to use all my old mini DV connectors from the Powerbook.

I've been running Parallels for Windows/Linux and it's meant I can finally get rid of the old hulking PC in the corner.

I am getting ready to replace my 12" Powerbook G4 and I have opted to skip the Pro model. The size, weight, and battery life were considerations, but my primary consideration was durability. My Powerbook has not held up well over two years - the aluminum case and underlying frame are not rigid enough for my tastes. In several spots the casing is bending out and the entire laptop has a slight arc to it. I assume the plastic case on the Macbook will actually be stiffer. My curiosity was peaked when rumors of a new super-slim 12" Powerbook started circulating, but unless Apple moves to carbon fibre or some other material I just can't see it handling a daily commute in a bag packed with books, camera, etc. I did give some consideration to the video card, but I don't play games on my laptop and my graphics work is limited to Lightroom and occasionally firing up Photoshop to touch up photos.

My advice: Go for the macbook, but wait until after x-mas. There's always some changes in either price or hardware specs after x-mas.

Spend the £650 on a 23" apple cinema display instead..

As MacUser (UK) said in it's review, the midrange MacBook is the sweet spot in Apple's portable lineup. You only need a Pro if you must have: Firewire 800 or a bigger screen or games performance or...er...a keyboard that lights up. Otherwise, get the MacBook.

I made this jump recently, from a 15" PowerBook G4 w/ 512MB to a MacBook with 2GB RAM. My reason for giving up on the PowerBook was using Google Earth in 512 of RAM was impossible, and maxing the PowerBook out to 1GB was hugely expensive.

The main reason for going with a MacBook, rather than Pro, was cost. I just couldn't defend all those extra features for so much extra money.

I was worried about the screen size being smaller, and I did notice it at first, but in a couple of days I'd forgotten what the PowerBook screen was like and the MacBook never feels cramped.

I've never used the PowerBook's PC Card slot so I couldn't really claim I would use it on the MacBook Pro and as a Web Developer I didn't really need the more powerful graphics card. Yes the MacBook speakers are crap, but I just use headphones anyway.

I'm in the middle of trying to resolve the same dilemma.

I upgraded from a 12" PowerBook a year ago to the last of the 15" models and I've really enjoyed the extra screen size. It's much better for my eyes - the involuntary muscle twitch in the corner of my eye that developed while using the smaller machine disappeared within a day of moving up.

But it is worse for my back - the extra bit of weight makes a big difference on the daily commute.

The lack of a dedicated graphics card isn't an issue for me - I'm not a gamer and I don't do video-editing - so the thing really comes down to screen size, weight and price. But while the MacBook wins 2-to-1 on those factors I still can't decide.

Well, i went through a number of months ago, going from a last rev 15" Powerbook to MacBook. I'm a programmer, working in emacs/vi in terminal, but using browser and email in normal gui apps. I also spend a fair amount of time in Logic Pro in my free time. I really like the MacBook in comparison to the Powerbook in every way but one: screen height. I'd be lying if I didn't say that I do notice the lack of vertical height on relatively frequent occasions. Not really when I am roaming, but when I am sitting at my desk, wanting to do something on the macbook, but being forced to drag it over to the second monitor. Honestly, if OS X were better about using the larger monitor, even if it isn't set up as the 'menu' monitor, it would be less of an issue. I just don't like it set up with the screen roles reversed. I hate that every time I launch a new terminal, even if ever other terminal is on the second monitor, os x throws it up on the primary monitor. That's just dumb. In every other way, I don't miss the powerbook.

Mini-DVI is sufficient for driving my 24" Dell monitor quite happily.
One firewire port is sufficient when roaming. A hub handles duties on my desk
Same goes for 2 USB ports.
I can't claim to miss the FW-800 port, even though I do have an FW-800 drive. Fortunately, it handles both FW versions.
Unlike the iBook, the MacBook gives you digital audio out AND an audio in jack, so that's a big improvement over the old tier-2 laptop from apple.
The shiny screen doesn't drive me nuts.
I love the latch mechanism (or lack thereof)
I love the new power connector, even if it does pop off all the time when I am computing horizontally or sitting crosslegged (count me among those who has killed a laptop before it even finished booting by kicking a wire that was haphazardly strung across the room in order to expedite initial setup).

Oh, one other downside. I've got more apple power bricks scattered around my house than I know what to do with. Why hasn't someone come up with a plug converter that would let me use them with my newer laptop?

Oh, and I have suffered basically all the macbook faults, although I am not so anal as to care overly much. Apple has offered to repair, but who the heck can live without their computer for a week or more to fix a non-critical problem. So I can't use my mouse button anymore. But it didn't take more than a couple of days to get used to the mouse gestures on the trackpad. Now, using my wife's ibook, without the gestures, drives me nuts. Also, there is much discoloration. And now, the top surface seems to be actually disintegrating. The edge is starting to flake away, leaving an actual hole into the body of the laptop. It is probably going to have to go back for that one. I imagine that a more recent macbook will suffer from none of those problems. Mine was a very early model.

Oh, yeah, being able to run Parallels is absolutely priceless, to my mind. If the computer were twice as expensive, it would be cheap, since it allows me to get rid of my windows test machines and take everything on the road with me. Since I travel 50% of my time, that's a lifesaver (or at least a neck saver, courtesy of the reduced weight of only a single laptop).

But I'll be honest. If it weren't for the size of the saddlebags on my motorcycles, I'd have gotten a MacBookPro, despite the heat, battery life, and general susceptibility to denting. but I'm not displeased and I won't 'upgrade' anytime soon. My next computer will be this size, too, without question.

Isn't the usual advice this time of year to wait until after MacWorld in January?

Of course you may have inside info the rest of us don't have...

If gaming performance (or one of the extra features, like back-lit keys) is crucial, go Pro.

Otherwise, go for a 1GiB MacBook, which is nice and portable, and has an excellent keyboard (and magnetic latch). It even fits in my old 12-inch iBook wallet. Just plug in a second display when the need arises. Graphics wise, Google Earth seems impressive enough, and the Quake 4 demo seemed playable enough too.

After making your decision, install YDL or other flavor of Linux on the old G4 and watch how much life it still has in it. One of the nice things about Macs is that they age well.

I'm currently on an iBook G4, I need to go Intel for both work and hack purposes and I made this decision: hold off until I really need the new system :-). I'm actually thinking of getting the Mac Mini (as it can run OpenSolaris too) and keeping the iBook for luggable purposes...but I agree with Steve R. I've run the Ubuntu liveCD on this G4 and it flies - once I've got a new OS X machine I'll be moving to Linux on the iBook.

I just wrote about this question for the Apple Blog. I was wondering about buying a MacBook Pro vs. a MacBook and an iMac for the same money. The consensus was to wait until late January, but otherwise pretty evenly split with which portable to get.

Go for a MacBook Pro. After MacWordl, you may be able to find a good deal. Actually, you could also do a refurbished machine-same warranty as new.

I went through the same thing and I went from a PB15 to a 2GB Macbook. There is not enough in the pro for the extra dollars, but also these other issues with the pro influenced me. Very poor battery life, grainy display and uneven display problems are still widely reported, 85W power supply is a hassle due to size and for air travel (new air magsafe adapter is a solution for non-AC inseat power though). Also the pro has not been reengineered as much as the macbook has over the iBook.

The only downside to the Macbook from a PB15 (for me) is the smaller screen size.

Again it comes down to your gut feeling.

I went from a 15" Powerbook to a white MacBook, and have alternatively wished that I went for the Black (cooler) and MBPro (larger screen real estate and PC card slot).

It depends on your usage. I'm almost always near a power outlet, so battery life wasn't a major concern. Are you?

The PC card/express card slot is basically the only way to "upgrade" the machine. I had a Firewire PC card that I used with my Powerbook, and also for the Compact Flash card for my digital camera, which was much more convenient (smaller and faster) than a USB reader.

Definitely wait until after January.

When I use my Powerbook now, I do notice the extra screen space but I don't often find myself feeling cramped on the MacBook. The battery life and Airport strength are noticeably better.

And of course the speed comparison is just unfair (2gb MacBook 2.0Ghz vs 1gb G4 Powerbook).

I'm pretty much in the same situation. I have a 15" G4 1.5 GHz PB with 2 GB of RAM. I'm a Java/web application developer. I think come January I'm going to go with the Pro version. I know it's quite a bit more money, but for me the RAM not used for graphics (the built-in graphics chipset usage of the main memory) and the expandability to 3GB when 2GB chips come down in price warrant the upgrade for me - Java development takes a lot. Also I have had my current PB for 2 years and use it for work, grad school, and home use and I'm thinking that using it for so much of my life might be worth the extra cost.
Tough call though. I've sometimes gone back and forth.

Frankly I doubt we'll see a portable upgrade at MacWorld this year. Both lines were just upgraded a number of weeks ago and intel has no new chips available soon. The only potential portable release that is even slightly realistic is that flash based ultra-portable people were talking about, but that is a long shot.

In terms of the choice, there is no question that the middle MacBook is the best value in Apple's portable line up. In addition to being the best value, it is lighter, smaller, and gets better battery life. So one big question is, how portable do you need your portable to be? Or you only taking it around every so often and will be using it most often at your desk? Then maybe a bigger screen, better speakers, and better performance are more valuable to you than portability.

Personally I have two machines, a 24" iMac, and a 12" PowerBook. Because I have a dedicated desktop machine, portability (size, weight, and battery life) are by far the most important considerations when I shop for a laptop, making the MacBook a no brainer even before I start to consider the value. But everyone has different needs.

I recently upgraded from a 12" 1GHZ PowerBook to the 15" MBP. I initially thought I would have preferred the 12" screen or maybe 13" however I wanted the aluminum exterior. After 3 years with the 12" PB the exterior looks exactly as it did the day I took it out of the box. I do a good bit of FileMaker Pro development and figured that though I would probably prefer the smaller screen and lighter weight of the MacBook I'm really happy with the larger screen. Another factor to consider is how much you'll be toting it around. When I had a day job I was out every day and the PB went with me everywhere. Now that I work from home I'm not out nearly as much so I'm toting less.

Regarding heat, the 15" MBP is incredibly cool compared to the 12" PB. For my usage: Safari, Vienna, iChat, Mail, iCal, iTunes, Smultron, FMP the processors combined hover at less than 10-15% and the fans almost never come on. The top of the palmrests are very cool to the touch. The bottom is warm but not at all hot. CPU as I type is 46 degrees C and rarely climes above 50. If I'm doing something processor intensive such as converting DVDs to iTunes Quicktime it heats up and the fans come on but that's maybe 2-3 hours every other day.

In every measurable way this MBP is perfect for me and I've not discovered a single build flaw in the 30+ days I've had it.

i had a macbook pro (core duo) and upgraded to a macbook (core2duo) right after they came out. i vastly prefer the macbook due to the size. i write code all day, and at the office, i plug into a 23" ACD and external KB and mouse. When elsewhere, using it as an actual portable/laptop, i value the smaller size and (small) weight difference (since i'm carting it on my back as i cycle between home and the office).
-pete

Darn typos! I should remember to edit more carefully. I also wanted to mention that while the 1 gig of ram that comes standard on the MBP is much better than the 768 MB I had with the PB I'm certain I'll be adding 1 gig to the remaining slot. After a day of usage I do see a slowdown as Safari sucks down memory. OS X and my open apps use every bit of ram. Logging out and gets everything going again but I'd rather not have to... I'm on dial-up and reloading 20+ tabs in Safari is a pain. If another gig means I can have a snappier machine without shutting down Safari everyday it will be worth it. To get the full benefits of these machines I'd really suggest 2 gigs of ram.

You could wait for Leopard and save even more!

Giles,

Go Macbook, it's the best buy for the money. The speakers are kind of crappy, but if you use the SRS iWow plugin, it will simply blow your mind. I couldn't believe these little speakers could sounds so good. Very much worth the $20.

Pros and Cons others may not have mentioned about the MacBook (MB) and MacBook Pro (MBP) Core 2 Duo (C2D) machines:

Macbook has a user-servicible SATA hard drive. It is trivially easy to upgrade your hard drive on a Macbook. And you won't void your warranty by doing it. This is not true of the MBP.
Both C2D machines now run coolly and quietly.
Do you like a glossy screen? You can get the MBP without one. Macbook only comes in glossy.
The keyboard on the MBP is much more comfortable for writing. And it is backlit, which is surprisingly helpful -- even for a touch-typist.
MBP is more future-proof because of the ExpressCard slot. Who knows what new device might one day be important for you to have?
MBP has Firewire 800, Macbook does not.
Macbook will get better 802.11 reception (aluminum blocks radio waves better than plastic).
MBP Airport card is ready for 802.11n, when it is released.
Both the black and the white Macbooks show dirt and fingerprints more readily than the aluminum cases of the MBP.

Last month I bought a MBP C2D machine (Matte screen, 256MB VRAM), and I have never been happier with a computer. They are both fine machines. In their second iterations many of the kinks have been worked out of the designs. Whichever computer you choose I think you'll enjoy it.

Wait till the announcements in a month. Other than that, my advise is: keep your laptop small and underpowered. Maximize the portability aspect of it. If you need a "power" computer, or just an extra monitor when you are at your desk, get a separate desktop machine.

The decision is easy :-)

You have a computer that you can work with at the moment. Stick with it and upgrade the day the new MacBook Pros come out... to what will then be the 'old' MacBook Pros. You'll get a good deal and you'll have a Core Duo 2 at a good price.

Another way to look at it is: do you really need a laptop? You have a laptop, and you can use it when you need it. Perhaps your upgrade should be a desktop - even a iMac. Although I think the benefits of a separate screen make a MacPro rather compelling. It's a machine that will last you years, and you can continue to use the G4 for when you travel.

I had to upgrade from a 12" PB last month for several reasons and opted for the MBP (CD2). Mainly because the MB's screen is so tiny (esp. in height) and it comes with that glossy display annoyance feature you can't get rid of. I also like the keyboard much more (although the MB has tremendously improved compared to the iBook in this case). It's just not that portable as the 12" and I guess this is also true when comparing it to the MB. But after using it for a few weeks, I think I've found a portable computer that can replace a desktop machine, while the old PB simply lacked screen size to become the main powerhorse. I'm not sure if a MB would be able to act as such. If you have a larger display to connect to at home and favor portability over ergonomics, the MB should be probably sufficient otherwise I'd suggest the MPB. Yes, I think it's ergonomy that makes the difference and pays off in the long run.

I've been thinking about this type of purchase myself. I really like the MB's harddrive upgrade ability, that is the big limit on my current iBook.

I want a superdrive to deal with all the data that I have on all my machines and portability is a big deal for me. I have had no need for an expansion slot but WiFi range is a big deal for me.

I would go with the MacBook if I needed something right now. But I will wait for the expo to see want happens there.

My GROT for this sort of situation (not just computers) is to ask myself: "How often, if ever, will I wish I had acquired the "better one."

I just today took delivery of a 17" C2D MacBook Pro, and I would, after being on a 1.33GHz iBook G4, solidly recommend going the Pro way. The graphics is the largest difference, and it is a huge difference. Going Pro will increase the longevity of the system due to it being beyond the minimum specs by a greater margin in every way.

Add to that the ExpressCard expansion, which if you're into performance allows you to go with a eSATA disk interface for the fast external disk and a bit more future-proofing, and all those nice extras you get at the pro level, and after living comfortably with the low-end for 4 years (G3 and then the G4 iBook), I will say the extra money for the screen and specs is very worth it.

I struggled, thought, dreamed, wondered, considered, analyzed, and contemplated this for a long long while.

My answer: Home for 12" Macbook Pros!

I struggled, thought, dreamed, wondered, considered, analyzed, and contemplated this for a long long while.

My answer: *Hope* for 12" Macbook Pros!

I had the same dilemma and I finally decided to go with the MacBook because of its smaller size.
I also have a PowerMac DP in case I need more power.

When it comes to the computers, I tend to fall for the "Buy so you don't have to upgrade for 10 years" category - when I don't I usually regret it within the first year. As a result, if I were in your shoes, I'd get a maxed-out 17-inch MacBook Pro, TOL everything. the problem with this for you is that, while my goal is to use what I need, your goal is to stay current in order to do your job. I'd do the 15" MacBook Pro, matching - in terms of how your G4 related to the then-TOL - to now. (You weren't specific about which 15" PB G4 you had, so I couldn' tell you exacts, but - as an example, you said you had 768 MB RAM - if your The Max for the TOL was 1 gig, you'd want to try to match at 3/4 of the TOL.)

Be a man. Buy a MacBook Pro.

That's what I did last Sunday. It should arrive tomorrow. WOO HOO!

Macbook Pro. This 2.33GHz 17" with 3Gb Ram is by far the best machine I've ever used.
You may not think you need the extra graphics capabilities (or maybe you do), but it's worth bearing in mind that Vista is going to be fairly graphics intensive (if you need to run that), and I'd imagine that Leopard will be too. Remember all the fuss about the ripple effect is dashboard and which machines could and couldn't display it - there may well be similar differences between the MB's and the BMP's in Leopard, although this is, of course, pure speculation.
You're a Mac Pro - treat yourself to a pro machine :-)

The glossy screen gives me pause on the MacBook, but otherwise that's my choice. I prefer less-expensive so I don't have to quite so paranoid about lugging it around everywhere I go.

Giles: same dilemma as yours. Powerbook G4 (867/1GB RAM/100GB HDD) which has been working perfect for 4 years.
I finally plunged for the MBP 2.33 matte this evening as I wanted to run Aperture on location. Liked the two Firewire ports and the backlit keyboard which is more like the icing!

I used to have a 12" iBook (700MHz G3, 256MB Ram) running Mac OS X Panther 10.3 in early 2005. For a year or so after I sold it, I was jumping between FreeBSD, Linux, and Windows. In June, 2006 I ordered a 17" MacBook Pro with 120GB drive and 2GB ram. Since then, I have decided to buy a 24" iMac with 2GB ram, and have no regrets buying either. I also have AppleCare on both, because being first generation and all did take its toll on the first users of the MacBook Pros. Problems I had: Whining, Dieing LCD Inverter, SuperDrive failed during write. They were all fixed, no questions asked by Apple. My iMac has had no problems after 3 months of use, while all problems surfaced in about 3 on my MacBook Pro. They even repaired customer damaged casing dents caused when I had to jimmy the CD out so I could get my data off. (CD's DO freeze the system completely if they can't spin up)

Now that everything is settled, I'll tell you what I do with them. I encode movies and music, browse the web, am learning Assembly, C and Java, write a few blog posts from time to time, send e-mails, test applications, use EyeTV and CyTV to stream Directv to VLC clients on the LAN, read ebooks, use messaging, administrate local/remote machines (FreeBSD, VMware Server, Linux, Solaris), and play a few games such as Quake 4, Doom 3, Battlefield 2, and Hitman Blood Money.

Reasons I chose Apple, even though I do run Windows most the time on one of the machines:

Aesthetics
Design
Power
Integration
Relative cost to power economic comparativeness
Reliability
Extensibility

Aesthetics:

Apple's use of colors, streamlined metallic appearence, and sleek integration of visual components is the best, and has generally been so for many years.

Design:

The system packs more up to date components in a small and relatively lightweight enclosure then you would think possible. The components used in my notebook generally require 1 1/2" 13lb units to encase the powerful components in most notebooks. It's 8lb with 2GB ram, upgraded hard drive, and a very bright and big screen.

Power:

The system not only is efficient on power (65w), but it features an ATI x1600 PCIe video card (256MB) which can run Doom 3 and Battlefield 2 at very competitive settings, and it's a laptop!

Integration:

The operating system's integrated, but simple design, which emphasizes fine lines, polished icons, smooth fonts, and streamlined shadows is purely genius. It's unobtrusive, easy to learn and work with, and is even scriptable and speech command adaptive. The hardware to software integration also delivers quality hardware efficiency, with zero downtime from badly coded drivers, and respectable performance despite the aesthetics.

Relative cost to power economic comparativeness:

Compared to a competantly comparable notebook, it packs professional punch for a cost that is not at all overkill. Given its ability to run Windows natively, and better then most Windows specific laptops, it is completely worth the money, even against notebooks with cheaper pricetags. The package of iLife and XCode is totally worth it, considering R&D overhead of OS X and the relative price you pay for the quality software found with every system. My three favorite applications are: iTerm (Open-Source), GarageBand (Commercial, Bundled), and Parallels (Commercial)

Reliability:

Although the first generation products were plagued with problems, aside from the non-common problems I apparently had, people do value Apple's notebooks as reliable. My friend has a Powerbook G4 1.5 that has been used almost every day for 4 years non-stop, and still visually looks good and works, despite inferior and comparatvely obsolete technology. Since all problems have been fixed, I have been using mine non-stop for 3 months, and my iMac has had absolutely zero problems with either Mac OS X or Windows XP, despite heavy use.

Extensibility:

In regards to software, many Windows users commonly believe that Macs don't have much software. The real truth is that there is tons of software, including a large collection of ported open-source software solutions. Since the core of Mac OS X is open, including the kernel and gui libraries, there are quite a few free projects out there utilizing Mac OS X solely. In addition to free software, there is support from many companies, but not limited to: Eudora, VMware, Parallels, Microsoft (Office), Alias Wavefront, AVID, Borland, Sun Microsystems, Horizon Wimba, ID Software (Directly, & via Aspyre), Aspyre, Adobe. You can also customize the interface with programs from Unsanity and Uno.

I did a POVRay benchmark on both units yesterday, and the iMac with Core 2 Duo (Merom T7400) at the same clockrate is 2.1x faster, running the completely test in 19 minutes 57 seconds, while the MacBook Pro with the original Core Duo (Yonah T2600) runs it in 44 minutes, 17 seconds. Most applications only see 11-19% performance increase, although the main ones affected are: Encoding: LAME, Mencoder, FFmpeg, QuickTime), Rendering: POVRay, Bryce, Maya, Motion, Final Cut Pro, and Cinema4D, Games: Quake 4.

Was the MacBook Pro worth the money? Yes. If you got an updated model in the future, what features affect your decision the most? Ability to use 3GB memory in a notebook, bigger hard drives, 64-bit virtual memory, fw800 on 15.4". If I got an updated one, it wouldnt be sooner then 2 years from now, and it'd probably be a 15.4" next time, even though the 1680x1050 screen is very nice to have, it makes the notebook cumbersome for travel. I bought a Sharp Zaurus SL-C3200 PDA with 6GB microdrive to supplement mobile productivity needs for routine trips locally. I heard the 17" MBP has a better battery then the 15.4", but I have yet to prove this as I do not own a 15.4". I might ask one of my friends who has one with identical specifications as mine.

MACBOOKPRO CORE DUO MATTE 15 inch
Bought in November , works fine except with display problems . Sometimes the screen will just go black , it wont shut down , just black and I can vaguely see the screen . Apperently it is a manufacture problem with the matte screens , and Apple has asked all retail stores world wide to stop selling them .
I bought mine at Tekserve , NYC ... its funny cause dude didnt even ask if I wanted a matte or glossy , maybe he had info that I didnt have , and wanted to get rid of the defect laptop .
crap happens and the customers always get screwed , sometime or another.

DONT BUY APPLE LAPTOPS ESPECIALLY THE MACBOOK GO FOR A DESKTOP INSTEAD. My mac book failed 8 times for various different reasons so i just swapped it for an imac and i had no issues since