Get that Macbook Pro?

[Fischkopp]

Hi there,

I have quite powerfull but very unreliable (cheap) laptop (i7QM, 8GB Ram, SSD...) so I'm looking for a new one. I am considering bying a Macbook Pro because of it's reliability, but I'm not sure if it's worth it. I'm running Traktor and Maschine and sometimes Live.

My question is if it's realy worth it. Compared to a Dell XPS or most other good Windows-laptops I could save somewhat between 500 - 1000 €, so I'll get a S4 for free so to speak.

I know there are countless similar discussions but Google still didn't manage to tell me, why spending 500 - 1000 € more would be a good idea. I like working on a Macbook and I have some other Apple stuff here, but getting a "controller for free" with a Windows-laptop is still considerable.

Any opinions?

[epikeddie]

I just switched to a MacBook Pro and I'll never look back. The benefit is less setup out of the box so you can get to important things like DJing and producing.

I also use Traktor and Ableton as well.....my i5 2011 MBP runs it no problem!

[deevey]

1. Over the course of its lifetime how many hours are you willing to spend troubleshooting or optimizing a windows laptop.

2. How much is your time worth in $

My issue with windows laptops is generally not the hardware its the upkeep and lack of efficiency.

[botstein]

do it.

[Fischkopp]

I also use Traktor and Ableton as well.....my i5 2011 MBP runs it no problem!

Do you use the sample decks and Traktor with Live at the same time?

[padi_04]

Do you use the sample decks and Traktor with Live at the same time?

I can do that with under 10ms latency on a 2,26 Core 2 Duo. You don't need THAT much CPU power to achieve what you want.

[rillep]

since i swapped to a mbp i've never looked back. yes, you could get a similar laptop for cheap, but the quality in the build is priceless. and dont get me started on the design. and i've never had a single problem with it. not with logic or traktor. i doubt that i would have any problem with live too.

like nike said. just do it


EDIT:
i wonder why so many pros use mbp's

[ToOntown]

First PC laptop: spent ages optimizing (dual boot to DJ mode), building scripts, etc. Frequently experienced dropouts, crashes, BSODs mid-gig. Screw this.

Second PC laptop: super powerful, about $1000 less than MBP with same specs, bought at the recommendation of others. They'd say "Apple is overpriced and for artsy-fartsy fanboys. PC is just as good." More optimizing, more scripts, less crashes but same dropouts, latency issues, DON'T YOU DARE USE WIFI DURING A GIG. Constant worrying. Screw this.

First MBP, 2009: plug and play, never crashed, never had a dropout, 1ms latency, WIFI works fine during gigs. Never a worry.

If you can afford it (or finance it) do it. You'll never wonder if you made a bad decision.

[sss18734]

Windows laptops that worked perfectly out of the box for me w/ Traktor - Asus G-series, Lenovo T-61 series, Lenovo T500 series, Dell Precision series. Basically all of the laptops I've owned the past few years.

My favorite laptop to this day was the Precision M6400 by far, with the Lenovos not far behind... Build quality is much better than that of the relatively consumer-feeling MBP's.

MBP's are nice, I suppose, but I'd rather spend that money on other gear. But then again, I'm more business-oriented than anything.

[Fischkopp]

I'm using a lot of different software on my laptop, both for work and for DJing/production (which is obviously not my profession ;-)) and for other stuff. Having to much software in- and uninstalled caused problems ever since Windows 95. That's why I want to try a MBP.