Macbook Pro vs. 9260

OK, so maybe the thread title sounds a bit ridiculous because the systems are completely different in terms of design and function. I know that. But now that my poor little 9750 has died on me, I've decided to purchase a new notebook rather than pay $500+ for repairs, and the AppleCare warranty I have on my PowerMac has been excellent, compared to the POS warranty that comes with my Sager notebook.

The main things I use my notebook for are graphic design, web development and gaming. I'm seriously considering a Macbook Pro because I can run Final Cut Studio and After Effects (Mac) on my laptop and have a longer battery life than I am currently getting with my 9750. However, the drawbacks for me are the lower screen resolution and single hard drive. Also, if I get a Mac I can kiss PC gaming goodbye (not so bad, from a social standpoint).

The other option is the new 9260 being released at the end of this month, which features three hard drives and a 512mb Go 7950. This would be a major step up from my current notebook, and I wouldn't lose any of the features I currently have. The only problem is that I would still be unable to run my Mac programs and the battery life would still suck.

I'm wondering if any other designers/web developers have thoughts on which system I should get. I have a PowerMac G5 Quad desktop (currently getting repairs) so I do have a system available to run my Mac apps. Also, I am unsure if the new Intel-based Macs will actually work with my last-generation software... I guess I'm leaning in the direction of pre-ordering a 9260 and just need someone to convince me I won't be making a mistake.

True, but going from a GeForce Go 7800GTX to an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 is like going from a Corvette to a Geo. Besides, a 100gb hard drive doesn't leave much room for gaming (not to mention another OS) when you consider software apps, design files, and my iTunes music library, which could fill up over half the drive by itself.

I would just switch to a bigger hard drive, but the OEM ones have slower rpms, and a third-party drive would void the warranty.

The Powerbook looks great though, and it would be nice to be able to take my notebook out with me instead of being anchored to a wall outlet all the time.

I'm still leaning towards the 9260, at least I can use the two hard drives I already have in my 9750.

Well, it has been decided. I just ordered a 17" Macbook Pro with an extended Applecare warranty to replace my dying 9750. It was a tough choice considering the vast difference in video power and storage capacity, but in the end, Apple's superior warranty and service offerings just made more sense. Perhaps later on I'll build a gaming desktop, but for now I'll just entertain myself with my Nintendo DS.

The Clevo was nice while it lasted.