My MacBook Pro Sucks
September 10th, 2006 Filed in: Reviews, Mac Jump to commentsI recently bought a new MacBook Pro (my first Apple computer). Yes, I am one of the switchers. I have been a PC user for a while until Apple introduced Intel-based Mac notebook. I was tempted by the MacBook Pro and brought a 15.4-inch display, 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo, with 2GB of RAM (upgraded from 1GB). After couple hours of fun playing around with the Mac OS X, I installed Adobe CS2 and did couple test runs. I was so disappointed on its performance. It even runs slower than my old PC laptop (1.5GHz Centrino with 1GB RAM). That is impossible since the new MacBook has 2.16GHz CPU with 2GB of RAM. I thought it could be my Adobe software issue. So I went to install Macromedia Studio 8 to see how it perform. Same result - slow.
I got frustrated and did a quick search on Google. I found this review from MacWorld. Apparently, neither Adobe CS2 nor Macromedia Studio 8 supports Intel-based Macs (running on Rosetta) yet. Fortunately, Adobe has announced that they will fix this issue to support Intel-based Mac computers in the next versions. So, if you are planning to get a MacBook Pro as your work computer, you’ll be better off waiting until Adobe release the next version of Creative Suite.
Note: Universal application like Safari, iLife and Mail are running fine and smoothy on my MacBook.
Update
June 6, 2007
I’m now using Adobe CS3 on my MacBook and they run very nice. However, I still have problem with the heat issues (extremely hot when charging). I heard the second generation released in Oct 2006 is faster than my first generation and the heat issue is resolved.
December 15th, 2006 at 1:28 pm
MacBook Pro..
I think it’s cool and all is fine ;)
December 12th, 2006 at 1:10 pm
Wow! Problems with a MacBook Pro running CS2!! I just can´t beleived it!! I run Mac OS X Tiger in my P4 2.4 Ghz PC with only 512 MB of RAM… and I tell you, Mac OS X rocks!!! Adobe apps runs like a charm (and my PC does no have Quartz activated) Man if you want to swictch back to PCs… think again. I have this Clonic Tiger in my PC because I CAN´T buy a MAC… I live in Cuba!
December 12th, 2006 at 1:10 pm
Wow! Problems with a MacBook Pro running CS2!! I just can´t beleived it!! I run Mac OS X Tiger in my P4 2.4 Ghz PC with only 512 MB of RAM… and I tell you, Mac OS X rocks!!! Adobe apps runs like a charm (and my PC does no have Quarz activated) Man if you want to swictch back to PCs… think again. I have this Clonis Tiger in my PC because I CAN´T buy a MAC… I live in Cuba!
December 11th, 2006 at 6:46 am
You could always use your PC version of photoshop under bootcamp :D
December 9th, 2006 at 9:13 pm
MacBook Pro is one of the Perfect Machine.. just do it and make it GOOD ;)
December 7th, 2006 at 12:38 pm
LOL - I am not surprised. I am one of those who switch from Mac to Thinkpads 8 years ago thanks to a expensive stint with a series crappy Powerbooks. Bought CS2, and it just works on Windows. Period. I was productive immediately. There is no heat problem. And the Thinkpad is better built and smaller with a higher res screen. I will never switch back.
November 22nd, 2006 at 1:32 pm
Even with the latest creative suite application I have read today a universal version may still be as late as next spring :(
November 16th, 2006 at 7:56 am
Gary,
Sorry, no. I’m waiting for CS3…
November 16th, 2006 at 7:34 am
Just curious, would you be interested in selling your Macbook Pro?
November 13th, 2006 at 3:24 pm
Hey Nik,
Of course, even with all your amazing graphics, it takes a comment about my beloved Macs to get me to finally post a comment.
I am a Mac devotee, to date I have owned 4 Mac desktops or towers and 5 Mac laptops. I hate PC’s…they are complicated and NOT user friendly and the fact is that when it comes to graphics, Mac just dominate them, PC’s have only dominated the market due to the vast array of support and programs allocated to them (All hail Bill Gates). But times have changed.
My G4 tower whips through CS2 like a hot knife through butter, and I have found that all bugs in using either Photoshop or Illustrator have come from the Adobe end. (Go ahead and ask them what black should be?) and again, that is the case here.
Don’t be mad at your Mac, as you have I am sure already seen, it totally rocks anything that is either Universal or set up for the Intel chip, and when that CS2 upgrade comes or CS3, whatever, your machine is going to hum along with such ease and speed, your hardly be able to contain your delight. I will feel the same with my black MacBook. Until then, maybe you can focus on the incredible weight or lack there of, the nice thin structure, how about the widescreen, glossy right?, wait, maybe the built in mic and camera…nifty, we can go on and on can’t we. Damn thing even came with a remote.
And for all the doubters. Intel Core Duo blazing fast processors only help to make the one of the most stable OS’s on the market more stable, but the facts are, and this is not me, check the countless articles from PC people to confirm, they are ALL over the web, the MacBook and MacBook Pro also run (with BootCamp or Parrellels) Windows XP and XP Pro with more stability that a PC computer. I even read one article of a guy running Linux, and then partinioning his drive to 3 sections to run all three.
Nik, your in good hands, welcome to the dark side.