Legacy MBP vs. 2009 MBP

Question

Hello All,
I'm finally in the market for a new 15" MBP to replace my 2.16 GHz variant of the first generation MBP! I'm an architecture student and my core pro uses are running CS4 on the Mac side and various CAD/rendering related applications on the Windows side. My primary goal in getting a new MBP is getting the greatest performance +bang for the buck+. As such I'm looking at both the legacy 2008/2009 models that have been discounted and the 2009 line up that was just released. It seems to me that given my uses the graphics power provided by the 512MB 9600M GT would provide a distinct advantage over the 256MB 9600M GT. As such I'm looking at buying a legacy 2.66 GHz MBP that is equipped with the 512MB 9600M GT as opposed to the similarly priced, newly released 2.66 GHz MBP that is equipped with the 256MB 9600M GT. It seems to me that while the larger battery and better display would be nice to have, my money would be better spend on the higher performance legacy model. Is it correct to presume that the legacy MBP and newly released 2009 MBP are virtually identical with the exception of the battery, display, smaller graphics card and ExpressCard/SD swap? Would the legacy MBP provide better performance given it's larger graphics card or are there changes to the 2009 MBP that would give a performance advantage over the legacy models?
Thanks for your time and advice,
Eric
Here are a few of the resources that I've been using in my research.
[+MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009) and (15-inch, 2.53 GHz, Mid 2009) - Technical Specifications+|http://support.apple.com/kb/SP544]
[+MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008) - Technical Specifications+|http://support.apple.com/kb/SP499]
[+MacWorld Review of 2009 MBP (Note the Speedmark Performance)+|http://www.macworld.com/article/141185/15inchmacbookpro.html]

Answer 1

Hi MacRambler,
Welcome to Apple Discussion Forums.
I was in a very similar situation when I had to purchase a MPB earlier this week.
Should I go with the newer 2009 model, or Late 2008 model?
I eventually went with a Refurb Late 2008 MBP 2.53 for several reasons...
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FB471LL/A?mco=MjE0NjE5MA
1.) It was $550 cheaper than the newer 2009 Models with Dedicated Graphics. This one also came with 512MB of Graphics Memory vs 256 of the newer one. This was also a $2499 Laptop just 6 months ago. For $1449, its a steal right now IMO.
2.) Despite the new battery innovations, I travel quite a bit, and reading reviews online of 4-4.5 hours or so battery life on the new one (Engadget Review), I felt having a replaceable battery I can swap on the fly was more beneficial. I was fine with losing the hour or so with the legacy battery assuming I could swap it out.
3.) ExpressCard slot is more flexible than a SD Card Slot. Plus, my DSLR uses CompactFlash Anyway .
4.) I was also debating between the refurbs with higher end processors, and ultimately determined the extra 130mhz of the 2.66 wasn't worth the $250 additional price tag over the 2.53 from the refurb site.
I feel the new 2009 model was a lateral move in several ways, not necessarily an upgrade. The biggest deal was the price drops for new units. They're fabulous for the money, but the refurb was much cheaper and had better specs and less compromises.
Now, there are some slight disadvantages from the newer model. Supposedly the screen is better on the newer ones. Supposedly they need to be side to side to notice the difference, but there were rave reviews of the screen when the Late 2008s come out. I figure they were excellent 6 months ago, they're still excellent now. I'm not worried about it. SD card can be useful for some people, though some people are upset with the loss of ExpressCard. I also mention the battery above.
It looks like you've got all the changes down. The only one I didn't see is that the new one supposedly supports up to 8GB of Memory, while the older model can only address 6GB. Not sure if this will change with a future update or Snow Leopard, but something to keep in mind.
I feel for your needs, having the discrete graphics is a must. I haven't seen any benchmarks comparing CS4 with the larger allocated memory, but there is a slight improvement while gaming.
Sorry if my thought process is all over the place, I was just typing as ideas came to me. Good luck with your purchase.