Geekbench
Tonight I discovered a lovely thing called Geekbench. It does quick stress tests on your computer system and tells you in a numberical value, the best it can, how fast your computer is.
Computers have a lot of variables and parts and components that all contribute to the speed.
How fast is the processor?
Multiply that by how many cores it has.
Does it support hyper threading?
How much RAM does it have?
What speed is that RAM?
Is it in dual channel?
How big is the...
The list is incredible. Geekbench is incredibly helpful because after a few quick tests under the hood, it places nifty little numerical values on overall system speed. I love it.
So, I did a test on my machine, and then looked up other machines on Geekbench's website. I didn't compare every single post they had. Instead, I looked directly at the models I would consider replacing my machine with, if I purchased one tonight.
If I was to get online TONIGHT, and buy a computer to replace mine, which machines would be in the running? What would their scores be?
I was quite... quite surprised. The numbers cannot lie, but some of these scores are incredible, and hard pills to swallow.
Here's the list, but to not be redundant, I have re-listed them in groups instead of total score top-to-bottom like above. Just thought I'd say, "these are not the mid-grade models of the past. these are the best-of-the-best of their time, being unfairly compared to the latest but not greatest. these are the entry level latest. wow. I cannot imagine what the scores of the upper-end new ones would be compared to these upper-end past ones. wow."
MY MACBOOK: 3252
MacBook Pros, from the past few months:
4962 (2.53 model)
5958 (2.8 model)
iMac's, from the past few months.
6967 (3.6 core2 model)
8312 (2.8 4core model)
Newborn MacBook Pros:
6796 (13inch)
8804 (15inch)
9886 (15inch hi)
iMac's are due for an update soon, but until then, directly compare them to the MacBook Pro's of the same season, and the latest MacBook Pro's, who, even though they are laptops not desktops, are beating the iMac desktops.
This is revolutionary data in the buying tips knowledge.
One month ago I was considering having to go to a two-computer system by getting an iMac desktop to get the firepower my laptop lacked.
Now, today, the laptops are FASTER than the desktops from a month ago. Let's be perfectly honest, they will release updated desktops relatively soon that will of course be faster than these new laptops.
This is irrelevant in the moment. The fact is the speed I desired a month ago could only be achieved by a two-computer system. By waiting the one month, I can have that same speed, in my lap. And then some. With the simplicity of a one-computer system.
Now if only we could get the storage capabilities squeezed into a laptop... then we'd REALLY be satisfying my appetite for the next 18 months while the computer industry continues to blow our minds and release new desires of our hearts that we had just thought to be tamed by the state of the art machine we fell in love with that is now ugly and old. Weird.