MacBook Pro 13": June vs October / i7 vs i5 / Hard Drive vs SSD / No Retina vs Retina

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Hi,

New to Mac, in search of some experienced advice. To cut a very long story short, I'm restricted by the range on offer on Currys' website and a budget of around £1300. With this in mind I have narrowed it down to two options:

The June 2012 released "MD102B/A"

-or-

The October 2012 released "MD212B/A"

My current (failed after 3 months) laptop spec includes a Sandy Bridge i7-2677M processor, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD, Intel 3000 HD graphics. I use my computer for all the usual internet browsing, email, Office, music, video playback, TV out device as well as for frequent Photoshop and HD video editing (short videos it should be said, <10mins, often 0-5 mins).

Not a computer gamer... at all, just a certain classic series obsessive (as my user and av might give away!).

I'm a student so will be using it for boring essays and the like but I'm also interested in graphic, web and broadcast design and therefore am looking for a set-up that will assist my development of these skills into something useful going forward. Future-proofing is at the top of my mind, especially given the monetary outlay.

The key battlegrounds as I see them (June vs October):

-- i7 (2.9GHz dual-core) vs i5 (2.5GHz dual-core): Main point of difference. Is it worth getting the older model simply for the i7 processor alone? Could I expect to see any noticeable difference given intended usage outlined above?


-- Hard Drive vs SSD: I adore the start-up speed the 128GB SSD fitted inside my current laptop provides but occasionally feel hampered by its limited capacity. At home, I have two external hard drives totalling 2TB but obviously this restricts portability. Is it worth sacrificing boot time and write speed to have greater internal storage?

The June 2012 model can be retrospectively fitted with an SSD. Is having a (limited storage + non-upgradable) SSD from the go really an advantage for the Oct model (thinking longer term)?


-- Expandable vs non-Expandable RAM: 8GB should be enough at present, but June 2012 model offers the ability to upgrade to 16GB, October does not.

The more I research, the more uncomfortable I'm becoming at how non-upgradable the Retina model seems to be in comparison. Is this really grounds for concern, will this likely be a problem 1, 2, 3 years down the line or are the present day specs adequately future-proofed and I'm over-thinking/worrying about nothing?


-- Non-Retina vs Retina display: At home, the MacBook will be primarily linked to a monitor via HDMI. Is the Retina display a significant deal breaker for the occasions I will be away from my main set-up?


Lack of disc drive on the newer model isn't a major concern issue as I purchased an external USB drive to use with my current laptop. I intend to dual-boot Windows 7 via Boot Camp.

---

If you can think of any other major or minor points of comparison (particularly any major updates that came with the October 2012 model which may have passed me by), please let me know. Your opinions would be much appreciated as I'm completely new to all things Mac. Hopefully, you can provide me with some experienced insight to help me make an informed decision.

Thanks. :)
 
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Any opinions? Anything at all? Really struggling to split the two and have to make the decision soon.

Am I likely to notice significant performance difference between the i5 and i7? Are the Retina screen, SSD and reduced weight worth sacrificing upgradability?
 

pigoo3

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Thanks for the reply! I keep switching between the two but think I'm going to opt for the mid 2012, on the basis of the i7 processor, ability to upgrade RAM and add SSD.

I'm ultimately unsure how much I'd benefit from the Retina screen when taking into account compromise with i5 processor and limited 128gb storage.

Right, that's settled, not going to change my mind again. :p
 

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