Should i buy a 13 inch Mac book Pro?

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Hi everyone, ive been wanting to buy a mac for a long time and ive finally decided that i want to buy a macbook pro, the 13 inch, but i had been waiting all this year for the new model, but as i see in the rumors, there might not be a 13 inch mac book pro anymore. the reason i wanted the macbook pro instead of the 13 inch retina is because of the hard drive space, and being able easily upgrade it to 16 gb ram. Do you think i should still buy an old model knowing that it will phase out in the next months? or should i just wait and buy a retina one? I do a little bit of photo editing (nothing crazy), record music, and normal computer stuff. any recommendations anyone? cheers!
 

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Do you think i should still buy an old model knowing that it will phase out in the next months?

There is always a newer model "around the corner". If you can wait…wait. And if you can't…buy now.:)

- Nick
 
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I know, but the mac rumors say that the macbook pro 13 inch will be probably discontinued like the 15 inch one, and i prefer the specs of the macbook pro than the retina ones, plus the larger hard drive and ability to easily upgrade.

hmm maybe they wont discontinue it :)...
 

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hmm maybe they wont discontinue it :)...

Hmmm…maybe…since I don't know many folks that can predict the future!;) It's possible for any model Mac to be discontinued at anytime…Apple doesn't tell us ahead of time…it just happens.

Can you link us to a reputable/knowledgeable website that is discussing this rumor? And I don't mean the Apple Forums!;)

Even if the 13" MacBook Pro was discontinued…it would still be available via other websites (other than Apple)…and it would most likely still be available in Apple's refurbished section.

- Nick
 

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Do you think i should still buy an old model knowing that it will phase out in the next months? or should i just wait and buy a retina one? I do a little bit of photo editing (nothing crazy), record music, and normal computer stuff. any recommendations anyone? cheers!

As Nick stated, no one really knows what Apple will do in the future. However, this is my personal opinion, and only MY opinion.... Apple will probably drop the standard 13" MacBook Pro from the next refresh of the MacBook Pro line. Apple has slowly been moving away from upgradeable portable computers and even with some of their desktops.

None of the retina models nor MacBook Air models are upgradeable and even the 21.5" iMac desktops are not able to be upgraded. If you want a standard MacBook Pro 13" model, buy it now or do like Nick advised in his reply.
 

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if they do discontinue it, do you think it would be worth it to get it anyways, or just wait and get whatever they have to offer like a new macbook pro retina?

Thanks for the link Matt...MacRumors is a reasonably reputable site.;) But still "when" is the key word.

I agree with chscag...I think that the 13" MacBook Pro (which is still reasonably user upgradeable) will be discontinued at some point (probably soon). This model is actually a "dinosaur" of sorts...since Apple is going in the "retina" & "non-upgradeable" direction.

This 13" MacBook Pro is the low-end model at the current time...and is a carry-over from previous generations.

If you REALLY like the idea of user upgradeability (ram & HD)...and you really don't NEED the speed solid state storage (can get MANY more gigs of storage for a cheaper price with a traditional rotating HD)...then this would certainly be the computer to buy. You're NOT ging to get this sort of upgradeability with any of the retina MacBook Pro's or the MacBook Air's.

But like I mentioned above. You could wait and see what Apple comes out with next launch (but I can almost guarantee you...that if the non-retina 13" MacBook Pro is NOT discontinued...it certainly won't receive any spec. upgrades).

So you can either:

- buy it now (new)
- wait until after the next launch (then buy it from Apple if it's still available)
- if it's not available AFTER the next launch from Apple...then buy it from another retailer (they will probably still be available there)
- or buy one now from the refurbished store...and save some dollars, pounds, pesos, euros, yen, renminbi, etc.!:)
- or buy one later from the Apple refurbished store.

Lots & lots of options!:)

- Nick

p.s. Depending on what country you are in/from...you may have more or less refurbished choices.
 
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Thanks for the feedback Nick, really appreciate it, if it was up to you what would you do?
 
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Suggest buying one now from Apple Refurbished and you will be very happy. Comes with the current Mavericks operating system, twelve months warranty and if you wish you can purchase the AppleCare three year warranty any time up to the expiry of the 12 month warranty. 8GB of memory and 128GB Flash Storage sure sounds good:-


http://store.apple.com/us/product/FD212LL/A
 

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Thanks for the feedback Nick, really appreciate it, if it was up to you what would you do?

You didn't say if you had any sort of budget limitations...but let's say we stick close to the $1199 price of the 13" non-retina MacBook Pro.

I see you having three choices:

1. Get the $1199 13" non-Retina MacBook Pro. And you can upgrade the ram or hard drive later if you find you need to.
2. Get the 13" retina MacBook Pro...but...get the model with the 8gig of ram and 256gig of storage for $1499. This way you get more ram & more storage upfront...which would help extend the lifespan of this computer...IF you intend on keeping it for a long time.
3. If you can wait...wait until the next MacBook Pro model update...and see what your options are then.

The positives & negatives with each choice (as I see it...others may think differently):

1. 13" non-retina MacBook Pro.
Positives: Ram & storage upgradeability.
Negatives: Still a very good computer...but it will be a 2+ year-old model by the time of the next laptop update. Older grahics hardware. Slower traditional HD.

2. 13" retina MacBook Pro.
Positives: Retina display supposed to be sharper. Flash storage much faster than traditional HD. Newer & faster graphics hardware.
Negatives: Ram and storage not upgradeable (which is why I suggest getting the upgrade to 8gig of ram & 256gig of storage). Costs a bit more.

3. Wait until next model release.
Positive: Apple may surprise us with something better.:) But probably still non-upgradeable models (not upgradeable after purchase).
Negative: Apple only releases new models with "speed-bumped-up" cpu's (slightly faster cpu's).

In my current situation...I don't need a new laptop right away...so I would probably wait & see what Apple comes out with next...then Buy!:) But you may not be able to wait...which makes your situation different.

I think that if I was a person that absolutely positively had to buy NOW...even though I REALLY prefer upgradeability...I think that because the 13" non-retina MacBook Pro is getting to be close to a 2 year-old model, and the graphics hardware on the 13" retina MacBook Pro is better...I would probably have to go with the $1499 (upgraded) 13" retina MacBook Pro.

If I was asked this same question 6+ months ago...I probably would have said the 13" non-retina MacBook Pro. But now in early 2014...that model is getting older. Still a very good computer. But when you're buying a new computer...you kind of want the newest & fastest technology.

On the other hand. If $200-$300 can be saved buying the 13" non-retina MacBook Pro (refurbished)...I would get that one.

- Nick
 
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I do a little bit of photo editing (nothing crazy), record music, and normal computer stuff. any recommendations anyone? cheers!

The non-retina MBP is using the Ivy Bridge processor. If you're ok with that than you might consider a 2012 retina MBP. Since you are a more casual user like me, you might be happy with a 13" retina MBP with a 512GB SSD. I got an I7/512GB model from ebay that was barely used for $1400.

I have this model and I love it! It doesn't weigh much more than a Mac book Air. A big hard drive was more important to me than an extra hour or two of battery life which I'd never use. I suppose you're still out of luck on the 16gb of RAM but with the Mavericks upgrade I doubt you'd miss it for a long time.
 

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