What kind of macbook should I buy? Would really appreciate some advice.

Hello forum

I'm considering buying my first macbook and could really do with some advice...

I'm just beginning to learn programming, particularly for mobile app development in the nearest future, but also for general web design and I'm interested in a few different languages (Java & Python right now), so I need something that I can comfortably program and design on and I'll be using it every day for at least the next year and hopefully longer. I will be editing 2d artwork too. I decided apple because I'd eventually like to publish on their devices.

It needs to be portable because I really prefer to work away from home (cafes, libraries or parks when the weather is good, so I've already decided on the antiglare screen cover too). I'm thinking sizewise 13" will be grand (although I went into the apple store today and actually liked the 15" quite a bit). Will 13" be okay?

I'm not at all keen on the air - it just looks really flimsy to me.

I'd like to play some games. I realise it's not an ideal gaming machine, but as I'll only have one machine, I definitely want to play a few games, and I can accept a less than pristine graphics performance.

How much RAm memory do you think I'll need? I'm thinking 8GB?

Is i7 overkill? On the apple site there are 13" refurbished i5 macbooks with 16GB for almost the same price as the i7 with only 8GB. Which will perform better for my needs and will I notice it?

Which graphics card should I go for? Iris or if I can get one with HD5000 will that be okay?

Thanks in advance for your help.

p.s. Do you think apple will be releasing an updated version of the pro soon and is it worth the wait (either for the new machines or discounts on the older models)?

Thanks forum!

I don't have a lot of experience so I won't be able to answer your question, however, I will share some of my likes/dislikes of my MacBook Pro. I have the 13 inch and it is fine for me and in face if I get another one I will probably get a smaller MacBook Air. Mine is heavy which makes it very difficult for me to carry when I travel. I have a 500GB hard drive and 4GB RAM. I would get more RAM the next time as well. I hope that helps at least a little. I'm sure you will get some more knowledgeable answers that will help.

The MacBook Air only LOOKS flimsy. It is in fact solid as a rock. Go to a store and check one out for yourself.

Up to the point you mentioned games, I would have indeed suggested a MacBook Air for your stated needs. Depending on the type of games you enjoy, I'd suggest you'll need a MacBook Pro that has a discreet graphics card as well as the default chipset. If it weren't for the games you could do fine with a MacBook Air.

Obviously, the more you spend, the better the system you will have. Do you have a specific budget in mind?

Some general thoughts:

MBA - It's made out of a lightweight brushed aluminum. It is very sturdy but the aluminum has a tendency to crumple if it is dropped. It isn't any more fragile than the rMBP but MacBooks aren't the sturdiest laptops out there.

RAM - I would consider 8 GB a minimum. If you are planning to use integrated video (HD 5000, Iris, etc.) then more RAM will help you because your system will share RAM with the video chip. That means less system RAM available for applications. I recently upgraded the RAM in my Mini and the difference between 4 GB and 8 GB is staggering (going to 16 GB is less of a leap...obviously more is good though!) More RAM will particularly be helpful to you if you plan to do photo editing because your system is going to be able to load all the photos you take up and you can cycle through everything very quickly.

CPU - I recommend upgrading to the 2.6. ghz i5 if your budget allows. It is not much more than the 2.4 ghz i5 but benchmarks higher in every meaningful category. It isn't a huge leap but it is much more powerful than the MBA CPU. I do not recommend upgrading to the 2.8 ghz i7. It is a very expensive upgrade and is only a dual-core CPU so you will not receive a significant performance boost (vs the cost) over the 2.4 or 2.6 ghz i5.

Screen Size - The 15'' rMBP is an entirely different beast than the 13'' If you have the money, it is certainly worth it as your graphics get upgraded, you get a quad-core i7 and the larger screen. I do not recommend the $2600 SKU with the GeForce GT. If you need dedicated video on your laptop there are better options for both gaming and business. Iris Pro is quite sophisticated for an integrated chip and will be able to competently do most of the things you would have the GeForce 750M do.

Gaming - Intel Iris and Iris Pro chips are not incapable of gaming but they are integrated chips and do not provide the same level of performance as a dedicated gaming card. I game on my integrated chip (an Ivy Bridge HD4000) and it is sufficient for my needs (mostly MMOs, strategy games, and other games that aren't graphics heavy) but even on the Iris Pro be prepared to reduce settings where you have to. Extra RAM can help big time here. With the 16GB of RAM in my Mac Mini, when I'm in Boot Camp, my HD4000 can pull 1.7 GB of VRAM and that leaves me with a little over 14GB for the OS and my games, which is ~plenty~ for an extremely smooth experience. With the 4GB stock I used to have, I had serious framerate issues, long load times, and had to turn all settings to minimum. RAM is ~huge~ for gaming on an integrated chip. However, for some reason Apple caps available V RAM in OS X (the HD4000 can only use 512 MB for instance) so some of the cross-platform games I own actually run much better on Windows. If you only plan to run OS X and not boot to Windows, you can probably get satisfactory results from only 8 GB of RAM.

Iris Pro vs GeForce 750M - Obviously the 750M is better than the Iris Pro but I do not believe the price difference between the two 15'' SKUs makes it worth it. The GeForce won't let you run anything the Iris can't do, it just does everything slightly better. If you need a dedicated GPU for rendering and other business/enterprise software, don't get a Macbook. If you are a heavy gamer that needs dedicated video to get the best visuals, don't get a Macbook.

IMO the two best SKUs for the rMBP right now are:

13'' 2.4 ghz i5 256 GB SSD ($1499)
15'' 2.0 ghz i7 256 GB SSD ($1999)

You should consider CPU and RAM for the 13'' (if budget allows) and RAM for the 15''

There is only a $100 between the $1299 and $1499 rMBP if you configure with extra CPU and RAM and IMO the extra $100 for a larger SSD is worth it since the internal components are not user replaceable. $100 for "only" 128 GB of flash storage is pretty expensive (thanks Apple!) but if you've got enough of a budget to afford spending $1500+ on a computer, it's probably worth it to get what you need.