Need help choosing a laptop please

[mikey92]

Hi every one. I just have a quick question about which of these 2 mac laptops below I should buy. I've never really used macs before and im going to need it for audio recording / production with logic pro x. The only virtual instrument I will probably use is a drum machine. Very few plugins (eqs, compressor etc) & everything else will be done through a mic via my audio interface. Could you guys please tell me which one to go for or if they would even be capable of running logic pro x & watching hd videos etc?

This one will be upgraded to 8gb ram and a 120gb ssd. It has minor wear and tear.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1032167277

& This one will also be upgraded to 8gb ram and a 120gb ssd. It's in 'pristine condition'

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1035218394

Between the two I like the look of the first one (the white one) better, It says it was manufactured in 2012 and the other one says 2009. It's gfx card benched slightly better too. But the other one is in immaculate cosmetic condition which is very important to me.. First one is $700 and second one is $650 with the upgrades done.

Help pls Thank you.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

The first one is actually a 2010 model, it was discontinued in 2012.

From a processor perspective, they both have the same CPU. The Macbook is a year newer and can support up to 16GB of memory, but beyond that (and the fact that one is white and the other aluminum), they are essentially the same, so go with the one that fits your budget.

As far as running your software, they should be fine. The other thing you might want to consider assuming you have a keyboard, mouse and monitor already is the Mac Mini. The newer Mac Mini's will likely be about the same prices as these laptops and will serve you better for longer..

 

[mikey92]

Cheers man, The white one also has a better graphics card and I like the look of it much better, but i don't really know what the cosmetic condition is like it's very hard to find one in good nick and the other one is supposedly in perfect condition. I'll probably go with the white one though. Could you recommend the best operating system for this age laptop?

And I also had a look for mac minis there aren't many on there at all but im really after a laptop anyway

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Both of these laptops support the latest version of OS X (10.11 El Capitan). I would, however, upgrade the RAM to at least 8GB before doing that upgrade.

 

[Dogbreath]

Regardless of which Mac you wind up with, my advice to you is to max out the RAM. Audio recording and production can really eat up a computer's resources on your bigger projects. Back up your audio files and recording projects to 2 separate places if possible because doo-doo definitely happens...especially in a recording studio. We went as far as to have a copy of projects stored off-site for a total of 3 back-ups! I know this sounds like a lot of trouble, but it is easier to do than explaining to your client that their project has disappeared and have to set up and re-record everything. One would really regret it if they lost a moment of musical magic that cannot be captured again.

 

[badshoehabit]

The look of the casing is unimportant but I'd suggest you buy a cover for protection. Dead cheap, loads of colours, on ebay.