Need some help in picking my first Mac Book!

[ChrisS23]

Hi

I'm looking at buying my first mac book, I've owned several PC's over the years and I've hated nearly all of them. I use a computer for general stuff such as web browsing, word, excel, PowerPoint etc, emails and watching videos on YouTube and lots of films, but I may have the opportunity to use it for work, which involves updating our website daily, photo identification and general uploading of photos and data to the website. But when looking on the Apple website all the options available have really confused me and don't really know what would upgrades or which version would be best suited for me and the tasks I would require it to perform. As part of the Mac community what would you think would be the mac book most suitable for me and if there are any upgrades I should consider getting? Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you

Chris

 

[pigoo3]

First we are talking about MacBook Pro's…not MacBook's. Apple used to sell MacBook's…now Apple just sells MacBook Pro's.

As far as what Apple laptop/notebook for you…ANY one will work for you with your needs.

On the low end...Apple is still selling the 13" MacBook Pro 2.5ghz. This is actually a 2012 model…and it is the only model that still has a CD/DVD drive, user upgradeable ram, and user upgradeable storage (hard drive).

All other MacBook Pro's (newer 2013/2014 models) do not have a CD/DVD drive, do not have user upgradable ram, and technically not user upgradeable storage. Basically you need to configure these with as much ram & storage you need in the future...at the time of purchase.

Most folks are saying you should get at least 8gig of ram…and as much storage that your budget will allow. The flash storage is expensive…so you can't get as much as you could with a traditional "spinning" hard drive. I would say get at least 256gig of storage.

Also check the Apple refurbished section for some older models…and save a little bit of $$$.

HTH,

- Nick

 

[ChrisS23]

Hi Nick

Well I used the term Mac Books to refer to both the Pro and the Air as I was considering getting either if it turned out the Air would be suitable for my requirements. I'm not too fussed about CD/DVD drives as I don't really use DVD's and prefer digital download copies like from iTunes, I do have a 2 terabyte external hard drive.

Anyway so your suggesting that the only upgrades I should consider when buying a Mac Book Pro would be to upgrade the ram to atleast 8gb and ad as much hard drive capacity that I am willing to spend, but 256gb would be suitable. Also looking at refurbished models would be a good idea, I'm from the UK and are refurbished models available on the apple website?

 

[pigoo3]

...I'm from the UK and are refurbished models available on the apple website?

Have you been to the UK Apple Store website (i have)? This will give you your answer!

- Nick

 

[ChrisS23]

Indeed I have many times in fact, but have not come across any section advertising, offering or talking about refurbished models, that's the reason I asked. I would really appreciate any response to my early question involving the Mac book air and if it would be just as or more suited to my requirements and the sum up of the suggestions you provided me in your first reply.

Cheers

 

[pigoo3]

Indeed I have many times in fact, but have not come across any section advertising, offering or talking about refurbished models, that's the reason I asked.

Go to the UK online Apple Store. Scroll to the bottom of the page…and look carefully.

I would really appreciate any response to my early question involving the Mac book air and if it would be just as or more suited to my requirements and the sum up of the suggestions you provided me in your first reply.

As far as the MacBook Air's. In my opinion since Apple removed the optical drive from the MacBook Pro's…there's very little difference between MacBook Pro's and MacBook Air's.

- The MacBook Pro's have the retina display.
- MacBook Air's are about .5 of a pound lighter.
- The MacBook Air's are slower.
- The MacBook Air's are one generation older when it comes to graphics hardware.

Basically the MacBook Air line needs a refresh. If it were me…I would get a MacBook Pro. It's a better package of technology.

- Nick

p.s. I'm talking 13" MBP vs. 13" MBA.

 

[chas_m]

Go to the UK online Apple Store. Scroll to the bottom of the page…and look carefully.

Or we could just include the link, which would be considerably more helpful.

Apple Clearance Products - Apple Store (UK)

- The MacBook Pro's have the retina display.

Actually Apple continues to sell a non-Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro.

- The MacBook Air's are slower.

You quite sure about that? This is where your over-reliance on spec sheets may be leading you down a garden path.

You're saying that in day-to-day use, the entry level 13-inch MacBook Air -- with a 1.4GHz that scales to 2.7GHz in turbo mode but comes with an SSD and offers Intel HD 5000 graphics -- beats the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro that has a faster processor but does not include an SSD and has Intel HD 4000 graphics?

Wanna bet?

 

[pigoo3]

Or we could just include the link, which would be considerably more helpful.

Yes I could have done that. But I had my reasons for not doing that. I'm sure you've heard..."If you give a man a fish he eats for a day...teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime."

If I just provided a link...in 6 months if the OP wanted to visit the refurbished area again...they wouldn't know where to find it. That's why I said...go to the Apple Online Store...and scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page. And of course there it is...the "Refurbished & Clearance" section.

Now the OP knows EXACTLY how to get to the refurbished area of the Apple online store whenever they want in the future...and doesn't have to rely on link in this thread...that they may not be able to find 6 months or more in the future.

Actually Apple continues to sell a non-Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro.

ACTUALLY (if you read the details of this thread) I mentioned this in one of my earlier posts...and the OP replied that they were not interested in an optical drive.

- The MacBook Air's are slower.

You quite sure about that? This is where your over-reliance on spec sheets may be leading you down a garden path.

Yes I am sure!

You're saying that in day-to-day use, the entry level 13-inch MacBook Air -- with a 1.4GHz that scales to 2.7GHz in turbo mode but comes with an SSD and offers Intel HD 5000 graphics -- beats the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro that has a faster processor but does not include an SSD and has Intel HD 4000 graphics?

Wanna bet?

Since you made an incorrect comparision...yes I would like to bet. As I mentioned above...the OP was not really interested in the non-retina MacBook Pro with the builtin optical drive. Thus the proper comparision is the entry level 13" 1.4ghz MacBook Air vs. the 13" entry level retina MacBook Pro.

Entry Level 13" MacBook Air:

- 1.4ghz i5 dual-core cpu (scales to 2.7ghz as needed)
- Intel HD 5000 graphics
- 128 or 256gig SSD
- 4gig of ram

Entry Level 13" retina MacBook Pro:

- 2.6ghz i5 dual-core cpu (scales to 3.1ghz as needed)
- Intel Iris 5100 graphics
- 128 or 256gig SSD
- 8 gig of ram

So yes...from a performance standpoint...I would rather have the 13" entry level MacBook Pro over the 13" entry level MacBook Air. And also please notice that the 13" MBP comes with 8gig of ram standard and the retina display...the 13" MBA only comes with 4gig of ram & no retina display.

The ONLY positive that I would give to the 13" MacBook Air is it's about half of a pound lighter than the 13" retina MBP. For me...the lighter weight of the 13" MBA doesn't "trump" the better specs of the 13" retina MBP.

- Nick

 

[chas_m]

No, that's called "moving the goalposts." Re-check the post that I quoted. You did not exclude anything, you simply said the 13" MacBook Air is slower than the 13" MacBook Pro.

If you're going to talk smack, you need to be specific. I will presume that you are conceding that I'm right in saying the *entry-level* 13" MacBook Air is faster than the *entry-level* 13" MacBook Pro, despite the latter having a faster processor. I know the OP wasn't interested in the optical drive, but you didn't clarify your blanket statement.

 

[ChrisS23]

Whoa! Guys I don't want this post to start into a big argument one thing, that won't help me in making my decision. I do agree that a link would have been more helpful as scrolling down to the bottom of the page under the mac section I couldn't find anything saying refurbished Mac's etc. I found it in the end by Googling refurbished Mac's, which I really should have done in the first place. Also what does OP stand for as you keep referencing me as because if it stands for what I think it stands for, then I am very offended by that description.

 

[chas_m]

OP = original poster.

 

[Jonzjob]

OP = original poster. i.e. you in this case

This is an interesting post for me because my sis-in-law is contemplating a Macbook. She has never had owt to do with Macs so far and is after the info to make a decision.

edit : - Crossed posts Chas.

 

[ChrisS23]

Ah I see, sorry I'm not very familiar with forum text. There is another thing I'd like to get your thoughts on, I've between watching a lot of comparison videos between the 13 inch and 15 inch pro's and I've been noticing some speculation in the comments about Apple bringing out new versions of the pros with retina display between this October and December and was wondering what you guys think about this?

 

[pigoo3]

No, that's called "moving the goalposts." Re-check the post that I quoted. You did not exclude anything, you simply said the 13" MacBook Air is slower than the 13" MacBook Pro.

Didn't move the goal posts whatsoever. And of course you only quoted the part that fits your needs. Let's quote things properly:

As far as the MacBook Air's. In my opinion since Apple removed the optical drive from the MacBook Pro's…there's very little difference between MacBook Pro's and MacBook Air's.

- The MacBook Pro's have the retina display.
- MacBook Air's are about .5 of a pound lighter.
- The MacBook Air's are slower.
- The MacBook Air's are one generation older when it comes to graphics hardware.

Do you see the initial statement??…I said…"In my opinion since Apple removed the optical drive from the MacBook Pro's…"

This means that the entry level 2.5ghz 13" MacBook Pro (with the optical drive & no retina display) is not part of this statement…since it does not have an optical drive or retina display.

So when you made the comparison between the 13" MBP with the optical drive and the entry level 13" 1.4ghz MBA…that was not the proper comparison.

No moving of the "goal posts". The 2.5ghz 13" MBP with optical drive was NEVER part of the statement I quoted above.

- Nick

 

[pigoo3]

There is another thing I'd like to get your thoughts on, I've between watching a lot of comparison videos between the 13 inch and 15 inch pro's and I've been noticing some speculation in the comments about Apple bringing out new versions of the pros with retina display between this October and December and was wondering what you guys think about this?

Apple made a minor update to the MacBook Pro line back in July. So anything is possible…but less likely due to the small update in July.

Of course you can always wait & see.

- Nick

 

[ChrisS23]

Well I wasn't planning on getting one until after Christmas, but indeed we will see if they have anything planned, what where the minor updates Apple made to the Pro line in July, anything significant?

 

[pigoo3]

Here's the info on the July update:

Apple - Press Info - Apple Updates MacBook Pro with Retina Display

If you weren't planning on buying before Christmas…then you have time to wait & see.

But guess what…"what?". If the current round of rumors you were reading are not true…by the time December/Christmas rolls around…a new batch of rumors will start. Which will probably be something like…updated MacBook Pro's in February (for example).

So as you can see…there are almost ALWAYS some sort of rumors being circulated that new models are "just around the corner". So this exercise of following/believing in the rumors...can be about as constructive as a dog chasing his tail.

Eventually you just got to pull the trigger…and do it!

- Nick