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Considering switch to MacBook Pro

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thekb

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 8, 2010
629
23
I have a 2011 base model 27" imac and love it. However, I have been thinking I would really enjoy the portability of a MacBook pro, combined with a large display when I am at home. I have some questions and was hoping for advice.

1. I would likely be getting the base model 13" MBP that is 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, compared to my current 2.7GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5. I know I am giving up some horsepower there. I am not really too demanding on my processor, but I use Aperture a good bit (some brushwork), sometimes edit some HD videos ( not too often) and convert videos using HandBrake. Otherwise my computing is pretty mundane, word processing, web surfing, etc.

How much will the switch hurt? Will it be excruciating or just slightly annoying?

2. I am concerned about moving from my 1TB HD in the imac to a 500GB in the MBP. Can I swap out the HD for a 1TB (or larger) unit?
How hard is it to replace my ODD with a SSD?

3. As far as selling my current imac, I am about 3 days away from the end of my 1yr warranty and do not currently have AppleCare. Is Apple real sticklers for getting Apple Care bought before the 1 year expires, or if I missed it by a day or two do they cut any slack? I am thinking my resale value would increase with AC, but I know I wouldn't get ALL my money back ... I am thinking it would make it EASIER to sell though.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.
 
L

liudekhua

macrumors newbie
Apr 15, 2011
22
0
1) i'm not really sure but i would guess it'll be just slightly annoying since the ivy bridge i5 is very capable.

2) yes, you can swap it out. however, swapping out the original HDD might cause the fans to spin at 100% non-stop. to solve it, you need to cut some wires or install some fans control software.

you can leave the original HDD untouched and either replace the ODD with SSD (you would need 3.5" mounting bracket) or install the SSD and hide it under the ODD or the logic board.

DIY with HDD/SSD installation would not be too hard with all the guides you can find online. just that it may be tedious to do so and some people are afraid they may ruin their imac. In that case, you'll have to pay a professional to do it.

3) there are no slacks for apple care. once the 1 year is up, that's it. and yes, the apple care increases your imac's resale value.

JSYK, a non-official upgrade of HDD/SSD by apple would void your warranty. but if you change everything back to its original state, apple would still take in your imac.
 
E

edry.hilario

macrumors 6502a
Aug 1, 2010
816
1
I hate threads like this, basically buy what you need that's all dont look else where if you need portability over other things then buy a laptop buy what money can buy that can satisfy your need the most. You don't need pointless posts like this. I'm sorry to come as like an a hole but I'm just saying the truth
 
T

thekb

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 8, 2010
629
23
edry.hilario said:
I hate threads like this, basically buy what you need that's all dont look else where if you need portability over other things then buy a laptop buy what money can buy that can satisfy your need the most. You don't need pointless posts like this. I'm sorry to come as like an a hole but I'm just saying the truth
Click to expand...


I didn't ask what I should buy. I know it would be the entry level 13" MBP. I asked how painful the difference in the processor would be. People with first hand experience with each machine can provide feedback on relative performance.

Then I asked about upgrading the MBP HD and how Applecare worked.

Sorry to have offended you, Edry. BTW, I hate posts with no punctuation.
 
Last edited:
Dark Void

Dark Void

macrumors 68030
Jun 1, 2011
2,614
479
edry.hilario said:
I hate threads like this, basically buy what you need that's all dont look else where if you need portability over other things then buy a laptop buy what money can buy that can satisfy your need the most. You don't need pointless posts like this. I'm sorry to come as like an a hole but I'm just saying the truth
Click to expand...

Guy is just looking for insight.

@OP:

1) The Core i5-3210M is a solid processor. It's not quad core like you said but it shouldn't have problems completing any of those tasks.

2) The hard drive in the MBP can be replaced with any other 2.5'' form factor drive, no matter the amount of data it holds. Optibay isn't terribly difficult, if you don't have a need for the optical drive then there are guides online that will assist you with removing it - you will need the drive and proper caddy.

3) I can't really speak to this - I would assume it depends on the representative that you get but I would be prepared to not receive some sort of grace period or exception. In any case you should be able to resell the computer without AppleCare without much trouble as long as your list price isn't ridiculous and the unit is in good condition.

Good luck.
 
T

thekb

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 8, 2010
629
23
Dark Void said:
Guy is just looking for insight.

@OP:

1) The Core i5-3210M is a solid processor. It's not quad core like you said but it shouldn't have problems completing any of those tasks.

2) The hard drive in the MBP can be replaced with any other 2.5'' form factor drive, no matter the amount of data it holds. Optibay isn't terribly difficult, if you don't have a need for the optical drive then there are guides online that will assist you with removing it - you will need the drive and proper caddy.

3) I can't really speak to this - I would assume it depends on the representative that you get but I would be prepared to not receive some sort of grace period or exception. In any case you should be able to resell the computer without AppleCare without much trouble as long as your list price isn't ridiculous and the unit is in good condition.

Good luck.
Click to expand...


Thanks, DV. Sounds like the MBP performance should be an acceptable tradeoff for the tasks I would use it for to gain the portability I desire.
 
Dark Void

Dark Void

macrumors 68030
Jun 1, 2011
2,614
479
thekb said:
Thanks, DV. Sounds like the MBP performance should be an acceptable tradeoff for the tasks I would use it for to gain the portability I desire.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you would be making the right choice based off of your initial post.
 
M

macmastersam

macrumors 6502a
Sep 14, 2011
515
0
Essex, england
lets look at the facts...
1) The i5 in the macbook pro will be just as good as that in your iMac. it has hyper-threading, so Mac OS reads 4 cores, instead of 2, giving you more power from the i5. there is also a 5-10% increase in the i5 speeds too, if that matters to you :) so the switch won't even hurt or affect what you are doing.

2) If you would like bigger hard drive space, simply build-to-order your mac with a 1 TB hard drive, because replacing it yourself voids the warranty, which i think is a bit ironic considering it can be user-replaceable. So if you don't mind paying the apple premium, that's the route to go.

3) since the computer is practically a bit more than a year old, from purchase and from update, you will pretty much get most of your money back on it, if you decide to put it up for sale. i would suggest putting it on eBay or giving it to a friend who will happy take it off your hands for a price :D

good luck with the switch!

-Sam
 
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