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Urgent help needed just blindly bought a MacBook Pro

C

Cherrysftw

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 9, 2013
73
0
Hey im 18 and went into a computer store looking for a makeshift sub 150 pound netbook but was attracted to the macbooks that were on display. I have been researching on buying one and was planning on buying one in Sept 2014, before I went to university but decided I'd buy one today.

I bought it and have it sealed at home in front of me, panicking like a baby on whether I should open it as the store mentioned that returns are not accepted.

The macbook pro I bought had a retina display
- 2.4Ghz dual core inter core i5 with 3MB L3 cache (Turbo boost up to 2.9Ghz).
- 4GB of 1600Mhz DDR3L SDRAM
- 128GB of flash store
- Retina display, 13.3 inch LED backlit display
- it has no disk drive, not that this matters
- the genius dude there said it was released 3 weeks ago, is this true?

It was I believe £1099 at pcworld.

Im doing a maths degree at university so I don't really require graphic designing or any video editing. Just a casual dude who uses the internet for news/studying maths/watching videos etc. Not a heavy gamer at all, in fact Im somewhat against playing games but would like to be able to play CS 1.6 smoothly (baring in mind this is a 12-13 year old game, they recently ported it to OSX). This is in essence all I need my mac for, alot of my friends said to get a cheaper windows laptop, but I am quite sick and tired of windows operating machines. They have never worked for me and I wanted to take the gamble and try a apple device, having owned an iPhone 5 and ipad.

I am very pleased by the aesthetics of the machine (LOL) and love the smoothness of system when I used it on display.
Can I go wrong with this machine, is the processing speed OK? Should I have paid extra for i7 over the i5, what's even the difference? Is the jump from 2.4Ghz to 2.6Ghz very large? Is the 4GB ram too low, should I have paid £200 more for the 8GB (the guys there convinced me not to go for the 8GB, i guess they weren't exactly after the cash). Also is the 13.3" too small? I was too impressed by the exterior, that I didn't focus on the screen size. If I do choose to open it and use it will I have the option to upgrade the hardware in the future?

Sorry for the wall of text, really panicking as I made a rushed decision. If the laptop is not appropriate to my needs, and will lag/run slow when I do my desired activities I will return it as I haven't opened the plastic wrapping yet.

Most of you can tell from experience having owned a apple laptop before, this is my first time. I want to make sure its the right one. Please tell me of any perfomance issues I would have would this machine/any visual issues etc. I hate to panic over a laptop but it wasnt the cheapest laptop I've bought.

Appreciate the help lads
 
R

raptor402

macrumors 6502
Jun 30, 2011
399
2
Hi, Cherry

Congratulations on your purchase.

Judging from your use, I think the CPU should be adequate. As for the RAM, personally, I would advise you to go for 8GB. RAM requirements have an increasing trend, and 4GB will be insufficient in a few years. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, but the RAM in the MBPs is soldered onto the board so you can't upgrade after purchase. However, there are many strong counter arguments to my claim.

The screen size is really a personal preference. I use my MBP for some light photo processing and am usually multitasking (2 windows open side-by-side), so I like the extra screen real estate of the 15". However, most people prefer the 13" due to the extra portability. So it all depends on you.

If you are enjoying the laptop and it meets your needs, don't fret. It's a brilliant laptop and I'm sure that you won't regret your purchase.

Regards
Raptor
 
C

Cherrysftw

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 9, 2013
73
0
raptor402 said:
Hi, Cherry

Congratulations on your purchase.

Judging from your use, I think the CPU should be adequate. As for the RAM, personally, I would advise you to go for 8GB. RAM requirements have an increasing trend, and 4GB will be insufficient in a few years. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, but the RAM in the MBPs is soldered onto the board so you can't upgrade after purchase. However, there are many strong counter arguments to my claim.

The screen size is really a personal preference. I use my MBP for some light photo processing and am usually multitasking (2 windows open side-by-side), so I like the extra screen real estate of the 15". However, most people prefer the 13" due to the extra portability. So it all depends on you.

If you are enjoying the laptop and it meets your needs, don't fret. It's a brilliant laptop and I'm sure that you won't regret your purchase.

Regards
Raptor
Click to expand...
For £200 extra I was getting 8GB ram and I think or 256GB SSD over the 128GB or maybe it was only the ram upgrade. The processor remained the same. I was stuck between the two options. I'm thinking of going back and making the switch. I'm hoping the 13.3" is good for my eyes.

It's just the RAM that's preventing me from opening it. I want to be sure I bought the right laptop.

I haven't opening the packaging yet. It's still plastic sealed.
 
Last edited:
R

raptor402

macrumors 6502
Jun 30, 2011
399
2
Cherrysftw said:
For £200 extra I was getting 8GB ram and I think or 256GB SSD over
Click to expand...

8GB RAM and 256SSD. That's the middle model of three. You got the lowest.

Do you feel that you'll need more internal storage? Or do you use an external hard drive?

Also, not to scare you, but can you still have it exchanged?

Raptor
 
C

Cherrysftw

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 9, 2013
73
0
raptor402 said:
8GB RAM and 256SSD. That's the middle model of three. You got the lowest.

Do you feel that you'll need more internal storage? Or do you use an external hard drive?

Also, not to scare you, but can you still have it exchanged?

Raptor
Click to expand...
I can, that's why I haven't opened it yet! I'm thinking of making the change, there were 3 options there. I must've taken the 1st, but in the back of my mind I feel I should of taken the 2nd.

Ahhhhhhhh!!?!!
 
A

albertdros

macrumors member
Jul 4, 2012
35
12
I don't really understand. If you are so worried why didn't you take the time in the store to try out some things? Especially screensize etc is easy to try out in store.

Also, when you have the option, just buy at the Apple store because you can return the machine within 14 days always, so that you can just try it out!
 
Meister

Meister

Suspended
Oct 10, 2013
5,456
4,310
Cherrysftw said:
Hey im 18 and went into a computer store looking for a makeshift sub 150 pound netbook but was attracted to the macbooks that were on display. I have been researching on buying one and was planning on buying one in Sept 2014, before I went to university but decided I'd buy one today.

I bought it and have it sealed at home in front of me, panicking like a baby on whether I should open it as the store mentioned that returns are not accepted.

The macbook pro I bought had a retina display
- 2.4Ghz dual core inter core i5 with 3MB L3 cache (Turbo boost up to 2.9Ghz).
- 4GB of 1600Mhz DDR3L SDRAM
- 128GB of flash store
- Retina display, 13.3 inch LED backlit display
- it has no disk drive, not that this matters
- the genius dude there said it was released 3 weeks ago, is this true?

It was I believe £1099 at pcworld.

Im doing a maths degree at university so I don't really require graphic designing or any video editing. Just a casual dude who uses the internet for news/studying maths/watching videos etc. Not a heavy gamer at all, in fact Im somewhat against playing games but would like to be able to play CS 1.6 smoothly (baring in mind this is a 12-13 year old game, they recently ported it to OSX). This is in essence all I need my mac for, alot of my friends said to get a cheaper windows laptop, but I am quite sick and tired of windows operating machines. They have never worked for me and I wanted to take the gamble and try a apple device, having owned an iPhone 5 and ipad.

I am very pleased by the aesthetics of the machine (LOL) and love the smoothness of system when I used it on display.
Can I go wrong with this machine, is the processing speed OK? Should I have paid extra for i7 over the i5, what's even the difference? Is the jump from 2.4Ghz to 2.6Ghz very large? Is the 4GB ram too low, should I have paid £200 more for the 8GB (the guys there convinced me not to go for the 8GB, i guess they weren't exactly after the cash). Also is the 13.3" too small? I was too impressed by the exterior, that I didn't focus on the screen size. If I do choose to open it and use it will I have the option to upgrade the hardware in the future?

Sorry for the wall of text, really panicking as I made a rushed decision. If the laptop is not appropriate to my needs, and will lag/run slow when I do my desired activities I will return it as I haven't opened the plastic wrapping yet.

Most of you can tell from experience having owned a apple laptop before, this is my first time. I want to make sure its the right one. Please tell me of any perfomance issues I would have would this machine/any visual issues etc. I hate to panic over a laptop but it wasnt the cheapest laptop I've bought.

Appreciate the help lads
Click to expand...

U only paid 1099,- for it?
Congrats!
Y would you wanna return it?
Welcome to the mac world :)

I think u made the right choice!
Dont return a apple product. It takes the magic away!
 
Q

Qaanol

macrumors 6502a
Jun 21, 2010
571
11
Return it and get the 8/256 model. It's only 200 quid, and it'll put your mind at ease.

You'll be fine with the base-level processor, but you will definitely want more than 128 GB of space, and having 8 GB of RAM will get you at least an extra year or two of use out of the machine.
 
R

raptor402

macrumors 6502
Jun 30, 2011
399
2
Qaanol said:
Return it and get the 8/256 model. It's only 200 quid, and it'll put your mind at ease.

You'll be fine with the base-level processor, but you will definitely want more than 128 GB of space, and having 8 GB of RAM will get you at least an extra year or two of use out of the machine.
Click to expand...

I agree. You most likely won't notice the RAM, but it's always good to be prepared for the future.
 
J

Jiaman

macrumors newbie
May 5, 2013
5
0
I've recently bought a Mac Book Pro too, so I may not fully qualify to give advice, but from what I've experienced so far, it's been great.

Like the previous poster said, 4GB may not be enough, which it may not. You may think that you probably won't exceed it, you probably won't be running any virtual machines so it shouldn't be too much of a concern, but the OS and a few programs do take up a fair bit of memory, so I would definitely consider getting the 8GB, especially if you're planning on keeping it for the next couple of years.

The screen resolution shouldn't really be a problem, but that depends on what you're doing, whether you'll be moving it around often, etc.

As for processing power, that should be sufficient. Shouldn't be any major issues.

As for internal storage, 128GB is really little. Obviously some formatting and the OS will take up some space. Only be concerned if you're planning on dual booting. External storage is another possible solution (note that external storage will be slower and may not be the best choice if you have many games and apps to install) but if you will be traveling with the Mac Book, do you really want to carry an device? Am I sounding too much like an ad now?:eek:

Anyway, good luck in making your final decision. Have fun.:D
 
AT06

AT06

macrumors 6502
Dec 30, 2012
312
4
Winwick, UK
Cherrysftw said:
I can, that's why I haven't opened it yet! I'm thinking of making the change, there were 3 options there. I must've taken the 1st, but in the back of my mind I feel I should of taken the 2nd.

Ahhhhhhhh!!?!!
Click to expand...

Are you a student? I bought my new MacBook Pro 13" Retina, 266Gb, 8Gb RAM for £1074 including a 3 year AppleCare warranty all direct from the apple store.
 
R

raptor402

macrumors 6502
Jun 30, 2011
399
2
AT06 said:
Are you a student? I bought my new MacBook Pro 13" Retina, 266Gb, 8Gb RAM for £1074 including a 3 year AppleCare warranty all direct from the apple store.
Click to expand...

How did we all forget student discount?

OP, if possible, return the MacBook and visit your local Apple store for a good Student Discount on the model of your choice. I would recommend the middle model (8GB/256GB).

If that's not possible though, don't be worried. You've made a wonderful purchase and you'll definitely enjoy it.

Regards
Raptor
 
Meister

Meister

Suspended
Oct 10, 2013
5,456
4,310
People here r right. The 8gb/256gb is the best bang for the buck.

BUT:
My advice doesn't come from reason but from owning many apple products for many years.
If you made a gut level decision for your mac, keep it!
And dont read too much in this forum.
It will spoil it!

Read the linked review above.
 
C

Cherrysftw

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 9, 2013
73
0
AT06 said:
Are you a student? I bought my new MacBook Pro 13" Retina, 266Gb, 8Gb RAM for £1074 including a 3 year AppleCare warranty all direct from the apple store.
Click to expand...
That's a banging deal, I'm 18 and at sixth form so going to university in sept 2014. Is that the same model as mine?
 
B

Buck987

macrumors 65816
Jan 16, 2010
1,268
2,106
Cherrysftw said:
That's a banging deal, I'm 18 and at sixth form so going to university in sept 2014. Is that the same model as mine?
Click to expand...


its better..return yours right away and get this deal..it will last you all of university.

good luck
 
AT06

AT06

macrumors 6502
Dec 30, 2012
312
4
Winwick, UK
Cherrysftw said:
That's a banging deal, I'm 18 and at sixth form so going to university in sept 2014. Is that the same model as mine?
Click to expand...

Im going to give you one tip - take it back, sealed, and get a refund. I will give you the link to the NUS (National Union of Students) apple education store via PM so you can buy it for the same price as me.

The model I bought is the one up from yours - twice the hard drive space, twice the RAM. Your model would have costed £945.60 through the NUS Apple store, including a free 3 year extended warranty.

EDIT:

Anyone wanting to get this deal PM me. However, I would be very hesitant not to buy through the link unless you are a student of some sort - maybe not a member of NUS, but at least with some sort of student ID.

EDIT2:

I can't send PM's to you as you have it set to where you can't receive them. Do you want me to post the link here for 15 mins (I will delete it after that so people don't abuse it)
 
Last edited:
C

Cherrysftw

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 9, 2013
73
0
AT06 said:
Im going to give you one tip - take it back, sealed, and get a refund. I will give you the link to the NUS (National Union of Students) apple education store via PM so you can buy it for the same price as me.

The model I bought is the one up from yours - twice the hard drive space, twice the RAM. Your model would have costed £945.60 through the NUS Apple store, including a free 3 year extended warranty.

EDIT:

Anyone wanting to get this deal PM me. However, I would be very hesitant not to buy through the link unless you are a student of some sort - maybe not a member of NUS, but at least with some sort of student ID.
Click to expand...
I have a UCAS card, not an NUS. I think you got to buy the NUS?

Is it the exact same as mine, but just more RAM/hard disk space? Like same weight/width/SSD(whatever this means).

I've opened the pm thing, appreciate it mate
 
Last edited:
Meister

Meister

Suspended
Oct 10, 2013
5,456
4,310
Cherrysftw said:
I have a UCAS card, not an NUS. I think you got to buy the NUS?

Is it the exact same as mine, but just more RAM/hard disk space? Like same weight/width/SSD(whatever this means).
Click to expand...

His has the same processor but double ram and double ssd.
And yes its the same weight and everything else.
Its obvious that u dont know anything about computers.
So be warned because my advice is unreasonable:
keep ur more expansive and lower model machine and enjoy it!
 
C

Cherrysftw

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 9, 2013
73
0
Meister said:
His has the same processor but double ram and double ssd.
And yes its the same weight and everything else.
Click to expand...

Just to confirm, is this the model which came out the previous month? The haswell thing everyone was talking of in the summer? If it's the exact bang on same apart from ram and SSD I'm very happy. I paid 1099 and this was without the AppleCare which costed 299.99.

Didn't think of being a student even once lol.
 
AT06

AT06

macrumors 6502
Dec 30, 2012
312
4
Winwick, UK
Cherrysftw said:
Just to confirm, is this the model which came out the previous month? The haswell thing everyone was talking of in the summer? If it's the exact bang on same apart from ram and SSD I'm very happy. I paid 1099 and this was without the AppleCare which costed 299.99.

Didn't think of being a student even once lol.
Click to expand...

Yes - it's the brand new latest Haswell model release in the last month or so.
 
Meister

Meister

Suspended
Oct 10, 2013
5,456
4,310
Cherrysftw said:
Just to confirm, is this the model which came out the previous month? The haswell thing everyone was talking of in the summer? If it's the exact bang on same apart from ram and SSD I'm very happy. I paid 1099 and this was without the AppleCare which costed 299.99.

Didn't think of being a student even once lol.
Click to expand...

I have to correct myself: i am not sure if at06 means the exact same haswell model!
I would always take the haswell over the older model.

If he means the haswell then 1080,- with apple care is too good to be true.
I have to check the uk apple store....

UK Edu Store quotes 1312,- for his model with apple care.
1080,- doesnt sound right to me.
 
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