Hello Everyone,
I am a user of 2012 MacBook Pro 15 retina, 2.7 Ghz, with 16 gb ram, 512 gb sad, 1 gb Nvidia GT 650M. But lately my computer started to overheat more than normal. I tried a clean OS install and install all the apps manually, sent my computer to Apple Store to clean the inside..etc Now it works better but still has some heating problems when I use some demanding apps like 3D Modelling Apps, Photoshop ..etc which throttles the speed to the level that even moving the mouse becomes laggy (that never happened when it was new.) I am using Mac OS Sierra on it. Right now I am using the iStat Menus to keep the fans on full speed which helps greatly. And I am hearing some strange fan noise as if there is something loose, so may be my fans are damaged, I don't know. Long story short, I think it is time to replace it.
The prices of the new Macbook Pros are higher than I thought, but it's an investment so let it be.
My work and needs:
I am working as a Yacht Designer and my company is also outsourcing me as a Luxury Yacht Sales Manager to an other company. So everyday I am in a fancy office where my powerful MSI laptop looks really out of place and is very heavy. I also have a Surface Book that I had bought when it came out but unfortunately the power isn't enough, but it's ok, I bought it just for drawing.
I also use a 1st Gen iPad Pro 12.9 for my work, to create yacht sketches and color renderings and I should say that as drawing and note taking experience, the iPad Pro runs circles around Surface Book which makes me regret to not buying it in the first place. Especially with matte screen film, the drawing experience is so lovely that I accepted the rainbow effect. It is definitely best money spent on an electronic device. I also use iPhone 7 which makes me want to remain in Apple ecosystem as I love how they are all synced..etc. So in this fancy office, I need a beautiful looking laptop as powerful enough. Thought about Hackintosh but it is pretty complicated for my knowledge, so I decided on 15 inch MacBook Pro.
I should also add that I love the design, the look of the Mac OS and also of the new Macbook Pro's, especially in space grey, so gorgeous.
The Programs that I use:
An other reason why I want to stay on Mac is because I purchased many programs from Mac App Store, and I love them, they are powerful, optimised and also beautiful.
The main programs that I use are Autodesk Alias AutoStudio, AutoCAD, Keyshot, Rhinoceros, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, Microsoft Word, Excel and Parallels Desktop running Windows 10 virtual machine for the little times that I need it. By the way I should admit that I prefer using Pages rather than Word, it is so easy and nice.
Then there are those other softwares that I bought to try such as Affinity Photo, ClipStudio, Affinity Designer and Pixelmator. Also using Astropad with my iPad is a good advantage as well. Considering all these, it would be foolish to loose all those softwares. (Some of them are yearly subscription such as Adobe Suite)
MacBook Pro 2017 vs Refurbished 2016 Dilemma:
Even tho I LOVE the form factor of the new MacBook Pro 13 inch, for the lack of dedicated Graphic Card, it is a deal breaker for me, and also I should admit that 13 inch space can be a little cramped. Even tho I know that the best choice would be a computer with a Quadro graphic card, I should say that till now I did without it, I can continue to do without it. (I worked on the 3d models of some big yacht brands)
Since I want to remain on MacBook Pro, I was thinking of the 2017 15 inch, with the upgraded 4 gb Video Card, 1 TB SSD and 2.9 Ghz processor. I am still considering on if it would be considerebly better to go for 3.1 ghz upgrade. According to the comments that I've read on this forum, the difference wouldn't be very noticeable BUT since I will be spending a big amount of money on this configuration (3879 Euro to be precise), I might as well add the 3.1 Ghz upgrade (220 euro.)
OR:
For 3389 Euro, I can buy the 2016 Reconditioned model with 2.9 Ghz CPU, 1Tb SSD hd, and 4 gb Radeon Pro 460. From what I read again on this forum, there is very little difference in performance tho Baby Lake processor is more power efficient and also apparently, there are some claims (I have no idea if it is proven) Apple improved the keyboard on the 2017 models. So people says that if you already have an 2016 model, it is not worth the upgrade but if you are upgrading from an old one, like my case, it is worth buying the 2017, is it really the case? Have there been a keyboard upgrade?
Do you have any other suggestion of configuration?
Also I should add that I hate the idea of the Touch bar because with Alias AutoStudio, I use the F keys quite often, but I am not modelling everyday, and I decided that I can solve it with a wireless keyboard for the times that I am modelling, where it comes my other questions. (I promise to keep it shorter than the first part.
)
Accessorries:
So for those use cases, and also to improve my seating posture in the office (I am always leaning forward to the keyboard), I may use an external wireless keyboard. I want one in Space Gray or black, slim and beautiful, bluetooth connection and long battery life. Backlit keyboard isn't a concern for me. For now I found this keyboard:
Matias Wireless Aluminium Keyboard: It actually looks pretty beautiful, it is in space grey, has an Italian layout as well (I live in Italy), can be connected to many devices (so I can seamlessly use it with my iPad Pro as well with the dedicated keys) but some people claim that the build quality isn't the best, and the keys are wiggly. Here's a picture of it
http://assets.ilounge.com/images/mac/matias/matias4.jpg
Do you have any experience with it? Or an alternative for that? Too bad that Apple doesn't produce the magic keyboard in space grey, apparently they will sell it only to iMac Pro customers..
Bluetooth Mouse:
I will also need a bluetooth mouse, trying to make as cable-free possible. But as I am working on CAD too, I need the mouse to be precise (nothing crazy tho as right now I am using a cheap Microsoft corded mouse which works perfectly.) How does the bluetooth mouses work with MacBook Pro? I remember that 6-7 years ago, on my Mac Pro, it had interferences rendering it useless, and wireless mouse with usb receiver (the same model but the usb dongle version, it was a Logitech and if I am not mistaking the name, M305 or something similar) worked flawless. Tho the problem is I don't find any with usb-c receiver and I want to be as cordless as possible.
Do you have any suggestions?
I was thinking of Logitech MX Anywhere 2s (I want something subtle, less gamer looking) which looks pretty precise with high dpi, and has bluetooth connection. Has anyone experience with it on a Macbook with bluetooth connection? Does it work precisely?
My problem with the MX Mouses - I used to have one back in the day when I had Mac Pro - is the free scrolling. For 3d modelling I need 3rd button click and that free-scrolling or hyper-scrolling feature makes it useless for me. From the Logitech Application, thru the settings, is it possible to set the scroll click as 3rd click and disable the hyper scrolling forever? I know behind it there is the third button but it is in an awkward position for constant using IMO.
If not, what would you suggest to me as a precise bluetooth mouse, with a subtle look, and normal third button click-scroll? Or should I just stop dreaming and go to the corded root?
Thunderbolt Connectivity Hub:
For the times, where I will need to use an hdmi connection, usb flash drive, micro sd card..etc, I will need a hub that connects to the Thunderbolt ports. I need it to be portable because all those things that I am telling you, I want to carry them in my computer bag always. What I found out as an option is this:
EgoIggo GN28K USB C Hub: It has 2 usb 3.0 ports, 1 SD Card slot and 1 Micro SD Card slot, 1 Hdmi port, and 2 USB Type-C ports. It also looks beautiful and portable. Is this a good choice? OR do you know a better, portable alternative?
I am really sorry for my long post, I have never been good on writing briefly, and thank you in advance for your answers.
Regards,
I am a user of 2012 MacBook Pro 15 retina, 2.7 Ghz, with 16 gb ram, 512 gb sad, 1 gb Nvidia GT 650M. But lately my computer started to overheat more than normal. I tried a clean OS install and install all the apps manually, sent my computer to Apple Store to clean the inside..etc Now it works better but still has some heating problems when I use some demanding apps like 3D Modelling Apps, Photoshop ..etc which throttles the speed to the level that even moving the mouse becomes laggy (that never happened when it was new.) I am using Mac OS Sierra on it. Right now I am using the iStat Menus to keep the fans on full speed which helps greatly. And I am hearing some strange fan noise as if there is something loose, so may be my fans are damaged, I don't know. Long story short, I think it is time to replace it.
The prices of the new Macbook Pros are higher than I thought, but it's an investment so let it be.
My work and needs:
I am working as a Yacht Designer and my company is also outsourcing me as a Luxury Yacht Sales Manager to an other company. So everyday I am in a fancy office where my powerful MSI laptop looks really out of place and is very heavy. I also have a Surface Book that I had bought when it came out but unfortunately the power isn't enough, but it's ok, I bought it just for drawing.
I also use a 1st Gen iPad Pro 12.9 for my work, to create yacht sketches and color renderings and I should say that as drawing and note taking experience, the iPad Pro runs circles around Surface Book which makes me regret to not buying it in the first place. Especially with matte screen film, the drawing experience is so lovely that I accepted the rainbow effect. It is definitely best money spent on an electronic device. I also use iPhone 7 which makes me want to remain in Apple ecosystem as I love how they are all synced..etc. So in this fancy office, I need a beautiful looking laptop as powerful enough. Thought about Hackintosh but it is pretty complicated for my knowledge, so I decided on 15 inch MacBook Pro.
I should also add that I love the design, the look of the Mac OS and also of the new Macbook Pro's, especially in space grey, so gorgeous.
The Programs that I use:
An other reason why I want to stay on Mac is because I purchased many programs from Mac App Store, and I love them, they are powerful, optimised and also beautiful.
The main programs that I use are Autodesk Alias AutoStudio, AutoCAD, Keyshot, Rhinoceros, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, Microsoft Word, Excel and Parallels Desktop running Windows 10 virtual machine for the little times that I need it. By the way I should admit that I prefer using Pages rather than Word, it is so easy and nice.
Then there are those other softwares that I bought to try such as Affinity Photo, ClipStudio, Affinity Designer and Pixelmator. Also using Astropad with my iPad is a good advantage as well. Considering all these, it would be foolish to loose all those softwares. (Some of them are yearly subscription such as Adobe Suite)
MacBook Pro 2017 vs Refurbished 2016 Dilemma:
Even tho I LOVE the form factor of the new MacBook Pro 13 inch, for the lack of dedicated Graphic Card, it is a deal breaker for me, and also I should admit that 13 inch space can be a little cramped. Even tho I know that the best choice would be a computer with a Quadro graphic card, I should say that till now I did without it, I can continue to do without it. (I worked on the 3d models of some big yacht brands)
Since I want to remain on MacBook Pro, I was thinking of the 2017 15 inch, with the upgraded 4 gb Video Card, 1 TB SSD and 2.9 Ghz processor. I am still considering on if it would be considerebly better to go for 3.1 ghz upgrade. According to the comments that I've read on this forum, the difference wouldn't be very noticeable BUT since I will be spending a big amount of money on this configuration (3879 Euro to be precise), I might as well add the 3.1 Ghz upgrade (220 euro.)
OR:
For 3389 Euro, I can buy the 2016 Reconditioned model with 2.9 Ghz CPU, 1Tb SSD hd, and 4 gb Radeon Pro 460. From what I read again on this forum, there is very little difference in performance tho Baby Lake processor is more power efficient and also apparently, there are some claims (I have no idea if it is proven) Apple improved the keyboard on the 2017 models. So people says that if you already have an 2016 model, it is not worth the upgrade but if you are upgrading from an old one, like my case, it is worth buying the 2017, is it really the case? Have there been a keyboard upgrade?
Do you have any other suggestion of configuration?
Also I should add that I hate the idea of the Touch bar because with Alias AutoStudio, I use the F keys quite often, but I am not modelling everyday, and I decided that I can solve it with a wireless keyboard for the times that I am modelling, where it comes my other questions. (I promise to keep it shorter than the first part.
)Accessorries:
So for those use cases, and also to improve my seating posture in the office (I am always leaning forward to the keyboard), I may use an external wireless keyboard. I want one in Space Gray or black, slim and beautiful, bluetooth connection and long battery life. Backlit keyboard isn't a concern for me. For now I found this keyboard:
Matias Wireless Aluminium Keyboard: It actually looks pretty beautiful, it is in space grey, has an Italian layout as well (I live in Italy), can be connected to many devices (so I can seamlessly use it with my iPad Pro as well with the dedicated keys) but some people claim that the build quality isn't the best, and the keys are wiggly. Here's a picture of it
http://assets.ilounge.com/images/mac/matias/matias4.jpg
Do you have any experience with it? Or an alternative for that? Too bad that Apple doesn't produce the magic keyboard in space grey, apparently they will sell it only to iMac Pro customers..
Bluetooth Mouse:
I will also need a bluetooth mouse, trying to make as cable-free possible. But as I am working on CAD too, I need the mouse to be precise (nothing crazy tho as right now I am using a cheap Microsoft corded mouse which works perfectly.) How does the bluetooth mouses work with MacBook Pro? I remember that 6-7 years ago, on my Mac Pro, it had interferences rendering it useless, and wireless mouse with usb receiver (the same model but the usb dongle version, it was a Logitech and if I am not mistaking the name, M305 or something similar) worked flawless. Tho the problem is I don't find any with usb-c receiver and I want to be as cordless as possible.
Do you have any suggestions?
I was thinking of Logitech MX Anywhere 2s (I want something subtle, less gamer looking) which looks pretty precise with high dpi, and has bluetooth connection. Has anyone experience with it on a Macbook with bluetooth connection? Does it work precisely?
My problem with the MX Mouses - I used to have one back in the day when I had Mac Pro - is the free scrolling. For 3d modelling I need 3rd button click and that free-scrolling or hyper-scrolling feature makes it useless for me. From the Logitech Application, thru the settings, is it possible to set the scroll click as 3rd click and disable the hyper scrolling forever? I know behind it there is the third button but it is in an awkward position for constant using IMO.
If not, what would you suggest to me as a precise bluetooth mouse, with a subtle look, and normal third button click-scroll? Or should I just stop dreaming and go to the corded root?
Thunderbolt Connectivity Hub:
For the times, where I will need to use an hdmi connection, usb flash drive, micro sd card..etc, I will need a hub that connects to the Thunderbolt ports. I need it to be portable because all those things that I am telling you, I want to carry them in my computer bag always. What I found out as an option is this:
EgoIggo GN28K USB C Hub: It has 2 usb 3.0 ports, 1 SD Card slot and 1 Micro SD Card slot, 1 Hdmi port, and 2 USB Type-C ports. It also looks beautiful and portable. Is this a good choice? OR do you know a better, portable alternative?
I am really sorry for my long post, I have never been good on writing briefly, and thank you in advance for your answers.
Regards,
