Advice on New MBP

[benboy12]

Hey Everyone,

I am first time poster here. I wanted to get some input from other macbook users. I currently have a white macbook (late 2009). My battery is pretty much gone, and I have been experiencing some lag while using it. I am thinking it is probably time for an upgrade soon. A friend suggested putting in a new battery and installing an SSD. I am just not sure if I want to invest the cost of both of those (which would probably be around $400) on a laptop that is almost 5 years old, and was pretty close to the base model when I got it.

I am thinking of getting the 13.3 inch pro because I like the size. However, you can't get a quad core processor in the 13in. Do you think I would regret going with the dual core i5?

My current macbook contains the following:

2.26 GHz Core 2 Duo Processor
4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3 Ram
320 GB HD
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 9400M 256 MB

I am looking at 3 options:

Macbook Pro 1:
2.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 - Turbo Boost up to 2.9GHz
8GB 1600MHz memory
256GB PCIe-based flash storage
Intel Iris Graphics
Cost: $1399

Macbook Pro 2:
2.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 -Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz
8GB 1600MHz memory
512GB PCIe-based flash storage
Intel Iris Graphics
Cost $1699

Macbook Pro 3 (Customized):
2.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 - Turbo Boost up to 2.9GHz (I could upgrade to the 2.6GHz i5 for $90 or a 2.7 GHz i7 for $270)
16GB 1600MHz memory
256GB PCIe-based flash storage
Intel Iris Graphics
Cost $1579

I know this post is kind of long, but any input that you could provide would be much appreciated. I am in grad school, so this computer would mostly be used for schoolwork (Lots of Microsoft office), e-mail, and general web surfing. I don't want to go overboard and spend tons of money that I don't need it, but at the same time I would like this purchase to last me the next 5 years or so.

 

[SquirrelGirl]

Option 1 would be your best bet, it has more than enough power and resources to do what you require for a long time. I bought the first spec for my husband who is using it for music editing/recording and photo, it has not skipped a beat even doing intense tasks. Doing what you require is effortless on it and very future proof.

A CPU bump would be unnoticed by you and your needs.

More RAM would be wasted on your tasks as well, and 16G will not be a base requirement for a long time.

The only issue I could potentially see for you would be storage, if you need more storage right now prepare to buy an external solution in the future. Otherwise get option 1, save some cash, maybe throw in AppleCare, and be prepared to be wowed by your awesome upgrade.

 

[snaky69]

Hey Everyone,

I am first time poster here. I wanted to get some input from other macbook users. I currently have a white macbook (late 2009). My battery is pretty much gone, and I have been experiencing some lag while using it. I am thinking it is probably time for an upgrade soon. A friend suggested putting in a new battery and installing an SSD. I am just not sure if I want to invest the cost of both of those (which would probably be around $400) on a laptop that is almost 5 years old, and was pretty close to the base model when I got it.

I am thinking of getting the 13.3 inch pro because I like the size. However, you can't get a quad core processor in the 13in. Do you think I would regret going with the dual core i5?

My current macbook contains the following:

2.26 GHz Core 2 Duo Processor
4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3 Ram
320 GB HD
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 9400M 256 MB

I am looking at 3 options:

Macbook Pro 1:
2.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 - Turbo Boost up to 2.9GHz
8GB 1600MHz memory
256GB PCIe-based flash storage
Intel Iris Graphics
Cost: $1399

Macbook Pro 2:
2.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 -Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz
8GB 1600MHz memory
512GB PCIe-based flash storage
Intel Iris Graphics
Cost $1699

Macbook Pro 3 (Customized):
2.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 - Turbo Boost up to 2.9GHz (I could upgrade to the 2.6GHz i5 for $90 or a 2.7 GHz i7 for $270)
16GB 1600MHz memory
256GB PCIe-based flash storage
Intel Iris Graphics
Cost $1579

I know this post is kind of long, but any input that you could provide would be much appreciated. I am in grad school, so this computer would mostly be used for schoolwork (Lots of Microsoft office), e-mail, and general web surfing. I don't want to go overboard and spend tons of money that I don't need it, but at the same time I would like this purchase to last me the next 5 years or so.

With such light usage, have you considered a MacBook Air with perhaps 8GB of RAM to leave some room for heavier duties down the road? You'd get more battery life out of it than a 13'' pro and it's a bit cheaper too.

Heck, in what situations is your computer lagging right now? A core 2 duo is more than sufficient power for your needs.

If you don't foresee your usage changing much in the next 5 years I'd venture to say this would be your best bet. You definitely do not need a quad-core to sure the web.

 

[stevo88]

i vote option 1. best value for the money

i have the same laptop (late 2013 rmbp i5, 8gb, 256 ssd) and use it for much of the same tasks you have mentioned, schoolwork on ms office, email, web browsing, auto cad, etc.

the retina screen is phenomenal. the solid state hard drive is incredibly fast. 8 gb of ram and 256 ssd is more than enough for me and sufficient for most people. the battery is better than i expected. by using energy saving techniques i can usually manage 8-10+ hours of usage on a charge.

you'll probably be very happy with any of those configurations but my vote is option 1 and some saved $$.

 

[Naimfan]

I'd probably go Option 1 unless you will need more onboard storage for pics, music, movies, etc.

The idea of carrying around an external drive if you need that extra storage space is absurd.

 

[Orr]

Option 1. Which will still be massive overkill for your stated purposes.

 

[benboy12]

Thanks everyone! I decided to take the plunge. I went with option 1. I just didn't think the other options were worth the money. Plus, Best Buy was offering 0% at 18 months, and matched the Mac for Education price online.