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Advice requested - rMB or rMBP13

R

rMB or rMBP13

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 12, 2015
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Hello,

I'm considering the purchase of a rMacBook for my specific needs.

I need a MacBook for personal use. My primary usage will be:

1. Processing my 21 megapixel DSLR RAW images using Lightroom (I have a huge backlog and I want to go through approximately 500 pictures per day, of which I may end up processing 50-70 photos and exporting as jpeg)

Clarification: I need to 'browse' through around 500 RAW photos per day. Of these, I will select around 50-60 photos for processing and exporting as jpeg. Once I'm through my backlog, I'll process around 200 photos per week.

2. Writing my daily journal / travel experience (on that note, I'd appreciate a recommendation on some good MacBook Apps)

3. Web surfing

4. Occasional movie watching

5. Very infrequently playing lightweight games

I currently have a 3 year old i7 Toshiba laptop that is somewhat slow with Lightroom 4. I barely use it except for watching movies. I'm now considering an Adobe CC subscription.

Clarification: the reason I don't use this laptop as much is because it's heavy and large. one of my key reasons for considering the rMB is that it is thin and light and so, I'll actually use and not continue to add to the backlog.

I like to sit on the sofa and process my pictures while watching TV or surfing the web. This is my way of un-winding after a hard day of work. I digress.

I currently have an iPad Mini 2 that I absolutely love and use for web surfing, occasional YouTube videos, and lightweight gaming apps.

Oh, and one last thing, I'm expecting a significant amount of travel (for work and recreation) for the next year or so, starting very shortly. And so, an iMac or MBP 15 will be impractical for my purposes.

Based on the above what would you recommend from your own experiences?

Thanks in advance for your replies.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Everything except processing a fair quantity of high resolution RAW files is well within the rMBs sweet spot.

I've seen a few comments on batch processing high res RAW's that indicate the owners are not very happy with the rMB doing this. Individual files in small quantities are doable but require patience (I shoot 21mp RAWs too but not in anywhere near the quantities you are indicating). Larger quantities or batch processing larger quantities can tax the rMB and extend processing times considerably so this is not the rMBs sweet spot. You would be better off with the 13" rMBP for this (and you can load it up with a much faster processor, faster graohics, more memory and more and faster SSD space too).

Just my two cents worth
 
rMB or rMBP13 said:
Hello,

I'm considering the purchase of a rMacBook Pro 13 for my specific needs.

I have posted the same question in the MacBook Forum to seek the same advice.

I need a MacBook for personal use. My primary usage will be:

1. Processing my 21 megapixel DSLR RAW images using Lightroom (I have a huge backlog and I want to go through approximately 500 pictures per day, of which I may end up processing 50-70 photos and exporting as jpeg)

2. Writing my daily journal / travel experience (on that note, I'd appreciate a recommendation on some good MacBook Apps)

3. Web surfing

4. Occasional movie watching

5. Very infrequently playing lightweight games

I currently have a 3 year old i7 Toshiba laptop that is somewhat slow with Lightroom 4. I barely use it except for watching movies. I'm now considering an Adobe CC subscription.

I like to sit on the sofa and process my pictures while watching TV or surfing the web. This is my way of un-winding after a hard day of work. I digress.

I currently have an iPad Mini 2 that I absolutely love and use for web surfing, occasional YouTube videos, and lightweight gaming apps.

Oh, and one last thing, I'm expecting a significant amount of travel (for work and recreation) for the next year or so, starting very shortly. And so, an iMac or MBP 15 will be impractical for my purposes.

Based on the above what would you recommend from your own experiences?

Thanks in advance for your replies.
Click to expand...
The 12" rMB won't cut it for your first usage alone.

Stick with the mid-end 2.7/8/256 13" rMBP.
 
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^ what they said.

If it weren't for your first requirement I might have said MB but it wouldn't be able to handle what you require out of it! You could probably get away with the low-end 13" model if you don't require a lot of storage but if you do mid-end is definitely what you want!
(I work at an Apple retailer and sell these guys daily so I've had to learn a lot about what they're capable of and strengths/weaknesses)
 
I'm going to go the other way with my recommendation. Get the MBPr with at least 256gb SSD. Your budget will play a lot into it too though. NEVER buy the 128gb versions.
 
As you list Lightroom as a primary use, definitely go with the 13" rMBP. That stuff is not the rMB's MO. If it was just occassional, maybe, but not as a primary use.

Also agree with going for at least the 256GB SSD as well.
 
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Thank you for your replies yjchua95 and laurenashley. I have made some edits to my original post and included couple of clarifications. Would you still recommend the MBP after a review of those?
 
Thank you for your replies jimbotilier, JoePa2624, and MyopicPaideia. I have made some edits to my original post and included couple of clarifications. Would you still recommend the MBP after a review of those?
 
The Retina MacBook (Core M) is not at it`s best under prolonged heavy usage, being passively cooled it will throttle down rapidly. The rMBP will be a far better choice for your usage. I travel extensively for work purpose and have had no issue "downsizing" to a 13" rMBP from the 15", for what you are describing the 13" Retina is far more suitable, albeit at some cost in portability.

Try Scrivener as it`s popular with the "writing" community, solid & powerful. Personally I use Evernote, my field is heavy engineering in the energy sector. The advantage of Evernote is that it can capture a vast array of data (imagery, audio, text) and is accessible across multiple platforms. I predominantly use MS Word for technical papers, Apple`s Pages for general writing and base outlining, Ommwriter when I simply want to focus on what I am writing with minimal distraction.

Q-6
 
I will break with the general suggestions here based upon your updated requirements. It sounds to me like you would be really pleased with the portability of the Macbook, and it doesn't sound like your Lightroom workflow is really all that intensive. Considering that you can return the device if it really doesn't work out for you, I'd suggest trying the Macbook. If it doesn't work, at least you know, and then you exchange it for a 13" Pro which will be more than adequate.

Regarding the journaling platform, I have made extensive use of Evernote as well over the years, but overall I actually prefer OneNote, which is the most powerful note-taking program there is on Windows, and Microsoft has made huge strides in making it fully featured across multiple platforms, including on the Mac. It's definitely worth a look.
 
rMB or rMBP13 said:
Thank you for your replies jimbotilier, JoePa2624, and MyopicPaideia. I have made some edits to my original post and included couple of clarifications. Would you still recommend the MBP after a review of those?
Click to expand...

I would still recommend the MBPr. But it seems like you've made up your mind, you're just unsure. Go buy the MacBook and try it. Apple has an easy return policy so you can try the laptop that you truly want with the peace of mind of knowing that you're not stuck with it if it really doesn't work for you.

Go buy it and get ready to fall in love!
 
Thank you for your replies Queen6, anthorumor, zhenya, and JoePa2624.

For journaling, I will check out your recommendations Queen6 and zhenya.

You may be right JoePa2624. I definitely have a strong preference for rMB because of its portability. Before it was announced, I almost bought the MBA 11.

Also, from previous experience, I had purchased a fully functional windows 10 inch tablet, but it was big and heavy and not that comfortable to use. And then, I purchased the iPad Mini 2, which though is not fully functional, I love it and use it the most.

From my experience with the Toshiba laptop, I think that portability is very important to me.

I don't like returning goods even though there may be a generous return policy. Perhaps I will go to the store and try both (again) and make a call right there.

Many thanks for all your help.
 
I have a system for making decisions like this when I'm stuck. Flip a coin. Yes, your odds are 50-50. But what I'm more interested in is your first thought after you see if it's heads or tails.

To clarify, let's say heads is rMB and tails is MBPr. And you flip the coin and it lands on tails. In my experience, most people have one of two reactions. They'll say, "Tails it is. I'm buying a MBPr." Or their other reaction is to say, "Best two out of three." Meaning you actually wanted more of an opportunity to get the other one.

Does that make any sense?
 
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