Another Which 13" rMBP (Sorry!)

[nidserz]

I know there have been many threads about this but I have been going back and forth in my head since the rMBP was updated last week and wanted your opinion.
I had a late 2010 11" MacBook Air 1.6/4GB and a 2008 13" unibody MacBook upgraded to 8GB ram and 256 SSD. It was a pain to have 2 machines, so I thought the best power and portability I could go for the rMBP but waited for the update. I just sold the MBA and am ready to order my new laptop.

I never imagined to keep this laptop for 5 years, but with the upgrades it has lasted me well, but it did slow down and I am having trackpad issues. I upgraded to Mavericks and it is quite speedy.

I had decided on the mid 2.4/8GB/256 but am wondering if I should upgrade to the 2.6 and 16GB. I don't need more storage as I use an external for my large files, etc.

My usage:
Browsing - Chrome w/ 8-10 tabs
Microsoft Office
Email
Watching videos
Photo editing - Lightroom (a hobby)
Photoshop

Like I mentioned, I don't expect to keep my laptop for 4-5 years, so I don't know if I should spend the extra $ on the upgrades. I don't really have a budget but also don't want to spend money on upgrades that won't get me much return when I try to resell in 3-4 years (I got hit on my MacBook Air sale as the upgrades didn't really get me more value).

Thanks

 

[neteng101]

The one you selected 2.4/8/256 is the best value for money today... get one and enjoy it. 3-4 years shouldn't be an issue at all, unless you have a lot of data you need to store, then the SSD might start feeling a bit small over time.

 

[amarcus]

From experience I'd avoid BTO upgrades if you want to maximise resale value. More memory always helps but 8GB should be fine for you.

If I were you I would also consider the 13inch Macbook Air (performance-wise it will still be faster than the machines you are using). What do you value more? Battery life, portability and price go for the Air. Retina screen and performance go for the Pro.

If you decide to go Pro then I think the model you selected (2.4GHz/8GB/256GB) is the best for you.

All the best,

Adam

 

[nidserz]

The one you selected 2.4/8/256 is the best value for money today... get one and enjoy it. 3-4 years shouldn't be an issue at all, unless you have a lot of data you need to store, then the SSD might start feeling a bit small over time.

Thanks. Am not really worried about storage so it seems stock option is good.

From experience I'd avoid BTO upgrades if you want to maximise resale value. More memory always helps but 8GB should be fine for you.

If I were you I would also consider the 13inch Macbook Air (performance-wise it will still be faster than the machines you are using). What do you value more? Battery life, portability and price go for the Air. Retina screen and performance go for the Pro.

If you decide to go Pro then I think the model you selected (2.4GHz/8GB/256GB) is the best for you.

All the best,

Adam

Thank you. I do agree with the MBA as an option and I have recommended it to many friends and family for day to day tasks. The reason I am going for rMBP is I want the retina screen and I feel like if its my only computer, I would rather go for performance. I have graduated now so no longer need the portability and battery life of 9 hours will be plenty compared to the 2 hours I get now!

Based on your replies, seems like I don't need to upgrade processor/RAM and can keep my laptop for 3-4 years.

 

[Meister]

8gb/256 is definitly the best bang for the buck.
U say that u dont really need storage.
So u might also wanna look at the mba 11" / 13" base versions.
U can get those for as much as 900$/1000$ at retailers.
Saves u about 500$!!
4gigs of ram will cut it for ur needs for the next 4 years easily.
So the rmbp 4gb/128 would be worth considering, too.
Its 200$ u can spend better on something else.

 

[nidserz]

One more question...
If I buy my rMBP online on the UAE Apple Website (apple.com/ae) can I buy Apple Care from Canada and use it for my rMBP? The UAE website doesn't sell Apple Care... so I am not sure. Don't know why they don't... They don't have an Apple Store here, but I would like Apple Care because I would like to be able to deal with any issues directly with Apple (whether on the phone or in person when I travel to Canada, etc where there are Apple Stores).

 

[MyMac1976]

One more question...
If I buy my rMBP online on the UAE Apple Website (apple.com/ae) can I buy Apple Care from Canada and use it for my rMBP? The UAE website doesn't sell Apple Care... so I am not sure. Don't know why they don't... They don't have an Apple Store here, but I would like Apple Care because I would like to be able to deal with any issues directly with Apple (whether on the phone or in person when I travel to Canada, etc where there are Apple Stores).

Yes you can