I currently own a 6-7 year old MacBook Pro, 1.4 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5, 8 GB 2133 MHz Memory. It is no longer sufficient for my needs as I run Photoshop, Lightroom and Topaz Photo AI. I am looking to replace it with a MacBook Pro and have not decided on the internal hard drive, memory and Chip. I was told that Apple usually comes out with new laptops in September or October. I don't know if that is correct but should I buy now or wait? Any advice on configuration given those three applications that I run? Thanks so much for your advice. It will decide what I buy.
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Buying a new MacBook Pro and need advice
- Thread starter Prairie55
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Get 16gb RAM at minimum. Recent Mac with M-silicone cpu is already powerful, hence MBA can also be a choice unless you run heavy work for hours (MBP has fan, MBA is fan-less). I don’t really worry about internal drive, get whatever your budget fits. You can always plug external drive anyway (unless you have concern on portability, hassle to bring external drive everywhere).
What country do you live in? The reason I ask is because in the US, they have the back to school sale. You save $100 on the education site and get a $150 gift card, and save 20% off AppleCare. If you order online to get it shipped, they definitely do not ask for verification that you're a student. I don't know if they ask for verification if you shop in store, but I don't think they do.
A look at the MacRumors Buyer's Guide indicates that Macs are released on an inconsistent schedule. These guides are handy for determining whether to wait or not.
As for specs themselves, I would agree with Isamilis about minimum 16GB of memory. Based on your question, I'm assuming you don't use Ps for video in any capacity, so an Air should work too. If you use other tools like After Effects or more intensive programs outside of Adobe, a Pro may be better.
I have a M1 MacBook Pro with 16GB and Ps/Lr have been just fine. Based on what I know of my machine now, and if I only needed Ps/Lr, I would've bought an Air and saved for a Studio Display for better photo viewing/editing. However, I use my MBP for music and video productions, as well as other design tools like Spline, Rive, Illustrator, etc. The display differences between the Pro and Air should definitely be considered with your photography emphasis, and I would highly suggest viewing them in-person if able.
I am unfamiliar with Topaz AI performance/demand.
As for specs themselves, I would agree with Isamilis about minimum 16GB of memory. Based on your question, I'm assuming you don't use Ps for video in any capacity, so an Air should work too. If you use other tools like After Effects or more intensive programs outside of Adobe, a Pro may be better.
I have a M1 MacBook Pro with 16GB and Ps/Lr have been just fine. Based on what I know of my machine now, and if I only needed Ps/Lr, I would've bought an Air and saved for a Studio Display for better photo viewing/editing. However, I use my MBP for music and video productions, as well as other design tools like Spline, Rive, Illustrator, etc. The display differences between the Pro and Air should definitely be considered with your photography emphasis, and I would highly suggest viewing them in-person if able.
I am unfamiliar with Topaz AI performance/demand.
I would suggest buying a MacBook Pro from the Apple Store refurbished store, and using the savings to purchase AppleCare+. I have had a lot of Macs and I find the Airs always have problems, whereas the pros seem to be better built. So I prefer Pro, even if the new processors mean the Air's are often similarly powerful
Old saying:
"If you NEED now, then BUY now".
Take it with this grain of salt:
The m4pro MacBook Pros may actually appear before the end of the year (thinking Nov/Dec).
Can you hold out that much longer?
"If you NEED now, then BUY now".
Take it with this grain of salt:
The m4pro MacBook Pros may actually appear before the end of the year (thinking Nov/Dec).
Can you hold out that much longer?
In addition, you can use the gift card to buy AppleCare, after you buy the Mac, if you want it.
I ahve never seen them ask for verification. People can say they are buying it as a gift for a student.
I wish I knew this. I just bought a new MacBook Pro last week. Well, I wanted to buy a keyboard with Touch ID anyway for my monitor, so I might just use it for that.
You can still add Applecare aftr the fact. Just go in with the Mac and GC, or see if you can do it from the Mac/web.
What I meant was I already bought the 3 years of AppleCare when I ordered the MacBook.
This is great advice. Thank you.
Question, I have a MBP Mid 2012 CD Drive 13". Should i wait for the MBP M4 or take advantage of the school deal now?
My machine is fine & I can wait if needed, just unsure if the new one will be worth it/cost way more etc?
They buy now or buy later decision really comes down to a personal choice between need and want. No one knows what he M4 will cost or how it will perform vs the M3. All we know is it will no doubt be faster than the M3 overall.
Since your current machine works fine and you can wait for an M4, which no doubt will be part of next year's back to school, it's between you and your wallet. That is the only right answer, IMHO.
When it comes to Apple product releases, the only thing you can set your clock by is new iPhones every September - there will doubtless be a big "event" for that, the pundits always speculate about new Macs and they're always disappointed - the Sept. event is almost always about iPhone, Watch, Apple Music etc.
MacBook Pro launches have often come later in Oct/Nov - and I wouldn't be shocked if the M4 MBP arrived then, but you really can't rely on it.
We're in an odd situation now because they've released M4 iPad Pros before M4 Macs which suggests that we don't have long to wait for M4 Macs.
Currently, I wouldn't personally buy a M3 unless I needed to replace a dead or dying Mac - because it does sound like the M4s are coming Real Soon Now - but if you need something then any M3-series Mac will be night and day better than a Quad i5.
Bear in mind the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max variants are not just about raw performance - odds are that a regular M3 (with 16GB) would do what you wanted performance-wise, but the pro & max offer progressively more maximum RAM, have more USB-C/Thunderbolt ports and support more external displays (the regular M3 is limited to one external display + the internal, or 2 external displays with the lid closed).
I run a similar set of applications and you probably know that Photoshop certainly does benefit with more memory (RAM). I would suggest you get as much RAM as you can afford that makes sense to you. There are trade-offs between the 14" and 16" MBP with better portability with the former and more screen real estate with the latter and possibly superior cooling.
If it were me, I would opt for 32 gigs of RAM or similar rather than 16 gigs.
At home presently, I use a Studio Max M1 with 64 gigs which seems a good fit, 1 terabyte internal drive.
I'll leave you this link and hope it helps -