Coming from Powerbook G4

[ncts2012]

Hey, new here...

Having a tough time deciding what to upgrade with --- full spec retina, or 2012 non retina....

Im sure I'd be happy with either or ( coming from this dinosaur of a laptop) , but I dont upgrade too often, and not really nitpicky with things, so I am buying for the stretch of a few years.

I mainly work in illustrator, photoshop, lightroom, indesign, and some music software



thanks

 

[maflynn]

The non retina machine gives you the optical drive, upgradeable ram and a standard drive bay.

I'd recommend that you don't go with the bleeding edge, given your propensity to stick with a machine for a very long time.

Sure in the course of time the adobe apps will get upgraded but if you need high detail images now on the MBP, then perhaps getting the retina machine now is not a great choice

 

[ncts2012]

thank you maflynn

 

[flatfoot]

Advantages of the rMBP: high-res display, SSD, lighter
Disadvantage: no optical drive

These two lists may not be complete, but raise a few questions:
1. Do you need the high-res display?
2. Do you need an optical drive?

If you don't need the high-res display but the ODD, you can go with a standard MBP and swap the HDD for an SSD, which would make it just as fast as the rMBP, but probably for less money.

EDIT: maflynn beat me...

 

[killmoms]

Honestly, if you're going to keep this machine for as long as you've kept your PowerBook G4 (congrats, btw), I'd go Retina. Why? Because the Adobe apps (and other apps) will be updated sooner rather than later, and the farther forward in time we go the more and more prevalent high-res displays like the Retina ones will become throughout the computer world. Plus, no moving parts = less potential for hardware failure. Especially if your need to use DVDs is already minimal, I'd say Retina is the way to go.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Honestly, if you're going to keep this machine for as long as you've kept your PowerBook G4 (congrats, btw), I'd go Retina. Why? Because the Adobe apps (and other apps) will be updated sooner rather than later, and the farther forward in time we go the more and more prevalent high-res displays like the Retina ones will become throughout the computer world. Plus, no moving parts = less potential for hardware failure. Especially if your need to use DVDs is already minimal, I'd say Retina is the way to go.

Of course, if he went renta, he couldn't upgrade the hard drive or ram.

I hate to say it, but you are definitely not Apple's target audience with the RMBP.

 

[killmoms]

Of course, if he went renta, he couldn't upgrade the hard drive or ram.

The OP specifically stated zie "doesn't upgrade too often," so it doesn't seem that's an issue. Also, third-party SSD modules will come out for the machine. So if the OP bought the base model w/ 16GB of RAM, zie would be set on RAM for the foreseeable future, and could expand internal storage at a later date.

Consider, too, that the OP is upgrading from a PowerBook G4, a machine that never supported addressing more than 2GB of RAM or particularly large internal HDDs, since it was IDE until the end of its life.

 

[maflynn]

The OP specifically stated zie "doesn't upgrade too often," so it doesn't seem that's an issue. Also, third-party SSD modules will come out for the machine. So if the OP bought the base model w/ 16GB of RAM, zie would be set on RAM for the foreseeable future, and could expand internal storage at a later date.

Perhaps but how useful would the adobe apps be for him. We really have no idea when adobe will upgrade CS6 and its conceivable that it will be months.

Also if you look at the MBA 2010 and 2011 SSD upgrades at OWC, we can discern that the price for those SSD upgrades are high. There's no guarantee that we'll see SSD upgrades for the 2012 MBP - I hope there is, but we don't really know right now.

My point is that there is a price to be paid for being on the bleeding edge, Depending on the needs of the user, that price may be too high.

 

[diamond3]

I'd choose the RMBP if I were you. I'm guessing you didn't have a very large hard drive so the switch to SSD won't be that difficult.

If you get the RMBP with 16GB, you'll be great for years. If the time comes where you do in the future need to upgrade the SSD and can't get by using an external HD, I'm sure there will be an upgrade option. The price of SSDs are continuing to drop and if the RMBP is the future MBP replacement where it will be the only mbp available, I'm sure the upgrade won't be overly expensive.

 

[killmoms]

Perhaps but how useful would the adobe apps be for him. We really have no idea when adobe will upgrade CS6 and its conceivable that it will be months.

Which is a pretty darn short period of time compared to "I'm upgrading from a PowerBook G4 (last update in 2005)".

Yes, we don't know for sure that OWC will make SSD upgrade modules for the new-style modules, but it seems likely that they will, considering that they created ones for the previous machines.

My point is that there is a price to be paid for being on the bleeding edge, Depending on the needs of the user, that price may be too high.

Amortized over 7+ years, that price is not very high at all. The price for sticking with technology that's being left in the rear view, on the other hand…

 

[leenak]

Of course, if he went renta, he couldn't upgrade the hard drive or ram.

I hate to say it, but you are definitely not Apple's target audience with the RMBP.

But maybe the OP never upgraded the RAM/hard drive in the G4? I know I saw someone else here mention having a G4 and a 60GB HD and upgrading to a MBP (can't remember if they were going with retina or not).

My husband has a 6 year old laptop he won't give up but we've never upgraded anything in it.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend the retina though but it is an option. I think the regular MBP would be a device good for the next 5 or 6 years if nothing major goes bad with it.

 

[ncts2012]

thanks for all the replies everyone

my machine now is the 1.67 Ghz / 1GB ram / 60 GB HD (LOL)

I got it for school years back, and never really felt to update it because I was always at school--same goes for when I started my design job--everything I needed was already available, where I had to go daily.

this upgrade is really a personal one, because of things like having unopened boxes of CS5 software because I know this powerbook cant run it. ( lol-- horrible)

Kept this machine for so long because, well...it still works for basic computing task..( was randomly given a hand-me-down PC laptop in between and said--well i could run some music software on here for the time being )

I was honestly waiting for the mac pro update, as my big purchase for the long run, but I am finding I will be needing to travel more and it just so happens this retina came out.

the full spec retina is in my budget, but something inside me cant pull the trigger---

again, coming from a 60gb HD and 1 GB ram, I've gotten into the habit of constantly flowing files in and out of my HD onto externals....I pretty much enjoy maintaining and keeping a clean system---pulling into my externals when I need specific files ( which is why the base model is also a consideration---I also don't feel like waiting multiple weeks for shipping, so have been in and out of the stores seeing if they have the "ultimate" version, but nothing )


thanks again all

 

[FastEddiebags]

You honestly can't go wrong. Both are amazing machines.Since your open to ultimate setups, I'd get a fully stocked rMBP if money isn't a problem. Otherwise just get a normal mbp and upgrade the hd and ram yourself. This would involve you doing some work but it would be cheaper. The retina just came out so you might have some issues to deal with.

 

[sparky1499]

I, like the OP, went from a 12" PBG4 to a 15" PBG4 and now my current MBP in my sig.

I feel like the machine i have now will last me a long time, and once I feel it is getting long in the tooth I'll add 16GB of RAM and an SSD )

Hell I might even do it sooner just for the sheer hell of it!

 

[splinteredFish]

Hard to believe, but the OP isn't the only one!!!

I too just got a new MacBook Pro, upgrading from my 2003 Aluminum PowerBook G4 (17"), 1GHz, 60GB hard drive! Just pulled the trigger last thursday on the new MBP 15" non-Retina, 750GB 7200-rpm with High Res Anti-Glare screen. I plan on keeping mine for years and years (like my PB) and wanted to be able to upgrade the guts as needed. That's why I choose the non-Retina version -- I can add more HD or SSD, add more RAM, still have all my ports, and the same tried-and-true display and resolutions I'm familiar with. If I find that in 5 years I simply cannot live without the Retina, then I'll think about a new one, but it's not in my plans. I'm not sold on the new Retina technology, waiting for the "world" to catch up to it's resolution, having to look at sub-par graphics on websites that's aren't transitioned to high-res yet, being stuck with a non-upgradable case, etc.

Don't want to start a debate about Retina vs. non-Retina though. It's just that I took 2 weeks to decide which was right for me, and chose the original MBP. Can't wait to get it on Thursday.

 

[icewing]

Hard to believe, but the OP isn't the only one!!!

I too just got a new MacBook Pro, upgrading from my 2003 Aluminum PowerBook G4 (17"), 1GHz, 60GB hard drive! Just pulled the trigger last thursday on the new MBP 15" non-Retina, 750GB 7200-rpm with High Res Anti-Glare screen. I plan on keeping mine for years and years (like my PB) and wanted to be able to upgrade the guts as needed. That's why I choose the non-Retina version -- I can add more HD or SSD, add more RAM, still have all my ports, and the same tried-and-true display and resolutions I'm familiar with. If I find that in 5 years I simply cannot live without the Retina, then I'll think about a new one, but it's not in my plans. I'm not sold on the new Retina technology, waiting for the "world" to catch up to it's resolution, having to look at sub-par graphics on websites that's aren't transitioned to high-res yet, being stuck with a non-upgradable case, etc.

Don't want to start a debate about Retina vs. non-Retina though. It's just that I took 2 weeks to decide which was right for me, and chose the original MBP. Can't wait to get it on Thursday.

I'm in the same boat, got the 15 inch, 2.6 high-res anti glare, but with the 5400 rpm drive. This thing is awesome, and leaves me plenty of upgrade room in the future when SSD prices are lower. The retina was really appealing, but the lack of upgradeabilty made my decision fairly easy. In the last year I finally got rid of a G3 Mac Pro Gigabit Ethernet (think it was 255 mhz or something), and a G4 Dual 450. Macs can last a LOOOONNNGG time!