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Going from Macbook Pro 15" 2012 to Macbook

S

sgadher

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 18, 2012
78
21
Hi all

Like the majority of you, looking forward to seeing what Apple pulls out with the next Macbook update. I'm sorely tempted to switch from my current Macbook Pro 15" (2.1, 16gb, 512gig) which has become quite heavy and at times slow to the new macbook once updated.

Based on my usage (below), would I expect to see a massive decrease in performance? I am ok with the idea of going from 15" to 12", going to only one port will be a hassle but think i can get around that with adapters.

My usage is:

web browsing
storing photos on iphoto (loading via the memory card slot)
viewing 1080p video files (movies, tv shows)
ms office apps
accessing and downloading media from my synology nas

Should I stick or twist? Ideally I'm looking for feedback from those who have made the switch but all responses welcome.

Thanks
 
Your 15" MBP is massively more powerful with its quad-core CPU. Sure the rMB would be snappy enough, but I think the step down in screen space, key travel and CPU will leave you a little disappointed a few months after using it.

If you're looking for a lighter alternative, but still with newer tech such as the Force Touch trackpad, and the advantages of more ports, I'd suggest the 13" rMBP would be better suited to your needs. Especially if you're going from a 15" MBP.
 
Question, do you have an SSD and 16GB RAM in your MBP? I have an early 2011 MBP 15" with 2.0 i7 and I bumped RAM up to 16GB and threw in a Samsung 500GB SSD and my MBP flies. Fast as anything. I'd recommend doing the same to yours.
 
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Yes your use case will be fine on a MacBook however they don't have a memory card slot so that might irritate you a fair amount.
 
thanks for all the replies.
jojo - its a retina macbook pro 2012 so it was the first retina with ssd and 16gb ram to start with. i added the extra ram so as to future proof it.
I'm really keen on the macbook as its small and light, my macbook pro is currently used predominantly in the living room as a pure laptop, I'm looking for something lighter ideally
it looks like it could be a choice between the 13" macbook pro and the macbook. i guess it depends on what WWDC brings.
I've had my existing macbook pro for 4 years, it feels like it could last another 4. Am i rushing to upgrade too soon based on my current usage? I assume i would get approx £800 for this macbook pro, and maybe add another £400 for the upgrade.
 
I'm in a similar situation, though I do a lot of writing and PDFs and already bought an rMB. I'm debating now whether to sell my 2012 15" rMBP or not.

I got the 2015 rMB last October and just upgraded to the 2016 model. I've barely used my rMBP since getting the rMB as it does 90% of what I need very well. Performance wise I haven't noticed much of a difference.

The only thing I would really miss is the dGPU. If I make a long trip it's nice to have as I can do a little gaming, especially if the trip is a vacation. But I also have a 2014 mini with an eGPU that I'm very pleased with. I'm debating selling either the mini or the rMBP as both will work with my eGPU on an external monitor.

Anyway, I think for your use you'll be fine. In my day to day use I haven't noticed much different than the 2012 rMBP, but then besides some gaming my usage isn't that taxing.
 
I'm happy with my switch from an early 2013 15" to the 2015 rMB.

The only time I noticed a performance hit was when editing a photo on Pixelmator on my 1440p ultrawide monitor. I don't really do that often. I did a quick video clipping and exporting with iMovie yesterday and performance seemed fine.

I bought a USB-C hub which I only ever use for reading an SD card once in a while.
 
just switched from a mid 2014 2.9 8gb 512GB 13"rMBP to the 2016 1.2 8GB 512GB ... been using it for a day, and in day to day use don't see any kind of downside ... glad i waited for the refresh ... man is this a light device... only thing i can pick up on it i the noisy keyboard ;)

also glad that amazon has all the chip usb C hubs and adaptors ...
 
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i did the same road last year, from a 2012 Macbook Pro retina 15" to a base Macbook 12" and i don´t miss anything. i do the same things that i use to with my Pro 15", (Office, iPhoto, Lightroom, Plex, iTunes, Podcasts, web surfing, etc... maybe a bit slow, but i like a lot the portability of my 12"
 
The task you are doing will be just fine for the macbook. The screen size is the biggest difference. Even going from 13" to 12" is a big change....15" is going to be very very drastic.

Do you ever "dock"? If so, that really takes a lot of the screen size differences out of the equation.
 
Thanks all for the responses. I wont be using a dock, to be honest I use it mostly in my living room whilst watching TV, so its not really an issue.
I popped down to my local Apple store on the weekend, must admit its very tempting to pick up a retina macbook right now. Couple of things holding me back:

I need to sell my existing retina macbook pro 15" 2012 model (2.3 i7, 16gb ram, 512gb), would anyone be able to make suggestions on how much i can get for it? I looked up past sales on ebay and looks like approx £800.

If I cant sell it at a decent price, apart from being heavy and big, theres nothing stopping me from continuing to use it. I guess the macbook is another gadget i would love to have!

I am tempted to get a hard drive increase (transcend jetdrive 1tb) for about £420, and stick with my existing macbook pro for now otherwise.

Lastly i just bought parrarells for mac and a copy of win 10, so that i can play old classic games like red alert 2, warcraft 2 etc. im not looking into heavy gaming, i guess my question is, would the macbook be able to handle that if i make the switch?

Suggestions guys? What should I do?

Thanks
S
 
I got my new 2016 M5 rMB after my 2012 rMBP 15" (2.3GHz, i7, 8GB) had some issues with its keyboard. I've now converted it into a desktop setup, and the rMB shall be my main portable machine from now on. So far, it has definitely filled the shoes of its venerable predecessor very well - no performance hiccups or anything. But unless you need its portability, I don't see any reason in getting the rMB. I'd rather you wait for WWDC to look for more substantial upgrades.
 
boast said:
I'm happy with my switch from an early 2013 15" to the 2015 rMB.

The only time I noticed a performance hit was when editing a photo on Pixelmator on my 1440p ultrawide monitor. I don't really do that often. I did a quick video clipping and exporting with iMovie yesterday and performance seemed fine.

I bought a USB-C hub which I only ever use for reading an SD card once in a while.
Click to expand...

Question, does your MacBook run the display at 60hz? Or only 30?
 
I do all the same stuff listed in your usage as well as work in Photoshop. I came from a 2011 MBP to the 2015 rMB and have had no issues at all. Never been throttled.
 
sgadher said:
Thanks all for the responses. I wont be using a dock, to be honest I use it mostly in my living room whilst watching TV, so its not really an issue.
I popped down to my local Apple store on the weekend, must admit its very tempting to pick up a retina macbook right now. Couple of things holding me back:

I need to sell my existing retina macbook pro 15" 2012 model (2.3 i7, 16gb ram, 512gb), would anyone be able to make suggestions on how much i can get for it? I looked up past sales on ebay and looks like approx £800.

If I cant sell it at a decent price, apart from being heavy and big, theres nothing stopping me from continuing to use it. I guess the macbook is another gadget i would love to have!

I am tempted to get a hard drive increase (transcend jetdrive 1tb) for about £420, and stick with my existing macbook pro for now otherwise.

Lastly i just bought parrarells for mac and a copy of win 10, so that i can play old classic games like red alert 2, warcraft 2 etc. im not looking into heavy gaming, i guess my question is, would the macbook be able to handle that if i make the switch?

Suggestions guys? What should I do?

Thanks
S
Click to expand...

Parallels and W10 will work fine on the 12", I'm not sure about the games though. I don't really play them anymore, but just for the hell of it I installed Psychonauts and Torchlight 1 (natively). I think I remember FPS being in the 20s on my 1.2 2015 12". I'm sure I could of played with resolution a little more and got it better...but I imagine there will be a point where it throttles down after awhile and becomes unplayable.

I have a 15" rMBP, and the 12".

I love the 12", but unless you have a scenario where you need the portability, I would probably stick with the 15" a little longer, especially after the upgrade you're going to do.
 
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