Help deciding for a new Mac

[braindamage-89]

Hello guys,

I have a cMBP 15inch 2011 and because of the screen and the hard drive i want to replace it with something faster and more portable. And certainly something that will last me for at least 4 years.

I mainly use my mac for extended typing and reading, browsing, viewing youtube, movies and rarely for lightroom 5.

I am considering the MB retina but i am concerned with the screen size. When i study i always have two pages documents open side by side and i noticed in my recent visit at the apple store that you are not able to do that on a MB unless you use the "more space" setting for the display resolution.

Furthermore, i am concerned that the move from 15inch to 12inch will be too radical but on the other hand my other choice is the 13inch RMBP which only an inch larger. Is that inch really noticeable ? Does it make a difference when watching movies or typing and studying?

Lastly the MB does not seem that its able to last for 4 years mainly due to the 8gb but its very thin and light. On the RMBP at least you can upgrade the ram to 16gb and be more "future proof" or help the system run smoother in the near future.

Final note: I dont mind about the lack of ports, at all i never use them anyway. Also i like the new keyboard on MB

Thank you for you help!!!

 

[SteveJUAE]

The 13MBP spec wise seems better value for money and is closer to your current footprint than the rMB

However given your normal usage (outside viewing preferences) the rMB is capable.

Unless there is some amazing drain on resources from future OS releases or you start using some software that is far more demanding I don't see 16gb being future proofing.

If you max out a MBP to "future proof it" for 4 years, it's not much different to buying middle of the range and upgrading after 2 or 3 years providing you get a reasonable 2nd hand price for your old one. IMO this option has too many +points over trying to stretch-out a laptop for 4 years.

Hello guys,

I have a cMBP 15inch 2011 and because of the screen and the hard drive i want to replace it with something faster and more portable. And certainly something that will last me for at least 4 years.

I mainly use my mac for extended typing and reading, browsing, viewing youtube, movies and rarely for lightroom 5.

I am considering the MB retina but i am concerned with the screen size. When i study i always have two pages documents open side by side and i noticed in my recent visit at the apple store that you are not able to do that on a MB unless you use the "more space" setting for the display resolution.

Furthermore, i am concerned that the move from 15inch to 12inch will be too radical but on the other hand my other choice is the 13inch RMBP which only an inch larger. Is that inch really noticeable ? Does it make a difference when watching movies or typing and studying?

Lastly the MB does not seem that its able to last for 4 years mainly due to the 8gb but its very thin and light. On the RMBP at least you can upgrade the ram to 16gb and be more "future proof" or help the system run smoother in the near future.

Final note: I dont mind about the lack of ports, at all i never use them anyway. Also i like the new keyboard on MB

Thank you for you help!!!

 

[braindamage-89]

The 13MBP spec wise seems better value for money and is closer to your current footprint than the rMB

However given your normal usage (outside viewing preferences) the rMB is capable.

Unless there is some amazing drain on resources from future OS releases or you start using some software that is far more demanding I don't see 16gb being future proofing.

If you max out a MBP to "future proof it" for 4 years, it's not much different to buying middle of the range and upgrading after 2 or 3 years providing you get a reasonable 2nd hand price for your old one. IMO this option has too many +points over trying to stretch-out a laptop for 4 years.

Am saying this because my current laptop has served me for 4.5 years.
Is the 1inch difference between 12inch and 13inch noticeable? Thats the most important thing for me.
Apple does not have them side by side and i cannot make a comparison :SSSS

Thanx for your answer!!

 

[mtneer]

Both the rMB and the 13" rMBP are more than capable of your expected workloads - reading, browsing, YouTube, Netflix etc.

The rMB's main attraction is its portability - and Apple sure makes you pay for that. If you don't foresee taking your machine on the road all the time, the 13" rMBP is a better buy since it has more "future proof" internals for not much of a price difference with the rMB.

 

[RUGGLES99]

Lightness and retina make the rmb worth the price. I paid $1149 brand new, no tax, free shipping for a base gold. It does everything i need and do. Its quick, the kb and screen are great, the trackpad is nothing special. I actually like the original tp on my 2014 base 11" mba, and the bluetooth tp i use with my desktop mac mini. I think the rmb is a real jewel of a laptop. It's also going to come down in price, and have more capabilities soon, i'm sure. But i'm happy with the 1st gen.

 

[braindamage-89]

Thank you all for your replies. Do you think there is much difference between a 12inch screen and 13inch? Is it much larger?

 

[mtneer]

Thank you all for your replies. Do you think there is much difference between a 12inch screen and 13inch? Is it much larger?

Well that is entirely subjective. In my opinion, its not much of a difference. However, you will surely find folks on these forums who will howl in disapproval for even half an inch difference. If you stay near an Apple store, I would recommend going over there and check out the various screen sizes yourself.

 

[braindamage-89]

I went to the apple store but they do not have them on the same table, so i can't compare them

 

[mtneer]

I went to the apple store but they do not have them on the same table, so i can't compare them

Well you gotta do the best you can. It's not like the forums will give you that perfect side-by-side comparison?