Help deciding which notebook to go for

[Scotty231]

I am currently looking to get one of the refreshed notebooks and I can't decide between both the 13 inch and the 15 inch ( base model, the dgpu model is too expensive).

My needs are for photo editing , video editing , 3D CAD, and just general usage.
I don't game except casually play csgo. Portability is not that big of an issue for me.

Would the mid range 13 inch with 16gig of ram and 2.6 ghz proc be sufficient for my needs or is the 15" the best option ?

My budget is 2k dollars

Thanks for reading!

 

[gentleman00]

I am currently looking to get one of the refreshed notebooks and I can't decide between both the 13 inch and the 15 inch ( base model, the dgpu model is too expensive).

My needs are for photo editing , video editing , 3D CAD, and just general usage.
I don't game except casually play csgo. Portability is not that big of an issue for me.

Would the mid range 13 inch with 16gig of ram and 2.6 ghz proc be sufficient for my needs or is the 15" the best option ?

My budget is 2k dollars

Thanks for reading!

Go for the 15" model if you want to use it for photo editing. Well, that is, if you can afford it.

 

[maflynn]

If you're looking to do CAD and photo/video editing, then the 15" model is what you want. The increased screen size will make a huge difference.

If you cannot afford much, then take a look at the refurbs and select the prior model year. You'll get good performance and the price will be reduced so you can get more bang for your buck

 

[nabeel24]

In the same boat as you. Sucks, if I do go with the 15" I won't be able to get 16gb memory because of budget constraints. On top of that I'm gonna use VM on my Pro so... can't make a decision yet

 

[maflynn]

Most people don't need 16GB at the moment, so I'd not get terribly hung up on it.

Yes, its nice to have because you can't add it later but 8GB is more then enough for most people's needs now (and probably the next year maybe 2)

 

[nabeel24]

If you're looking to do CAD and photo/video editing, then the 15" model is what you want. The increased screen size will make a huge difference.

If you cannot afford much, then take a look at the refurbs and select the prior model year. You'll get good performance and the price will be reduced so you can get more bang for your buck

I keep checking out the Apple refurb page for the 15" models and see some good ones with 16gb memory and Dgpu appear there for 1829 or so + tax. Sounds like a very good deal. But since this is my first Macbook I figured I should just get the newest model out there. But still very intriguing...

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Most people don't need 16GB at the moment, so I'd not get terribly hung up on it.

Yes, its nice to have because you can't add it later but 8GB is more then enough for most people's needs now (and probably the next year maybe 2)

Yea I don't think the memory should be that big of an issue. But do you think running VM's to use Windows 7 for Visual Studio might cause any constraint on the system for 8GB memory?

I figured even though I could get the 13" with 16gb for my budget, the quad core in the 15" might come in handy for many things maybe even help out a little with VM.

 

[Scotty231]

Thanks for the replys I will check out the refurbished store, but I have now set my eyes for the base 15" model

Good luck finding the right laptop nabeel24!

 

[Voca]

Go with the !3"

Go with the 13" 2.3/2.4ghz i5 16gb ram

Why? With the OS X Mavericks you can get an additional LCD at the size of your choice.
HDMI cable plus Mini DVi adapter and you are good to go. You can use it as laptop on the go, as desktop and if you need more LCD it will work flawlessly between 2 screens and via AirPlay on any TV with Apple TV.

And stay away from the 2012/2013 MBP, those are the least repairable/upgradeable Apple laptops so far. everything soldered to the logic board!

 

[Tears Apart]

And stay away from the 2012/2013 MBP, those are the least repairable/upgradeable Apple laptops so far. everything soldered to the logic board!

The new ones are even less unrepairable/upgradeable.