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Help on 1st Macbook pro

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xinou

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 12, 2011
4
0
Hey guys, this is my first time buying an apple product. I've been saving money so i could buy a MBP, since my current Acer Aspire 5738ZG hasn't been able to serve my needs.

I'll be needing the MBP for:

- Lot of HD Video & Photo Editing (so i've excluded the 13inch MBP for the smaller screen).
- Multiple Internet Pages with word & Excel at the same time
- Virtual Machine of Windows to use one or two light programs
- Light Music editing
- No Gaming at all

I'm thinking of buying the 15 inch MBP, I just don't know if the low end 15 MBPs graphic display will meet my needs for the next 4 or 5 years, and if i stick to the default 4gb RAM or upgrade to 8gb?

Could you guys please tell me what you think?
Thanks in advance;)
 
xinou said:
Hey guys, this is my first time buying an apple product. I've been saving money so i could buy a MBP, since my current Acer Aspire 5738ZG hasn't been able to serve my needs.

I'll be needing the MBP for:

- Lot of HD Video & Photo Editing (so i've excluded the 13inch MBP for the smaller screen).
- Multiple Internet Pages with word & Excel at the same time
- Virtual Machine of Windows to use one or two light programs
- Light Music editing
- No Gaming at all

I'm thinking of buying the 15 inch MBP, I just don't know if the low end 15 MBPs graphic display will meet my needs for the next 4 or 5 years, and if i stick to the default 4gb RAM or upgrade to 8gb?

Could you guys please tell me what you think?
Thanks in advance;)
Click to expand...

I'm almost in the same boat, except this will be my 3rd MBP. I'll use it for almost exactly the same uses as you.

I'll be getting the 15" 2.2GHz MBP with hi-res glossy screen, 750GB HD and 8GB of RAM from Crucial. Should last at least 4 years.
 
The low end 15" would suffice, but consider getting the High-Res screen with 1680 x 1050 pixel.
You can upgrade RAM always later, as after-market RAM is cheaper than Apple RAM.
 
simsaladimbamba said:
The low end 15" would suffice, but consider getting the High-Res screen with 1680 x 1050 pixel.
You can upgrade RAM always later, as after-market RAM is cheaper than Apple RAM.
Click to expand...

So the low15 MBP Radeon 6490M with 256mb wouldnt let me down, for the next 4 or 5 years? and if i install the RAM myself, will that void the warranty?
the price diference between the low and the high end here in Europe (including the hi res screen) would be of 350 Euros which is something.
 
xinou said:
So the low15 MBP Radeon 6490M with 256mb wouldnt let me down, for the next 4 or 5 years? and if i install the RAM myself, will that void the warranty?
the price diference between the low and the high end here in Europe (including the hi res screen) would be of 350 Euros which is something.
Click to expand...

If you don't game, then the GPU will suffice for video and photo editing, but if you have the 350€, then get the higher GPU, especially if you want to have that Mac for 4/5 years. Many applications will rely on the GPU more often in the future, thus a faster GPU can help.
And replacing RAM will not void the warranty, Apple even shows you how to in the User Guide coming with your Mac.
 
If the video editing is casual, i.e., it's not part of your job description, go for the low end 15". It's really a great deal. Go over to Appleinsider.com and hit the price guide tap. It will list the prices from various stores. There is a great deal there and then use the money saved for a HD, SSD, or RAM DIY upgrade.
 
Thank you all for your opinions and how fast you have answered my post. I have really been working a lot to save for this mac (gettin 400 Euros a month) so i want to make sure i'll buy the right machine for me.

Since we can't replace the display card in the notebooks, and i'll be needing it for the next 4 to 5 years, would the 6490m 256 mb let me down in that time frame?
 
xinou said:
Thank you all for your opinions and how fast you have answered my post. I have really been working a lot to save for this mac (gettin 400 Euros a month) so i want to make sure i'll buy the right machine for me.

Since we can't replace the display card in the notebooks, and i'll be needing it for the next 4 to 5 years, would the 6490m 256 mb let me down in that time frame?
Click to expand...

No, it will not let you down, unless you will get a new video editing application which uses the GPU much more. But the 6490M will suffice, unless you can work another month and don't have a problem waiting to get the higher CPU.
 
simsaladimbamba said:
No, it will not let you down, unless you will get a new video editing application which uses the GPU much more. But the 6490M will suffice, unless you can work another month and don't have a problem waiting to get the higher CPU.
Click to expand...

I guess I'll stick to the low end 15 inch, since i won't be gaming and don't plan to do heavy professional video editing.

Thanks a lot for all your opinions, I'm really crazy about gettin my first mac;)
Cheers to you all
 
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