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Knowy74

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 18, 2015
7
0
After going to BB today, I came to the conclusion that I "need" a rMB (256, SG). Would mainly be used for Microsoft office, web browsing, email, watching video, and maybe some light photo editing. Would I benefit from ordering a 1.3 BTO, or would I be just fine with the 1.1?
 
That is something that only you can decide and not a bunch of people on the Internet.

Moreover, to state the obvious, we have no as-built information, qualitative or quantitative, about Apple's specific implementation of the 1.3 gHz Core M CPU, and we do know that in a fanless design the specific machine's design has a huge influence on performance.

TLDR: gotta wait for actual units to be delivered and used, probably four weeks out right now.
 
I can do "Microsoft office, web browsing, email, watching video, and maybe some light photo editing" with ease on my 6-year-old 2009 mbp 8GB/128SSD.

The 1.1 is twice as powerful as my 2009 according to Geekbench.
 
There are a lot of posts about this - just do some searches. The technical answer isn't quite available, though, as nobody has a 1.3ghz model in their hands yet.
 
In a v1 model, the lowest configuration may be the smartest purchase I doubt the resale value of these will be good once v2 arrives.
 
After going to BB today, I came to the conclusion that I "need" a rMB (256, SG). Would mainly be used for Microsoft office, web browsing, email, watching video, and maybe some light photo editing. Would I benefit from ordering a 1.3 BTO, or would I be just fine with the 1.1?

based on that usage, I truly believe you'll be just fine. I think that 1.3 will only (maybe) have any kind of significant advantage if you're doing things that will tax your system significantly more than the things you describe.
 
In a v1 model, the lowest configuration may be the smartest purchase I doubt the resale value of these will be good once v2 arrives.

Eh. I sold off the 2008 (first version, first day) Air for $350 a couple weeks ago, after finally pulling it off the shelf and repairing the keyboard cable. It can't even be upgraded past Lion. Poor resale value is relative. Given how limited that machine was, it still stuns me that anyone was willing to pay virtually anything for it. The bizarrely high resale value of older, undesirable models sets a fairly high floor for these things no matter how much better V2 is.

That said, just as with cars, you rarely get much credit for options. If you are thinking in terms of resale, you are generally best off going with the fewest options possible.
 
Eh. I sold off the 2008 (first version, first day) Air for $350 a couple weeks ago, after finally pulling it off the shelf and repairing the keyboard cable. It can't even be upgraded past Lion. Poor resale value is relative. Given how limited that machine was, it still stuns me that anyone was willing to pay virtually anything for it. The bizarrely high resale value of older, undesirable models sets a fairly high floor for these things no matter how much better V2 is.

That said, just as with cars, you rarely get much credit for options. If you are thinking in terms of resale, you are generally best off going with the fewest options possible.

I still have my 2008 and 2010 versions of the MBA. I just can't let them go. :)
 
probably not worth it

I've had a lot of Macs and have never bought the speed bumped models. The bumps always seem overpriced. However, if what you're doing would benefit from a 15% speed increase, go for it. Do a little math and you'll probably decide against it.
 
I've had a lot of Macs and have never bought the speed bumped models. The bumps always seem overpriced. However, if what you're doing would benefit from a 15% speed increase, go for it. Do a little math and you'll probably decide against it.

This purchase is more from the heart than the head. I've fallen in love with this device and want the best. And, I can afford it, so I will.
 
I don't think many people looking to save money would buy the. new rMB.
Good point.

In my case, I usually replace my computers every couple of years. The one I get in two years will probably be 50% faster than the one I buy today so why bother with 15% today. 15% is really not much, and it's questionable whether a 15% CPU increase will truly result in a 15% overall speed increase.

But I'm not arguing, just voicing an opinion, take it or leave it. Sometimes I want to buy the best of something, other times it doesn't matter to me.
 
I still have my 2008 and 2010 versions of the MBA. I just can't let them go. :)

Meh. The '08 Air was kind of crap. The only good thing about it was that since literally everything failed (including the case), Apple had replaced everything and it therefore looked good and had a fresh battery. But it is hard to love a laptop that bends (a lot!) because you pick it up from the palm rest too much.
 
Good point.

In my case, I usually replace my computers every couple of years. The one I get in two years will probably be 50% faster than the one I buy today so why bother with 15% today. 15% is really not much, and it's questionable whether a 15% CPU increase will truly result in a 15% overall speed increase.

But I'm not arguing, just voicing an opinion, take it or leave it. Sometimes I want to buy the best of something, other times it doesn't matter to me.

I'm a person who does not spend much money on everyday items or treat myself very often. When I do find something that I like, it is usually a high tech item and I typically buy a premium version.

That said, I must admit that I expect to buy the second revision of the rMB too, when they add Intel's Skylake chip. That in itself should say that I ought to probably just buy the cheaper 1.2GHz now (but I think the added 0.1GHz might be noticeable). Maybe not.
 
Good point.

In my case, I usually replace my computers every couple of years. The one I get in two years will probably be 50% faster than the one I buy today so why bother with 15% today. 15% is really not much, and it's questionable whether a 15% CPU increase will truly result in a 15% overall speed increase.

But I'm not arguing, just voicing an opinion, take it or leave it. Sometimes I want to buy the best of something, other times it doesn't matter to me.

This is particularly the case when we have reached a point where the computing baseline is so good. I'm not that old, but I still remember being *really* excited by the way my new 486 could load WordPerfect in less than 60 seconds. (Whereas today, I'd probably be throwing it into the wall...)
 
This is particularly the case when we have reached a point where the computing baseline is so good. I'm not that old, but I still remember being *really* excited by the way my new 486 could load WordPerfect in less than 60 seconds. (Whereas today, I'd probably be throwing it into the wall...)

We should all have to use those computers again once in a while. We would feel much less frustrated with some of the things we have to put up with now.
 
That said, I must admit that I expect to buy the second revision of the rMB too, when they add Intel's Skylake chip. That in itself should say that I ought to probably just buy the cheaper 1.2GHz now (but I think the added 0.1GHz might be noticeable). Maybe not.
Yeah, I've decided it's more cost effective to replace machines every couple of years, eBaying the old ones, since buying the best today might not make for a very noticeable difference. If I was going to keep them longer, I might think a little differently.

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This is particularly the case when we have reached a point where the computing baseline is so good. I'm not that old, but I still remember being *really* excited by the way my new 486 could load WordPerfect in less than 60 seconds. (Whereas today, I'd probably be throwing it into the wall...)
Haha, I fired up a Mac Classic several years ago. Pretty nostalgic; and slow! These days we talk about UI lag and very insignificant stuff like that when our computers are flying in comparison.
 
I'd say it depends on how you use it.

I can make my Retina Macbook Pro 13 struggle at times

The Macbook is an absolutely beautiful device. I really really want to be able to justify it but I can't yet :-(
 
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