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Is a refurbished MBP 17" good or bad idea?
- Thread starter freshe
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hmm, every refurbish product always warranty 1 year by apple right?
whats the problem?
and every refurbish product, has tested with apple quality control.
you got cheaper product with same quality...dont worry.
Not worried about quality, just that it is an "old" model and is it worth spending money on it. I don't know much about retina but I caught a glimps of rumors that there are some kind of issues with it - not sure what they are. And unless I get 512GB SSD and 16GB in it it's not really something worth the price to me.
So what Im thinking is either regular MBP 15 with maxed CPU and antiglare (ill get ram and ssd myself) or that mentioned 17" from refurbished store or some buffed up retina but not pricier than my normal 15" so at around 2300$ mark (it has to be refurb otherwise it has silly ssd and ram amount).
I had imac 27 refurb and have no problem with getting another refurb under my roof.
1). are the "old" and "new" models have a very a big difference?
example : retina late 2012 model and retina early 2013 model, just get 0,1Ghz speed.
if not for mobile activity, i suggest to take 17"
btw, please dont compare difference "screen size", like 15 vs 17. why? the difference processor will make you confuse
(15 maybe using dual core and 17 using quad core).1). are the "old" and "new" models have a very a big difference?
example : retina late 2012 model and retina early 2013 model, just get 0,1Ghz speed.
if not for mobile activity, i suggest to take 17"
btw, please dont compare difference "screen size", like 15 vs 17. why? the difference processor will make you confuse
leave me alone, you're not helping me here
and this is not what I was asking for, my budget is 2200-2300$ so whats the best way to spend it ?
leave me alone, you're not helping me here
and this is not what I was asking for, my budget is 2200-2300$ so whats the best way to spend it ?
I wouldnt spend $1900 on a 2 year old laptop, id recommend the retina
http://store.apple.com/us/product/F...-26ghz-quad-core-intel-i7-with-retina-display
It does not matter how much you upgrade the 17" version, it will still be slower than the rMBP...
Get the refurbished retina with upgraded CPU and 512GB SSD for $2,019.00 (or the 16GB model for $100 more)
The DIY 17" with comparable specs will be much more expensive, slower and way less mobile. And a DIY 15" refurb cMPB will be also in a very similar price range.
What leman said, but definitely go with the 16Gigs of RAM
http://store.apple.com/us/product/G...-26ghz-quad-core-intel-i7-with-retina-display
http://store.apple.com/us/product/G...-26ghz-quad-core-intel-i7-with-retina-display
What are the issues with these retinas ? Scrolling or smth ?
Will 16gb be enough for video editing ?
Is apple care for rmbp same price as cmbp ?
Btw what cmbp stands for - the c in particular?
I was looking at new (not refurb) cmbp with fastest i7 and antiglare. I can then choose english keyboard layout which would be a small bonus.
That retina you linked is nice tho.
Will 16gb be enough for video editing ?
Is apple care for rmbp same price as cmbp ?
Btw what cmbp stands for - the c in particular?
I was looking at new (not refurb) cmbp with fastest i7 and antiglare. I can then choose english keyboard layout which would be a small bonus.
That retina you linked is nice tho.
I'm exactly on the same boat as you.
Been eyeing that 17" from the refurb section solely because of its native screen size. Used to have one but sold it because I got frustrated on how slow the HDD was. It was a stupid decision and just wish that I added the SSD instead. Also sold it because I needed more portability.
Now that I'm working 90% in the office, I want a bigger screen laptop so I can have nice real estate even if I'm away from my external monitor. It just makes me more productive.
I could've gotten the 15" rMBP because they have the same "resolution" of 1920x1200, but because of issues I've been reading (also witnessed and tried it in person), it discouraged me from getting one. Still waiting for the Haswell and Mavericks launch, hoping that it will erase all the current rMBP issues.
What makes the decision hard is the fact that it's either you're:
1) Getting a 2 year old laptop worth almost a brand new rMBP, and whilst it's upgraded, would still be slower than the new ones. But "slow" will really depend on how you'll use it. I have a 2012 11" MBA that can take anything I throw at it (programming work + basic graphics and animation only) so I know for sure that 17" can take it, as long as I put an SSD in it.
- OR -
2) Getting a brand new laptop with issues because, in my humble opinion, the retina technology is still in its infancy. Buying a 2nd or 3rd gen product would be wiser, but you will have to wait a bit.
So think about how you're gonna use it, and what your priorities are..
If the Haswell versions of the rMBP still don't solve the issues, I'm gonna snag that 17" refurb - at least by then it's gonna have a bigger discount. Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Greg
Been eyeing that 17" from the refurb section solely because of its native screen size. Used to have one but sold it because I got frustrated on how slow the HDD was. It was a stupid decision and just wish that I added the SSD instead. Also sold it because I needed more portability.
Now that I'm working 90% in the office, I want a bigger screen laptop so I can have nice real estate even if I'm away from my external monitor. It just makes me more productive.
I could've gotten the 15" rMBP because they have the same "resolution" of 1920x1200, but because of issues I've been reading (also witnessed and tried it in person), it discouraged me from getting one. Still waiting for the Haswell and Mavericks launch, hoping that it will erase all the current rMBP issues.
What makes the decision hard is the fact that it's either you're:
1) Getting a 2 year old laptop worth almost a brand new rMBP, and whilst it's upgraded, would still be slower than the new ones. But "slow" will really depend on how you'll use it. I have a 2012 11" MBA that can take anything I throw at it (programming work + basic graphics and animation only) so I know for sure that 17" can take it, as long as I put an SSD in it.
- OR -
2) Getting a brand new laptop with issues because, in my humble opinion, the retina technology is still in its infancy. Buying a 2nd or 3rd gen product would be wiser, but you will have to wait a bit.
So think about how you're gonna use it, and what your priorities are..
If the Haswell versions of the rMBP still don't solve the issues, I'm gonna snag that 17" refurb - at least by then it's gonna have a bigger discount. Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Greg
Based on what metrics?
I can say I straight up get more coding done on my 17" than I would on a 15".
All depends on what you use your system for. My 2.5Ghz 17" with 16GB RAM and SSD Geekbench's @ 11k. It's no slouch.
The rMBP has faster CPU, GPU, memory and depending on what you put in there, also the SSD. Once the Haswell models with the PCI-e based SSDs come out, it will get even faster. Also, the rMBP has vastly better expandability options with dual TB and USB3.
I never said that 17" is a slouch. I just said its slower so I would not recommend paying more for it than for a faster, lighter rMBP. Besides, I wonder why you say you can do more coding on the 17"? The real screen estate is the same, the keyboard size is the same, and the 15" is much lighter to carry around so you can do you work on the go more easily
17 inch is not really mobile as 15 inch rMBP and for serious coding i always plug my laptop to 24 inch monitor
i wouldnt pay such a price for 2 year old laptop, yes i know MBP 17 is good but does it worth it by that price? No doesn't worth it...
Personally i would go for rMBP 15 inch as good screen size and good mobility and for serious working you just plug it to a monitor either 24 or 27 inch monitor
i wouldnt pay such a price for 2 year old laptop, yes i know MBP 17 is good but does it worth it by that price? No doesn't worth it...
Personally i would go for rMBP 15 inch as good screen size and good mobility and for serious working you just plug it to a monitor either 24 or 27 inch monitor
I was able to observe the following:
1) UI lag
This one was pretty apparent. Mission control / apps view / expose had lag. Even the scrolling wasn't that smooth. I expected that already as I was able to watch videos on Youtube and read all about it online.
As a mac owner for almost 10 years, I'm able to tell if the UI isn't working as expected. And as a visual person, I just can't stand it - I'm pretty particular and sensitive about these things.
If you've ever done launching mission control / expose while spotlight is indexing or if you're doing a volume check, then that's it. It just seems that computer is doing pretty heavy load, but in reality, it's just doing core OS animations.
2) Screen ghosting / image retention
Was able to witness firsthand how this looked like. It's pretty bad especially if you're gonna use it for graphics work. And without being able to know which screen (LG vs Samsung) you're gonna get, it's possible that you may have to return / exchange your unit for a newer one (and this newer one might still have the same issues). I just don't like the idea of getting hassled with exchanging and reloading your data to your new laptop - it just kills productivity and precious time.
I haven't experienced fans turning up randomly, but I read stories about it. I'm also not generalizing these claims for all rMBPs. I'm sure there are a lot of perfect units out there, but the number of cases just discourage me from getting one.
I also support vpro and Doward's stand on the 17". I even wish I still had mine - it's a premium pro product and worth every penny.
Cheers,
Greg
The rMBP has faster CPU, GPU, memory and depending on what you put in there, also the SSD. Once the Haswell models with the PCI-e based SSDs come out, it will get even faster. Also, the rMBP has vastly better expandability options with dual TB and USB3.
I never said that 17" is a slouch. I just said its slower so I would not recommend paying more for it than for a faster, lighter rMBP. Besides, I wonder why you say you can do more coding on the 17"? The real screen estate is the same, the keyboard size is the same, and the 15" is much lighter to carry around so you can do you work on the go more easily
Yes, 1920x1200 17" vs 1920x1200 15" = 17" wins. If I were to attempt to run at full Retina resolution, the text would be very difficult to see.
Keyboard size is the same, but the 17" has a larger palm rest area.
Current 15" rMBP vs 17" cMBP, there is very little speed difference once you toss an SSD into the 17".
True indeed. The 17" is basically just a generation behind, but being behind doesnt equate to poor performance. If based on real world performance, the difference is negligible, so it will still boil down on what your priorities and usage habits are.
If you ask yourself:
Which one will render video faster? Yeah, maybe the rmbp will win, but by how much? A few seconds?
The question should be: do you really work with a countdown timer everytime you work to clock process speeds? Not so i guess.
Again, it'll really boil down to how you'll use it and how long you'll intend to use it that way. That's the reason why some people get to own computers way past their prime - sometimes stretching it to 5-6 years.
True indeed. The 17" is basically just a generation behind, but being behind doesnt equate to poor performance. If based on real world performance, the difference is negligible, so it will still boil down on what your priorities and usage habits are.
...
Again, it'll really boil down to how you'll use it and how long you'll intend to use it that way. That's the reason why some people get to own computers way past their prime - sometimes stretching it to 5-6 years.
I completely agree with both of your points. I would disagree that 17" is a better form factor, but that's subjective, of course (I have to run around with my laptop a lot, so having a 2kg 15" powerhouse is a lifesaver). So based on the above, I'd say that it makes sense to buy the cheaper machine. Which incidentally, is the refurb rMBP
Unless you for some reason absolutely prefer the bigger form factor, of course...The choice is very hard. I had 27" i5 hd6970m 1gb imac but with a little kid around it was a whos going to get to it first "game". He pulled down the tv around 14 months mark. Now hes 2 and i just found that laptop is better choice. The imac i had was great maybe pity it was not i7. Im running a website with some home studio videos. So thats my main focus. Im not some gung ho pro by any means but doing the best i can with the equipment i have. So few sec here and there makes no diff to me.
Rmbp - the issues how will that affect me dunno will that piss me off probably yes.
Cmbp 15 - best choice so far can get max spec excluding hdd and ram plus british keyboard. And that will let me sell it for more or less same price id buy it for.
Cmbp 17 - i love the screen size and still get some mobility - enough to run away from my son. Missing the sd card reader as im using that a lot. Sure its bit behind not much but still. Not sure how well it will sell in a year or so as it might be a bit outdated in the eyes of potential buyers-cheap bargains seekers.
I read that 6970 is probable better than 650. I dont play a lot but would like to enjoy it from time to time.
So choice is hard. My point is i need to order mid july as my friend is bringing it from the us for me.
Rmbp - the issues how will that affect me dunno will that piss me off probably yes.
Cmbp 15 - best choice so far can get max spec excluding hdd and ram plus british keyboard. And that will let me sell it for more or less same price id buy it for.
Cmbp 17 - i love the screen size and still get some mobility - enough to run away from my son. Missing the sd card reader as im using that a lot. Sure its bit behind not much but still. Not sure how well it will sell in a year or so as it might be a bit outdated in the eyes of potential buyers-cheap bargains seekers.
I read that 6970 is probable better than 650. I dont play a lot but would like to enjoy it from time to time.
So choice is hard. My point is i need to order mid july as my friend is bringing it from the us for me.
If the 17" (which generation!?) supports Snow Leopard and/or Mavericks, then i would say a 17" (Sandy Bridge) is a good idea. I have two 17" MBPs. One Mid-2009 and one Early-2011. Video encoding via x264, Xcode, LLVM, some small games, Safari, Firefox, Photoshop, and much more-no problem. Here is a 4K video decoding test:
https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=17505776#post17505776