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MacBook or MacBook Pro?

D

Dimlaith

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 9, 2018
23
19
UK
Good day to you all. Newbie question alert. My son is 15 at the end of the month and knows more about computers than I ever will.

He has been saving hard for a MacBook but is now thinking of a MacBook Pro. I’m just wondering if the extra money is worth getting the Pro based on his needs. He will be using it for school work and a bit of video editing. He also needs a SD card reader and I gather the MacBooks don’t have a slot so that is another expense.

As he has been saving hard I don’t want him to make the wrong choice and regret his purchase.

Any advice would be most welcome to a technophobe Dad.
 
The MacBook is capable of doing everything a MacBook Pro can do. But the MacBook Pro has more ports and is faster/better in every respect, except size and weight.

You can work around the single port with hubs but they won't work as well as the built in ports of the MBP.

If the supreme portability of the MacBook is going to be a really important advantage to your son get the MacBook, otherwise get the MacBook Pro. It is likely to be able to grow with his needs more than the MacBook.

Either way save money by buying from the Apple Refurb store. Same warranty as a buying new from Apple and (IME) indistinguishable from new.
 
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Thank you, the price difference on the Pro is not huge and I also get 6% off through work. He wants the 256GB version so it works out at £1362. Which to me is a huge sum of money for a laptop. My son has mild Aspergers and once his mind is on some thing that’s it. He is really getting into media studies at school and is teachers pet lol. I think the investment may well have a positive impact for him that’s why I’m very keen for him to make the right choice.
 
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Another consideration is that it sounds like it is going to be his only computer (at least for while). Many people here love the MacBook but have another computer as well. For this reason I feel more strongly than I did before that the MacBook Pro would be the right choice...unless the supreme portability of the MacBook is really important. The portability is the only reason to get a MacBook over a MacBook Pro.
 
Yes it wil be his only computer (apart from an aging windows laptop). Portability is not an issue. Looking at the specs I agree that the MacBook Pro is the better option for him.
[doublepost=1531226417][/doublepost]Also, Dimlaith, you should probably hold your horses at least for a month. There's rumors pointing towards upgrades for the MacBook Pro, both in terms of much better performance (new processors) and a fixed keyboard (the new thinner keyboard tends to malfunction over time, some users say). And even if there's no new MacBooks coming soon, you should wait for the back to school sales - at the very least, then you'll probably get a complimentary pair of headphones with your purchase of a MacBook or MacBook Pro.

I tried to tell him about possible updates,but, it’s is birthday at the end of the month and he wants it yesterday. Kids
 
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13" MacBook Pro in the fall. Or in the very least, wait for the Back-To-School promotion, which probably will be in August-September in the UK.

The birthday deadline shouldn't be a real deadline, kid or not, but of course that's up to you.

Note that last year the Back-To-School promotion included a free set of Beats Bluetooth headphones, on top of the usual student discount. These go for £250 at the UK Apple Store.

Last year, people got the new 2017 model + student discount + free headphones in that Back-To-School promotion.
 
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It not a deadline at all, he’s been saving up and with this years birthday money he will have enough. It’s definitely impatience’s though. He’s been responsible by saving his money and even though I have said about the possible updates at the end of the day it is his money. If they do release updates he will have to suck it, but I think he will not be bothered to be honest.
 
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Dimlaith said:
It not a deadline at all, he’s been saving up and with this years birthday money he will have enough. It’s definitely impatience’s though. He’s been responsible by saving his money and even though I have said about the possible updates at the end of the day it is his money. If they do release updates he will have to suck it, but I think he will not be bothered to be honest.
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Well, this year's update will likely be one of the biggest upgrades in a decade.

It is likely the current dual-core models will go quad-core (or at least some of them will) in 2018, and that would make a significant difference for video editing. That might mean waiting three months though.

OTOH, if he just waits a few weeks, it would mean getting a gift worth the equivalent of a couple of hundred pounds with current 2017 models.
 
EugW said:
Well, this year's update will likely be one of the biggest upgrades in a decade.

It is likely the current dual-core models will go quad-core (or at least some of them will) in 2018, and that would make a significant difference for video editing. That might mean waiting three months though.

OTOH, if he just waits a few weeks, it would mean getting a gift worth the equivalent of a couple of hundred pounds with current 2017 models.
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I think a 3 month wait would finish him lol.
 
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Dimlaith said:
It not a deadline at all, he’s been saving up and with this years birthday money he will have enough. It’s definitely impatience’s though. He’s been responsible by saving his money and even though I have said about the possible updates at the end of the day it is his money. If they do release updates he will have to suck it, but I think he will not be bothered to be honest.
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Respect to your son! That reminds me of my first MacBook in 2010 - I saved for quite a few months and literally had to go without many other things including nice food in order to do so.
Of course, the Macs of today are far far better spec'd - I didn't realise at the time but mine was horribly under spec'd (very wrong of Steve Jobs to allow it to hit the market IMO from user experience) and was not a good user experience when it hit 3 years old thanks to the Mavericks OS which gave it many pretty spinning beachballs throughout its life :)

Both the MacBook and MacBook Pro of today are super. Maybe he's excited after todays launch. Using Final Cut Pro to edit video will be a dream and don't forget, he'll get student discount if he buys the video editing software!
 
EugW said:
New MacBook Pros now out. TB 13” and 15” models upgraded to quad-core and hex-core respectively. :)

Non-TB model not updated. :(
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Look like it’s going to be the 2017 MacBook Pro 256gb for him then. He won’t benefit from the back to school as it seems it on,y for higher education and he’s in secondary school. Seems a bit unfair.
 
BODYBUILDERPAUL said:
Respect to your son! That reminds me of my first MacBook in 2010 - I saved for quite a few months and literally had to go without many other things including nice food in order to do so.
Of course, the Macs of today are far far better spec'd - I didn't realise at the time but mine was horribly under spec'd (very wrong of Steve Jobs to allow it to hit the market IMO from user experience) and was not a good user experience when it hit 3 years old thanks to the Mavericks OS which gave it many pretty spinning beachballs throughout its life :)

Both the MacBook and MacBook Pro of today are super. Maybe he's excited after todays launch. Using Final Cut Pro to edit video will be a dream and don't forget, he'll get student discount if he buys the video editing software!
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Looks like no back to school discount in the uk unless you are in higher education. My son will be 15 at the end off the month and is still in secondary education.
 
BODYBUILDERPAUL said:
DAMN! Ask him to save a little more and go for the 2018 model. It's a far better machine.
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Or look for a very significant discount on a 2017 model. In the past in a similar situation I have bought the last years model for £450 less after a major update like this.
 
Dimlaith--I was waiting for the MacBook to update, to purchase an "interim computer" bridging my 2012 iMac i7 to a 2020 iMac.

The MacBook was meant to be my main-ish computer, the mini still filling in at times for stuff the MacBook might not handle well. After the MBP update on Thursday, I weighted up options and went with the MBP. Though I only do static image and music creation (some 1080 video editing, but not much), I figured the $1799 MBP was a much better option for only $200 extra.

The MBP I chose will be an interim computer, but it will be far faster than my old MacMini, and it will have more ports than a MacBook, and it will last as a decent prime computer through 2022 for me. So I get some longevity.

The MacBook was going to be a fun, portable, trasher that I could retire in 2-3 years when it was too slow compared to what will be on the market. It would still be useful in some circumstances, but in 2021 it would be clunky. The MBP will still be worthy beyond 2022 for $200 extra dollars.

Just my thoughts, having owned Macs for decades and understanding how the tech curve is going into the near future.
 
Lesser Evets said:
Dimlaith--I was waiting for the MacBook to update, to purchase an "interim computer" bridging my 2012 iMac i7 to a 2020 iMac.

The MacBook was meant to be my main-ish computer, the mini still filling in at times for stuff the MacBook might not handle well. After the MBP update on Thursday, I weighted up options and went with the MBP. Though I only do static image and music creation (some 1080 video editing, but not much), I figured the $1799 MBP was a much better option for only $200 extra.

The MBP I chose will be an interim computer, but it will be far faster than my old MacMini, and it will have more ports than a MacBook, and it will last as a decent prime computer through 2022 for me. So I get some longevity.

The MacBook was going to be a fun, portable, trasher that I could retire in 2-3 years when it was too slow compared to what will be on the market. It would still be useful in some circumstances, but in 2021 it would be clunky. The MBP will still be worthy beyond 2022 for $200 extra dollars.

Just my thoughts, having owned Macs for decades and understanding how the tech curve is going into the near future.
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That was a smart move for what you do. For what OP's son wants to do, I'd also recommend going that route. The MacBook is a fine ultra portable computer, but won't be as future proof and will present some compromises.
 
The current MacBook Pro without touch at is what my son will be getting. Is that a2017 model or 2018?

I am certain that for his needs it will do well for a good few years.
 
Dimlaith said:
The current MacBook Pro without touch at is what my son will be getting. Is that a2017 model or 2018?

I am certain that for his needs it will do well for a good few years.
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It's a 2017 model. Thus, you can get it from Apple's refurbished Mac store for a significant saving.
 
EugW said:
It's a 2017 model. Thus, you can get it from Apple's refurbished Mac store for a significant saving.
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Thought so, . I get 6% off through my employer so the price for new versus refurbished is roughly the same. I have ordered it for him tonight new. I’m getting a little excited myself now.
 
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Dimlaith said:
Thought so, . I get 6% off through my employer so the price for new versus refurbished is roughly the same. I have ordered it for him tonight new. I’m getting a little excited myself now.
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You can also order refurb through most employers.

However if price is close then great!
 
EugW said:
You can also order refurb through most employers.

However if price is close then great!
Click to expand...

I have to use an online link to access the discount and when tried adding a refurbished Mac to the basket the price stayed the same.
 
I have been reading up on the problems with the keyboard on the 2017 MacBook Pro. Should this issue have been addressed with the one my son is getting or could the be problems later on?
 
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