Macbook Pro 13" Retina

[tempest-tost]

Hey everyone! Thanks for taking the time to read this.

I am finally switching from a PC to a Mac and am hoping you all may be able to provide a bit of guidance.

I am interested in the Macbook Pro 13" Retina with 128 GB Storage. I have two questions that I'd be so grateful for some feedback on:

1. Because of price and what I will use it for, I have no desire to wait for an updated (likely more expensive) Macbook Pro model this summer, however; many people have said to wait anyway because the older models will become a lot cheaper. How much of a price drop is likely to happen?

2. Is the Retina really worth the extra money over the basic Macbook Pro model?

Again, thank you for reading this over. I am new to the Mac world.

 

[MRrainer]

The non-retina uses components released in 2012.
And because they weren't high-end components to begin with, it's not really a good choice these days.
There will be clearance-sales of the older MBPs once a new one comes out.
But I don't expect anything earth-shattering, substantially above the rebates that are currently available in the usual places.
128GB is enough storage for you?

 

[tempest-tost]

Thanks for your response, MRrainer.

So, it seems like Retina is the way to go. I work in education and have seen that Apple will give about $100 of the Retina through their Education discount, so that seems like a good plan. I'm just not sure I can justify another two months on a very old PC in the hopes that there is a significant drop in Mac prices with the new generation possibly being announced.
I thought 128 GB looked like a small number considering my PC is 320, but I've had this laptop 6 years and have only used 88.5 GB, so I'm thinking it should be enough. Is this wrong? The price jump between the 128-256 seems high, but if it's worth it I'd love to know.

--If I may add . . .
Is the Macbook Air a silly option? I use my computer for watching videos, writing, basic internet usage, and sometimes video editing. I'm wondering if a Pro computer is even necessary, but again . . . I have limited knowledge in the Mac department.

 

[MRrainer]

The screen on the MBP is better. Much better than the MacBookAir's display. Not just pure resolution, but also almost every other aspect of display-qualification (viewing angle, image homogeneity etc.pp.).
But the MBA is an option, never the less. You need to try one in a store and see if it would fit your needs.
Though, if you bring a MBA to 8GB, it's no longer much cheaper than a MBP anyway...

The 128GB can be enough, if you don't store lot's of pictures or videos (or VMs) on it. If you subtract those, people have surprisingly little data on their drives these days.
You can of course store seldom-used data on an external USB drive and attach that on a as-needed basis.

 

[tempest-tost]

In an ideal world I'd love to have a computer with a great screen resolution and enough storage to last me for the long haul. While I have used very little storage on my PC, I've now read that some 128GB users have reported a slower computer once space started filling up . . . something that I definitely don't want.
In an ideal world the 13" Retina with 256GB would be amazing, but the price jump is crazy to me.
I'll head to a store this weekend to compare the Retina with the Air, but it seems like it's going to be give and take - the Air will give me more storage but lesser screen quality for a very decent price, while the Retina MBP will have great screen quality for a more expensive price tag and less storage.

Ugh, talking out loud here but I appreciate the feedback.

 

[pjfan]

I think your last post is very clear, and I'm sure you'll make a sound decision.

The Air's form factor is good (only outdone by rMB) and Battery Life is near perfect - it's a solid machine and you should be able to find it for cheap online. I personally am done with the screen for the MBA however -- the rMBP 13" is a great computer with excellent screen without much sacrifice on size. It's the better deal, in my opinion. If you go with the MBA, definitely think hard about upgrading to 8 GB of RAM. As for 128 GB of storage, I thought the same thing before, and ended up managing my storage on a near monthly basis -- I won't do that again. Get an Apple representative to help you with your discounting, as $100 seems a little low to what I thought education discounts were. You might find the rMBP 256 is cheaper than you think, or perhaps the price delta to MBA online is too vast to ignore. Not a silly idea at all, as long as you're happy with its screen (which will be a lot better than what you use today).

For me, it was always form factor, screens and then keyboards as huge factors in my laptop decision making in the years past, and the rMB is the current ticket for me. I'm ecstatic with my decision, but I don't want to distract you as I doubt the rMB will satisfy my needs in three years, let alone five+ that I suspect you'll want.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Take a look a Apple refurbished you'll get a better deal than education and get all the same warranties etc.

 

[tempest-tost]

I'm really thankful for all of your replies!

Samuelsan2001: I have given some thought to a refurbished model. I feel as though my "perfectionist" nature will push me toward buying brand new (though that's probably not necessary), but I appreciate your advice.

pjfan: Thanks for the detailed reply. I'm glad I came here to work my thoughts out because a few days ago I had convinced myself 128GB would be plenty enough for me, and now I'm sure that 256GB is the way to go. I'm pretty impatient, which means that I really need to get myself to a store to look over and compare the MPA with the Pro Retina in person before I get click happy online. The possible announcement of upgrades this summer is still something that's making me wonder if right now is the time to buy, but ultimately I'm just going to have to do what I have to do. I can't imagine that the price reduction of the older models will be that much lower . . . but who knows.

Thanks again!

 

[Samuelsan2001]

I'm really thankful for all of your replies!

Samuelsan2001: I have given some thought to a refurbished model. I feel as though my "perfectionist" nature will push me toward buying brand new (though that's probably not necessary), but I appreciate your advice.

pjfan: Thanks for the detailed reply. I'm glad I came here to work my thoughts out because a few days ago I had convinced myself 128GB would be plenty enough for me, and now I'm sure that 256GB is the way to go. I'm pretty impatient, which means that I really need to get myself to a store to look over and compare the MPA with the Pro Retina in person before I get click happy online. The possible announcement of upgrades this summer is still something that's making me wonder if right now is the time to buy, but ultimately I'm just going to have to do what I have to do. I can't imagine that the price reduction of the older models will be that much lower . . . but who knows.

Thanks again!

Apple will just stop selling older models so no price drop there, you'll get a bit maybe a $100 drop on refurbished from Apple though. Many retail outlets will sell old stock slightly cheaper as well but Apple products hold their price and the drop won't be huge, look at B&H and Best Buy etc.

 

[tempest-tost]

So, after giving Best Buy a look, it seems as though the Macbook is going for $300 cheaper than the original price. I wasn't initially considering a Macbook due to pricing, but now it seems tempting. I'm reading mixed reviews on the Macbook, but it seems like a pretty solid machine for someone with just basic day to day use and light editing. Any thoughts?

 

[keysofanxiety]

So, after giving Best Buy a look, it seems as though the Macbook is going for $300 cheaper than the original price. I wasn't initially considering a Macbook due to pricing, but now it seems tempting. I'm reading mixed reviews on the Macbook, but it seems like a pretty solid machine for someone with just basic day to day use and light editing. Any thoughts?

With regards to hardware performance and ports, you get a lot more for your money with the Retina MacBook Pro. From your earlier description of what you're looking for, and when also considering longevity, I wouldn't consider anything other than the rMBP.

 

[tempest-tost]

While I do agree that the rMBP is a better computer, the Best Buy deal that makes the rMB $300 cheaper than the 256GB rMBP seems just too good to pass up. I only ever use the USB port, so a $20 cable seems like no big deal.
I don't know . . . I did consider that $300 at that price range was, perhaps, worth just going with the rMBP, but my husband is a MBP user so I feel like using his computer in a pinch for heavy video editing wouldn't be such a bad idea.

One more question if you all don't mind . . .
Do you use anti-virus software on your Macs? I've heard that many people use free software or none and do just fine.

 

[pjfan]

First - I've not touched an antivirus software since leaving Windows behind in 2006. I'm a computer engineer, but happy to not have to deal with maintaining my personal or work machine.

As for the rMB. I feel strongly that it will perform everything you want without a hitch. You will be extremely happy with your choice... In a couple years, I suspect you'll start really feeling it lag. This is pure speculation - but my plan with mine is to pass this down through the family in a year, and upgrade to latest MacBook. It is a remarkable computer, and is so convenient that it'll change the way you work. The screen feels bigger than my old 13" MBA, but it's so darn portable that I wouldn't care if it did 'look' smaller.

The storage and ram makes the rMB a unique option. I will warn you, it seems as though a new rMB is around the corner. I bought my 1.2 w/ 512 GB for $300 off in November, and have been ecstatic. No fan has been a surprisingly phenomenal difference. It's an awesome laptop, and I've been surprised how it has handled Adobe CC.

In five years, I know I'll be on a newer laptop, and suspect my wife, kid, or niece will be happy with the 2015 rMB.

 

[tempest-tost]

Thanks for your response, pjfan; you've put my mind at ease.

I'm glad to hear the talk about not needing anti-virus software is true. Honestly, it's one of the reasons that switching to a Mac was so appealing. The price of software per year over the course of a computer's lifespan really does add up. I was tempted to download something like AVG Free for the Macbook, but I think I'll just need to learn that I'm being overly paranoid.

I had a tough time going back and forth on grabbing the base Macbook for $300 off right now or waiting until June. I'm sure that the newer model will be even better, but I just can't gamble on the possibility of having a price this low when I'm in need of a laptop now. It's not that it's out of my price range, but since this will be my first Mac purchase I really wanted to keep it around a grand to make sure it'd be something I'd love. If I can get 5 or so years out of it then I'll be a happy camper. At this point, though my 6 year old PC is still kickin', it's lagging with any action-type video. Trying to watch old episodes of "Friday Night Lights" on Netflix is like watching a football game frame by frame at times. Waiting until June for that eyesore to go away is too much.

I so appreciate your feedback!