I just ordered a new 15" Macbook Pro this morning. BUT the question I have, is the Mac Pro with upgraded processor and a $2,999 price point worth considering at this point?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Macbook Pro or Mac Pro
- Thread starter JOHNGAETANO
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
If you cut video full time and charge by the hour, Mac Pro. If you cut occasionally and don't mind waiting a little longer and want some portability, the MacBook Pro.
I actually swapped out my 2010 cMP and Retina 2015 i7 iMac for the 2016 15" MacBook Pro. Colleagues thought me nuts. For me, the time was finally right to build a more mobile video studio. Right now, I'm able to dock at my desk into my TB2 24TB raid array, studio monitors and Thunderbolt Display’s for the traditional work flow. Then I can go mobile for family time/out on the patio/on the go. I absolutely love it.
Since 2001 I’ve always owned a desktop/notebook combo from Apple. This was the first release that finally got me thinking I could combine the two and enjoy the benefits of both thanks to Thunderbolt 3 and a relatively improved discreet GPU (4gb vram). Better yet, thanks to TB3, I am expanding my docking solution to the new Mantiz Venus eGPU/dock and will be able to eliminate some of the cables on the desk as the unit will provide everything I need for legacy input, additional SSD storage, high resolution display hookup via more powerful desktop class GPU and even charging to boot. Very excited about that arrival!
For the most part, this laptop/setup suits my needs pretty well. I’ve ran out of ram a few times in After Effects, but have always made it work. I see this notebook as a tool. And like any tool you do what you have to and make it work. My workflow includes raw 1080 and 4k video. I’m actually challenging myself to return to Final Cut Pro (I abandoned in favor of the creative suite in 2012) because I find it much more resource efficient and quicker.
That said, the recent price drop on the 6-core trash can is enticing (remember though, it’s still tech from 2013). I have the 8-core D700 nMP at the day job and frankly don’t notice that much of a speed difference between the two these days. It’s all relative I suppose. My ears perked at the report of a redesigned Mac Pro due next year. Who knows, maybe I’ll get another desktop at home. You might want to save up for that?
For what it’s worth, my 2014 rMBP feels ancient now both in terms of speed and form factor. That thing frankly has never been able to handle my video work flow (maxed out unit with dGPU).
Since 2001 I’ve always owned a desktop/notebook combo from Apple. This was the first release that finally got me thinking I could combine the two and enjoy the benefits of both thanks to Thunderbolt 3 and a relatively improved discreet GPU (4gb vram). Better yet, thanks to TB3, I am expanding my docking solution to the new Mantiz Venus eGPU/dock and will be able to eliminate some of the cables on the desk as the unit will provide everything I need for legacy input, additional SSD storage, high resolution display hookup via more powerful desktop class GPU and even charging to boot. Very excited about that arrival!
For the most part, this laptop/setup suits my needs pretty well. I’ve ran out of ram a few times in After Effects, but have always made it work. I see this notebook as a tool. And like any tool you do what you have to and make it work. My workflow includes raw 1080 and 4k video. I’m actually challenging myself to return to Final Cut Pro (I abandoned in favor of the creative suite in 2012) because I find it much more resource efficient and quicker.
That said, the recent price drop on the 6-core trash can is enticing (remember though, it’s still tech from 2013). I have the 8-core D700 nMP at the day job and frankly don’t notice that much of a speed difference between the two these days. It’s all relative I suppose. My ears perked at the report of a redesigned Mac Pro due next year. Who knows, maybe I’ll get another desktop at home. You might want to save up for that?
For what it’s worth, my 2014 rMBP feels ancient now both in terms of speed and form factor. That thing frankly has never been able to handle my video work flow (maxed out unit with dGPU).
