I currently have the base model February 2011 13" Macbook Pro and I'm thinking about upgrading the factory SATA drive with an SSD and possibly upgrading the RAM from 4GB to 16GB. I use this computer primarily for web design and photography and I've contemplated buying the Thunderbolt display to use along with it while at home. However, I've realized that it may be more beneficial to just sell my current Macbook Pro as it is and get the base Retina MBP with upgraded RAM. I'm still in college so I'll be using the laptop's display heavily which draws me to the Retina (especially the increase in real estate which is seriously lacking right now). What would you guys do in this situation? Upgrade my current laptop and buy the display or sell my MBP and get the Retina MBP?
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Macbook Pro Retina advice
- Thread starter Tony5787
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Unless you absolutely need to upgrade I wouldn't bother being an early adopter. You should wait for the first revision/upgrade if at all possible in any given circumstance. Good luck!
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I'd upgrade the RAM and keep the current MBP. Unless you need the Retina MBP for a specific reason (i.e. not just screen real estate), you're better off keeping it for now and then upgrading a year or two down the road.
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I wouldn't invest in an old laptop. Sell it (resale value is great for yours) and get that Retina bad boy.
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I'd say wait it out if it isn't lagging horribly. Something as minor as 8GB of ram would satisfy most people. If the rMBP offerings expand, expect that one to tank in value. Everyone just wants it right now because it's new. Later many of those same people will dump theirs for the latest thing and complain that they're taking a loss
. Take a look at how much some of the silly people are asking for their 2011s in the marketplace. They don't want to lose a lot, yet they want the latest thing. It tends to work best at the low end where people just want a mac yet can't afford one.
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Given that you have such a new MBP, I'd say your benefit is going to be minimal.
You will get more screen real estate going from 13" to 15"
a better GPU (mostly moving from integrated to discrete)
a better screen with the retina display.
Performance increase around 15%
You lose the optical drive, firewire and ethernet port.
Are these additions and subtractions worth the price of the retina? If it were me, I'd say no, unless one of those points were a show stopper, i.e., I need more screen real estate.
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and then wait for the third, then the fourth, and before you know it, you're 84 years old and thinking "what the hell, I never did buy that awesome Apple laptop."
If you've got the funds to expend and they aren't going to go anywhere more useful, then party on and buy the new MacBook!
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