My early 2011 MBP just died due to the GPU issue and I'm not totally sure I should spend $3k for a 2017 15" MBP. I know a lot of people were not happy with this release. I need a laptop that can run Avid Media Composer or Adobe Premiere. What are your thoughts on these machines?
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Need help deciding if I should get 2017 MBP
- Thread starter molocono
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In my case I have had alot of buyers remorse , going back and forth with the 2017 model of mbp's .. ive had the 13 , and the 15 inch computers.
I now have an imac and one of the cheaper 13 inch computers. I fully believe that the mbps are extremely expensive for the hardware that you get. I would suggest looking at other brands like razer or dell before fully jumping into a 3k purchase. (coming from someone thats strictly used osx all of their life )
that is unless you have to have a mac.
I now have an imac and one of the cheaper 13 inch computers. I fully believe that the mbps are extremely expensive for the hardware that you get. I would suggest looking at other brands like razer or dell before fully jumping into a 3k purchase. (coming from someone thats strictly used osx all of their life )
that is unless you have to have a mac.
I was thinking about going to the 'dark side.' I saw an ASUS Zenbook 15" for less than $1300 that is more than capable to run my video editing apps.
haha yeah dude , it might be worth it to run to a best buy or a store that has the zenbook so you can compare it to the macbook.
Personally, I must say that I've been very happy with my 2017 15-inch MacBook Pro. Many of the complaints are about the TouchBar, but to be honest I find it actually quite useful for what I use my MBP for. I am a photographer and do a lot of work in Adobe's Photoshop, After Effects, Premier Pro, Lightroom, and Apple Final Cut Pro & Logic Pro X (at times), and more. The TouchBar provides useful tools and shortcuts in these applications which makes my work easier and increases productivity. I also find it useful in all areas of macOS use - volume, brightness, etc., as well as in MS Office and iWork applications. My conclusion on TB: I love it.
I spent over $5,000 on my 2017 MBP (i7 3.1GHz, 2TB SSD customized options, Radeon Pro 560 4GB, 16GB RAM), and although it's a lot of money to spend on a laptop - especially compared to what is available from other manufacturers - I truly believe that I have gotten what I've paid for and more. I've always loved my MacBook Pro's (user for more than ten years including pre-unibody), and this is no different. The fact that macOS and the computer along with it's components are designed and manufactured by Apple ensures that everything is fine tuned and optimized to run at it's absolute best. I've honestly never used a faster laptop in my life and my wife even has an Asus ROG laptop with 32GB memory, 1TB SSD, GTX 1080Ti 8GB, etc., and my 2017 MBP consistently comes out as the better performer for things like booting up, everyday computing, performance applications like video editing (After Effects, Premier Pro on both computers) as well as application loading times. I believe the fact that the MacBook Pro hardware and software are fine-tuned by the same manufacturer make it more smooth and streamlined than competitor computers with superior technical specifications.
All in all, I highly recommend the 2017 MacBook Pro 15-inch. I could not be more happy with this years model and I'm a longtime MacBook Pro user. So obviously, my recommendation is to go ahead and purchase it if you're considering doing so. If you can afford it, I would recommend the higher end model that comes with the Radeon Pro 560 which has 4GB GDDR5 which will help with your performance application needs. That said, if it's unaffordable, the Radeon Pro 555 still has 2GB and should still be adequate for most scenarios.
Cheers! Good luck!
Interesting, I have the opposite view. You can read my post above, but in summary, while I agree that it's a lot of money in terms of what you get looking solely at the technical specifications, I still find the 2017 MBP superior in performance to cheaper laptops with greater tech specs. And this isn't in a fanboy-ish way, but because Apple makes both the computer and macOS, I believe that the computer performs better than others with better specs because both MBP and macOS have been fine-tuned to work seamlessly together. This brings a smooth, fast design with few bugs. I, unlike most it seems, enjoy the TouchBar and find that I use it regularly and it assists me in some of the performance as well as non-performance applications that I use.
Comparing my MacBook Pro 2017 15-inch (3.1GHz, 16GB RAM, RP 560 4GB, 2TB SSD) to my wife's Asus ROG (i7 3.4GHz, 32GB RAM, GTX 1080Ti 8GB, 1TB SSD), while hers should in theory be a "faster" and "better" computer than mine due to the better processor, RAM, and dGPU - and both notebooks running an SSD for equal comparison - mine encounters less slowdowns, freezes, has a faster boot time from cold start to OS startup to application boot, to render time of the same videos in Premier Pro and other applications, etc. All in all, I personally believe that with most Apple products, and definitely the 2017 MacBook Pro (15-inch - I cannot speak for the 13-inch models, personally), the purchaser absolutely gets what they pay for and more in my experience.
Cheers!
One of the biggest things that annoys is the removal of all the original ports. So I would need to spend more cash on adapters since I have a lot of external hard drives with different ports. But in the end I find it hard to invest in a PC because I've been in the Mac space for so long. I had one editing gig where we used PCs and I absolutely hated it. I know I'll end up getting the Mac, but really trying to do research before I pull the trigger. Plus it's gonna be so much powerful than my 2011 unit that the expense will feel like it's worth it. Has anyone had experience with their 0% financing from Barclays?
I can't comment on the financing option, but in terms of buying extra adapters and cables - it's not as bad as you might think.
First, more and more accessories are coming out with Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) compatibility which is a major plus. However, admittedly, there is still a major shortage.
Obviously, there are the Apple manufactured adapters - the simple, single-port USB adapter and the Digital AV adapter (USB-C for charging, HDMI, USB port) being the most popular which I have and they work as expected.
However, I recently purchased a fantastic dock from Belkin which has three USB 3.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports, 3.5mm headphone jack, DisplayPort port) which works well and is great as it contains so many options - best of all being the ethernet jack built in as well given that Apple doesn't make one themselves if you ever need an ethernet connection such as in secured areas without Wi-Fi and/or hotels that only have wired internet. The downside to this dock is that while it is portable and can easily fit into a computer bag, it is larger to carry around - it isn't a problem for me, but could be for others. The dock itself isn't that big, but it's certainly larger than the small dongles from Apple. This is the dock
There is also another option from Belkin which is similar in design but instead of multiple ports and ethernet it is simply a four-port USB 3.0 hub which connects via Thunderbolt/USB-C to your MBP. This is the hub
Also, I agree with your other comment - coming from a 2011 MBP this 2017 model is going to be much faster and more powerful and you will absolutely notice the difference.
Cheers!
I wouldn't let adapters being the deciding factor. My job has a lot of audio and video editing in it and adapters are just part of the game. What I really like about the USB-C ports is I've basically got four ports that can be what I want depending on my setup.
But I do understand people feeling burned by the extra cost. It's kind like dripping $43,000 on a switcher, then having to pay another $1,500 to get the "advanced" version of the software for it (looking at you, NewTek). But that's commonplace.
What has been my problem is this butterfly keyboard business. It took me four MBPs to finally get one that worked, then I had problems and I've sent it in twice and looking at a third time. I don't like the butterfly keys, but that's my problem, but when they don't even work it's something else.
My 2016 15" has been great for various audio and video editing programs, but...the hardware problems I've had. Chalk it up to sour grapes, I suppose, but I wish I'd never gotten it and I'm not going to be buying anything with butterfly switches for our office upgrades.
But I do understand people feeling burned by the extra cost. It's kind like dripping $43,000 on a switcher, then having to pay another $1,500 to get the "advanced" version of the software for it (looking at you, NewTek). But that's commonplace.
What has been my problem is this butterfly keyboard business. It took me four MBPs to finally get one that worked, then I had problems and I've sent it in twice and looking at a third time. I don't like the butterfly keys, but that's my problem, but when they don't even work it's something else.
My 2016 15" has been great for various audio and video editing programs, but...the hardware problems I've had. Chalk it up to sour grapes, I suppose, but I wish I'd never gotten it and I'm not going to be buying anything with butterfly switches for our office upgrades.
I did, yes. In fact I considered waiting for the new iMac Pro to launch in December. However, as much as the cost savings for a superior performance machine would be, I need to have a powerful computer that I can take with me on the go and while a new iMac Pro would have been great for my home office work, I'd have to continue to rely on my 2015 MBP for on the go work and the whole reason I was looking for an upgrade was to replace it with a better performing notebook. So for me, it was primarily always a 2017 MBP from the beginning, mulling over if I could afford both it and the iMac Pro, but ultimately deciding that it wouldn't be worth it to get both if I max out the 15-inch MacBook Pro with top specs available via customization options on the Apple website.
Cheers
Hm, see I am the opposite. You're not a fan of the new keyboard? I can see getting frustrated going through that many machines and repairs with it not working, but in terms of the feel and performance of it I enjoy the new butterfly keyboard. Typing is smooth and easy, and the keys seem to be coated in something that makes them maintain their matte feeling, so typing is soft, quiet, and comfortable. I guess this is a matter of personal preference, however. I just know that this is my favorite keyboard ever on a MacBook Pro - my previous reigning favorite was the pre-unibody (Intel) MBP... remember the model that had the keys that were aluminum painted and matched the computer body? I believe it was the 2007 model if I am not mistaken. I loved those keys and it remained my favorite for many years, until now. The 2017 butterfly keyboard is my new favorite, hands down, without question. Again, personal preference .
That said, if mine failed as many times as yours did, I would definitely be frustrated at the craftsmanship and design, so I sympathize with your frustration and annoyance.
Cheers!
My early 2011 MBP died as well recently... Instead of the 2017's, I bought a refurbed 2015. I'm a professional photographer and videographer. This machine does everything I need. I picked the 2015 over the 2015 because I prefer the keyboard, USB ports and overall feel of this particular model. It was also much cheaper $1699 - than a 2017.
Just my 2 cents
I don't know if I've psyched myself out, or what. I just can't get used to the feel, but I also don't really like mechanical keyboards, so I'm "weird." I learned to type on a typewriter and an Apple IIc and I really liked the silver key MBPs then also the chiclet keys. I use a lot of different keyboards at work and I think my favorite right now is the Magic Keyboard. I still use the old Apple wireless keyboard and like those, too. I kind of like the mushy feel to them depending on my mood.
When I do typing tests I usually get about 100-110wpm (with two or fewer errors, which stuck as my criterion since high school typing class) and with the butterfly switches I struggle to even get 85.
It's a personal choice, though, just like how I prefer the USB-C ports. That's with hardware problems aside, of course.
Yeah I think again this just shows that keyboards come down to personal preference - and as you say, just like the USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports. I am with you on that one - I prefer them as well, for a multitude of reasons. I like how small and clean they look on the MBP casing. I've also upgraded any cables I use to be USB-C to whatever other end I need (i.e. USB-C to Lightning for my iPhone/iPad). As well as the face that I do a lot of things wirelessly now anyway, but for when I'm in my home office and need to connect multiple things of various adapters I have a heavy duty Belkin dock which has ethernet, USB 3.0, USB-C/Thunderbolt 3, DisplayPort, HDMI, and more. It's fantastic, and it does what I need it to do at home. When I'm on the go, I rarely need to connect anything more than a small Apple Adapter can't do for me (that's if I don't already have the USB-C cable for my part).
Cheers
Gave up on the Mac for professional use, Apple's focus is the base consumer with $$$$ to spend, wowing the crowd with gimmick's little else. Everything is being sacrificed for the need to be pointlessly thinner at the expense of reliability and usability worse still, the MBP is now reliant on third party solutions to attain basic connectivity...
Q-6
Q-6
I think that spending £5k on a laptop which is prettying much all soldered, is risky - after Apple care expires, if anything goes, anything, you will need a very expensive logic board replacement (including SSD).
Things being soldered isn’t new, but I’d say usually SSD’s aren’t soldered on laptops, which Apple has decided to do, and other manufacturers don’t charge £5k. When you look at those who had MacBooks for more or less 10 years (what I would hope for a £5k device), user uogradability was a huge factor. These laptops just feel like ticking time bombs to me, for that eventual ~£800 bill because something went bad. Over 10 years I could see having to spend thousands on potential repairs.
This isn’t to knock on Apples QA, though it has seen better days, but it’s just the nature of PC parts, something usually will go wrong after X years, it’s a shame my option when that happens is not just to replace a faulty part, but the whole board.
OP wrote:
"One of the biggest things that annoys is the removal of all the original ports."
Have you considered the 15" MacBook Pro 2015 design?
Do you realize that these are still available "as new units" from Apple?
However -- they are configured with only an integrated GPU.
But... they have a full complement of ports, a keyboard that won't fail every few months, and a more reasonable price tag.
If you absolutely have-to-have a discrete GPU, the 2015 models are still available from Apple as factory-refurbished units as well.
"One of the biggest things that annoys is the removal of all the original ports."
Have you considered the 15" MacBook Pro 2015 design?
Do you realize that these are still available "as new units" from Apple?
However -- they are configured with only an integrated GPU.
But... they have a full complement of ports, a keyboard that won't fail every few months, and a more reasonable price tag.
If you absolutely have-to-have a discrete GPU, the 2015 models are still available from Apple as factory-refurbished units as well.
I need the discrete GPU, as I will be running video editing apps on it. Now I'm trying to decide between a maxed out 2017 MBP vs iMac. I normally don't need so much portable power. If I take my laptop to work it is just to do email or web stuff. But being a freelancer, I feel I will always need a laptop. Ideally it would be great to have both laptop and desktop. If I can resurrect my 2011 MBP then I will definitely get the iMac.
I just bought another 2015 15" w/ dGPU and AppleCare into 2019 off eBay
That's another route you could go.
That's another route you could go.
I saw someone selling a 2015 MBP with dGPU and Applecare into 2018 for less than $1500. Just have never bought a used laptop and not sure if I want to do that.
The ironic thing, is I'd bet you dollars to doughnuts you're more likely to need to use AppleCare for one of the newer machines (the keyboard) than with a pre-owned previous gen model.
If you're getting this computer you should transition to FCPX.
If you wanna run clunky programs like Avid or Adobe Premiere you might want something beefier (iMac).
Honestly though Premiere is a complete pile of garbage these days.
As for the actual machine itself – it's the best computer ever made by an enormous margin. All the complaints are weird edge cases creating an availability heuristic bias. I.e. the whiners are loud but few. I've also noticed that if you directly confront the whiners, virtually none of them actually own the machine. They just hate the idea of it.
If you wanna run clunky programs like Avid or Adobe Premiere you might want something beefier (iMac).
Honestly though Premiere is a complete pile of garbage these days.
As for the actual machine itself – it's the best computer ever made by an enormous margin. All the complaints are weird edge cases creating an availability heuristic bias. I.e. the whiners are loud but few. I've also noticed that if you directly confront the whiners, virtually none of them actually own the machine. They just hate the idea of it.