Purchasing a new Macbook

[exterminator]

Hi all,

I am writing to share a small dilemma that I have concerning MacBooks.

Basically, should everything go according to plan, I will move abroad in a year’s time for a (unknown) period of time. My only reliable device is a 27” iMAC and I have no fast laptop, which practically puts me in the market for a new portable device.
Hence for me mobility will be extremely important. I want to take with me all my files and data (consisting of my entire collection of documents, music and other media) and I want it to be accessible at all times. Being my main computer, it will be mainly used for development (Android, iOS etc), very minor gaming, University stuff, general use etc…

Which brings me to my problem. Recent Macbooks have only been released with small SSD drives, and from the little I know about SSDs, I understand that it is unadvisable to store such data directly on an SSD and write constantly as it would significantly reduce its lifetime.

So now I have two options:

The first option would be to purchase the Retina Macbook with a 256gb ssd and complement it with a large (space) external drive. What I dislike about this option is that these models cannot have basic upgrades such as RAM and of course I would still need to carry an external drive around. One particular thing which also annoys me is the lack of Ethernet port in the devices.

Otherwise I have considered the old version of the Macbooks (Non-Retina) where I could remove the DVD drive and replace it with an SSD in time. The drawback I see here is that in terms of specifications, the model seems to have become quite old now.

Any opinions would be appreciated.

 

[capathy21]

You do not have to worry about writes to the SSD. You won't wear it out before that machine is dead and gone.

I would highly recommend you go with a rMBP. If you can't make due with the SSD size you can afford, go with the external storage. It's worth it for a much better display, and an overall faster machine.

 

[Meister]

What's your budget?

 

[exterminator]

Budget stands at 1500 euro / 2000 usd. I live in europe.

 

[Meister]

Budget stands at 1500 euro / 2000 usd. I live in europe.

What country?

The cmbp only has half the battery life of the current mba. How many gb do you want to carry around with you?

 

[2984839]

Get the base non-Retina, spend $80-100 on a 128 GB SSD, and stick the 500 GB HDD in the optical bay (unless you need the optical drive). You'll have the speed of the SSD with the 500 GB extra storage of the HDD, upgradeable RAM, replaceable battery, and will save hundreds over getting a Retina with a 512 GB SSD.

 

[pragmatous]

no offense but that's a horrible suggestion.

The retina screen really is that much better and worth the extra costs. I didn't think it would make much difference from what I had and I bought the top of the line display for the classic MBPs. It is that much better.

For 2000 dollars you can easily get the base 15" machine and be extremely happy with it.

Get the base non-Retina, spend $80-100 on a 128 GB SSD, and stick the 500 GB HDD in the optical bay (unless you need the optical drive). You'll have the speed of the SSD with the 500 GB extra storage of the HDD, upgradeable RAM, replaceable battery, and will save hundreds over getting a Retina with a 512 GB SSD.

 

[maflynn]

Don't worry about the writes, the number is so high you'll not have to worry about it.

As for model selection, I'd go with the rMBP, and avoid the non retina model. With the classic MBP (non retina) you're paying a premium for older technology. The screen and performance of the rMBP make it a good buy imo

 

[exterminator]

What country?

The cmbp only has half the battery life of the current mba. How many gb do you want to carry around with you?

Malta. I have around 600gb worth of data.

Don't worry about the writes, the number is so high you'll not have to worry about it.

As for model selection, I'd go with the rMBP, and avoid the non retina model. With the classic MBP (non retina) you're paying a premium for older technology. The screen and performance of the rMBP make it a good buy imo

As beautiful as it may seem, i wasnt really interested in the retina screen itself, i might be wrong but its not exactly a necessity.

I was thinking of going for the following:

a rMbp configured with 128gb sdd and 16gb ram instead of 256gb/8gb. Then I would add a 2tb portable external. Either or, a 512gb ssd is not enough for me.

Opinions?

I am not exactly in a hurry for it, since as I said, I will mainly need it in a year's time, but I was going to buy it anyway and start using it.

However a friend of mine told me to wait as there might be another refresh with Intel's new processors soon... Is it the right time to get a mbp or is another refresh coming??

 

[T5BRICK]

However a friend of mine told me to wait as there might be another refresh with Intel's new processors soon... Is it the right time to get a mbp or is another refresh coming??

It doesn't look like intel will be releasing Broadwell this year. Additionally, the rMBPs just received a spec bump. Now is a good time to buy unless you feel like waiting 6 or so months.