Question regarding my macbook choice for this specific use! Advice needed

[JM91Six]

Ive asked around on various platforms and have had a good response from one individual.. Just Wanting to do my due diligence and get as much intel before making a purchase

I’m thinking of getting a 2020 MacBook Pro 13” for work/leisure. It would be i7 quad core 2.3ghz turbo boost up to 4.1. 16gb of lddpr4x memory. 1TB storage. . For work I need a PDF open usually ranging from 5-30 pages and an excel workbook. The excel workbooks vary in size but mainly a workbook that has multiple tabs but the tabs aren’t necessarily large. I do hvac work so it’s based on whatever size job I’m working on. In the background I may have Apple Music or a web browser open with email running at all times. I do want to connect it to a 4K monitor as well.

I will also try to get into photo editing and possible video editing as well as a hobby. This would be very basic ( iPhone as camera with shots of family and my newborn niece. Things like that).Will this be able to perform all those. I’m not looking to get a lower end lol. I kind of like the newer stuff ... and portability is a big thing for me when it needs to so would generally like to stay smaller

I could wait for an ARM MacBook. This isn’t a complete needed now purchase but not sold on getting a first gen. And know everything is speculation and rumors on what will be released as of now.

I am heavily invested with the Apple ecosystem which is driving this change. iPhone, iPad, HomePod, Apple Watch... multiple things connected to home kit. I just have never used a MacBook much. Sorry for the rambling. I appreciate any response and advice... I know one individual recommended sticking with an i5 and upgrading to 32gb ram and trying to get some solid advice,

 

[ultrakyo]

For the price you are going to spend on the 13” must as well get MBP 16” base model from amazon for $100 more as long as you are not using external display with lid open. You will appreciate the screen real estate for excel work and pdf reading side by side.

PS: I am also doing HVAC and sometimes use Autocad.

 

[Cookie18]

If you can, pay attention to how much memory you're using during this workflow right now. I have a feeling 16GB of RAM should be fine, I often have similarly large documents open plus video calls, browsers with a few tabs etc and I am fine on 16GB.

The only concern would be the graphics, that's why you'd be best waiting for the ARM Macs. The graphics on the 13" MacBook Pros is really poor, new ARM Macs should have something similar to PS4/Xbox One graphics as a minimum which would be much better for photo and video editing plus running your 4K monitor.

If you don't like what you see with the ARM Macs you will probably be able to get this config with a discount once they are out so you don't lose anything by waiting a couple of months.

 

[JM91Six]

For the price you are going to spend on the 13” must as well get MBP 16” base model from amazon for $100 more as long as you are not using external display with lid open. You will appreciate the screen real estate for excel work and pdf reading side by side.

PS: I am also doing HVAC and sometimes use Autocad.

Thank you for the reply! Yes the larger screen sounds nice, but at the same time I’m usually always connected to an external monitor. Sucks with everything locked down I cant really go check things out as easily

 

[JM91Six]

If you can, pay attention to how much memory you're using during this workflow right now. I have a feeling 16GB of RAM should be fine, I often have similarly large documents open plus video calls, browsers with a few tabs etc and I am fine on 16GB.

The only concern would be the graphics, that's why you'd be best waiting for the ARM Macs. The graphics on the 13" MacBook Pros is really poor, new ARM Macs should have something similar to PS4/Xbox One graphics as a minimum which would be much better for photo and video editing plus running your 4K monitor.

If you don't like what you see with the ARM Macs you will probably be able to get this config with a discount once they are out so you don't lose anything by waiting a couple of months.

Thank you for the response. Yeah the photo/video editing would be lower on the totem pole of my reasonings but if the 13 would have issues doing the workflow tasks and also a monitor I would be a little bummed. ARM Mac sounds great to me, I guess just the uncertainty of when it will be announced, what model will be first and what not its kind of hard to gauge with the current climate. I’m not in a giant hurry or anything but have been stirring on this decision for a while.

 

[Cookie18]

Thank you for the response. Yeah the photo/video editing would be lower on the totem pole of my reasonings but if the 13 would have issues doing the workflow tasks and also a monitor I would be a little bummed. ARM Mac sounds great to me, I guess just the uncertainty of when it will be announced, what model will be first and what not its kind of hard to gauge with the current climate. I’m not in a giant hurry or anything but have been stirring on this decision for a while.

Most likely we're looking at October, that's what current leaks suggest and that's when Apple normally announces Macs in the fall. It's also most likely that the 21.5" iMac, Mac Mini and MacBook Pro get replaced along with there possibly being a new MacBook.

 

[ultrakyo]

Thank you for the reply! Yes the larger screen sounds nice, but at the same time I’m usually always connected to an external monitor. Sucks with everything locked down I cant really go check things out as easily

In that case I think you will be fine with 13" i5 with 16GB upgrade and appropriate disk size since your usage are not really intensive and the internal GPU is good enough to drive external monitor. Wouldn't spend the extra money for i7 as the difference is too much and better to keep the money for upgrade to Arm 14" Macbook, either 1st or 2nd gen when it's released.