Really looking for some advice on purchasing new MacBook pro

[snarestud940]

Hello everyone,

I currently own a 2015 15 inch MacBook pro, it is decked out. I attached a screen shot of the specs. Here is my dilemma. Apple says I can get $800 or so dollars for this laptop (which is great shape, still looks new)! I am really into the new 15 inch MacBook pro with touch bar. However, is it worth the money? I'm currently in chiropractic college, and literally never turn on my MacBook pro in the summer. I use my iPad and iPhone usually, along with iMac.

I'm thinking of selling my iMac and this MacBook pro and getting the new one and using it as a hybrid.

What do you guys think? Is the lower priced $15 inch model better in specs that my current one? I know very little about this stuff. Thanks!

 

[komatta]

Honestly you're gonna have to spend a lot to replace your imac and current MBP with one of the new ones. If I were you I would just keep what you have, especially if you often don't use your laptop for months at a time. Or possibly just sell the MBP you have and don't replace it, if you're fine with your desktop + tablet/phone.

 

[entropi]

However, is it worth the money?

Not even a little.

I know very little about this stuff.

Well, yeah there's no doubt about that (sorry). Surf around on the forums a bit - do you really want to spend money on this shiny new computer? Do you have student debt? I struggle with this constantly too, but try to find out what your real needs are instead.

 

[snarestud940]

Not even a little.


Well, yeah there's no doubt about that (sorry). Surf around on the forums a bit - do you really want to spend money on this shiny new computer? Do you have student debt? I struggle with this constantly too, but try to find out what your real needs are instead.

No student debt. I pay for everything my own. Like I said, I use my MacBook extensively through the school year (August-May). But very seldom over the summer months.

I shouldn't do it should I?

 

[mikzn]

IMHO - your rMBP is the keeper - why upgrade to the new MBP? not sure there are any real performance differences that will be noticeable - and you have more ports and a better keyboard.

You can sell the iMac while it has value? buy a nice 32 in screen as a second display with the sales $$

What is your rMBP i7 / 16g mem / SSD size?

You can upgrade the HD if storage is an issue or buy a SSD external - external might be easier.

 

[entropi]

Great that you have no student debt! (I paid off my loans early and it just makes the whole thing called "money" a bit more real)

You have a MBP 15" without a dGPU - so there is a chance it actually can survive a couple of more years! Use it until it dies.

Only a person who lives and breathes because of an extreme interest in Apple's products should buy the new MBP series. All others should look somewhere else, IMHO (and this comes from someone who has been a macuser since 1993). The new MBP-series are still plagued by a couple of decisions Apple made and they don't seem to really want to adjust their position at the moment. Fine, we can vote with our wallets then.

(But: As you can see - as a consumer I have really lost the faith I used to have in what Apple offered. As an investor... it is quite a bit the opposite way around... more and more folks seem to think like you. People buy stuff they don't really need, they just want new stuff. There is a opportunity here, even though I - or the planet - don't really like this behaviour...)

 

[Petetastic]

I'd keep your old ones for the moment. The cost of a new laptop is rather prohibitive, and maybe wait for all the stuff about the thermal issues to really shake out.

If the performance improvement would be huge--say you're playing games or using virtual machines or doing some serious compiling or image work--I'd say go for it.

 

[mikzn]

Fine, we can vote with our wallets then.

could not agree more - I really like apple computers and the OS - but really dislike some of their attempts to exclude competition . . .

After apple started gluing batteries into laptops, soldering in the memory chips and not allowing any memory upgrade , and using specially configured SSD drives to avoid 3rd party replacements and attacking 3rd party repair services and their own distributors like Best Buy etc.

I too - "vote with my wallet" - just like you said
- I never buy from apple stores - ussually best buy - they are great
- buy music from amazon - never apple
- buy all accessories from non apple sources
- buy movies from anywhere except apple

I like the iPhone 8 and rMBP and all the other apple products I have purchased - just not the above mentioned aspects of apple support.

 

[fatalogic]

From a pure value perspective what you have is fine but if you just want something new then yea get the new one. Also you could probably get more for your 15 on Craigslist or eBay.

 

[Howard2k]

Are you having issues with your current MBPro? If not, I would keep it and not upgrade.

I’m using a 2015 13”. The new range would be a significant speed increase, but my current MB is working great. So that’s a lot of coin and it’s taking on risk of a new device. Overall, just not worth it IMO for my usage.

If you have specific shortcomings that you need to address, that’s another story.

 

[snarestud940]

Hey Everyone!

Thanks for al the feedback. I love this MacBook pro. You can see all the devices in my signature. I use it extensively throughout the school year. Definitely on the MacBook pro more than any other device. In the summer, not so much. I do like the new keyboard. But aside from that and the Touch Bar, I really don't see any reason to upgrade just yet. You guys have done a great job. Does anyone else want to weigh in from the other side?

Also, does anyone know of a great keyboard cover to use? And, I have some sticky stuff on my keys. What is the best way to clean this off?

 

[cwosigns]

Hey Everyone!

Thanks for al the feedback. I love this MacBook pro. You can see all the devices in my signature. I use it extensively throughout the school year. Definitely on the MacBook pro more than any other device. In the summer, not so much. I do like the new keyboard. But aside from that and the Touch Bar, I really don't see any reason to upgrade just yet. You guys have done a great job. Does anyone else want to weigh in from the other side?

Also, does anyone know of a great keyboard cover to use? And, I have some sticky stuff on my keys. What is the best way to clean this off?

I got the 15" 2018 MBP and I love it, but I was coming from a 2016 MacBook (not Pro). So it's a big upgrade for me.

Regarding your keyboard, I've always just turned my computer off and used a Windex wipe to clean it, being careful that it's not too saturated with cleaning solution. I've never had a problem with that, and my keyboard looks almost new.

 

[haruhiko]

could not agree more - I really like apple computers and the OS - but really dislike some of their attempts to exclude competition . . .

After apple started gluing batteries into laptops, soldering in the memory chips and not allowing any memory upgrade , and using specially configured SSD drives to avoid 3rd party replacements and attacking 3rd party repair services and their own distributors like Best Buy etc.

I too - "vote with my wallet" - just like you said
- I never buy from apple stores - ussually best buy - they are great
- buy music from amazon - never apple
- buy all accessories from non apple sources
- buy movies from anywhere except apple

I like the iPhone 8 and rMBP and all the other apple products I have purchased - just not the above mentioned aspects of apple support.

When things are getting smaller and smaller they lose modularity. This happens to many electronics too. I still remember the time when I built my own beige box PC in the late 1990s. After a few years, the CPU changed socket, I couldn’t really upgrade the CPU and RAM besides a high clocked original one or a little higher RAM capacity. But that’s all. After 2-3 years I would buy another one from top to bottom. It was just much better than spending money on an old machine.

For buying Apple stuff, I still recommend the Apple Store, usually, if there is anything happened to your computer, they wil accept return without asking anything. Sometimes, they do repair for free although officially I should’ve been charged. So I will stick with them.

For music, Spotify is still much better. Amazon’s content isn’t available anywhere else in the world.

For accessories, if there is anything related to power, e.g. the power adapter, etc. I would recommend you to stick with Apple. Some cheap third party accessories cheap out on the internals. For non-critical items, you can always find anything you like.

For movies, I gave up downloading a few years ago and now I just go to the cinemas. The experience is so much better.

My 2 cents.