Suggestions on new purchase...

[spyork]

Okay, I've read these forums until my eyeballs popped out. Lots of good information here so I'm hoping someone can provide some helpful assistance. I would like to purchase a new notebook to use at home. My other notebook (older windows pc) is on it's last leg. I would like to use it for general web surfing, email, etc. I also want to get into some iOS development on the side, so I'll be running some Xcode as well. I don't want to break the bank on a new purchase, so here is what I'm looking at...

1.) 2012 13" Macbook Pro base model at the Apple store (will upgrade memory and install a SSD later on). With educational discount and Apple Care the total is $1282.00 before taxes. This also includes a free $100 gift card from Apple.
2.) Brand new late 2011 15" Macbook Pro 2.2Ghz i7 w/ Parallels and Apple Care for $1591.00 (no taxes and free shipping). This is from an authorized Apple seller.

I know the 2011 model doesn't have USB 3.0, which I can live without, but should I be concerned with heat issues on the 2011 models. I've heard they run kind of toasty. Anyway, any thoughts and recommendations? This will be my first Mac at home. I currently use an iMac at work. Thanks...

 

[icewing]

if you'd like to save a little money up front, you can wait to buy Applecare anytime within the first year.

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...and as a coder myself, I'd recommend as much screen real estate as possible - go with the 15 inch.

 

[midtownhd]

have you considered 13'' air?

 

[currahee2100]

Are you sure you can't spare a little more for the 15" Pro? The newer gen processors are a lot better.

Honestly I would just get the i7 13" Pro. For $300 more you get double the ram, 50% more HDD space, and a cpu that runs really fast. Quad core seems overkill for what you need it. I would also consider the air, unless if you want to use this as your main computer and would find extra storage handy.

 

[Auzburner]

I would go for the 13" 2012 over a 2011 15"... My two cents.

 

[spyork]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I can't really consider an Air at this point because of it's lack of upgradability. I honestly don't like the fact that the memory can't be upgraded later on down the road. I would also like more storage than the Air offers. It would really be nice to have the display from the 13" Air on the MBP though. At this point I think I'm eliminating the 2011 15" from my list of considerations, and I'm going to strongly consider the 2012 13" i7 model. I honestly think it would be perfect and I can always add a SSD as a boot drive down the road and move the hard drive to the optical bay. I'm going to roll down to the local Apple store and give it a test drive and then go from there. I'll report back later. Again, thanks for the help...

 

[Itzmemark]

I bought the 13" i7 is was very fast at basic tools and even playing around with iMovie with my go pro footage. My only grip was the screen, I was coming from a 2007 high res anti-glare so I was accustom to the 1400X900 and believe me you can tell the difference, furthermore I missed my 15 screen but that is again what I was accustom too. When I returned mine I had to wait next to the new retina displays and I ended up buying 1 of the 3 they had in stock, other than the screen and video rendering the mbp13 i7 was great, it will be a great buy, also for the upgradability.

 

[natebookpro]

I would go with the 15" because of the screen resolution, size, cpu, and dedicated graphics chip. If you were hooking up an external monitor you might be able to swing me in the other direction, but as is I'd want the 15". Just my opinion though.