Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

To upgrade or not to upgrade??

B

bigpoppamac31

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Aug 16, 2007
2,464
449
Canada
The new non-touchbar 13" version is $1899 as-is in Canada. Upgrade to 16GB ram and 512GB SSD and it's $2379. Both prices do not include tax which is 13% in Ontario.

They also still offer a "classic" version with all the sensible I/O which is $1549 as-is and $2269 with 16GB and 512GB SSD.

I have a 2014 13" now with 8GB and 512GB SSD. Would it make sense to upgrade? Even grab a refurb 2015?

The 15" "classic" is $2449 with only a 256GB SSD. So sad. I'd love a 15" again otherwise I'm paying high cost for an external monitor with comparable "retina" (or 4K) resolution and my rMBP can't run it at 60Hz.
 
T5BRICK said:
Unless your current Mac can't do something you need to do, you don't need to upgrade.
Click to expand...

True. It does everything I need it to do. Guess I'm just wanting a more maxed out system for longevity. Plus if I wanted to get a 4K display or TV my Mac can't run that properly which sucks. I think I can only get 30Hz instead of 60Hz refresh. I'm trying to find an external monitor but really anything less than "retina" won't look so crisp and clear now that I'm used to a retina screen.
 
bigpoppamac31 said:
True. It does everything I need it to do. Guess I'm just wanting a more maxed out system for longevity. Plus if I wanted to get a 4K display or TV my Mac can't run that properly which sucks. I think I can only get 30Hz instead of 60Hz refresh. I'm trying to find an external monitor but really anything less than "retina" won't look so crisp and clear now that I'm used to a retina screen.
Click to expand...

I'd keep your current system for a few more years and then pick up a second or third gen rMBP w/ touchbar. I'm guessing the prices will drop a little between now and then.
 
I had a 2012 15 '' pro. Decent machine still bit I went for a new one because the 2012 doesn't run 4K at 60. Anyhow it was a 4 year old box. I could have stretched it another year but I decided to just go for it. The update looks solid. Definitely pricey for a maxed out 15''.
 
T5BRICK said:
I'd keep your current system for a few more years and then pick up a second or third gen rMBP w/ touchbar. I'm guessing the prices will drop a little between now and then.
Click to expand...

Well this is Apple so I'm not holding my breath on the price drop. They price gouge on upgrading ram and SSD so a sensible price drop is not likely.
 
bigpoppamac31 said:
Well this is Apple so I'm not holding my breath on the price drop. They price gouge on upgrading ram and SSD so a sensible price drop is not likely.
Click to expand...

The original rMBP was introduced at a slightly higher than expected price, but after about a year and a half, prices dropped about $200 across the board.

And yeah, SSD, RAM and CPU upgrade prices are higher than they should be, but they're much more reasonable than they were 8-10 years ago.
 
T5BRICK said:
The original rMBP was introduced at a slightly higher than expected price, but after about a year and a half, prices dropped about $200 across the board.

And yeah, SSD, RAM and CPU upgrade prices are higher than they should be, but they're much more reasonable than they were 8-10 years ago.
Click to expand...

Maybe so. But 3rd party ram and SSD costs much less than proprietary Apple version. Apple just handicaps people to upgrade at the time of purchase by making it not user upgradeable. Their obsession with "thin and light" is astounding.
 
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
bigpoppamac31 said:
My point is that not everyone has enough money to upgrade (or max out) at the time of purchase. I know I don't. Buying a Mac is a huge investment for someone like me working a near minimum wage job.
Click to expand...

If budget is a concern, wait a few years until the 2016 units are not new and the tech in them becomes more mainstream (ie. USB-C/TB-3 is the industry standard connection). Alternative 2 is get a higher paying job so the cost becomes less of an issue.
 
jerryk said:
If budget is a concern, wait a few years until the 2016 units are not new and the tech in them becomes more mainstream (ie. USB-C/TB-3 is the industry standard connection). Alternative 2 is get a higher paying job so the cost becomes less of an issue.
Click to expand...

Well option 2 seems like an impossibility. If it was so easy to get a better paying job I would have had one years ago. Maybe if Apple actually upgrades the Mac Mini I'll get one of those and an iPad for any portable usage. As for option 1? We'll see. I kinda wish I had the 15" rMBP with the dGPU. That I think would also give me better longevity. Plus a bigger screen for desktop use.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back