What can I do to make better use of my 15" MacBook Pro?

[Hieveryone]

I recently bought a 15" MacBook Pro base model with 6 cores 2.6/16/256

I'm entering a new major stepping stone in my life and feel like the 15" screen will help me work easier.

I will be mainly using my device for Chrome, Safari, Calendar, Notes, Calculator, Microsoft Word, Numbers, Weather sometimes, YouTube, Reminders, and Mail.

What hobbies or other activities could I get into to utilize all this power?

Gaming? DJ'ing? I'm not really into shooting video tbh

 

[leman]

You could start mining cryptocurrency.

 

[tarsins]

Programming and App development. Apple have plenty of guides and tutorials and Xcode is free.

 

[Leo90]

I recently bought a 15" MacBook Pro base model with 6 cores 2.6/16/256

I'm entering a new major stepping stone in my life and feel like the 15" screen will help me work easier.

I will be mainly using my device for Chrome, Safari, Calendar, Notes, Calculator, Microsoft Word, Numbers, Weather sometimes, YouTube, Reminders, and Mail.

What hobbies or other activities could I get into to utilize all this power?

Gaming? DJ'ing? I'm not really into shooting video tbh

Your usage simply does not justify such an expensive device. Sorry.

 

[maflynn]

I recently bought a 15" MacBook Pro base model with 6 cores 2.6/16/256

Are you looking for suggestions on what to use the laptop for, or ways to enhance the laptop to make it work better?

I'm entering a new major stepping stone in my life and feel like the 15" screen will help me work easier.

I will be mainly using my device for Chrome, Safari, Calendar, Notes, Calculator, Microsoft Word, Numbers, Weather sometimes, YouTube, Reminders, and Mail.

What is that the major stepping stone, as what you wrote is not necessarily things that will stress a 6 core laptop.

To me it sounds like you're trying to find ways to use the laptop, but I don't know

 

[MrGunnyPT]

You could start learning to edit some photographs.. Edit some videos you have.. You could start some 3D modelling if you so wish.

There's endless possibilities of stuff you can learn to start using that beast of a Mac

 

[Hieveryone]

Are you looking for suggestions on what to use the laptop for, or ways to enhance the laptop to make it work better?


What is that the major stepping stone, as what you wrote is not necessarily things that will stress a 6 core laptop.

To me it sounds like you're trying to find ways to use the laptop, but I don't know

What I could use it more for. Like music production maybe. This is something I’ve been interested in and have dabbled with in the past. Right now I’ve started a new academic endeavor and the bigger screen real estate will be very useful as i will need multiple windows open. One for content in the middle of the screen, section selection bar on the left, and a video and chat box on the right. The 15” will be excellent IMO for this. I also appreciate the snappiness of being able to load things quickly.

Other than that I use the MacBook for just regular stuff. Calendar, mail, notes, YouTube, and so on.

My hope is to really find a hobby and endeavor that can utilize all this power.

I know video editing is a big one, but I simply am not so interested in taking videos and editing them.

Maybe app development but I don’t have any good app ideas (yet).

Again I’m leaning towards music production. It would be fun making and mixing music.
[doublepost=1559296690][/doublepost]

You could start learning to edit some photographs.. Edit some videos you have.. You could start some 3D modelling if you so wish.

There's endless possibilities of stuff you can learn to start using that beast of a Mac

3D modeling sounds very interesting. I will have to look into it

——————-


Does anyone know anything about artificial intelligence? Maybe I could get into that.
[doublepost=1559296941][/doublepost]

Your usage simply does not justify such an expensive device. Sorry.

I bought it mainly for the screen real estate of the 15” as I’m coming from a 13”

I don’t want to switch to windows. I like Mac OS.

I also don’t want to connect to an external monitor.

I honestly just wanted a bigger laptop screen than runs Mac OS. So that left me with no choice.

I’m also coming from a late 2013 13” rMBP 2.6/8/256 which is running perfectly, but none the less this upgrade is not unwarranted IMO as it has been many years.

I also didn’t want a used one. Refurbished from Apple is fine, but with the keyboard issues my hope was to avoid that mess by buying the 2019 *fingers crossed*
[doublepost=1559297115][/doublepost]

You could start mining cryptocurrency.

Are you serious? Or was this sarcasm lol.

I would be VERY interested in mining assuming I’m not doing anything shady that could get me in trouble and that it is realistic on this computer given it’s specs. I thought mining was for super computers or something.

 

[maflynn]

What I could use it more for.

You have it backwards. People buy the computer to fill a need, they don't buy the laptop and then search for a need. It sounds like you need to find things to do with it, to justify the price. We cannot find things for you to do with it, because we don't know you, your skills and your gifts. Computers do so much now a days and its impossible to answer such an open ended question.

Sounds like you're a young adult, well find a hobby that you like, photography, coding, fishing, go to college, or a trade school, what ever. Enjoy that and don't worry about how to use a MBP. Its a means to an end, that's all.

 

[MrGunnyPT]

You have it backwards. People buy the computer to fill a need, they don't buy the laptop and then search for a need. It sounds like you need to find things to do with it, to justify the price. We cannot find things for you to do with it, because we don't know you, your skills and your gifts. Computers do so much now a days and its impossible to answer such an open ended question.

Sounds like you're a young adult, well find a hobby that you like, photography, coding, fishing, go to college, or a trade school, what ever. Enjoy that and don't worry about how to use a MBP. Its a means to an end, that's all.

Exactly this.

I own a 13" because I didn't needed the dGPU but turns out to run a couple of Windows VM /w Linux + tons of other stuff in the background requires more cores and RAM... pair that with dual 4k displays and. you can imagine how my1 3" TB suffers.

 

[mdnz]

I would be VERY interested in mining assuming I’m not doing anything shady that could get me in trouble and that it is realistic on this computer given it’s specs. I thought mining was for super computers or something.

You can't mine crypto on it, it's a waste of money. If you want crypto just buy it with dollars.

 

[Howard2k]

Maybe you could use it to research for your new book. You know, the one about making smart economic choices.

There is a near infinite number of things you could do with it. Maybe try using it to find larger prime numbers? There is the GIMPS project but you could just write your own.
[doublepost=1559312116][/doublepost]

You can't mine crypto on it, it's a waste of money. If you want crypto just buy it with dollars.

What if you don't use your home electricity?

Buy a USB-C power extender and use that to run the MBPro. When it goes flat, just charge it from the MBPro again, when the MBPro goes flat, charge it from the power extender? Seems flawless.

 

[mdnz]

Maybe you could use it to research for your new book. You know, the one about making smart economic choices.

There is a near infinite number of things you could do with it. Maybe try using it to find larger prime numbers? There is the GIMPS project but you could just write your own.
[doublepost=1559312116][/doublepost]


What if you don't use your home electricity?

Then its still a waste. The MBP doesnt have a cpu or gpu which is reasonable enough for mining

 

[jerryk]

You could start mining cryptocurrency.

MacBook Pro is too slow for that. Get a stack of used Nvidia 10xx cards that gamers are upgrading and selling dirt cheap. Stick them in a cheap chassis with Linux and CUDA drivers.

 

[leman]

MacBook Pro is too slow for that. Get a stack of used Nvidia 10xx cards that gamers are upgrading and selling dirt cheap. Stick them in a cheap chassis with Linux and CUDA drivers.

Well, he was asking for something to push the machine. Given the posters history, this is the best I can come up with.

 

[Jessica Lares]

You're not going to have that laptop by the time you actually have the knowledge to do whatever it is you end up committing to. If you're really serious about getting into something, please, go to college/university, properly, so you can meet people, make connections, work together, and actually be exposed to industry standards, and don't just rely on the internet/books alone. You can afford it, and you really need to understand what you're getting yourself into, especially when you have no prior background to begin with. Based on your previous posts, it's going to be a real eye opener for you.

 

[xxray]

Wow, lots of judging in this thread. It's really not anyone's business to decide whether or not a computer is worth it for someone else, unless they're specifically asking you for that advice. It's perfectly reasonable to want to branch out and find new uses for a computer that's more powerful than you had before. A computer is a tool for discovering new possibilities and I find it very disappointing people are shaming OP for wanting to branch out and not just sticking to his current uses. You don't have to buy a computer for specific purposes and only stick to using it for those purposes.

 

[leman]

Wow, lots of judging in this thread. It's really not anyone's business to decide whether or not a computer is worth it for someone else

I’ve had the pleasure of reading OPs posts (and replying to them)since 2015, so I believe it puts me in some position of familiarity and ultimately makes it socially acceptable to be a bit judgemental

 

[kp98077]

Your usage simply does not justify such an expensive device. Sorry.

that's not true, the 15" will be faster in all regards than any 13" or MBA for example....

 

[pshufd]

Regarding Artificial Intelligence - I studied it in the 1980s and 1990s. I wrote a commercial AI system in the 1980s. The prerequisites for study are Discrete Structures, preferably two semesters. It's also basically mathematics though it's the discrete form; not the usual stuff taught in high-school or college. I think that it's more about using tools these days as most probably don't learn the theory.

 

[maflynn]

that's not true, the 15" will be faster in all regards than any 13" or MBA for example....

Yes, but that performance boost is lost on those tasks. Does it matter then safari will start up a few tenths of a second faster, will he really benefit from pages performing faster on the 15" then the 13"? Granted the larger screen is a big benefit and I prefer the 15" for that alone but his usage is such that he could be perfectly content with the MBA or 13" MBP

 

[alpi123]

Why did you get that laptop if you were not intending to use it for more powerful stuff? Right now, you're asking us to choose you a hobby/job that will utilize the power of the Macbook. We can tell you all sort of things that require that amount of power but why would you do it if you don't have to? You shouldn't have spent that much on a laptop in the first place.

 

[leman]

Regarding Artificial Intelligence - I studied it in the 1980s and 1990s. I wrote a commercial AI system in the 1980s. The prerequisites for study are Discrete Structures, preferably two semesters. It's also basically mathematics though it's the discrete form; not the usual stuff taught in high-school or college. I think that it's more about using tools these days as most probably don't learn the theory.

Modern AI is more about probabilistic models and neural nets, but yes, math is the absolute prerequisite.

 

[pshufd]

Modern AI is more about probabilistic models and neural nets, but yes, math is the absolute prerequisite.

We covered those in school but that was a long time ago. We have a neural net project right now (I'm not working that piece of it) and I am underwhelmed by the technology. I should probably get a refresher but I'm busy studying Fractal Geometry right now (yeah, another old area).

 

[lcseds]

Don't thrash the OP for his/her purchase. Apple puts users in a bind if they like 15" models. I do. So to get 16GB with a 512 SSD (my preferred combo), what's that going to price out at? Do I want to spend that? No, but I want a 15" screen. No way I'll use the capabilities of the price point, I'm just painted into a corner. Like only "pros" want 15"?

Not much anyone can do until Apple decides (or not decide) to release a 15" MBA for casual users wanting the bigger screen.

 

[kp98077]

Don't thrash the OP for his/her purchase. Apple puts users in a bind if they like 15" models. I do. So to get 16GB with a 512 SSD (my preferred combo), what's that going to price out at? Do I want to spend that? No, but I want a 15" screen. No way I'll use the capabilities of the price point, I'm just painted into a corner. Like only "pros" want 15"?

Not much anyone can do until Apple decides (or not decide) to release a 15" MBA for casual users wanting the bigger screen.

Yes good points! I simply like larger screen and ability to multi task and yes that means with multi core - multitasking anything despite what some thing.... further, I don’t like how 15” is targeted to “photo, video or programming” professionals. I’m work in the sciences and medicine and have plenty need for a 15”.......