What should I get for my first Mac?

From a practical sense, the non-retina MacBook Pro is probably the best Mac out there. It's easily servicable, it's easy to upgrade BOTH the RAM and hard drive (whereas this cannot be said for the iMac, Mac mini, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro with retina; sure you can easily upgrade the RAM on some of those, but not RAM AND drives).

If you'd prefer to not get a laptop, I'd recommend the Mac mini or (if you can spring for it) the Mac Pro. The iMac's design is failure-prone and pitiful by destop standards...too many heat generating components in such a small space; needlessly hard to upgrade, etc. The Mac mini hardware is more current than the Mac Pro, but the Mac Pro is much more expadable. Both are using hardware that is not current; if that matters to you, get the non-retina MacBook Pro as I initially recommended; otherwise a higher-end Mac mini will serve you fine.

 

My first Mac was an 24" C2D iMac. It was stolen, so I then bought a 27" i5 iMac. IMHO, its the most bang for the buck. Huge screen, pretty good specs, and not terribly expensive. I would highly recommend an iMac if you do not have a huge need for a laptop.

You can upgrade the RAM very easily. The HDD can be upgraded, but it is somewhat difficult. I did it myself, and you just have to be really careful.

 

Either of these would be perfect

http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC309LL/A

http://store.apple.com/us/product/FD318LL/A

 

I love my MacbookPro 13" 2012, great purchase. I wouldn't get a retina, it's expensive and a waste of money if you don't need it.

You could buy a refurbished Macbook 2011 from the Apple Store if your not too bothered about the better graphics and USB 3.

As for the price, if you after something good and cheap you could get a Mac Mini, as long as you have a screen/mouse/keyboard. I'd wait though, there should be a new one out soon hopefully.

 

i was in the same dilemma recently, i chose a 15" retina macbook pro. however, as an art student it is invaluable..
if you have an NUS, go to NUS.co.uk and click the apple store link from there, as its got an even higher discount.

However, you need to think about size, portability and how much you want to budget.. i use it as a main computer, so 15" was great for me, although the 13" is better for portability. Also, the macbook air is better if you need portability, although i generally prefer the pros. have you spoken to an apple genius in store? they helped me with my decision alot.. hope this helps

 

Any suggestions are worthless if you don't say what your applications are.

 

Depends...

Previous post is spot on. It all depends. That being said, I was in your exact position and decided to go with the 15 non retina. I feel like this is a bargain (is that blasphemous when talking about apple products?!) and much more aesthetically pleasing (screen size and overall look) in comparison. Plus it's portable unlike a desktop.