which macbook pro should i get ?

[Budiosx]

I'm computer engineer student ,i used windows pcs/laptops all my life but i want to change to mac ,i'm spending more than 7 hours every day coding,reading emails, editing on photoshop and i'll also use xcode.
so i want casual macbook pro 15 inch with hi-res (i think it's a good choice) but i can't decide which is better for me anti-glare or glossy.
should i upgrade ram to 8 gigs?

thanks

 

[yth]

anti-glare, and i would get 8gb ram

 

[Budiosx]

is there any difference in text/words between anti-glare and glossy because glossy has deeper black ?

 

[yth]

if you're a student, you'll probably want anti-glare... glossy screens are good if you're in a controlled work environment where nothing reflects on your screen. but in my experience, glossy screens can be really difficult to use

the other thing to consider is if you're just programming, you don't really need deep blacks. much better to get a versatile laptop that you can work on from anywhere

 

[Budiosx]

this macbook pro will be my only computer and i will also watch movies and series on it

 

[iAppl3Fan]

anti-glare and upgrade ram with aftermarket. Have you considered the RMBP?

 

[Budiosx]

anti-glare and upgrade ram with aftermarket. Have you considered the RMBP?

its first time mac and i don't have any experience.but i saw a lot of complains in this forum from mac retina so i'll give a casual macbook pro a try? what you think, i need more opinions to make my decision

 

[12dylan34]

its first time mac and i don't have any experience.but i saw a lot of complains in this forum from mac retina so i'll give a casual macbook pro a try? what you think, i need more opinions to make my decision

A forum isn't a good place to judge based upon complaints, since its where people go to complain. It's not really a representative sample. You don't hear a lot of complaints about the classic because sales have probably dropped dramatically on it. If it were me, I would get the retina, since the classic design will probably be discontinued in less than a year, and if you really look at both next to one another, the classic looks downright thick and outdated by comparison. It seems like it's more expensive, but it's actually because it includes an SSD by default. Configure a classic model with an SSD and it'll be the same price as the retina. You essentially get the new design and screen for free.

 

[Budiosx]

A forum isn't a good place to judge based upon complaints, since its where people go to complain. It's not really a representative sample. You don't hear a lot of complaints about the classic because sales have probably dropped dramatically on it. If it were me, I would get the retina, since the classic design will probably be discontinued in less than a year, and if you really look at both next to one another, the classic looks downright thick and outdated by comparison. It seems like it's more expensive, but it's actually because it includes an SSD by default. Configure a classic model with an SSD and it'll be the same price as the retina. You essentially get the new design and screen for free.

i disagree with u and with the theory of the thin thing make it modern
i like real world results,they both have the same geekbench results.

i feel the old design is more friendly than the new solid design

 

[iAppl3Fan]

its first time mac and i don't have any experience.but i saw a lot of complains in this forum from mac retina so i'll give a casual macbook pro a try? what you think, i need more opinions to make my decision

If you're more comfortable with the classic macbook pro then I say go for it. It's better to go with something you're more comfortable with than having doubts later on. For me, I prefer the RMBP and haven't looked back.

Do yourself a favor and get anti-glare. Upgrade through aftermarket with SSD and the ram.

 

[Naimfan]

A forum isn't a good place to judge based upon complaints, since its where people go to complain. It's not really a representative sample. You don't hear a lot of complaints about the classic because sales have probably dropped dramatically on it. If it were me, I would get the retina, since the classic design will probably be discontinued in less than a year, and if you really look at both next to one another, the classic looks downright thick and outdated by comparison. It seems like it's more expensive, but it's actually because it includes an SSD by default. Configure a classic model with an SSD and it'll be the same price as the retina. You essentially get the new design and screen for free.

We would ALL be fascinated to know what you base your assertions about sales on, because they are not borne out by reports from sales people at Apple. The retina is very popular among early adopters, but the cost and newness of it put many people off of it.

I agree with the OP that thin does not equal modern. I think losing expandability is too big a price to pay for something that is marginally thinner and lighter (if you really think the weight difference is significant, you need a gym, not a lighter computer).

OP - I'd go for the base 15" and upgrade the RAM with aftermarket - you can get 8 GB for $30-40 or 16 GB for $80-100. You can also swap the hard drive for an SSD if you want once SSD prices come down more. You could also look at a refurbished base 15" and save some money - the refurbs still come with Apple's full warranty and are eligible for Applecare.

 

[Budiosx]

If you're more comfortable with the classic macbook pro then I say go for it. It's better to go with something you're more comfortable with than having doubts later on. For me, I prefer the RMBP and haven't looked back.

Do yourself a favor and get anti-glare. Upgrade through aftermarket with SSD and the ram.

ok thats it i'll upgrade to anti-glare display ,8 gigs of ram from apple and will wait for 512 gb ssd at reasonable price

 

[Budiosx]

We would ALL be fascinated to know what you base your assertions about sales on, because they are not borne out by reports from sales people at Apple. The retina is very popular among early adopters, but the cost and newness of it put many people off of it.

I agree with the OP that thin does not equal modern. I think losing expandability is too big a price to pay for something that is marginally thinner and lighter (if you really think the weight difference is significant, you need a gym, not a lighter computer).

OP - I'd go for the base 15" and upgrade the RAM with aftermarket - you can get 8 GB for $30-40 or 16 GB for $80-100. You can also swap the hard drive for an SSD if you want once SSD prices come down more. You could also look at a refurbished base 15" and save some money - the refurbs still come with Apple's full warranty and are eligible for Applecare.

you are right apple memory and ssd is priced so i'll grap them from the market but which is better samsung 830 or crucial m4 ?

 

[Naimfan]

you are right apple memory and ssd is priced so i'll grap them from the market but which is better samsung 830 or crucial m4 ?

From what I've read here, the Samsung is "better," meaning faster. The Crucial, however, is considerably less expensive.

 

[12dylan34]

We would ALL be fascinated to know what you base your assertions about sales on, because they are not borne out by reports from sales people at Apple. The retina is very popular among early adopters, but the cost and newness of it put many people off of it.

I agree with the OP that thin does not equal modern. I think losing expandability is too big a price to pay for something that is marginally thinner and lighter (if you really think the weight difference is significant, you need a gym, not a lighter computer).

My statement, as I'm sure you might have guessed, was based upon an assumption, hence why I used the word "probably" instead of making it a definitive. The fact that I didn't cite it as fact makes your first sentence wholly unnecessary. Additionally, I think you're overstating the upgradability of the classic. RAM and the drive, that's it. If its worth it to you to get the old design because of that, then I suppose that makes sense.

My major point was that the old design is on its way out. If I'm spending $3000 plus on a machine, I want the thinnest, fastest, lightest and newest I can get for the same price. When the rMBP first came out, my views were very much in line with yours, but then I went to the Apple store to compare them and the retina feels better to me in most respects.

 

[iAppl3Fan]

you are right apple memory and ssd is priced so i'll grap them from the market but which is better samsung 830 or crucial m4 ?

Samsung is a bit faster. Crucial M4 is cheaper. I have crucial it works fine if you want to save a few bucks.

 

[Elijen]

If you plan to bring the laptop to the school every day and you can spare external GPU (the integrated HD4000 is good enough) you maybe should consider 13" (the 15" is pretty heavy and large) + external display for home (if needed). This way you will also have some spare money for aftermarket update to 16Gb and/or SSD.

 

[Captnroger]

Dunno if you are close to a Microcenter, if you are, I recommend:

http://www.microcenter.com/product/395764/MacBook_Pro_MD385LL-A_154_Laptop_Computer_-_Silver

I too was considering a RMBP, but this is a great deal. It has the 7200rpm drive, the matte screen, and dedicated graphics. When I get mine I'm going to throw 16gb in it (100 bucks), and if the drive isn't fast enough I'll pop out the optical and put in a 128GB SSD for boot/primary applications.

Unfortunately they don't ship this particular item, though they might if you call them.

 

[Budiosx]

i think the old one has a strong chassis than retina, there is no difference in performance ,i can buy old one and upgrade ram to 8 gigs and hard to 256 ssd and still cheaper than retina one, the old design is more friendly than retina, and the only big problem is the difference in weight between them.
but the light weight came at the expense of weak chassis

this is what i thought until now (CMBP vs MBPr)

i need a big screen with me so i excluded MBP 13 inch

 

[bill-p]

Few more things about anti-glare vs glossy:

1) Glossy has a glass layer, which is a lot more sturdy and rigid than anti-glare. Not only can you scratch anti-glare much easier than glossy, you may also damage the screen much easier as well. Plus it's harder to clean anti-glare.

2) Anti-glare puts a faint haze layer on top of the screen, so it may have odd artifacts or blurry texts depending on where you look at. This is one of the main reasons (if not the only reason) why the Retina MacBook Pro does not have an anti-glare option... as it takes away from the sharpness of the screen.

3) As mentioned, anti-glare fares better than glossy against reflection. However, from my experience, neither anti-glare nor glossy would work well against direct sunlight. A brighter display is what you want if you are to work against direct sunlight.

So to sum up, glossy = more sturdy, anti-glare = better reflection fending. Choose your poison.

 

[Budiosx]

Few more things about anti-glare vs glossy:

1) Glossy has a glass layer, which is a lot more sturdy and rigid than anti-glare. Not only can you scratch anti-glare much easier than glossy, you may also damage the screen much easier as well. Plus it's harder to clean anti-glare.

2) Anti-glare puts a faint haze layer on top of the screen, so it may have odd artifacts or blurry texts depending on where you look at. This is one of the main reasons (if not the only reason) why the Retina MacBook Pro does not have an anti-glare option... as it takes away from the sharpness of the screen.

3) As mentioned, anti-glare fares better than glossy against reflection. However, from my experience, neither anti-glare nor glossy would work well against direct sunlight. A brighter display is what you want if you are to work against direct sunlight.

So to sum up, glossy = more sturdy, anti-glare = better reflection fending. Choose your poison.

thanks bill-p

 

[Budiosx]

Samsung is a bit faster. Crucial M4 is cheaper. I have crucial it works fine if you want to save a few bucks.

what about enabling trim with crucial m4 and samsung 830,do i need a program to enable it or mac os will automatic enable it with these ssds

 

[iAppl3Fan]

what about enabling trim with crucial m4 and samsung 830,do i need a program to enable it or mac os will automatic enable it with these ssds

I believe you need a program to enable it as it is only on by default with Apple SSDs. I didn't bother with trim and it runs fine.