Which macbook pro should i get?

[Hearmeman]

Hey there im new to this forum and new to mac so be easy on me
I have a lenovo y50-70 that im willing trade for a MBP i got an offer for the base 2015 model
the one with the 2.7GHZ I5 128GB SSD 8GB RAM
I will be using the macbook pro mainly for studying,a little music editing and maybe in the future some video editing but nothing serious.
I am heavily considering:
should i get a 2014 MBP with upgraded specs
or get the 2015 MBP with the base specs
which one will be better for my needs?
Be aware that im buying it second hand if thats a factor.
Thanks for the answers

 

[Makendu]

2015 one

 

[Apple fanboy]

How long you looking to keep it? If you plan to keep it for a few years, get the latest one. Not sure how good the base model would be at video editing though.

 

[Hearmeman]

How long you looking to keep it? If you plan to keep it for a few years, get the latest one. Not sure how good the base model would be at video editing though.

ive never hanged with a windows laptop for more then 2 years i guess i will hold on to the macbook more as it is more stable from what i understood
i have a relative who owns an i mac and he said that 8GB ram would not be enough for the video editing but its really not going to be a big thing so im still considering

2015 one

Explain please?

 

[Apple fanboy]

ive never hanged with a windows laptop for more then 2 years i guess i will hold on to the macbook more as it is more stable from what i understood
i have a relative who owns an i mac and he said that 8GB ram would not be enough for the video editing but its really not going to be a big thing so im still considering

I'd not consider less than 16GB RAM these days and I just use my Mac for photo editing.

 

[Hearmeman]

I'd not consider less than 16GB RAM these days and I just use my Mac for photo editing.

Is 8GB ram really not an option? i mean im not going hardcore editing or something like that fairly normal use
Youtubers suggests that the base is enough for small editing tasks and daily usage
16GB device would have to be a 2014 one

 

[Apple fanboy]

Is 8GB ram really not an option? i mean im not going hardcore editing or something like that fairly normal use
Youtubers suggests that the base is enough for small editing tasks and daily usage
16GB device would have to be a 2014 one

You can get by on 8. I just find spinning wheels a little frustrating. You'll be okay mostly. If your trying to save some money. Check out the refurb sections on Apples store.

 

[Max(IT)]

Is 8GB ram really not an option? i mean im not going hardcore editing or something like that fairly normal use
Youtubers suggests that the base is enough for small editing tasks and daily usage
16GB device would have to be a 2014 one

8 Gb are, and are going to be, ok for almost every task, even heavy one...

 

[T5BRICK]

If 128GB is enough storage, I'd go with the base model 2015. You don't need more than 8GB of RAM.

 

[Tsuchiya]

8GB of RAM should be fine for what you need it for. Storage will be the only concern, 128GB is not much. An external HDD would be necessary.

Fingers crossed OWC figure out how to make storage for the current lineup of MBPs soon, because even 256GB is not cutting it for me.

 

[Hearmeman]

You can get by on 8. I just find spinning wheels a little frustrating. You'll be okay mostly. If your trying to save some money. Check out the refurb sections on Apples store.

By spinning wheels you mean loading times i presume?
How rough are they? i mean i have 8GB of ram on lenovo y50 and its blazing fast
Also unfortunatley in my area apple stores dont have refurbished units so im going to go for a second hand unit any tips on what to check before i buy it?

8 Gb are, and are going to be, ok for almost every task, even heavy one...

Ok thanks for that answer

If 128GB is enough storage, I'd go with the base model 2015. You don't need more than 8GB of RAM.

I will carry a 128GB thumb drive with me all the time and i always have a 1TB external HDD at bay whenever i need it so storage would not be an issue

8GB of RAM should be fine for what you need it for. Storage will be the only concern, 128GB is not much. An external HDD would be necessary.

Fingers crossed OWC figure out how to make storage for the current lineup of MBPs soon, because even 256GB is not cutting it for me.

I saw some youtubers talking about the OWC is that a company that finds storage solutions for macs?

 

[Tsuchiya]

By spinning wheels you mean loading times i presume?
How rough are they? i mean i have 8GB of ram on lenovo y50 and its blazing fast
Also unfortunatley in my area apple stores dont have refurbished units so im going to go for a second hand unit any tips on what to check before i buy it?

Ok thanks for that answer

I will carry a 128GB thumb drive with me all the time and i always have a 1TB external HDD at bay whenever i need it so storage would not be an issue

I saw some youtubers talking about the OWC is that a company that finds storage solutions for macs?

Check them out, OWC are pretty good for Mac upgrades:

https://www.macsales.com

They do storage upgrades for older Macs, but since late 2013, Apple have started to change things up (faster SSDs), meaning if you get a newer machine you're probably stuck because they can't yet produce replacements.

 

[Hearmeman]

Check them out, OWC are pretty good for Mac upgrades:

https://www.macsales.com

They do storage upgrades for older Macs, but since late 2013, Apple have started to change things up (faster SSDs), meaning if you get a newer machine you're probably stuck because they can't yet produce replacements.

Ive taken a look in their site looks very nice
Im speaking to everyone in the thread now
i want to get a conclusion 2015 MBP base model
or 2014 MBP with ugraded specs?

 

[oldmacs]

If you're keeping it 2-3 years 8GB should be fine, but I always recommend going to 16GB for any longer - Should also improve your resale value, as you can't upgrade the,.

I think you should get the 2015 one though.

 

[Apple fanboy]

By spinning wheels you mean loading times i presume?
How rough are they? i mean i have 8GB of ram on lenovo y50 and its blazing fast
Also unfortunatley in my area apple stores dont have refurbished units so im going to go for a second hand unit any tips on what to check before i buy it?

Ok thanks for that answer

I will carry a 128GB thumb drive with me all the time and i always have a 1TB external HDD at bay whenever i need it so storage would not be an issue

I saw some youtubers talking about the OWC is that a company that finds storage solutions for macs?

I have 16gb of RAM and the tasks I do would be different from yours, so I can't really comment on how bad it is. Not terrible I'd guess.
As far as I'm aware the refurb store is only online. They come with a full Apple warranty like new.
Buying second hand, I'd pay close attention to the hinge and body. Dropped laptops are not great. For example we have one in our office where the lid opens all the way. No choosing the angle you need. Makes it a real pain.

 

[Hearmeman]

If you're keeping it 2-3 years 8GB should be fine, but I always recommend going to 16GB for any longer - Should also improve your resale value, as you can't upgrade the,.

I think you should get the 2015 one though.

Performance difference is major?
Or is it the force touch trackpad?
i mean the force touch looks really nice and looks like i could really use it but i might save some money without it

 

[oldmacs]

Performance difference is major?
Or is it the force touch trackpad?
i mean the force touch looks really nice and looks like i could really use it but i might save some money without it

More for just the generalised improvements in battery life and graphics between the 2014 and 2015. I hate the force touch trackpad, but I guess most people don't so you'd probably fine with either....

How many years do you see yourself keeping it?

 

[Hearmeman]

More for just the generalised improvements in battery life and graphics between the 2014 and 2015. I hate the force touch trackpad, but I guess most people don't so you'd probably fine with either....

How many years do you see yourself keeping it?

I have never kept a laptop (windows one) for more then 2 years they just begin to be a pain in the ass to use.
Iv'e heard that macbooks are much more durable so i guess between 2-4 years i will enlist next year so i guess it will sit at home most of the time so it will be preserved.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Is 8GB ram really not an option? i mean im not going hardcore editing or something like that fairly normal use
Youtubers suggests that the base is enough for small editing tasks and daily usage
16GB device would have to be a 2014 one

8Gb is perfectly fine ignore the RAM crazies on here there are many who think a computer won't even boot up without a minimum of 16GB.

There is little difference between the 2 computers an hour of battery life and a little better graphics in the 2015 they are the only relevent things. To be honest I would worry about SSD size more than anything for your stated usage and I would suggest 256GB as a minimum if you want to keep any size music or photo library on there.

The 13 inch pro is a great little laptop that can easily do all but the most demanding computing tasks, it'll run older games quite well at lower settings, perform photo editing and video editing with ease (4K video editing not so much, it'll do it but not fast or smoothly) and perform all your basic web browsing, documents etc as well as any computer out there.

Remember you have 14 day return window if you buy from apple, choose which one you want and then return it if it doesn't work out.

 

[oldmacs]

8Gb is perfectly fine ignore the RAM crazies on here there are many who think a computer won't even boot up without a minimum of 16GB.

8GB is fine at the moment, but give it a few years and it won't. Not to mention since the ram is soldered you'll get a higher resale value.

 

[Hearmeman]

8Gb is perfectly fine ignore the RAM crazies on here there are many who think a computer won't even boot up without a minimum of 16GB.

There is little difference between the 2 computers an hour of battery life and a little better graphics in the 2015 they are the only relevent things. To be honest I would worry about SSD size more than anything for your stated usage and I would suggest 256GB as a minimum if you want to keep any size music or photo library on there.

The 13 inch pro is a great little laptop that can easily do all but the most demanding computing tasks, it'll run older games quite well at lower settings, perform photo editing and video editing with ease (4K video editing not so much, it'll do it but not fast or smoothly) and perform all your basic web browsing, documents etc as well as any computer out there.

Remember you have 14 day return window if you buy from apple, choose which one you want and then return it if it doesn't work out.

Im not worrying about storage i have an external HDD and 128GB thumb drive
Ram does worry me technology develops really fast and 8GB might not suffice in the next years

8GB is fine at the moment, but give it a few years and it won't. Not to mention since the ram is soldered you'll get a higher resale value.

As you may be right
The same thing was said years ago about graphics cards but the old ones are still running games fluently same goes for VRAM
So i really dont know

 

[Samuelsan2001]

8GB is fine at the moment, but give it a few years and it won't. Not to mention since the ram is soldered you'll get a higher resale value.

Nonsense OSX still runs fine on 2GB of RAM and while you may only be able to use a couple of things at once it is perfectly acceptable. 4GB will run basic uses with ease for at least the next 3 years and 8Gb will run the OP's stated use case for at least 5 years with no issues at all.

RAM use has not gone up that much over the last 5 years I have had 8Gb for that time and my use hasn't changed and neither has my RAM usage, usually less than 4GB with a fair amount open and several apps running (word, VLC, mail, itunes) and 8-10 tabs open in safari and 6-10 virtual desktops all showing 2-3 PDF's.

 

[oldmacs]

Nonsense OSX still runs fine on 2GB of RAM and while you may only be able to use a couple of things at once it is perfectly acceptable. 4GB will run basic uses with ease for at least the next 3 years and 8Gb will run the OP's stated use case for at least 5 years with no issues at all.

RAM use has not gone up that much over the last 5 years I have had 8Gb for that time and my use hasn't changed and neither has my RAM usage, usually less than 4GB with a fair amount open and several apps running (word, VLC, mail, itunes) and 8-10 tabs open in safari and 6-10 virtual desktops all showing 2-3 PDF's.

I had to use Yosemite the other day on 2GB of ram. Not pretty... Not pretty at all, and just Passable on 4GB.

Ram usage has gone up in the last 5 years. The 2010 Macs had 2/4 GB of ram which was fine then, but too little for anything past very basic work today. It will continue to go up, its just the nature of computing.

OP - if you have the cash just upgrade it. There is nothing bad that can happen if you upgrade it. Where as if you don't you might be stuck with a laptop with less ram than you need. Ram usage has continually gone up every couple of years and will continue to do so.

Just like how the 2010 Macs were fine in 2010 with 2/4GB of ram, but now that is quite low. Or the 2005 Macs with 256/512MB of ram, which was way too little by 2010, or the 2000 Macs which came with 64/128 MB of ram which was too little by 2005.

 

[Hearmeman]

Nonsense OSX still runs fine on 2GB of RAM and while you may only be able to use a couple of things at once it is perfectly acceptable. 4GB will run basic uses with ease for at least the next 3 years and 8Gb will run the OP's stated use case for at least 5 years with no issues at all.

RAM use has not gone up that much over the last 5 years I have had 8Gb for that time and my use hasn't changed and neither has my RAM usage, usually less than 4GB with a fair amount open and several apps running (word, VLC, mail, itunes) and 8-10 tabs open in safari and 6-10 virtual desktops all showing 2-3 PDF's.

I know that 8 gb ram is more then enough in windows unless you are doing some very intensive tasks
i have 8GB on my lenovo and it runs perfectly smooth i also have 12GB ram on my gaming computer from 2011 which also runs fluently i guess that the same goes for mac
the question is will it handle tasks in 3-4 years

I had to use Yosemite the other day on 2GB of ram. Not pretty... Not pretty at all, and just Passable on 4GB.

Ram usage has gone up in the last 5 years. The 2010 Macs had 2/4 GB of ram which was fine then, but too little for anything past very basic work today. It will continue to go up, its just the nature of computing.

OP - if you have the cash just upgrade it. There is nothing bad that can happen if you upgrade it. Where as if you don't you might be stuck with a laptop with less ram than you need. Ram usage has continually gone up every couple of years and will continue to do so.

Just like how the 2010 Macs were fine in 2010 with 2/4GB of ram, but now that is quite low. Or the 2005 Macs with 256/512MB of ram, which was way too little by 2010, or the 2000 Macs which came with 64/128 MB of ram which was too little by 2005.

I heard that there are many problems with yosemite.
Iv'e heard that there are some lags in certain applications i hope that El Capitan will fix that.
You were talking about ram in spaces of 5 years i think that i wont keep my mac for 5 years so i dont know how much this is relative to me.
Although i dont know how i will use my mac i plan on using it for web browsing studying,music and low tier video editing so 8GB ram should be enough if im getting a version with 16GB ram i will need to get the 2014 version which again leads me to the first question
Base model 2015
or upgraded model 2014

 

[Samuelsan2001]

I know that 8 gb ram is more then enough in windows unless you are doing some very intensive tasks
i have 8GB on my lenovo and it runs perfectly smooth i also have 12GB ram on my gaming computer from 2011 which also runs fluently i guess that the same goes for mac
the question is will it handle tasks in 3-4 years

I heard that there are many problems with yosemite.
Iv'e heard that there are some lags in certain applications i hope that El Capitan will fix that.
You were talking about ram in spaces of 5 years i think that i wont keep my mac for 5 years so i dont know how much this is relative to me.
Although i dont know how i will use my mac i plan on using it for web browsing studying,music and low tier video editing so 8GB ram should be enough if im getting a version with 16GB ram i will need to get the 2014 version which again leads me to the first question
Base model 2015
or upgraded model 2014

If SSD size is no worry, 2015 for me, better graphics, CPU and forcetouch.