Which MacBook Pro to get?

[hthomas]

Hey guys, need some advice. currently im running an 2009 macbook, 2gb, 2.26ghz intel core duo 2.
I am going to get one of the 13in macbook pro's. I am not interested in the retina display. Just the 1199 and 1499 models. is there a big difference between the mbp im looking at for 1499 vs the other one, for 1199?
I see the spec differences, one has i5 the other i7 etc.
I just use it for school, work, tv, movies etc. nothing hardcore
is it worth the extra cash?

To me, it will be a huge improvement to what I am using now either way.

 

[basesloaded190]

For what you will be using it for, stick with the cheaper model. You are correct that will run circles around your current machine.

 

[Hankcah]

Get an i5 with whichever size screen you'd prefer. Get an aftermarket SSD drive and double the RAM. This is an easy DIY. And will save you dollars.

 

[snaky69]

Hey guys, need some advice. currently im running an 2009 macbook, 2gb, 2.26ghz intel core duo 2.
I am going to get one of the 13in macbook pro's. I am not interested in the retina display. Just the 1199 and 1499 models. is there a big difference between the mbp im looking at for 1499 vs the other one, for 1199?
I see the spec differences, one has i5 the other i7 etc.
I just use it for school, work, tv, movies etc. nothing hardcore
is it worth the extra cash?

To me, it will be a huge improvement to what I am using now either way.

The extra power is not worth it to you.

In fact, since your use is low on actual processing power needs, you might not even notice a performance difference between what you've got and the new model.

The bottleneck for computers is the hard drive, which is extremely slow compared to everything else around it, since you're keeping a spinning platter hard drive from one computer to the new one, in general day-to-day use, I don't think you'd notice a monicker of improvement between the two.

Stick a SSD in there, and it's a whole other ballgame...

 

[LatinaC09]

I agree with the post above. Back in November I bought the 13" Base Model MBP. Since then I've udgraded to 8GB of ram and then I added a 256 OCZ vertrex 4 SSD. I didn't think the computer could run any faster but wow was I wrong! It's improved so much and can handle pretty much anything I throw at it. I definitely recommend getting an SSD when/if you can.

 

[xShane]

I agree. In fact, you could even go a step further by getting a MacBook Air if you're interested. That could save you a few hundred easily.

But really, the 13" MBP base would be great for you.

Do keep in mind that if you do decide to drop $1,499 for a 13", I'm pretty sure you could get a refurb 15" for around that price.

 

[hthomas]

Thanks so much everyone. Great info. It's nice to have it. I think what I will do is get the base model MBP 13". Then get a SSD and upgrade to 8GB all in due time. Shouldn't break the bank either!

I thought about the macbook air, but I burn alot of things and use my disc drive alot.

Can someone where point me to where I should get a SSD and upgrade my RAM?

 

[xShane]

Thanks so much everyone. Great info. It's nice to have it. I think what I will do is get the base model MBP 13". Then get a SSD and upgrade to 8GB all in due time. Shouldn't break the bank either!

I thought about the macbook air, but I burn alot of things and use my disc drive alot.

Can someone where point me to where I should get a SSD and upgrade my RAM?

I believe 16GB of RAM is only $80. Go to Crucial.

 

[hthomas]

I believe 16GB of RAM is only $80. Go to Crucial.

would upgrading the RAM be the first thing to do? or SSD first?

 

[BanterClaus]

would upgrading the RAM be the first thing to do? or SSD first?

For what you've said you do, it's probably best to upgrade the SSD first. I doesn't seem like you generally have a lot running at once so therefore upgrading RAM will probably not be necessary. The speed increase that an SSD provides though is incredible. I upgraded my 2011 13" MBP (the base model) and it seems to me more than four times as fast as it was before.

 

[hthomas]

For what you've said you do, it's probably best to upgrade the SSD first. I doesn't seem like you generally have a lot running at once so therefore upgrading RAM will probably not be necessary. The speed increase that an SSD provides though is incredible. I upgraded my 2011 13" MBP (the base model) and it seems to me more than four times as fast as it was before.

Alright thanks. I can't seem to find how many gigs the stock apple drive comes with for the model I am looking at. But I was thinking atleast getting a SSD with 120gb.

Crucial.com seems to be a good place to get everything I'd need.

 

[Count Blah]

I must be on crucial's "sucker" list, because they definitely don't show a $80 option for 16Gigs when I go there. Their loss, I went elsewhere because they only list the 16Gigs as $99.99 for me.

 

[xShane]

I must be on crucial's "sucker" list, because they definitely don't show a $80 option for 16Gigs when I go there. Their loss, I went elsewhere because they only list the 16Gigs as $99.99 for me.

Roughly $80... I think it's different based on different models of MacBook Pros.

 

[hthomas]

I've made a mistake I think, my current macbook has 250gb hard drive, so getting and 120gb SSD might be not enough.

 

[mistakaroo]

I'm doing some research for a family member and this is the path I recommend instead of the 2.9 Ghz i7 model. If you have Amazon Prime it's even better with free 2 day shipping.

I still like the Air better for the weight savings and better screen resolution (big downside for the cMBP IMO).

$1100 - MacBook Pro 13.3" (base)
http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MacBook...UTF8&qid=1361896694&sr=8-1&keywords=MD101LL/A

$236 - Samsung Electronics 840 Pro Series 2.5-Inch 256 GB
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846

$92 - Crucial 16GB Kit (8GBx2) DDR3 1600 MT/s (PC3-12800) CL11 SODIMM 204-Pin
http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-PC3-1...&qid=1361897768&sr=1-1&keywords=CT2C8G3S160BM

 

[hthomas]

I wonder how much I would loose if I did get the 13in macbook air and not have a disc drive...

 

[mdawid]

I just replaced my 2009 Macbook Pro 15" with the latest 13" Macbook Pro - base model. I got it from Best Buy at $100 off Apple's retail price. I installed a Samsung 830 256GB SSD & upgraded the memory to 8GB. I must say, with the SSD & upgraded memory - this is a pretty nice machine at a reasonable price (for Apple that is). It is fast enough for my needs & boots up & shuts down quickly. I complemented it with a Lacie Triple 500GB USB 3.0 drive for my music files & documents. Read/Write speed is quick. Very happy with my purchase. I had debated over it for some time and came to the realization that this was the machine that fit my needs. Would it be nice to get a retina display or a 15" sure. But, I didn't need all the extras and enjoyed saving money.

 

[mistakaroo]

How many times have you used the cd drive in your 2009 MacBook in the last 2 years? You could always get an external drive if you watch DVDs often.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...ernal+dvd+drive&rh=i:aps,k:external+dvd+drive

There are downsides to the Air as well like paying an extra $100 for 8 GB of RAM instead of 4 GB and $200 for 256 GB of space instead of 128 GB. You just have to weigh the pros and cons and the low resolution on the current MBP is a killer for me.

 

[hthomas]

How many times have you used the cd drive in your 2009 MacBook in the last 2 years? You could always get an external drive if you watch DVDs often.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...ernal+dvd+drive&rh=i:aps,k:external+dvd+drive

There are downsides to the Air as well like paying an extra $100 for 8 GB of RAM instead of 4 GB and $200 for 256 GB of space instead of 128 GB. You just have to weigh the pros and cons and the low resolution on the current MBP is a killer for me.

I burn cd/dvds more than anything. I agree that I could get a external one to take care of all that. I really hate the low res on the current MBP. I know I can still upgrade the RAM on the Air, but can I still upgrade the space just like I was going to install a SSD if I got the MBP?

 

[mistakaroo]

I know I can still upgrade the RAM on the Air, but can I still upgrade the space just like I was going to install a SSD if I got the MBP?

You can't upgrade the RAM by yourself on the Air because it's soldered onto the logic board. As far as the SSD, OWC sells a module to upgrade the 2012 Air but I wouldn't risk it if you're still under Apple warranty.

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/Aura_Pro_Air_2012

Maybe a search in the MBA forum would yield more results.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1459847/

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclien...79,d.aWM&fp=4837a5c9da8bdfb4&biw=1680&bih=937

 

[Asuriyan]

I've made a mistake I think, my current macbook has 250gb hard drive, so getting and 120gb SSD might be not enough.

Samsung 840 250GB is $159 at Newegg right now.

SAMSUNG 840 Series 250GB SSD

Use coupon code EMCXVVP28 to get the price down ten more bucks.

A 2009 system would use SATA-II so you aren't going to get quite the transfer rates that the drive is capable of but it's still going to be a huge improvement.