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Which macbook should I go with?

M

MauerFan07

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 24, 2013
52
1
I currently have a 15" MBP that I bought in 2012, but I think it's time to get something smaller and lighter. I mainly use my laptop for college (so excel, word, powerpoint, etc) and for leisure. I would like to start using photoshop, but it'd be as a hobby. Right now I'm looking at the 13" rMBP, 13" MBA, and 12" rMB. The 12" MB is intriguing, but I've read that it isn't terribly impressive. What do you guys think?

Also, I didn't see a generic Macbook forum so I hope this is okay. :)
 
Well...in the MacBook Pro forum the recommendation will be the 13" rMBP. It's portable, decent power, and has the great retina screen which is easy on the eyes for long hours of use. The MBA needs an update and the MB needs more performance power and ports.
 
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CoastalOR said:
Well...in the MacBook Pro forum the recommendation will be the 13" rMBP. It's portable, decent power, and has the great retina screen which is easy on the eyes for long hours of use. The MBA needs an update and the MB needs more performance power and ports.
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But also, since you are considering using it for photoshop I recommend the Macbook Pro 13" just on that. Iris Graphics is notably better than an HD6000. Which then brings me to the screen(Macbook Air no Retina), granted the "Macbook" also has a Retina display but it lacks the GPU performance to really keep up(go look at the Macbook forum section) with general tasks. The Macbook Air is much more of a real contender to the rMBP than the 'Macbook' is performance wise, and most likely would cover 90%+ of your use case criteria. It is lighter than the rMBP so theres that, and the battery life is.. close but the Macbook Air is the overall winner in that situation(I will contend a 13" MBA beats 12"rMB here).

Here are some general performance comparisons( fromGeekbench2) as well if you are interested..

2012 15" Macbook Pro 2.3Ghz = 10841

2015 12" Retina Macbook 1.1Ghz = 5454

2015 13" Macbook Air 1.6Ghz = 6826

2015 13" Retina Macbook Pro 2.7Ghz = 7858
 
MacBook Pro 13 is really compact and really light weight. The new MacBook kind of sucks. The only thing it's good at is looking pretty. It's basically an iPad with a keyboard. You'd be better off getting an iPad Pro.
 
i think you are better off with MacBook Air it is so light and very powerful cpu plus damn 12 hours you don't need to bring power cord/adaptor to the class.
 
I actually forgot that the MBA wasn't retina. Ever since I got my iPhone 6 I can't imagine going back to non-retina, so that means I'll likely eliminate the MBA. In the next week or so I'm gonna try and get down to Best Buy or Apple, and check out the MB and MBP, but I think I'll go with the 13" rMBP. Is 128 gigs of storage enough, or would it be smarter to get the 256 model? I'd like to have this laptop last me as long as possible.

Also...I was thinking of getting this sometime in October. I know tech always changes, but would it make sense to wait and see if new Macs get released in the next few months? All things considered my machine is fine right now.
 
Last edited:
MauerFan07 said:
Is 128 gigs of storage enough, or would it be smarter to get the 256 model?
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since you're planning on using P-shop, i would go with the bigger HDD, especially if you convert RAW files which can take up space over time. if not, you can always get an external HDD.
 
If you want something smaller and lighter and plan on toying with PS, then go for the 13" MBP over the MBA and rMB computers. That will give you your best bang for you buck imo.
 
I would recommend the retina macbook pro either in 13" or 15" size, the 13 is more portable but the 15 is quad core. As far as storage go for 256 or 512, 128 isn't really that much space and you can't really upgrade the hard drive easily later. Like you said try to go to a retail store that has them out on display and play with them and see which size you like better. As far as waiting, some folks think there will be an update to the retina macbook pro before the end of the year but I'm betting it will be early next year based on intel chip availability.
 
MauerFan07 said:
I actually forgot that the MBA wasn't retina. Ever since I got my iPhone 6 I can't imagine going back to non-retina, so that means I'll likely eliminate the MBA. In the next week or so I'm gonna try and get down to Best Buy or Apple, and check out the MB and MBP, but I think I'll go with the 13" rMBP. Is 128 gigs of storage enough, or would it be smarter to get the 256 model? I'd like to have this laptop last me as long as possible.

Also...I was thinking of getting this sometime in October. I know tech always changes, but would it make sense to wait and see if new Macs get released in the next few months? All things considered my machine is fine right now.
Click to expand...

Forget about 256...not enough if you plan to install some apps in the future. 512GB SSD is a better for long term. I don't know where to find a cheap price for 512GB SSD.
 
jermy4 said:
I would recommend the retina macbook pro either in 13" or 15" size, the 13 is more portable but the 15 is quad core. As far as storage go for 256 or 512, 128 isn't really that much space and you can't really upgrade the hard drive easily later. Like you said try to go to a retail store that has them out on display and play with them and see which size you like better. As far as waiting, some folks think there will be an update to the retina macbook pro before the end of the year but I'm betting it will be early next year based on intel chip availability.
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Is the 15 rMBP fairly lighter than the non-retina MBP? My current laptop isn't necessarily "heavy", but walking around campus with it in my backpack + everything else I need can be a bit of a burden. That's a big reason why the 13" is looking so attractive.

As fair as intel chip, do you think it'd make a vast difference? Sorry for the question, I'm trying to get a more technically sound :)
 
d0hv said:
MacBook Pro 13 is really compact and really light weight. The new MacBook kind of sucks. The only thing it's good at is looking pretty. It's basically an iPad with a keyboard. You'd be better off getting an iPad Pro.
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Typical troll post. Lots of FUD in this thread.

rMB would serve the OP's stated needs fine, including light PS work. Biggest reasons for OP to go with rMBP is for larger screen/more built-in ports. If the portability is the biggest factor, then the rMB is a fine computer that should serve the OP well.
 
MauerFan07 said:
Is the 15 rMBP fairly lighter than the non-retina MBP? My current laptop isn't necessarily "heavy", but walking around campus with it in my backpack + everything else I need can be a bit of a burden. That's a big reason why the 13" is looking so attractive.

As fair as intel chip, do you think it'd make a vast difference? Sorry for the question, I'm trying to get a more technically sound :)
Click to expand...
Just look up the specs for weight. As far as waiting for Skylake goes, almost every new iteration brings a few nice new features. I always try to time it so I'm buying the latest and greatest, but whatever the latest and greatest is, while it's nice to have, just depends on how bad you need a new computer and how long you might have to wait... could be next month, could be next March, etc.
 
I think I'm going to wait until 2016 to get my laptop. When I originally got this one, the retina 13" came out two months later, but I needed this one right away because I was starting college. I normally don't care about the latest and greatest, but I think I'll treat myself this time!
 
13" rMBP! I have one for college, and it's perfect. I got the 256gb, and it's been plenty of storage. I don't use photoshop though. What you might consider is saving a bit of money by getting the 256gb and getting an external hard drive for photos, movies, etc. I have one for my growing movie collection. And the battery life is more than enough for a day of classes.

I personally wouldn't go for the rMB. I have too many occasions where I need a normal USB port. Plus it doesn't have HDMI if you ever want to connect to a tv or display. Those dongles they want you to buy aren't cheap.
 
I'd go with the 13" rMBP. Pick the amount of storage you need and buy that model. I'd go with at least 256GB, but that's just me.
 
I made a similar decision last week I went with the MBPr 13" and lovin it coming from a 15" mbp the size difference is not huge and for my usage not worth the price difference
 
MauerFan07 said:
Is the 15 rMBP fairly lighter than the non-retina MBP? My current laptop isn't necessarily "heavy", but walking around campus with it in my backpack + everything else I need can be a bit of a burden. That's a big reason why the 13" is looking so attractive.
Click to expand...

I had a 15" MBP before my 15 MBPr, and the retina feels much lighter to me, and slightly more compact. But, to travel often, I prefer smaller machines. For the intended use, I would consider a 13" MBPr a very good choice...
 
I feel like starting a new thread would be silly for this question...besides Skylake what kind improvements do you guys think the 2016 rMBPs will get?
 
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