Which MacBook to get (Casual video editing + travelling)

[Flr_flr]

Hi guys!

I am about to finally retire my mid-2012 MacBook Pro soon, and have been looking into options for the next one so I need some advice.


I am only getting into video editing with Adobe Premiere Pro, however I am planning to create casual content for social media mainly (so no 3D and such). Apart from that, I am on the go quite a lot and would appreciate having a lighter laptop, and as I understand the 2018 MacBook Pro is not much lighter than my current 2012 one (around 3 pounds). Other than Premiere Pro, I mainly use my laptop for basic text/presentation editing, maybe some Traktor for music, and the occasional Photoshop...


From my research, the 2018 MacBook Air is a great step forward from the previous ones and is not much behind a Pro in terms of fastness. What still makes me question if it's the right choice is that it's dual core, and I've read more cores are recommended for Premiere Pro...


In a nutshell, what would you recommend for a user that uses Premiere Pro for basic video editing, Traktor, Ableton, Photoshop, but also needs a lighter laptop with long battery life?


Thank you in advance!

 

[Howard2k]

I think the 13” quad core is a great balance between portability and performance. They Air is a capable machine but for video work I’d want the four cores.

 

[Dave245]

I would of said the Air, but because you will be using Adobe Premier Pro, I would say the 13” MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. They were just updated and the 4 cores will be better used for Premier Pro.

 

[benobi]

I agree with @Howard2k . The 13" MBP's have basically the same footprint as the Air, and are only a few ounces heavier (so portability is about the same). However, the quad core offers more than double the performance with intensive tasks like video exporting. I would try to jump on the 2018 MBPs as you can probably find them at a pretty great discount since the 2019s were just announced this week. While everyone is still waiting on benchmarks, the 2018s should perform very similarly to the 2019s (and maybe even the same with thermal constraints).

 

[Flr_flr]

Thank you for all your help, guys! Really useful.

Now that I know which model to get, I would be very grateful if someone could point me towards a good reseller... I wouldn't like to spend more than £1200 so refurbished models are welcome.

TIA

 

[duervo]

+1 to the 13” MBP with TB suggestion.