Choosing a Mac

youngmic

Inspired
OK. I know this is a mistake. But I'm going to do it anyway. :)

I'm going to buy a Macbook Pro. Here are my choices:

1. Retina Display 2.6 w/16GB RAM
2. Pro 2.6, 8GB RAM with 128GB SSD & Hi Rez Antiglare
3. Refurb 2.2, 4GB RAM, 500GB 5400RPM HD w/Hi Rez Antiglare

Let the opinions begin.
 
Hackintosh, and run it on a real PC! ;)

Retina is luring, but I wouldn't risk it yet. Heard the GPU is stretched beyond its limits to more or less be able to run it?
How do they look? I still haven't seen a retina screen.
 
It's definitely a beautiful screen. But I'm actually a little concerned about it's reflectivity. I'm not sure I buy the claim of 75% less. But it is pretty stunning otherwise. And the overall design is incredible to me. it's a beatiful piece of engineering. I'm thinking heavily about this so I'll share my pros/cons out loud:

Refurb:
PROS: MUCH less expensive (half the cost of the retina). Easily upgradeable RAM and HD. CONS: 4GB RAM. Slower proc (2.2, but may not be THAT material). No USB 3.0. No SSD (this is a big want for me for performance reasons).

Standard Pro:
PROS: Faster Proc - 2.6 Ivy Bridge. USB 3.0. Easily upgradeable. SSD. 8GB RAM. (Although I'll probably upgrade to 16GB once Performer 8 comes out in 64 bit native). CONS: more expensive than refurb.

Retina:
PROS: Retina Display. 512GB SSD. 16GB RAM. USB 3.0. HDMI. Size and weight (1lb lighter than standard pro and thickness closed = standard bottom with screen open). Coolness factor. :) CONS: much more expensive. Cannot be upgraded. Repair = replace (all proprietary). Retina display compatibility (Adobe, MOTU, Microsoft are on the roadmap but have not released yet.) No optical drive - would have to buy one as software is not delivered digitally across the board.

The more I think though this, as much as I want to be the cool kid on the block with the latest thing (Retina Display) for my friends to ooh and aah over, I think the better choice is the standard pro.
 
Some thoughts:

  • Mac Retina is slower and more overtaxed than the rest
  • Next step down (non-retina) has higher performance, even without upgrades
  • Never buy a first generation ANYTHING
  • Always buy the most CPU/RAM you can afford - you'll have it for 3-5 years
  • Refurb - sure - does it align with the previous statement

Again - just some thoughts.

Pete
 
I would say prefer SSD over a mechanical hard drive if you want the machine to be fast and responsive (which is what we're all looking for).

Apple charges a lot for SSD and for additional RAM too.
I would go for 4GB + SSD rather than 16GB + a mech hard drive and later add 4GB RAM if you feel that the stock 4 is not enough.
 
I have a 15" MBP with the Antiglare screen and it's fantastic.

As above have said - don't buy RAM through Apple. Go for the SSD, and hit up Crucial.com for the memory. Apple's markup on RAM is nuts. Just make sure the model you're getting CAN take additional memory - I believe the retina MBP memory is soldered to the board, so if you do go Retina you'll (unfortunately) need to max it when you order it.

Refurb 15 with the AG screen is what I'd go with.

FWIW, my DAW at home is a 27" i5 iMac, and it's rock solid despite being "old" tech.
 
The first question, is what are you going to be using it for?
The refurb if the HD can be replaced which I think you said it could be, can be replaced with SSD.
The lack of being able to even swap out drives and memory etc would put me off some of the newer machines.
Typing this on an iPad with a retina display, but I can't say I get to my PC and get put off by its HD screen and lack of retina.
 
Buying ANYTHING non-retina would be a major waste of money at this point. A year from now, non-retina Macs (not to mention PCs) will look positively antiquated. Retina is one of those things people don't really appreciate until they have to use the old technology again. Remember when 1080p started coming out folks were telling they can't see the difference? Well, suffices to say there's no going back to standard def now. And Retina is even more significant, because this quadruples the resolution, widens the gamut, improves the viewing angle, reduces reflections, and makes the already thin screen much thinner still. For all intents and purposes that sensor can't be improved, since it already outresolves the human eye and displays more colors than the eye can discern.

Plus, you get a laptop which will last you a very long time, since aside from the fans there are no moving parts, and the processors stopped getting significantly faster a couple of years ago.

If you want a Pro, don't buy it this year. Tim Cook hinted in an email response to a customer that there are "exciting" pro products coming out next year.
 
after using ssd for a while, couldn't go back to the mechanical disk. imo - it's the best component of a computer and worth every penny/cent/euro.
 
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