Which MacBook should I buy?

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Shadowprice

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I've made this thread earlier this year, and it was something that I never closed in on. Right now I have some modest funds that came in and I'm in the market to buy one. I've been fiddling around with various laptops this year and I just couldn't find one to my liking. In the end, Windows laptops just really don't do it for me, and with Windows 8 now mainstream on most of them I tend to avoid them like the plague now. I still have my custom rig that runs Windows 7 as my main machine.

I'm looking to spend NO more then $2,000 but I really don't want to go up that high. I'm more looking for a best price to performance ratio.

I'll mostly be using the computer at home and the sometimes at work. I do technical support and I like having my laptop near me to run programs and do searches on various things to walk my customers through. Work computers are limited and slow, plus I like to surf on it on my lunch break or watch shows, random things like that.

My home use will mostly consist of my day to day tasks, web browsing, office documents, youtube/Netflix. I mostly use my desktop for gaming, gaming will not be heavy on my MacBook. I don't really enjoy playing games on my laptop, if anything it would be small RTS games or logging into WoW just to chat with my guild and run around town.

I'll be doing boot camp and loading Windows 7 for some relevant programs. Battery life is not incredibly crucial since I'm usually near a outlet most of the time.

The things I use my computer for looks pretty basic and maybe even seem on paper not fit for a MacBook, but the reason I want one is the general experience. I'm not a hardcore Apple fanboy, but I do like using OS X a lot and I have a iPhone/iPad I can sync up with it. I enjoy the luxury build quality, longevity of the machine and resell value. The trackpad alone is enough magic itself to warrant buying one, that thing is amazing.

I'm really leaning towards a 15" 2012 Refurb for $1,449. I think it's a good deal in the refurb store. I'm not all that crazy for a retina display, I've checked them out at the stores and they didn't look that outstanding compared to the standard ones. Plus, I don't know if its just me, but all the retina models I've used and touched in the store feel incredibly hot. Do these things have heating issues or something?

I enjoy the idea of being able to upgrade ram and the HDD, and as crazy as it sounds sometimes I do still use a DVD drive every now and then, and external drives are annoying to carry around. I'm not completely scared of the 5400 RPM drive, its fast enough in the Mac, and I can always toss in a SSD later. Unless there is just a severe clear cut advantage of going for a retina model, I'd rather save some money and have a little more upgrade freedom. Even with the models getting refreshed with haswell this fall, I'll probably still pickup a refurb 2012 IB for a reduced price.

The 15" is not that heavy for me to carry around in a laptop bag. Most of my carrying is really from my car to work, and then its setup at a office desk. I know the 13" models are much more light and travel friendly, but I don't strain from carrying around a 15" model. They aren't that heavy to me.

So unless there is a super advantage to the MacBook Air or 13" retina display (Pretty sure at this point I won't touch a standard 13") or retina 15" , I'm pretty set on the refurb 2012 15" non-retina. I would consider a 13" simply for the savings in money, but I just don't enjoy watching movies/shows on a 13" screen. Just looking for a consult or some input before I pull the trigger this week.
 
You sound like you've made your decision. There isn't much of a point in trying to make statements about what you "should" do when you have your reasons behind your own personal choices.

Personally I see no advantages really anymore in owning a standard MBP, I think they will be discontinued in a few years once the price of the display comes in line with the current pricing of the MBP and everything will be moved to rMBP.

That said, portability and the display are the biggest factors for me personally as a laptop user. I'd much rather use an rMBP 13"/15" or an Air 11"/13" than any MBP. The difference in weight is not negligible. Before the rMBP existed I moved from a 15" to a 13" MBP. The weight difference looks like it's not that big a deal on paper, but in practice it made a huge difference. It doesn't seem like a big deal, until you have to carry it for more than 40 minutes (or heck less than that. My University was on a hill, carrying the 15" 15-20 minutes for the hike every day got old). The weight savings again that the rMBP models put out is definitely welcome to a user like me.

Additionally my profession involves images. I probably care way more about the display than a user that isn't trying to squeeze as many pixels as possible onto a screen. I personally can't wait for mainstream 4K, not because I have any interest in 4K moves, but because I want to be able to edit stills on those screens. I spend so much time zooming in and out in Photoshop. It'll be nice to do much less of that in the future. But this isn't something even relevant to you.

The only way I'd buy a regular MBP at this point is if it was for an obscenely cheap price used. I feel at this point that weight is more important than upgradeability. I also am the type to use a machine for 1-2 years and the sell it for a newer model so cost concerns are generally less of an issue as you sell, getting a good chunk of your investment out of it and rebuy.

But none of this matters. You're not a user like I am or more than likely anyone else who will respond. You seem to have a much greater concern for cost and the ability to change out some parts, and you care less about resolution and weight. Get what works for you. Go ahead and pull the trigger.
 
I am in the same boat. Been trying to decide which MacBook to get for weeks now. I am leaning towards a MacBook Pro 15inch from 2012. I also still find myself using a DVD drive here and there.
 
rsbjr said:
I am in the same boat. Been trying to decide which MacBook to get for weeks now. I am leaning towards a MacBook Pro 15inch from 2012. I also still find myself using a DVD drive here and there.
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Don't be silly. Giving up the retina display for an optical drive you use occasionally doesn't make sense. An external is less than $100 and doesn't take up that much space.
 
The 13" retina has a refurb right now for $1,250 or something along those lines. 8GB ram and a 128GB SSD. It's a pretty sweet price, is this a good machine? Like I said I can't see myself buying a Haswell as soon as they come out. My only concern is the HD4000 being able to drive that massive resolution with no lag. Again I'm not running intensive programs, most demanding video tasks will be full HD video, but I'd want it to be seamless and no stuttering.

The idea of just putting it in a sleeve and taking it to work does seem appealing. Is the retina models better then the air you think?

Right now I seem to be going towards the 15" non retina or the 13" retina just for the sweet price point on a refurb. I could still watch movies on my main rig/TV, like I said I think I'm just looking for the best value as well.

Does the Haswell MBA have a huge advantage over the 13" rMBP other then battery life?
 
Haswell MBA also has a better GPU - HD5000 vs HD4000 in the rMBP.
 
Is the GPU going to be a massive difference in basic tasks like HD video or even just web browsing on a big resolution?

UnknownSouljer's post did make sense on retina models having a better value. I've only taken a look at them in the store, I probably didn't get to see them much up close to really make a good examination. It may make sense to try the 13" model and if I wanted to really watch videos I could just use the HDMI port. Even if Haswell models come out or comparing to the Haswell MBA, the lower priced IB model, if the GPU is good enough is the one I'd probably get.
 
Xan433 said:
Is the GPU going to be a massive difference in basic tasks like HD video or even just web browsing on a big resolution?

UnknownSouljer's post did make sense on retina models having a better value. I've only taken a look at them in the store, I probably didn't get to see them much up close to really make a good examination. It may make sense to try the 13" model and if I wanted to really watch videos I could just use the HDMI port. Even if Haswell models come out or comparing to the Haswell MBA, the lower priced IB model, if the GPU is good enough is the one I'd probably get.
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The HD4k will be fine for anything below gaming. You might encounter some sluggishness in the OSX UI but other than that you shouldn't have any issues. I'd recommend the 15" if budget and space allows for it.
 
450 said:
Don't be silly. Giving up the retina display for an optical drive you use occasionally doesn't make sense. An external is less than $100 and doesn't take up that much space.
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Fair enough, I was only planning on using Win7 on it. Not sure if the Win7 Apple Drivers support retina.
 
They'll run at 2560x1600 just fine. Retina is just a marketing term for high resolution its nothing proprietary.
 
To those of you that plan on running Windows 8 in Boot Camp on a Retina MBP... Don't do it!! Well, do it but wait until Windows 8.1. The DPI scaling in Windows 8 is FUBAR so you end up running it at native resolution (which equals super tiny icons and text at 2880 x 1800) or you scale which created horribly pixelated icons and text.
 
I went to the Apple store today and checked out the models.

The retina vs. non-retina models was a incredible day and night difference.. the text was so vivid, I was impressed.

Now 13" vs 15" .... that's what I'll decide on.
 
Xan433 said:
I went to the Apple store today and checked out the models.

The retina vs. non-retina models was a incredible day and night difference.. the text was so vivid, I was impressed.

Now 13" vs 15" .... that's what I'll decide on.
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Do you need a fast (discreet) GPU or something closer to a mobile workstation? Then the 15" is your only option.
Is weight and portability a greater concern? Then the 13" is probably more your cup of tea.
 
if you're into design, i would get a refurb retina from the apple store. it's so much thinner than the regular macbook pro, and the screen is just gorgeous. the retina also has much better speakers (they're actually quite good for a laptop) and hdmi out.
 
I would say wait till they are shipping Haswell Macbooks and see what the prices do......IE; wait till beginning of November.....if you cant, then oh well.


Retina vs non.......thats something you should stop by the apple store and check out. Bring a movie on a thumb-drive (since you said you watch movies on lunch breaks) to ensure it looks good to you. Maybe the retina display isn't for you......maybe its worth the extra bucks.
 
JPF_ said:
I would say wait till they are shipping Haswell Macbooks and see what the prices do......IE; wait till beginning of November.....if you cant, then oh well.


Retina vs non.......thats something you should stop by the apple store and check out. Bring a movie on a thumb-drive (since you said you watch movies on lunch breaks) to ensure it looks good to you. Maybe the retina display isn't for you......maybe its worth the extra bucks.
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Movies aren't the "killer app" so to speak on the rMBP. It's the text clarity and how much you can fit onto the screen.
 
450 said:
Movies aren't the "killer app" so to speak on the rMBP. It's the text clarity and how much you can fit onto the screen.
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I was just going on what OP listed as to what he was gonna do with it.

I have not see what videos look like on a rMBP, just making sure OP understands that taking a thumb drive in with his movies to check to see what they look like was an option :O
 
Tried the 15" standard and retina... I actually ended up purchasing a standard like my original intention and ended up taking it back. The 15" models are just a bit overkill for my tastes and the standard got extremely hot just by simply transferring my files and watching a netflix episode.

Ended up purchasing a 13" MacBook Air, I got the 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD. I don't really do anything intensive on my Air so 4GB will be plenty. I'm just running basic apps and watching videos.. I just enjoy the quality and user friendliness of the keyboard/trackpad and the weight is amazing. It's easy to just put in a sleeve and take to work, I don't even need to worry about taking a charger with me since the battery will easily last all day. Plus I got the haswell model and it was just updated, so I won't have any refreshes released on me anytime soon like with the 15" models.

It's a perfect compliment to my main desktop rig, I love this notebook, I couldn't be any happier.
 
I've got a retina 15. It's an amazing machine, especially the beautiful screen, but is much more computer than I need in a laptop. I'm not a laptop gamer nor do I do any video rendering on it. I plan to sell it and grab a 13" retina when the Haswell models are released in October. I think the 5000 integrated graphics will handle the 13's 2560x1600 resolution quite well.
 
I think the TC will really like that 13" MBA. It is a fantastic machine for the price, with the only drawback I see to it at all is the low screen resolution (which is the ONLY thing I don't like about my 2011 13" MBA).
 
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