13inch MBP for 1499 or retina 15inch for 2199?

Hi, I am not able to decide on which Macbook pro to buy,
Is 15inch retina MBP for 2199 worth its price when compared to 13inch MBP for 1499.
Is 256GB flashdrive enough for future needs. I am mainly concerned about performance in long run.

If your concern is the storage you should think and see the way you keep things. Are you a guy who keeps everything including movies, music, or any other downloaded media on its laptop well the SSD is not the best choice for you at all. But if you could manage keeping your media on your external hard drives then SSD storage is the best one and 256G is going to be even more for you. I have all Microsoft Office 2011, whole Adobe CS5.5 master collection, and VMWare fusion with Windows 7 on it and it's near to 80G. What else you want to install?
But it's a big difference between 15-inch MBP and 13-inch MBP. When you mentioned size of the screen there is no reason to think of retina display. First think of the size and what you miss with 13-inch MBP and what you get from 15-inch one.
Comparing base-line MBP 15-inch with base-line MBP with retina display is a relevant comparison. You want my opinion, change the RAM of MBPR to 16G and you see it's cheaper that MBP 15-inch baseline with 256G SSD and increasing RAM to 8G.(please do not remind me I can find RAM and SSD cheaper from outside!)
I would go with the retina one if you come down to 15-inch non-retina and retina MBP baseline. But think of your needs and what you do on a regular bases, the retina baseline with 16G RAM don't even need to be upgraded! A day you need to upgrade that spec I'm sure you'd rather buy another machine
Good luck.

Similar Messages

Is the 13inch MBP for $1199 practical for graphic design?

Hi,
I'm wondering if someone can please advise... my wife wants to get into graphic design, and I would like to get her a laptop for a gift... I use a macbook pro 2.53 but that's not in my budget...
would the macbook pro for $1200 (13inch 2.26 2gb 160hd) be better than the macbook for 999?
do you think those specs are sufficient for running PS, Ilustrator etc..?
I'm looking for something she can use to learn graphic design on and actually do work... is 13in screen practical?
Thanks

Hi chaimdan,
Photoshop is actually more dependent on the CPU /RAM/HD than on the Graphic processor, so the absence of the dedicated GPU won't hurt her with the base model MBP compared to your own. It will be a little slower with Photoshop than your own because of the ten percent or so difference in CPU speed, but not much.
I'd be inclined to bump it up to 4 Gig of RAM though (i installed Corsair "MacRAM" in my own which was much cheaper than ordering the computer with the 4 Gig configuration). I found a substantial improvement with various graphics related apps after upgrading.
To connect to a large monitor you will need an adaptor - either "MiniDisplay Port to DVI" or MiniDisplay Port to VGA", depending on the monitor . Almost all current flat screen monitors will support DVI, which is the way to go if you can.
Personally I'd get the MBP rather than the MB because of the FW port. While USB is Ok for backing up, to avoid filling up her internal drive too much (Photoshop likes plenty of room to move for optimum performance) she is going to need to think about getting an external drive for storing images, or even for use as a "scratch drive" when using Photoshop, before too long. FW800 is vastly better for this sort of purpose.
Cheers
Rod

Which would you choose MBP for FCP7

Ok here is my question.
I am looking to invest in a refurbished 15in MBP. I cannot afford a new one at thist time. Below is what I am planning to use it for and I will give you the two models I am looking at, I would really be thankful if any of you experts out there can give me a had in the selection. Ok here it goes.
Uses
FCP7 (I will be shooting in AVCCAM(Both 1080 and 720p) and transfering it to Pro-Res 422(LT)
Photoshop CS5 or CS6 (Using smaller images taken with an 8MP Camera, not looking to edit images over 12MP at this time.)
Adobe Lightroom
Some small use of After Effects.
Surf The Web
Watch a movie or two.
Here are the two machines I am looking at.
the October 2011 15inch MBP with 2.2Ghz Quar Core...I am planning to upgrade the memory to 8GB
OR
the April 2010 15inch MBP with 2.8 Intel Core i7....This model will have the matte Hi-Res screen not the glossy one I will get on the one above. I am also planning to upgrade the memory to 8GB.
I know these are not the AWSOME new machines that Apple is making, I cant afford them and cannot see ever being able to drop more then 1400 on a machine at this time. I am not a real power user either. I guess I am curious with these two processors and the two different displays what you all think is more important.
Thanks everyone

yv,
Have you actually seen this "graininess" issue for yourself? I only ask because I was very hesitant about buying a MBP for that reason. I went into the Apple Store, compared screens between MacBook, MacBook Pro and iMac. The MacBook screen was clearly inferior. The MacBook Pro (15") and the iMac screen looked comparable in quality. I saw no graininess.
I went to CompUSA the following week. I brought my wife with me. She's a graphic designer, works on very good quality monitors all day--in fact she makes the purchasing decisions for the graphics department of a Fortune 500 company. We compared the same three sets of monitors. She came to the same conclusion as me: the MacBook monitor is inferior. The MacBook Pro and iMac monitors are not noticeably different in quality. In fact, she even thought the MacBook Pro was every bit as good as the Apple Cinema Display they had. I bought a MacBook Pro right there.
I've been using it for about 6 weeks now. Its the best laptop screen I've ever used-better than my daughter's PowerBook G4 (last generation), better than my wife's high-end PC laptop (I think its a Toshiba), better than my son's PowerBook G4 (second to last generation). I also compare it to my higher end 22" external monitor (more expensive Gateway version). Sure, the external is better, but it isn't designed for a laptop.
So, maybe I got lucky, and all the MacBook Pros at the Apple Store, and the ones at CompUSA and the one I purchased all happened to be the few that don't have this problem (mine was manufactured during the last week of November or the first week of December). Or, this is a relatively rare problem with one of the earlier batches. Or it is exaggerated to begin with. Take a look for yourself.

Thinking of getting a 15" MBP for FCPX... few questions...

Hey everyone,
I am thinking of getting a MBP for FCPX.
I am new to Mac's and have always used PC's but with all of the trouble I have had with my PC's lately, and the fact that I have an iPhone, iPod, and everything seems to be moving to the "cloud" I think it is time to go with what seems like the superior product, an Apple Laptop
So my question to you:
I am on a budget, but don't want to be regretting not spending enough in the long run.
I want to do some video editing and I have always used Sony Vegas in the past. With FCPX only being $300 now, that seems much more reasonable than the way FCP7 was previously priced.
What sort of system spec's should I shoot for?
I am reading that the minimums are as follows:
Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor or better.
2GB of RAM (4GB of RAM recommended).
OpenCL-capable graphics card or
Intel HD Graphics 3000 or later.
256MB of VRAM (512MB of VRAM recommended).
Display with 1280-by-768 resolution or higher.
OS X v10.6.8 or OS X v10.7.5 or OS X v10.8.2 or later.
2.4GB of disk space.
So if I got a 15" Macbook Pro (without Retina display... do I really need the Retina?) here are the specs and my questions:
2.3GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.3GHz Or should I go for the 2.6GHz Quad-core Intel Core?
8GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GBI figured this would be a good upgrade from the 4GB of RAM
500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpmATA versus SSD? What size do you think?
MacBook Pro 15-inch Glossy Widescreen DisplayAre the high-res glossy or anti-glare any better? Is the regular screen pretty easy on the eyes?
Any other tips or suggestions for what to get? I want this to run as smoothly as possible, and I want this to be a computer that will last me a few years. I am currently on year 5 of my laptop PC, so I hope that the Apple's are as good of a product.
Thanks!

As Tony writes, try to get the faster machine if you can afford. fcpx needs: a fast hard drive, a fast processor and lots of memory (ram).
Just a bit of my own experience: I am presently working with fcpx 1005 on a retina macbook pro (15", 2.7GHz, 16GB ram, the faster video card, and 500GB SSD internal drive). I was waiting for a mac pro so I settled for this machine and it lives up to all my expectations. I am editing material in ProRes 1080p30 with a lot of processing (effects) and usually 4-5 layers. The machine performs better than I would have imagined.
- Internal hard drive: of course the internal SSD hard drive helps but you can skip that if money is tight. Try and put a 7200 rpm drive, the price difference should not be so great and there still will be a difference.
- RAM is vital: on a regular project, as soon as you use color correction and plugins fcpx eats all the ram it can get. I used to work on a 6GB ram macbook pro until last summer and needed to quit and relaunch fcpx constantly. Now I have 16GB in the new macbook pro and the memory-hungry situation is just slightly better. The performance of course is much better in the sense that fcpx tends less to forget things, to show the beach ball or to act erratically. All this is due to lack of RAM. So do not spare on that and put in the maximum your machine can take.
- The speed of the processor will make a difference between smooth and less smooth performance, and render times of course.
- fcpx, also, is now GPU optimized and a faster video card in the macbook pro will make a definite difference. Same as for CPU.
- external hard drives: don't even think of editing on your internal drive. Think that all your system and apps are installed there, so you want to keep this drive from running hot and die prematurely.
Use USB3 or eSATA drive enclosures. With an adaptor expresscard (like sonnet) you will get a decent performance and be able to read several ProRes 422 layers and a lot of ProRes Proxy layers and not despair in front of a sluggish machine. (I just upgraded from eSATA to TBolt RAID. This also helps with hi-res material and when you load an event with a lot of video files - much faster display). But both usb3 and eSATA are quite fine. If you can try and use a dual-drive enclosure you will get a real measurable performance boost.
- Screen: the retina is showing the images with a LOT better definition than the regular monitor. It is not too relfective. In studio, with a normal lighting arrangement it is fine. My other machines were all non-reflective and of course that's perfect. Stil the retina without question is better.
What else… well good luck.

Advice on used mbp for photo/ video tasks.

Good afternoon everyone. I'd just like to pick the brains of some of the experts here regarding purchasing a used mbp for photo/ video. for about $1300 (preferably less) which models would you look at? I'm open to 15 and 17 inch variants. The 13 is just too small. I've been trying to find a 15" with 2.4ghz and 16gb ram but they are very hard to come by in my price range. Is there going to be a huge difference in speed between a 2.2, 2.3, or 2.4 i7 quad core processor? I'm also aware that some models came with superior graphics cards although I can't remember exactly which ones.
one more question, regarding the high res matte screens, are these going to make my guis look weird? I actually had a 2014 13" mbp retina and was hugely disappointed in its performance and took it back. The retina display was not compatible with photoshop And made it look awful. This happened with some web pages as well. Is this going to happen with the high res screens available previous to the retina technology?
Thanks in advance for any help and suggestions.
One last thing. Am I better off waiting/ spending a few hundred more and looking at more recent units such as a 15" retina? I don't like that the ram can't be upgraded and that they can't be repaired by the user as easily but the lighter weight is certainly a nice feature.

I suppose what I'm asking is whether there are particular configurations that were better than others that I should look out for. you illustrated my point when you mentioned your friend's older but faster mbp. I believe sometimes there are configurations that seem to work better than others despite one being newer or having 'faster' or 'superior' hardware. I'm aware of the advantages of ssd's and had one in my last mbp along with maxed out ram.
Regarding the newer mbp 13 retina model my solution was to take it back. I simply was not happy paying more for a computer that was more expensive but didn't perform as well as my older model I had just sold. Also the size was not going to work.
Out of interest can anyone explain these anomolies in speed between newer and older models. Logic suggests that a newer model with faster processor and more ram should be faster but why is this not always the case?
Here's my predicament: 15" mpb with 2.4ghz i7 quad core and 16gb ram and ssd are running around $1400 used. This is more than I would expect to pay for a mid to late 2011 laptop but they seem to hold their value very well. There is a significant price jump between say a 2.2ghz model and a 2.4. Am I going to notice more performance on the 2.4 or is it not a big deal to save a few hundred bucks? Or do I just spend a few hundred more for a newer retina model? I just don't want to end up with a computer I cannot upgrade or work on myself and that is not a significant performance upgrade from my last model And doesn't even have a SuperDrive or additional HDD. I hope that makes sense.
So with all that said and considering that I use my laptop for photography and small amounts of video are there any particular models anyone would recommend Around the $1300 mark? Or other suggestions?

MBP for intensive photoshop use.

Hi,
I am considering a MBP for all my photoshop work. Currently using Photoshop CS6
From 2007-2010 I had my old MBP (late 2006 model). Then in 2011 I was using the 2011 iMac, 2.5ghz, 4gb ram. I sold the iMac as I felt more comfortble with the laptop in terms of working anywhere and anytime. Also for some reason I just strangly enough found the iMac a bit sluggish compared to the smooth performance I had with my old MBP. I mean the iMac is fast, way faster than my old MBP, but sometimes the mouse is just stuck there and i feel annoyed that I can get moving on as i am waiting for 'something' thats really not there... However I do think that it may have been due to the wireless bluetooth mouse that I was using... but not sure.
I run psd files that have a large number of layers and can reach a size of 3-4gb per file while processing and when saved and closed upto 2gb. I rarely use filters, but when i do, its mainly the blur filters and then sometimes the others.
15"
I am considering the 15" MBP base model but bump up the RAM to 8gb... I wish it were more than 8 though...
and getting a SSD drive of 128gb... too expensive other wise and this is enough for my work files as I have 2 additional backups on external HDs.
and VRam of 512gb
with an anti glare display... as the glossy is just putting me off.
13"
I like the size & portability of the 13", but the lack of a dedicated VRAM is putting me off. I could always get an external display later if the need be, however what about VRAM... its shared right?
So any suggestions regarding my choice of specs. I would like to really bump up the RAM but the only option i have is 8gb. I do not want to buy the retina as I am freaked out about what if i have problems with it after warranty and I know that repair on a retina is a nightmare... so prefer a normal MBP if its going to be a better option that way. Also I hope to use this system for another 3-4 years alteast if it does not have any other issues.

For any sort of high end graphics use, the 13" are out in the non-Retinas. Not only do you have the issue of the VRAM, the 13" only have the integrated Intel GPU, no discrete NVIDIA GPU. As for the RAM, all these non-Retinas can take up to 16GB (2x8GB SODIMM sticks) with NO issues provided you use the right kind, 1600MHz in the 2012 models. And yes, the antiglare option is mandatory for a graphics pro, and you get the bonus of the 1680x1050 widescreen to boot (i.e., you get half a Retina without its closed-system shortcomings and price). Not to mention all the ports + the optical drive.
Do NOT buy RAM or storage from Apple. Third party options will cost about 1/2 to 1/4 for them, and replacement will not void your warranty. Do try to buy the biggest/meanest CPU you can afford, since that can't be upgraded,

2007 iMac vs New MBP for Web/Graphic Design?

Hey everyone,
I'm a web/graphic designer currently using a Mid-2007 iMac and looking to upgrade to the top level MBP for better performance and mobility. I'm usually running a few programs at a time (photoshop, indesign, illustrator, safari, spotify, etc) and my current setup seems to be bogging down lately. Given the specs below, will I see a big boost in performance by upgrading to the MBP? On paper 2.4ghz vs 2.8ghz doesn't seem like a lot, but I know the RAM, graphics card and whatever "turbo boost" is all play a big role as well. Any advice?
Current iMac:
-Mid-2007 iMac - 24"
-2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
-4 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
-ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro 256 MB
-500 GB SATA Disk
Potential MBP:
-2.8GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 4.0GHz
-16GB 1600MHz DDR3L SDRAM
-512GB PCIe-based Flash Storage
-Intel Iris Pro Graphics and NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M with 2GB of GDDR5 memory

Hi Bee!
Thanks very much for your advice!
However, why do you suggest the 21.5" over the 27"? Do you think it is worth the extra screen size, because I can afford either?
It seemed to me that the iMac was the best option also - I'm in need of the power, but I'm still deliberating over size.
Also, on a side note, do you know of any iPhone apps that can help me with transferring files from home to college I'm getting an iPod Touch as part of the new deal Apple are running and I just wondered if there were any apps that I would find handy for transporting files etc.?
Thanks again!

15" vs 17" MBP for international travel

ahhh.... decision time again...
Ready to buy a new MBP for a month long shoot in China. I already have a desktop system with a large display, so this will not be my main Aperture system at home.
Seems like the 15" is the best option on account of the LED screen, lighter weight, smaller size, better battery life. But for some bizarre reason Aperture is NOT loaded on any of the demo units at the two Apple stores in NYC (the Aperture library is on the machines, but not the application itself...weird) so I havent been able to really get a feel for it compared to the 17"
Of course more screen real estate is always nice, but is the 17" worth the extra size, weight, decreased battery time, etc? Trying to keep my kit down to the minimum...
G5 Dual2.0 (PCI-X), 4.5GB RAM, 2TB SATA RAID, 23" Cinema Display + PB G4 Mac OS X (10.4.10)

I've had Titanium 15"s for years, then a MBP17 for the last year. Because I want the 4 gigs of RAM I'll change my mac in august. I'll get the 15.
the 17 inch is too large for public space use (airplane, train mostly) and weights a bit too much for my taste.
If I were in your situation I'll get a 15 and a screen calibrator, and find a way to rent or borrow an external LCD in china, calibrate it and use that as your working screen....
..i'm saying this because laptop screens are a bit stretched for critical work... hope this helps

Using my MBP for DJing.

Good day,
I have a MBP C2D and I'm a part time DJ. Most of the time when I'm watching very high-profile DJs on television they're using their Macbook or Macbook Pro when they're DJing. What I would like to know is what are they using it for and how could I do it if I wanted to. I'm still doing it the old fashion way but if I could figure out how to use my MBP for DJing it would be wonderful.

Ableton Live 6 is good, but I find the user interface to be a bit cumbersome and not too exciting. I personally use Native Instruments Traktor 3 and love it! Combine that with the brand new Vestax VCI-100 Professional DJ MIDI Controller and it is absolutely amazing! Goodbye CDJ's or turntables and mixer...hello the next evolution of digital DJ'ing.
Find out more about the Vestax VCI-100 here: http://www.vestax.com/v/products/players/vci100.html
Find out more about Native Instruments Traktor 3 here: http://www.nativeinstruments.com/index.php?traktor3_us&flash=7
MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo Mac OS X (10.4.9) 2GB RAM, 120GB HD, 256MB Video RAM

MBP for video editing

Hi,
I am planning to purchase a MBP for editing HDV video while on the road using Final Cut Studio. My plan is to also use a G-Raid external HD for storage of content and backup.
My Question is regarding the internal HD..FCS2 takes up over 50G to install the entire suite, which really eats into the 160 gig internal HD. Will the 250 gig HD be more appropriate?? Any suggestions for seeting up a new MBP for video editing??
Apologies if this is in the wrong forum!
Cheers
SJH

Will the 250 gig HD be more appropriate?
If you're comparing it to the 160GB 7200rpm drive then you will get similar (though not better) performance. The best drive, assuming it's large enough for you is the Hitachi 200GB 7200pm drive. It has the best mix size and performance and comfortably beats the rest. Unfortunately it's not only the fastest but it's also the most expensive drive you can get at the moment. This might help…
http://www.barefeats.com/rosa06.html
EDIT : Be aware that this drive will require you to do your own installation and hence, potentially void your warranty. However, I do think it will be worth it in your case. I have one on order myself.

We've had our MBP for a year, set up with my Apple ID. Got an iPad recently and set up with another Apple ID. Would now like to sync the two and set up iCloud/PhotoStream. How to do since have two different Apple IDs?

We've had our MBP for a year, set up with my Apple ID. Got an iPad recently and set up with husband's Apple ID. Would now like to sync the two and set up iCloud/PhotoStream between the two. How to do since have two different Apple IDs? Thanks!

Just out of curiosity, why did you elect to use a different id?. That seems to always make things difficult. If you have not had the pad for long, or have not bought a lot of stuff Nader the new id, you might want to think about erasing all content, turn off find my phone, wiping the pad and starting over.
You can sync 2 different ids ( at least move pictures, books and music back and forth) if you are syncing through I tunes on your computer, but I don't think you can cross feed I cloud streams.

External Drives on MBP for recording

I'm a logic9 'power' user whose about to make 'as live' recording with 2 synth players and full rhythm section and 3 vocalists.
Historically I've recorded the standard way ie Logic9 on the internal drive and 2 discrete FW800 drives for samples and audio recording respectively. This was doable on my 2008 iMac but is no longer coping with current larger projects.
Enter the MBP
My issue comes from the lack of a FW400 port on the MBP for my Apogee Ensemble. At the moment I'm trialling a 24 track project including 2 software instruments streaming samples from daisy chained drives as follows
MBP FW800<LacieRugged500<FW400ApogeeEnsemble<FW400LacieRugged(Audio Drive
When all 26tracks are recording I'm getting just one of my 8 'cores' maxing out. Is the daisy chain causing this
I know its a Logic scenario but posted here cos I'm thinking distributing external drives across the various MBP ports may be the solution
Any suggestions??
Is there a decent FW800/400 Giant hub that you'd recommend?

This is how Id expect to see the MBP looking just prior to recording a bogstandard LP9 piano.
Now see below Even recording 6 simultaneously gives me just a little more strain on 1 thread
Now however cometh the problem. I really wanna use IVORYII . It sounds great and I have a top notch SSD MBP. BUT look at what happens below
And in fact the one thread actually maxed out a number of times causing the piano to 'distort' .
As I mentioned above my FW daisy chain is as follows
MBP FW800<LacieRugged500Gb(5400)<FW400ApogeeEnsemble< 2ndLacieRugged500Gb(5400)(Audio Drive
This is so frstraing What am I missing?
The self same project performs better on my 2008 IMac!!!

New Macbook Pro Retina 15inch is showing up as 1.9months old with 2 cycles on 'Battery Health'!?

Hi,
I've just recieved my New Macbook Pro Retina 15inch and installed 'Battery Health', but for some reason it is is showing my Macbook as 1.9months old with 2 cycles!? This Macbook isn't even a day old.. Is this normal!?
Please advise..
Thanks,
P

That is not unusual. Note that the actual maximum charge is well above the designed level which is the most important criteria.
Ciao.

Retina MBP 13-inch or Retina MBP 15-inch ?

Hi Guys
I am going for my masters(MBA) and I need a new Mac during my program.
I am confused between Retina MBP 13-inch and Retina MBP 15-inch.
13-inch: 2.6GHz
with Retina display
2.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz
8GB 1600MHz memory
256GB flash storage1
Intel HD Graphics 4000
Built-in battery (7 hours)2
$1,699.00
Apple Care ($249)
15-inch: 2.4GHz
with Retina display
2.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i7
Turbo Boost up to 3.4GHz
8GB 1600MHz memory
256GB flash storage1
Intel HD Graphics 4000
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 1GB of GDDR5 memory
Built-in battery (7 hours)2
$2,199.00
No Apple Care
I want to use the Mac mainly for running Parallels(virtual Windows), making spreedsheets, flowcharts, presentations, taking notes, surfing web, watching videos, minor photo editing, etc.
I plan to use this Mac for at least 3 years.
Do you guys think Retina MBP Pro 13-inch with 2.6GHz dual-core processor and with NO dedicated graphics card will suffice my need for the next 3 years ?
Or Do I need a dedicated Nvidia grapics card with Quad-Core power ?
Thanks!

Hi clintonfrombirmingham
Are you suggesting this because I plan to use this for 3 years or because of the tasks that I plan to use it for. The price difference is steep. With apple care, another 250

Can I upgrade hard disk storage of Macbook pro retina 15inch 2013 late after purchasing?

Can I upgrade hard disk storage of Macbook pro retina 15inch 2013 late after purchasing?
I currently have 256GB.

Actually you can:
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/SSDAP12R480/
But installing this will void your warranty!
Ciao.

13inch MBP for 1499 or retina 15inch for 2199?

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