I am a college graphic design student looking to buy a Macbook Pro, but can't tell them apart.

I need to buy a Macbook Pro for school and I'm planning to buy one refurbished. I want to buy one from the generation before the most recent one that was released in December, but I can't tell them apart. How exactly do I determine the generation I'm looking for?
PS I don't want the macbook with retina display, because it doesn't have a CD disk drive.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4132 How to identify MacBook Pro models
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1159 Mac OS X versions (builds) for computers

Similar Messages

  • Looking To Buy A MacBook Pro, But Have A Question

    Hello,
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    With Snow Leopard, it's fully 64-bit (with a couple of minor exceptions), so it will make use of all 8 GB of RAM, if you max out the RAM.

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  • I'm looking to buy a macbook pro. I will be doing some video editing with it. Would it be better to go a bit pricier to get the 2.0ghz quad core or stick with the lower priced 2.7ghz dual core?

    I'm looking to buy a macbook pro. I will be doing some video editing with it. Would it be better to go a bit pricier to get the
    2.0ghz quad core or stick with the lower priced 2.7ghz dual core?

    Video is the magic word for fast CPUs, large screens, maximum RAM and large HHDs.  Ditto what eww says and do not order RAM and HDD upgrades through Apple.  It is much, much less expensive through third party vendors.   
    Ciao.
    I do some video work myself so I have an understanding of your needs.

  • I'm looking at buying a MacBook Pro for uni and I was wondering what the best type would be to get? One with retina display etc

    I'm looking at buying a MacBook Pro for uni next year and I'm not sure what type to get. I've heard different things about the retina display and that people only get it to edit photos etc but then people have said that it is quicker and makes the laptop lighter. I'm also unsure of how much storage I will need. If anyone can help that would be great!!

    There are two screen displays available - Retina and non-Retina - and there's a world of difference between them. The Retina has non-user replaceable RAM and flash storage (well, the latter without voiding your warranty) and the non-Retina has user replaceable RAM and HD/SSD. And then, of course, there's the difference in the resolution of the screen itself... and a difference between the 13" and 15" screens (available in both 'flavors').
    How much storage you need will depend on your needs.
    I don't recommend the Retina models at this time - too many issues with tinting (on Samsung displays) and image retention (on LG displays).
    So take a look at what the non-Retina machines have to offer - you can customize to your heart's content but remember that you can always upgrade the RAM and the hard drive in the non-Retina machines yourself.
    My 2¢...
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  • Looking to buy new Macbook Pro...

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    Thanks for the answer. I do have a couple more. I currently have a Dell Inspirion 9100 with 3.20 GHz and what I think is a 9700 radon graphics card. Will my Macbook Pro 2.53 GHz dual 2 be faster? Oh, and will the 9400 graphics card in the Macbook Pro support games such as Diablo, Macgees Alice and Wonderland, various Myst games and Stronghold 2 (yes, it will be in PC mode because it's only available for PC and I will be buying the VMware 3)? Thanks again. I am really new to Mac, however, when I started college many years back, I had bought and loved the Mac Classic (which I still have and use from time to time .

  • I am looking to sell my MacBook pro but i dont know how to spec it up

    Hi there,
    I am a new macuser, however am looking to sell my macbook pro as i want to get the new tablet when it comes out.
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    According to the MacBook Pro manual for the Late 2009 model, to answer your question about upgrading the memory, well documentation says the memory specs needed are:
    Double Data Rate Small Outline Dual Incline Memory Module (DDR3) format
    30 mm (1.18 inches)
    1 GB, 2 GB, or 4 GB
    204-pin
    PC3-8500 DDR3 1066 MHz Type RAM
    According to Other World Computing (OWC), you can upgrade the battery, hard drive, and memory on the MacBook Pro via their website (http://www.macsales.com/):
    OWC 8.0 GB Upgrade Kit ($439.99)*
    http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/memory/AppleMacBook_MacBookPro/Upgrade/DDR3
    *The most inexpensive price I have found compared to newegg.com.
    OWC 640 GB 2.5-inch Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm hard drive http://eshop.macsales.com/Search/Search.cfm?Ntk=Primary&Ns=P_Price
    I hope this helps.
    THINK DIFFERENTLY

  • Looking to buy new MacBook Pro for editing with Premiere/After Effects, but wondering about trade-off between Processor Speed and Graphics Card

    I'm a professional video editor (using Premiere and After Effects) looking to buy a new MacBook Pro and am deciding between two models. The slightly older model has a 2.8GHZ i7 (3rd generation) Quad Core processor with a 1GB SDRAM of NVIDIA GE FORCE GT 650M Graphics Card. Then newer model has a 2.3GHZ i7 (4th generation) Quad Core preocessor with 2GB SDRAM of NVIDIA GE FORCE 750M/Intel Iris Pro Graphics Card.
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    Poikkeus wrote:
    1. Your MBP will be somewhat slower than your iMac, as reflected in the general speed; desktop Macs have more RAM and storage.
    You recon? If he get's the 17", he would have up to 8x more RAM, 4 x more GPU,, and  a bit faster CPU;.
    2. Be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of extra RAM. Loading up the slot will make juggling multiple applications easier, like Photoshop, VLC, and Safari. However, more than 4gigs of RAM will make loading your MBP on startup twice as slow - at least a minute, probably longer. That's why a MBP user with extra RAM should sleep their machine nearly always when not in use, rather than powering off. 
    I did not know this, I just upgraded from 4gb to 8gb the other day. Have not noticed it being slower, but I don't often shut it down. It's nice to not even have to bother with ifreemem.
    3. Additional storage and RAM will maximize the basic capabilities of your MBP, but you won't be able to make a 2.3ghz machine any faster than it already is.
    SSD
    4. I still feel that your iMac will be faster than your prospective MBP. The only way to dramatically increase the speed would be the installation of a SSD drive (like the lauded OWC series). But they're not cheap.
    I don't want to rain on your parade, but want you to get a more realistic idea of your performance.
    I chose a macbook pro, 17" of cause. I use it for gaming. Yes a iMac is better for gaming. But, it's nice to be able to move around. Set up a man cave in the lounge 1 week, or in the bedroom, the next. But you fork out a lot more dosh for that luxury. And yes, not as much power as Poikkeus has said.

  • I am looking to buy a refurbished iMac 27", can anyone tell me any defects or reasons not to?

    I am looking to buy an iMac 27" from the refurbished section on the apple webstore due to the considerable amount of money to be saved. Can anyone tell me reasons that I shouldn't or differences I will notice or is it perfectly fine?
    Thanks
    (Sorry if this post is in the wrong section)

    Would you recommend I get a
    27" refurbished iMac (specs below) $1,529.00 or a
    21.5" regular iMac (specs below) $1,299.00
    Refurbished 27-inch iMac 3.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i5
    Originally released September 2013
    27-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560-by-1440 resolution
    8GB memory
    1TB hard drive
    NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M graphics processor with 1GB of GDDR5 memory
    Built-in FaceTime HD camera
    21.5-inch: 2.7GHz
    Specifications
    2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i5
    Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz
    8GB (two 4GB) memory
    1TB hard drive1
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  • Hello,I'm trying to buy my MacBook pro, but since I am a foreign exchange student I need a international billing address, and I don't have this choose in the website. Someone know what to do?

    Hello, I am a foreign exchange student and I'm trying to buy my macbook, but in the website don't have a choose for international billing address. Someone know what's to do?

    An option is to call the Apple Store. Maybe these guys can help you.
    You can find the telephone number here: http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/intlstoreroutingpage.html

  • Looking to buy a Macbook Pro

    Been looking to buy a MBP for some time and made several posts here about them.
    I've just been paid my monthly sales bonus (a nice £700) so I'm ready to purchase myself a TOTR MBP 17".
    The question I have is this:
    Do Apple accept VISA Electron as a valid payment option?

    Also forgot to ask what delivery option are their?
      Windows XP  

  • Hi guys I am looking to buy a MacBook pro next week,I am wanting to know if I can just connect it straight to my Bt wi-fi network or do I need a airport eztreme as well? Any advice  Thank you

    Any advice cheers

    You should be able to run all of your devices through either the BT router or the Airport Express. As Bob says, running both will complicate matters. You will have to make sure to configure them correctly to work together. When your Airport Express arrives, you may want to consider asking in the Airport forum and maybe the iTunes Home Sharing forum. It isn't a MacBook Pro question. I know nothing about AirTunes, but there are many people in those forums who do.

  • Graphic Design Student

    I am a graphic design student and I am looking into buying a Macbook Pro for school. I just don't know what all I need. Also I am a gamer so I do need extra for that. If anyone could help me with information that would be great!

    If you want to play games on the MBP then go with the top of the line or at least as close to that as you can afford. Anything less will be dissatisfactory.
    Of course that MBP will do fine for graphic design also.
    Allan

  • Should I buy a Macbook Pro for college? If so which one?

    Going to college in a couple of weeks. I was planning on buying a Macbook Pro but I don't really know if I need it or if it's worth the price. I was looking at the 13 inch i5 and i7 versions. If I would buy the i5 one, I would like to upgrade the hard drive to 500G for an extra 50 bucks but was wondering if it was worth just going for the i7 processor version which already includes a 500G hard drive. It would be an extra 250 dollars. Also, if I buy either one of these, will it last me 4-6 years of college? I know that technology goes by fast and would rather spend an extra couple hundred dollars if its going to last me longer. I am majoring in Petroleum Engineering and will not be using much video editing or gaming.
    I've been reading many reviews and statements about Macs from all over the internet but I have a few more questions about Macbook Pros. I have always been a PC guy.
    Do Macs really stay fast longer? Like doesn't slow down as much.
    How limited is the compatibility now days?
    Worth the big price tag?
    How big of a difference is the i5 and i7 processors?
    Can you put a laptop lock on it? It will probably be a big target for thieves and I hear there are many in college.
    Should I get Apple Care?
    Is there more programs I would need to buy? I am getting a 100 dollar gift card thing to the apple app store but wondering if I need Microsoft Office or something that isn't from the Apple store
    The reason I ask these questions is because I would rather have an answer from a community of people with multiple answers and opinions than a biased website or reviewer. Well there will be some biased since this is an apple forum but please answer truthfully and as unbiased as possible please! Thanks!

    Mac 101
    http://www.apple.com/support/switch101/
    http://www.apple.com/support/mac101/
    http://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro

  • Which new MacBook Pro is best for a graphic design student?

    Hi there, I was just wondering if anyone could give me some advice on which new MacBook Pro to get. I'm a graphic design student who would like to be able to use Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator at the same time, while also web browsing (I tend to have a million windows open). I won't be using the computer for any video work or heavy gaming.
    Here's what I do know: I'd like the retina display, and I need the 8GB of memory (do I need more?). Other than that, I'm not too sure about what specifications I need. I'm not super knowledgeable about all of this, so apologies if these are very elementary questions. Any help would be much, much appreciated. Here are my main questions:
    1. Would you recommend getting the quad core i7, or is i5 fine? For i5, do I need to pay attention to the difference between 2.4GHz and 2.6GHz?
    2. What exactly is PCle-based flash storage, and would you recommend 256GB or 512GB?
    3. What's the difference between Intel Iris Pro and Intel Iris?
    Thanks so much!

    1) Depending on which software you'll be using most of the times a quad core has more benefits (since it's more future proof). Not all software supports multiple cores (and thus rendering the extra cores of the quad "useless" if it's not supported).
    2) PCI-e is what we use in desktops to attach for example a graphic card. Previous hard drives used a cable to connect it with the motherboard (in the old days we used IDE, now recent hardware uses SATA3). Basically because it's directly connected to your motherboard (there's more to it but to keep it simple) this will allow it to read and write faster from and to it. (Double the speeds of your regular SSD)
    3) I reckon (haven't checked into it) that the base core speeds are clocked higher on the Iris Pro and probably has more dedicated ram to it.
    What a graphical student wants would be most likely a quad core CPU with a dedicated graphics card. The extra is storage is nice if you reckon you'd need it. (I mostly work on cloud but keep my current projects on my drive because then I'd have faster access to it).

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