Looking to buy new Macbook Pro...

I'm a grad student with only so much money to spend on a laptop, so I'd like to know whether I can add the upgrade graphics card and more RAMM memory later... oh, and how about GHz speed? Can I upgrade for the GHz speed as well later. The more important thing to me is the graphics card though. Thanks for the help. The only reason I'd want the upgrade graphics card is if I'd like to play some of the newest games at some point.
I will be buying the Macbook Pro 15.4" laptop with 2.53 GHz, 4 GB SDRAM DDR3, 250 GB serial hard drive and anti-glare screen.

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 .

Similar Messages

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.
Which makes the most difference (processor speed vs. graphics card) with editing with Premiere and After Effects?
Any help/guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
mike

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'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¢...
Clinton

Buy new MacBook Pro 15 inch

Hi, I intend to buy a new MacBook Pro 15 inch soon. Is it recommanded to buy one now? What if Snow Leopard comes out in a few weeks/months? How do these things work when a complete new OS comes out? I mean will there be problems or high costs to run it on the recent hardware?
I am new in this. I hope someone can give me a little information.
Thanks!!

Since apple over-hauled the MBP line last October and gave it a small speed bump, I do not think you'll see any updates to the line anytime soon. Maybe a small speed bump in June or October but that's about it. The biggest change will occur when intel released the mobile version(s) of the Nehalem processor. That won't occur until late 2009 or early 2010.
As for Snow Leopard no official release date has been given by apple which could mean that you won't see it for a little while. Apple does provide release dates but they are typically a couple of months in advance. If you did buy a MBP now and apple just so happened to release Snow Leopard a couple of weeks later they typically give you a coupon for a free upgrade.
We really comment on how well things run on the new OS because many of us don't have it and those that do are bound by Apple's non-disclosure agreement. If you look at Apple's prior OS upgrades, you can see that unlike windows there's been very little compatibility or stability issues. Apple does an excellent job of providing a stable and well rounded OS.

Buy new Macbook Pro now or wait until 2015

Hi!
I'm currently trying to decide between buying a new Macbook Pro 15" right now, or waiting for any possible releases next year.
I'm totally dependent upon my laptop for both school and work. I heavily use programs such as Photoshop, Xcode, and others on an everyday basis. My current laptop is a summer '09 unibody Macbook Pro 13" (the cheapest version), with upgraded aftermarket storage and ram (two years ago). It works surprisingly well, and I could probably go on living perfectly fine with it. However, I find myself every day swearing over how annoyed I am by it. I often resort to turning it off and back on due to it freezing or lagging. But by all means, I can live with it.
I was planning on buying a new Mac last winter, but I decided to wait for a possible upgrade this summer (2014). But when that was released I couldn't buy it until September because I was abroad. When I finally got back, I reluctantly decided to wait for a larger upgrade this October (heard something about Broadwell processors), but that didn't come.
I figured since I waited that long, I might as well just wait a bit longer (until January). However yesterday my charger stopped working (Apple gave me a new one free of charge), and I realized how fragile and old my laptop is. I better trade it in before anything serious goes wrong.
So now I'm trying to decided whether I should wait for a possible upgrade or buy a new one now. I don't think whatever upgrade is coming will be large enough for it to be worth it, but I just don't wanna splurge $2500 on a new mcbp if it's gonna be outdated soon. When I'm buying something I like it to be just after it was released, to avoid situations where I'm left with a brand new outdated product.
I'm scared that if I buy it now I will regret it if a new version comes out soon. However, I'm scared that if I don't buy it now I'll end up waiting indefinitely (or just until next summer).
It'd be stupid of me to waste time now using my old Mac when I'm clearly in need of a new one. But again, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if they release a new major update in early 2015.
So hopefully someone understands my problem. My question is: what do you guys think is the right thing to do? What updates can we expect to see to the Macbook Pro line, and when can we expect to see them? Are we talking about minor upgrades like this past summer, or are we talking massive design changes, lighter and thinner body, better screen and performance? And would we see this in early (Q1, Q2) 2015 or as late as 2016? I know you can't give any definite answers, but at least you can make better assumptions than me haha.
Thanks!

We don't know. We have no more insight into Apple's plans for 2015 than you do. Making your decisions for you is not the purpose of these forums, so please do your own research and make your own decisions. If you have a technical problem with an Apple product then that is a proper use of these forums.
Apple Support Communities - Terms of Use

Need expert advice on buying new macbook pro 15 inch

Hi I Am a digital textile designer and planning to buy my first retina macbook pro. I need expert advice, which model should i buy 15 inch base model or with dedicated graphics card. i will use macbook for digital designing on Adobe photoshop and multi tasking. so now really confused is intel iris pro graphics will handle heavy files on photoshop or Nvidia GT750 m will good for heavy work. I am working on very large resolution file like 10 to 15k in resolution approx 1 GB in file size with lot of filters is being use while designing. Which model will handle above task well and last longer.

Look at the specifications here:
http://store.apple.com/us/buy-mac/macbook-pro
You may be confusing the quad core CPU with the Graphics processor.
It should have no difficulty in running Adobe Photoshop.
Ciao.

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

FaceTime Camera Images Look Poor on New Macbook Pro Retina Models

I received my new 2012 Macbook Pro Retina display model yesterday. When doing Facetime last night, others on the other end were commenting how poor the image coming from my end looked. Then I tried it on my iphone 4S and it was amazing how much better the picture of me looked on the phone versus the macbook. Today, I went to the Apple store to compare my new computer to the Retina display models on the display. Their camera images honestly didn't look much better than what I have on mine (but for example, the new Macbook Air's images look much more realistic). Why is this? How can the HD Facetime camera in the Macbook Pro produce less realistic images than the lower resolution iPhone 4S or Ipad cameras? Any help or insight you could share would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Jason

Thanks for the update, Jason.
Jason1975 wrote: ... There is definitely a difference between what was seen on the MacBook Pro Retina models on display and what the other sources I mentioned were displaying. Perhaps it has to do with the new display and software that isn't updated yet...
.... Unfortunately, the new laptop has the same issue...
Of course what is seen on Retina versus non-Retina display will be different. That is a different issue from the video quality your video contacts experience. However, the fact that you see the same problems at your home on a second new Mac means you will need to do some more extensive troubleshooting involving another trip to the Apple Store.
Rather than merely looking at displays of the live camera, I suggest you compare how the FaceTime video looks when received on your iPhone while in the Apple Store. If necessary, you should test your new Mac plus some of the Store models, too. Taking your new Mac & iPhone back the the Apple Store and connecting there will have the added benefit of eliminating possible internet connection issues at your location.
At the Store, you can compare how your new Mac's video transmissions (iChat, FaceTime, etc.) and video from some Store display cameras look on your iPhone as a receiving device. If all are "bad" on your iPhone, you can also compare video transmissions received on one of the Store's devices to be sure it sees the same video problem as your iPhone.
While connected via wi-fi in the Apple Store, if the FaceTime video transmissions from your new Retina MacBook Pro (RMBP) to your iPhone is lower quality from that of the Apple Store's RMBP FaceTime to your iPhone, it seems to me that the Geniuses should determine whether your new RMBP needs service or (highly unlikely) is a second "bad" Mac that should be exchanged for a RMBP that works properly. This time, test the fix BEFORE you take it home again.
If, every RMBP you test in the Apple Store looks worse than the video sent from all other devices, you are most likely correct that some software needs to be updated for video quality.
All this testing may take some time, so plan ahead. Perhaps you want to make a Genius appointment. However, although the Geniuses were unable to give a definitive answer other than swapping RMBPs during your last visit, they may have since found an official answer to your questions.
Message was edited by: EZ Jim
Mac OSX 10.7.4

Looking To Buy A MacBook Pro, But Have A Question

Hello,
I am looking to purchase a 17” MacBook Pro and was thinking about getting 8 GB of SDRAM on it. My question is would all of the ram be able to be utilized in the system or would it just use up to 4GB of SDRAM. I am wondering about this because this is still a 32 bit system, right?

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.

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.

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

Suggest me to buy new macbook pro..

Hey Guys
i need your valueable suggestion and help to buy my very first macbook. As i am new to mac, literaly i dont have any idea..so..help me to buy one.
well can any one tell me if i need a macbook with following configuration h0w much it cost??
screen=1680x1050 high-resolution glossy (not antiglare) // and if possible 1920x1080 but not retina one...as it costs too much
2.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i7
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 1GB of GDDR5 memory
8GB memory
and I prefer a bit lower space in HDD (Around 350gb if its possible to reduce the cost)
ps:
and will this resolution be good enough as 1920x1080???
thanks.

can any one tell me if i need a macbook with following configuration
We can't advise you unless you tell us what your going to use it for and if you have enough money to afford one and the higher cycle of software purchases as OS X gets updated annually now.
If your a struggling student and can't afford to buy a new Mac every year, or two or your working closely with other Windows users and third party specialized hardware, or if your college course requires PC's, or if your place of work is using all PC's and you using a Mac would make you stick out or not get hired, if your IT department won't support Mac's, or if your a 3D gamer, or if you live in a high crime area, or your very rough with computers, or you live in a area with high temperatures or extreme cold, or the closest Apple Support of any kind is more than your willing to commute to get there, or you need to use a wide range of software, then these are all valid reasons not to get a Mac.
If you want everyone to know your a "creative", non-compliant type, or like to appear rich, trendy and/or fashionable, or simply want a bit more reliable and secure platform than commonly used Windows, despite the smaller market share, and can afford one, then a Mac is certainly a option for you.
Otherwise under the hood a Mac and a PC are basically the same machines, with the same processors, video cards, storage drives, RAM etc.
As a Mac user, your likely going to have to install Windows regardless in order to keep your skills up in that area, if you don't then it makes you less skilled and desirable as a employee. So you really need to run both Windows AND OS X on a Mac, which is more complicated and costly.
Windows in BootCamp or Virtual Machine?
And BTW, experienced computer users opt for anti-glare screens on laptops because one can't always control the lighting, windows etc. everywhere they go, to reduce the reflections on the glossy screens which then one can't see what they are doing on them.
Apple is working on making reduced glare glossy screens, the iMac has 75% reduced glare, it's a start anyway.

Buying new macbook pro...which to buy?

I'm currently in the process of purchasing a new MBP. The only thing I really use my computer for work, school, internet streaming/ downloading, music and the occasional photo editing.
im looking to get a 15" mbp, but which one is best for what I need?

For your needs I'd 2nd Sig's suggestion, if you still want a 15" then get the base model. Your needs don't warrant anything more powerful based on what you've said.
Roger

I just buy new Macbook pro retina. How can I change the language from USA to Chinese., I just buy new Macbook pro retina. How can I change the language from USA to Chinese.

anybody can help?
How can I change the language from USA to Chinese? I already select in setup.

If it didn't take for some reason, go to System Preferences… and select the Languages & Text preference pane and reorder the languages accordingly.
Note however that specifying a language may not necessarily change everything about a system to being in that language.

Looking to buy new Macbook Pro...

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for