Macbook Pro 2011 do I return or keep upgrading? Help!!!

Okay so everyone on this forum is more helpful everyday that passes, no joke you guys are great! Heres the new story, So I have a 13" MBP early 2011 i5 that I just got less than a month ago. Now I upgraded the Ram to 8GB and was going to throw in a 160GB SSD. Now my workload has become more stressful, I am in charge of developing websites, creating 3-7min short sales videos for webpages, some photo shop and more Dreamweaver. I also use software to upload the sites to an FTP server and I pretty use develop minor software. I also use software that only works with Windows 7 so I am running boot camp as well and sometimes use parallel desktop. Heres my initial question to you, what should I upgrade the whole computer or more on my MBP I have now?
-I need my computer running fast, lagging is not acceptable because of my deadlines I have to meet.
-I will be using this for work and personal a lot!
-Last I dont want to have to upgrade after a year!

Todays my last day to return im going to take it to best buy and get the 15" then, but is the 15" high end worth the extra money, I mean i still have to cough up $600+ more for the low end 15".
What you think?

Similar Messages

My macbook pro 2011 charging indicator is acting weird. Help please?

A few weeks ago my on screen charging indicator started acting funny. Normally it takes my macbook around 2 hours to charge fully. However, sometimes the indicator says anywhere upwards of 4 hours. Furthermore, sometimes the indicator keeps switching back from the charging symbol to not charging. Why is this happening? Here is my power info:
Battery Information:
Model Information:
Serial Number:          D86122200J4DGDLAE
Manufacturer:          SMP
Device Name:          bq20z451
Pack Lot Code:          0
PCB Lot Code:          0
Firmware Version:          406
Hardware Revision:          2
Cell Revision:          158
Charge Information:
Charge Remaining (mAh):          5961
Fully Charged:          No
Charging:          Yes
Full Charge Capacity (mAh):          6430
Health Information:
Cycle Count:          341
Condition:          Normal
Battery Installed:          Yes
Amperage (mA):          1382
Voltage (mV):          12534
System Power Settings:
AC Power:
System Sleep Timer (Minutes):          25
Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes):          10
Display Sleep Timer (Minutes):          15
Wake on AC Change:          No
Wake on Clamshell Open:          Yes
Wake on LAN:          Yes
Current Power Source:          Yes
Display Sleep Uses Dim:          Yes
GPUSwitch:          2
PrioritizeNetworkReachabilityOverSleep:          0
RestartAfterKernelPanic:          157680000
Standby Delay:          4200
Standby Enabled:          0
Battery Power:
System Sleep Timer (Minutes):          20
Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes):          0
Display Sleep Timer (Minutes):          15
Wake on AC Change:          No
Wake on Clamshell Open:          Yes
Display Sleep Uses Dim:          Yes
GPUSwitch:          2
Reduce Brightness:          Yes
RestartAfterKernelPanic:          157680000
Standby Delay:          4200
Standby Enabled:          0
Hardware Configuration:
UPS Installed:          No
AC Charger Information:
Connected:          Yes
ID:          0x0100
Wattage (W):          85
Revision:          0x0000
Family:          0x0085
Serial Number:          0x001f9c6e
Charging:          Yes
How does it look? Could the problem be in the mag safe charger or the computer itself?
Thanks for the help.

Carolyn Samit wrote:
Try Troubleshooting the MagSafe adapter
Thanks for that link. It did provide some diagnostic tools to see if the adapter is the culprit. I don't believe mine is. My situation, MacBook Pro 8,2 - early 2011, 2.3 GHz i7. I'm experiencing, while on the adapter, after the battery charges to 100% a slow drop (while connected to the power adapter) to 98%, 97%, etc. Unplugging the adapter for a bit will again bring it back up to 100% but it again starts to drop. I don't think it's the battery - have good on battery performance (in bare bones boot - a special user with no StartUp items) I can get 5-7 hours. I suspect the power adapter - one glaring issue: I have a CAT who thought it cute to chew on the cable but I couldn't tell if it was superficial or had actually damaged the wires inside past the protective sheath. I suspect this could be the issue and have ordered a new adapter. My wife suggested coating the cable with lemon juice to make it less tempting for the cat to bite on. This isn't the first cable this cat (never caught "red handed") has chose to chew on. My Jawbone charge cable was completely severed. I took measures to make the cables less accessible but the damage had already been done to the Mag Safe Power Adapter. As I said, my monthly "battery exercise" fully charges the battery - it is this mysterious battery percentage drop that has me wondering. I read somewhere that some are blaming Mountain Lion, I'm not so quick to do so until I get the new adapter.
This post may have been better off in a new topic, but since we're talking about the Mag Safe Power Adapter I thought it would be okay here, especially since the link to the KB article gave me ideas on what to look for. The pins in the cable were all up, I presume the middle pin is different and will look different as to its height compared to the two outboard/inboard pins, yes? There was no issue with the laptop end of the connector. I did not switch out the "duck head" with the long cord though. With the cable damage issue I thought I'd wait and see. Now that I think of it I could have borrowed my wife's adapter - same MBP, almost, but should both have the 85w adapter. We'll see...
Tom

New macbook pro 2011 won't eject cd - jammed? help?

My macbook pro has a cd inside and it won't show that it has anything inside - but I know its in there and can't get it out, help!

Start the computer up while holding down the trackpad button. Hold the button down until the drive ejects the disc.
If that doesn't work, try this:
Restart the computer. Immediately after the startup sound, press and hold Command+Option+O+F. Release the four keys when you see a white screen that says "Welcome to Open Firmware." At the prompt, type *eject cd* and press Return. The drive should eject your disc, and "ok" will appear when the action is complete.
Type mac-boot and press Return to restart the computer normally.
Here's another method:
Go to Applications/Utilities and open the Terminal. In a terminal window type *drutil tray eject* and press Return. After the disc is ejected, quit the Terminal.
If any or all of these methods cause the drive to make its usual eject sound but the disc still doesn't come out, the drive has failed mechanically, and will have to be physically dismantled to recover the disc. If none of these methods causes the drive to make any sound or do anything at all, the drive isn't getting power, and the machine will have to be disassembled to find out why not and correct the problem.

Macbook pro 2011 early cannot find right resolution for external display and keeps flickering

I have a macbook pro 2011 early running 10.9, and a LG FLATRON W2242T external screen. Also, I have a VGA to miniport from Apple and a VGA to HDMI, plus a HDMI to miniport(from Apple). By just connect with VGA to miniport to my MBP, it just flickers few times and stops detecting. But by connect VGA to HDMI converter and HDMI to miniport to my MBP, it keeps flickering, a non-stop flickering. The external screen always shows no signal. However, if I connect my MBP to my TV through HDMI to miniport, it works fine. But connecting the VGA port to my TV, it gets the same problem. I have tried clear my PRAM many times, and it gets the same result. Does anyone have the same problem? Thanks

Macbook Pro 15" Early 2011 external display won't work as it used while Snow Leopard, I hate you Lion so far. I cannot even Go Back!
Did you bother to backup or clone your SL installation before dumping it?

Can i connect my cintiq 12wx to my Macbook pro 2011 through the thunderbolt using the mini display port to vga adaptor?

I just bought my cintiq 12wx and was wonderding if i can connect it to my macbook pro 2011 through the thurderbolt using a mini displayport to vga adaptor? Please help!

Yes, it should work with a mini-displayport to VGA adapter. Since a 12wx also can take DVI you could use a mini-displayport to DVI adapter instead. Why go analog when you can keep it in digital!
I guess the usb is for the pen.

Hello. I have a macbook pro 2011 that originally came with os lion (on the computer not a disk). What I did was I downloaded Os Mountain lion. There was nothing wrong with it but I just feel the battery life is too short. So what I did was I tried to do s

Hello
I have a macbook pro 2011 13" that came with OS Lion (integrated not on a disk). I recently bought OS Mountain Lion of the app store and it is working fine. However I was a bit dissapointed in the battery so I decided to try and downgrade and completely failed, I froze the computer and when I restarted it it did not work. I went into recovery system and erased my disk and all that and went to re-download my OS. I was expecting to get the option to re-download Lion but instead I could only re-download Mountain Lion.
My question is since my computer originally came with Lion can I reset my computer so I get OS Lion back instead of OS Mountain Lion?
Thanks for any help. Any answer will be appreciated even if it is saying it is not possible.

Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Erase the hard drive:
    1.    Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
    2.    After DU loads select your startup volume (usually Macintosh HD) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
    3.    Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Erase button and wait until the process has completed.
    4.    Quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion: Select Reinstall Lion and click on the Install button.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.
Kappy, a pretty wonderful and very knowledgeable man, has tip for that which I have copied and pasted above

Macbook Pro 2011 won't turn on (RAM issue?)

(Macbook pro 2011) I had water damage so I sent in to apple for a complete makeover and they pretty much replaced everything. The laptop seemed to be working fine but the issue is that when I put my laptop to sleep / turn off it won't turn back on. I haven't had the time to take my laptop back to the apple store due to projects / travelling. I've found that there is one quick fix, manually resetting the ram by taking the RAM chips out for a second then re-inserting them. The other way is to hold Command+Option+P+R 3 times before reboot and that'll work temporarily for a day maybe. I plan on taking it to the apple store in a day or so if the problem doesn't resolve itself. Do you guys have any suggestions?
Thanks,

Reinstalling OS X Without Erasing the Drive
Boot to the Recovery HD: Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the main menu. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions as follows.
When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall OS X: Select Reinstall OS X and click on the Continue button.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.
Also see:
Reinstall OS X Without Erasing the Drive
OS X Yosemite- Reinstall OS X
OS X Mavericks- Reinstall OS X
OS X Mountain Lion- Reinstall OS X
OS X Lion- Reinstall Mac OS X
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet
if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.

Is there a compatibility issue with the Current USB 3 external Hard drives and MacBook Pro 2011 (USB 2)?

I am currently having bad hangs with my 13" MacBook Pro (2011) which I book 2012 ad a New external Harddrive (WD My Passport Edge) which was given to me as a gift.
Friends of mine told me there is a compatibility issue between the USB 3 cord and the USB outlet of my MacBook Pro.
Although this shouldnt be the case as the box of the Hard drive I got said it was compatible.
I even downloaded the WD Drive Utilities and sometimes whenthe Harddrive is plugged in the Utilities doean't Open but just bleeps in the Applications Dock.
Before I used the Harddrive I read a lot from the WD Manual and went to their site and downloaded a firmware update so I really don't know what the problem is.
What I am afraid of is that I may lose some files if I place them in the external Harddrive.
Can anyone help me with this or should I be asking for a replacement harddrive?
This is my first experience with an external hard drive as I never used one before.
Thank you very much.

To be honest, I've had back luck with Western Digital drives and I avoid them at all costs. If I were you, I would return the WD drive and look at externals from OWC or MacMall (LaCie, even G-Tech).
That's just my personal opinion, mind you...
Clinton

Can i use hdd + SSD in my macbook pro 2011 ?

can i use hdd + SSD in my macbook pro 2011 ?
cause i already had 750GB and now i am palnnin gto buy SSD to install my system on it and keep the 750Gb as a storge can i ?

Go see Bmer here
http://macosg.com/
He's knowledgable about exactly what your wanting to do.
Some drawbacks, you can't boot from any OS (OS X or Windows) installer disk from a external optical drive the Superdrive goes into when you install the kit.

Where in NYC can I buy a new Macbook Pro 2011 unibody trackpad and the tools i need to replace it myself?

I am going to NYC in a week and I'm wondering if there is a store where I can buy a new trackpad for my Macbook Pro 2011 unibody. I would also like to buy the tools i need to replace it myself. I can't find anything when I search the interwebz.

The problem is that when the machine is closed, it goes to sleep, and in sleep mode, all that goes on is that a bare trickle of power is used to keep the contents of RAM alive. Networking is definitely not active while asleep.
Now, regarding ds store's solution, that's a fairly bad idea. If the machine is just sitting at your desk, you don't need to close it, or if you feel a need to close it you can use Kappy's solution. (Although, it should be noted that apps like InsomniaX and Caffeine do not, as far as I know, keep a machine awake when the lid is shut.) If you're worried about passersby seeing your screen, just activate the screen saver instead. You could even require a password to dismiss the screen saver for added security.
On the other hand, if the machine is being transported, keeping the lid open and the machine running is not a good idea. The sudden motion sensor ought to protect your hard drive against damage caused by moving the machine around... if it's working properly, and I'd rather not depend on an "if" to prevent hardware damage to the machine. Plus, if it's in a bag and you've forced it to stay running, it could overheat due to lack of ventillation.
So, long story short: if you're transporting it, close it and deal with logging back in to the network, and if it's on your desk, don't bother closing it.

Can i run adobe design premium 4 in macbook pro 2011?

I just bought a macbook pro 2011 2.2 GHz, quad core i7 to work with my adobe design premium 4. I heard many software like final cut studio and adobe creative 5 are are not working well with mac os lion. I got really worry and want to return the macbook pro. But before returning the macbook pro, i need to hear from you. I google and many people had no problem running adobe cs3 and cs4 with mac os lion. I need your help!

Both Adobe software titles you reference are incorrect. Do you mean Adobe InDesgn 4? if so that has problems running in Lion. I don't know where you get your information about Final Cut pro from. You can always check that forum here:
https://discussions.apple.com/community/professional_applications/final_cut_pro_ x
In any case this web link may be of some help:
http://roaringapps.com/apps:table

How do I permanently erase my entire MacBook Pro 2011?

I am giving my Mac to somebody and don't want any recoverable traces of me to be on my computer. It's a MacBook Pro 2011 13" but it has Yosemite 10.10.1

Before Selling or Giving Away Your Pre-Lion Mac
Deauthorize your computer from iTunes, if applicable.
Back up your data using Time Machine or other backup methods for OS X Mavericks or Mountain Lion.
If you use Find My Mac or other iCloud features on this Mac, complete these steps:
Back up your iCloud content.
Choose Apple Menu () > System Preferences, then click iCloud.
Deselect the Find My Mac checkbox.
Sign out of iCloud. When you sign out of iCloud, you're asked whether you want to remove iCloud data from your Mac. Removing iCloud data in this way makes sure that the data isn't also removed from any of your other devices that are using the same iCloud account.
If you're using OS X Mountain Lion v10.8 or later, sign out of iMessage:
In the Messages app, choose Preferences > Accounts
Select your iMessage account, then click Sign Out.
5. Follow these steps for installing the original version of OS that came with the computer.
     1. Boot the computer using the Snow Leopard Installer Disc or the Disc 1 that came
         with your computer. Insert the disc into the optical drive and restart the computer.
         After the chime press and hold down the "C" key. Release the key when you see
         a small spinning gear appear below the dark gray Apple logo.
     2. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue
         button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
         After Disk Utility loads select the hard drive entry from the left side list (mfgr.'s ID and
         drive size.) Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window. Set the number of
         partitions to one (1) from the Partitions drop down menu, click on Options button
         and select GUID, click on OK, then set the format type to MacOS Extended
         (Journaled), then click on the Apply button.
     3. When the formatting has completed quit DU and return to the installer. Proceed
         with the OS X installation and follow the directions included with the installer.
     4. If you are planning to sell or give your computer away, then do the following:
        After you reformat your hard drive and reinstall OS X, the computer restarts to a
        Welcome screen and asks you to choose a country or region. If you want to leave
        the Mac in an out-of-box state, don't continue with the setup of your system. Instead,
        press Command-Q to shut down the Mac. When the new owner turns on the Mac,
        the Setup Assistant will guide them through the setup process.
Note: Portions of the above have been copied from What to do before selling or giving away your Mac - Apple Support.

MacBook Pro 2011 - 15" Core i7 - SSD - Heating, Screen Flickering Issues

Hello,
I recently brought MacBook Pro 2011 15" Anti-glare High Resolution with Core i7 2.2 G Hz, SSD, 8GB of RAM. I installed Microsoft Office and Angry Birds at this time. I'm facing multiple issues with my first Mac. Is anyone facing these kinds of issues in new MacBook Pro 15" models?
Issue 1: Heating: Fan running on high speed even though room temp is below 60F. No major applications are running at that time expect Office 2011 and web surfing (NOT watching any video) and listening iTunes.
Issue 2: When I log-off from computer, the screen flickers and goes to lower resolution. Also the windows colors changed to different colors. After log-in, I went to System Preferences > Displays. The highest resolution is already selected (1680 x 1050) When I try to change to lower, it changes but still displays different window colors and changing suddenly.
Troubleshooting Steps:
1.) Shutdown and Disconnected Power Cable (at that time battery is at 65%)
2.) Reconnected Power Cable and Power On the system
3.) Display shows correctly.
Unable to Resolve:
1.) Still fan is running on higher speed at low temp (below 60F with no major application running)
2.) Sometimes Display is not showing properly. It shows different color shades.
I scheduled support call with Apple Support and let's see what Apple can do...

I brought my first MacBook Pro 2011 on Day 1, so I can't return it since it won't come under 14 day return policy. I'm taking my Mac to Apple Store to fix all these issues. AppleInsider is also confirmed Disaplay Flicker issue on some of the models that they tested.
*Apple Support KB:*
On High Fan Speed Issue: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4543
On Display Flicker Issue (not at exactly pin-point this issue): http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1573
On Gray Progress Bar Issue: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3148
*Other Tech Forums:*
On back-light keyboard: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1112874

Is adobe Cs4 design premium compatible with macbook pro 2011?

I just bought a macbook pro 2011, 2.2 ghz quad core i7 to work with my adobe design premium 4. I heard many software have problems with mac os lion. I got so worry and want to return the macbook. Does anyone know if i can run adobe cs4 on this new macbook pro or should i return it? Thank for your responses.

i am running design premium CS4 on a Pro with Lion and have had no real problems. using DW, PS, ID, FL and BR without any issues.
NB: WHEN YOU INSTALL, BE SURE YOU NOMINATE A SUBFOLDER IN YOUR APPLICATIONS TO INSTALL TO, OR YOUR APPLICATIONS FOLDER WILL BE OVERTAKEN WITH CS4 ICONS.
apologies for the caps, but this is really important. I didn't do this and it resulted in the only problem i am having with the software, which is not a huge deal, only affecting AME as far as i can tell, though I can't figure out how to fix it, have asked on this forum without luck (so far!)
hope this helps

Unusual shutoff on Macbook Pro 2011 while sleeping

My 13" Macbook Pro 2011 will be fully charged and will go to sleep normally. However, I will go about my day and 4 hours later I won't be able to turn my computer on unless I have it connected to the power adapter. Then when I turn on my computer, the battery life percentage is 0%. Why is this?
Isn't the battery supposed to last at least a day or so while in sleep mode?

Your hard drive will last a while longer if you keep the moving to the minimum when it is on, but on short term there aren't any problems. I have never even tried not to move my MacBook when the drive's spinning, and it still works fine after 2 years.
Of course, if you would have an SSD, move the thing as much as you want. Since they don't move on themselves, they can be moved freely.

Macbook Pro 2011 do I return or keep upgrading? Help!!!

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for