Processor advice- buying max spec rMacbook Pro

Hi guys, I'm about to splash out on a full spec Macbook Pro retina 15" for music production.
512GB SSD
750M GPU
16GB RAM
2.? GHz i7
Which processor should I choose?
I'm using Logic X with Waves plugins, NI Komplete on external drive etc.
My little 13" 2.66GHz core2duo is CPU maxing out hard in my latest tracks, bless.
My question is, the 2.5GHz i7 (boost 3.7GHz) is the stock choice, and the £150 ish option takes it up to *2.8GHz* (boost 4GHz)
For a change, the extra money is not an issue, since it's a work investment.
However I want to know if there are any issues, e.g. heat or power, in upgrading to the 2.8GHz.
I'd like to have the best available since I look after my tools and will keep it for years, unless the next update is radically different but I don't know if the Broadwell update will affect me that much.
What are your opinions on:
1. the 2.8GHz vs the stock 2.5 i7
2. buying a macbook pro r15" at this time? (I really do need one ASAP)
Thanks all. Look forward to your replies...

Awesome input, thank you.
I do agree with the logic behind buying the 1TB, but it's an extra £400 which is a HUGE difference haha.
I could buy more than one great backup drive for that money.
(Since I work with project files of 0.5-10GB at a time, having 512GB storage and a couple of backup solutions is a more useful way to spend that cash I think).
Thank you!

Similar Messages

Which is a better buy for college a non-retina display 15 inch macbook pro with a 2.6ghz processor or a 2.9 ghz 13 inch non retina max specs macbook pro both with 8 gb of ram will be using to write papers basically for general use im a Science major

im a college student im studying to be a vet tech and i want this computer too last which a more sound investment the non retina macook pro 15 inch with these specs:2.6 ghz 1 tb ata hd with 8 gb of ram or a maxspec 13 inch mac book pro: 2.9 ghz 1Tb and 8gb of ram any help is appreciated thank you

Hi,
I am a researcher so I store a lot of papers, data, and use numerical software. I have had a 17inch high spec macbook pro for over a year now. I find that apart from the large screen, it was unnecessary to get the high specs. This is why. Firstly, the hard drive is easy to replace and upgrade, apple charge a lot for their own ones. Secondly, the ram in my one was upgradable (which i didnt know when i bought it) and i since upgraded to 16gigs from 8 and its amazing. Thirdly, the newer macbook pros run hotter than the previous ones.
The retina is overrated and the programs for retina need more memory and processing power, so what you find is that your hard drive will get taken over sooner, your mac will run hotter, and battery life lower.
I would say to you, dont worry about the processor speed, the normal speed offered is perfect, more than that is not necessary unless you are running highly demanding apps, the mac will run hotter too. Dont bother getting a large hard drive in the macbook. Get a flash SSD drive, and buy a good portable 2tb HD, like a WD one, and use that to store as much of your work as possible. I believe apple started soldering their ram cards to the motherboard or something so that people cant upgrade. Check in advance and see if the macbook you want can be ram upgradable, then get a lower ram model and buy good 8gb ram cards to make 16gig. Very very easy to install them, took me about two minutes to do mine, it will be much cheaper.
If I think of anything else i will post back. Dont forget to install GFX card status too and use integrated only when on battery, i get up to ten hours of battery life without wifi, around 8 with wifi.
edit. I forgot to mention that if you buy your mac and try to open it you will void the warranty.

Where to buy max spec X240?

where I can see on the web the max specs of lenovo thinkpad X240 max processor - core i7, max ram- 8gb, max HDD- 1 TB, web site that can give me offer price cause I am planing to buy.

Hi Danwise,
Welcome to Lenovo Community!
As per the query we understood that you are looking for purchase of ThinkPad X240.
Below is the link where you can get all the list of Lenovo authorized dealer of your region.
http://shopap.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/phweb/LenovoPortal/en_PH/special-offers.workflowho...
Please click here to visit the Lenovo support link and select your region to get the contact number.
Hope this helps!
Best regards,
Hemanth Kumar
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I want to buy a refurbished Macbook Pro solely to use 'protools 8' on-nothing else. I am being told there are only certain year Macbooks Pro that will run this programme. I know I need 8gb, can anyone give me advice on what to buy/look for?

I want to buy a refurbished 'Macbook Pro' solely to use 'protools 8' on-nothing else!.
I am being told there are only certain year Macbook Pro that will run this programme.
I know I need 8gb, can anyone give me advice on what to buy/look for please?

It appears to depend upon the version you will be using:
http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/en_US/Compatibility/en352429
Based on what I can tell, you may have to go to the second hand market in order to get a MBP that will run a compatible OSX.
Ciao.

Buying a refurbished MacBook Pro. Which processor to buy, i5 or i7?

I thinking of buying a refurbished MacBook Pro 15". I can't seem to get any knowledgeable answers at the Apple store about the benefits of the i5 vs. i7 processors. I've been pretty happy with my late 2008 MBP but it's been dropped hard and is on it's way out. Any opinions about what to buy balancing processor, price, reliability? I'm a designer and photographer and the video processor is important also.
Thanks for any help.

KaneoheKFA wrote:
I can't seem to get any knowledgeable answers at the Apple store about the benefits of the i5 vs. i7 processors.
The i7 is much better.
You can see processor and other computer performance here
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html
You can see Cinebench/OpenGL performance here
http://www.cbscores.com/index.php?sort=ogl&order=desc

Advice buying new mac pro

Im in process in buying mac laptop-mac pro 15 or 17 inch-new for business
I have never owned apple software/hardware. CUrrently have sony vaio laptop and also pc desktop with adsl broadband.
wondering about few queries.
1. will mac pro work in my existing wireless internet home (considering net/modem (external) are linked to pc desktop)?
2. stability of running PC software if needed on mac pro?
how effective, stable are parellels an bootcamp?
3. when is the leopard operating system available (in Australia?) ? should i wait till its released so its already part of bundle?
4 mac pro laptop compatibility with PDA phones (DOPOD? JASJAM--I mate)? --which are windows based platform phone/ORGANIZERS?
hoping for some honest answers--I have never used mac before. Just heard good things about them.
Cheers

+1. will mac pro work in my existing wireless internet home (considering net/modem (external) are linked to pc desktop)?+
It should, assuming your home wireless is a standard 802.11 type of thing.
+2. stability of running PC software if needed on mac pro?+
+how effective, stable are parellels an bootcamp?+
In Boot Camp, software should be exactly the same as on a PC.
In Parallels, software should generally be fine unless it makes use of more exotic features or hardware, like special display modes.
+3. when is the leopard operating system available (in Australia?) ? should i wait till its released so its already part of bundle?+
The official line is October, as with elsewhere in the world. If you have need of a Mac now, then it makes no sense to wait. If it's more of a "can survive for now" situation, then it's really personal choice.
+4 mac pro laptop compatibility with PDA phones (DOPOD? JASJAM--I mate)? --which are windows based platform phone/ORGANIZERS?+
I think this would depend on the particular device, but in general don't expect features like synchronisation to work in OS X if they rely on Windows software (such as Outlook).

Do I buy a 13" MacBook Pro or an Air?

Okay, I am having a dilemma and need some advice. I am looking to buy a new laptop to serve as my only computer. I currently have a 15" MacBook Pro with an i5 Processor. I bought the 15" last year because I thought I NEEDED an anti-glare display and since it was my first laptop, I was worried about losing screen real estate. Also, I didn't want to get a core 2 duo and to get an i5 or better I had to get atleast a 15" I have since learned I am fine with glossy (actually, I PREFER it) and also prefer portability over power. I feel like I bought a Ferrari to handle a 2 block commute. The 13" screen does not seem much smaller. I am a student so I like bringing my computer to class and on trips or even to a friend's house. However, I find the size of the 15" to be a little too bulky and I find I only bring laptop around with me "when I absolutely have to". It's heavy and also does not fit well in a bag. It feels too big to bring to a coffee shop or to friend's houses, and I hate carting it around campus. I see a lot of people with 13" MBP's and they take them around, no problem.
I am planning on selling my 15" MacBook Pro and then buying a 13" MacBook Pro or a 13" MacBook Air. It will be my only computer. I mainly use it for browsing the web, e-mail, writing, watching movies, MS Office, skyype, itunes, and then I also do light editing with imovie. Also, I want something that will serve me well for the next 4 or 5 years. Since the AIr cannot be upgraded once you buy it, will it be too poorly equiped to handle typical tasks within a few years? Would I be better off buying a pro? The 13" Pro feels A LOT smaller than the 15". However, are the going to revamp the 13" Pro next year and eliminate the optical drive? Which one serves me better for the future? If I had a MacBook Pro 13" I could always upgrade the ram and swap in a SSD in a couple of years. Also, which machine is more fragile?
I am sure many people are having this dilemma now that the new airs feature the newer processors. What do you think my ideal set-up should be? I have about 20 Gigs of media on my computer as of now, and obviously the number will grow. Like I said, I want this computer to last me atleast the next 4 years.
Should I get a 13" MBP or an Air? If so, which specs should I make sure are included on the machine?

I was in the same position.. debating between the beautiful lightweight Air or the Pro. There were many pros in both aspects I had to consider.. the power the Pro has is crazy.. and honestly, I'll probably never use all of the power it comes with. The air was great for being so lightweight and portable.. and I travel with my computer all the time.
I went with the Macbook Pro and couldn't be happier with my choice. I know the Air boots up lighting fast.. but the Pro is super fast itself.. the Air, as beautiful as it is.. I felt like with one wrong move could snap right in half.. the Pro feels so sturdy and strong. The Pro also has the SD slot which the 11inch air doesnt.. so that was important to me too since I love taking a lot of pictures. Being able to watch DVD's on my laptop is a huge plus too .. and burning DVD's and CD's.
I feel like I completely got my monies worth with my Pro.. no problems at all and just seems so advanced.

Should i buy a 2010 mac pro quad core 2.8 never been used at the price of £1350

i know someone selling a mac pro 2010 model they say its still got 1 year warranty the specs are
Introduction Date:
July 27, 2010*
Discontinued Date:
N/A
Details:
The "Introduction Date" refers to the date a model was introduced via press release. The "Discontinued Date" refers to the date a model either was replaced by a subsequent system or production otherwise ended. *On August 9, 2010, Apple began accepting orders for this model.
Also see: All Macs introduced in 2010.
Processors:
1 (4 Cores)
Geekbench:
8673/9715*
Processor Speed:
2.8 GHz
Processor Type:
Q. Core Xeon W3530
Custom Speeds:
3.2 (4), 3.33 GHz (6)*
Architecture:
64-Bit
Details:
*Via custom configuration, this model also can be equipped with a single 3.2 GHz Quad Core "Nehalem" Xeon (W3565) processor for an additional US$400 or a single 3.33 GHz Six Core "Westmere" Xeon (W3680) processor for an additional US$1200. As requested by readers, EveryMac.com also has documented these custom configurations as their own models.
Processor Upgrade:
LGA 1366 Socket
FPU:
Integrated
Details:
Also see: How do you upgrade the processors in the "Mid-2010" Mac Pro models? How are the processors mounted?
System Bus Speed:
4.8 GT/s*
Cache Bus Speed:
2.8 GHz (Built-in)
ROM/Firmware Type:
EFI
EFI Architecture:
64-Bit
L1 Cache:
32k/32k x4
L2/L3 Cache:
256k (x4), 8 MB*
RAM Type:
PC3-8500 DDR3 ECC
Min. RAM Speed:
1066 MHz
Standard RAM:
3 GB
Maximum RAM:
48 GB*
Motherboard RAM:
None
RAM Slots:
4*
Video Card:
Radeon HD 5770
VRAM Type:
GDDR5 SDRAM
Standard VRAM:
1 GB
Maximum VRAM:
1 GB
Display Support:
Up to 6 Displays*
Resolution Support:
2560x1600*
2nd Display Support:
Dual/Mirroring
2nd Max. Resolution:
2560x1600
Standard Hard Drive:
1 TB (7200 RPM)
Int. HD Interface:
Serial ATA (3 Gb/s)
Standard Optical:
18X DL "SuperDrive"
Standard Disk:
None
Standard Modem:
None
Standard Ethernet:
Gigabit (x2)
Standard AirPort:
802.11a/b/g/n
Standard Bluetooth:
2.1+EDR
USB Ports:
5 (2.0)
Firewire Ports:
4 (800)
Expansion Slots:
4 PCIe 2.0*
Expansion Bays:
4 3.5", 2 5.25"
Incl. Keyboard:
Apple Aluminum KB
Incl. Input:
Magic Mouse
Case Type:
Tower
Form Factor:
Mac Pro
Apple Order No:
MC250LL/A*
Apple Subfamily:
Mac Pro Mid-2010
Apple Model No:
A1289 (EMC 2314)
Model ID:
MacPro5,1
Battery Type:
N/A
Battery Life:
N/A
Pre-Installed MacOS:
X 10.6.4 (10F2521)
Maximum MacOS:
Current
Minimum Windows:
XP SP2 (32-Bit)*
Maximum Windows:
7 (64-Bit)**
MacOS 9 Support:
None
Windows Support:
Boot/Virtualization
Dimensions:
20.1 x 8.1 x 18.7
Avg. Weight:
39.9 lbs. (18.1 kg)
Original Price (US):
US$2499
Est. Current Retail:
US$2499
they want to sell it for £1300 and this would be my first mac im going to use it for maschine traktor scratch pro 2 and ableton vst s plugins etc i needed to know if this would be a good buy for me or not if u coulld all please help tell me the pros and cons
if possible answer as quick as u can as if it is a good buy i need to get it today or tommorw as he might find someone else to sell to
thanks

You are due for a new build or pre-built, most definitely.
you should be able to hit score of 14k on 6-core w/o trouble.
And for what you can get for £1799 - £2099 I think you could build one, but start with quality parts and go with a solid foundation that will be supported for years. As long as you don't need OS X as it stands.
the mac pro use to shine when it came to dual processor setups. Custom built dual PCs can be another matter, and not for faint of heart.
Choose current socket support, processor, and motherboard and you really are set for years and can upgrade from there.
Take a look at this for a start:
http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-LGA-2011--X79-Motherboards/dp/B006L6ZIU4/

Should I buy a new Mac Pro or an iMac?

Hi,
I co-run a video production company in the UK. We have an old 2009 iMac, a MacBook Pro from 2010/11 ish, and a PC all used for video editing, and some other intensive apps like Photoshop and Adobe After Effects.
We're about to spend some money on either a fully specced 2013 iMac or a new Mac Pro. The mac Pro we'd be able to afford would be £1500 more than the iMac (which includes purchasing an external display, mouse and keyboard - all of which an iMac obviously already includes so the price comparison is valid).
The Mac Pro would be a 3.7 quad-core processor, 256ssd, 12gig ram - which I would then upgrade to 64gig (somewhere else for financial reasons) and finally Dual AMD GPUs with 3gig of ram each. That's all we can afford unfortunately!
The iMac would be a 3.5 quad core, 1TB fusion drive, and 8gig of ram that I would then max out externally to 32gig, and finally NVidia Geforce 4gig GPU.
Either one we buy we'd get Applecare.
Any suggestions as to which would be better to purchase? Our difficulty comes with the fact that we don't have an awful lot of cash to spare, and we also have other things we'd like to invest in (building improvements etc). The guys who work at the company are naturally leaning towards the Mac Pro, as was I intially, but my job is also to spend our money as wisely as possible, so I'd like some advice on whether the Mac Pro is worth spending that extra £1500 on.
Obviously I understand the Mac Pro will be faster generally speaking, but will it really make a big difference when using Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects and Photoshop? Or is a fully specced iMac going to be just as good?
Also what other advantages, other than just speed, would a Mac Pro bring?
Cheers in advance,
Phil

One question to ask yourself is how long you need this machine to do these tasks and what future programs/tasks will you need?
While both machines can handle everything you mentioned now, the MAc Pro will be faster now, and easier to expand in the future. The iMac will simply not be as cost effective long term. If however your needs wont change or you don't plan to use the machine more than 3-4 years, the iMac is going to get the job done and of course be much cheaper.

Should I buy the old MacBook Pro(non-Retina)

I want to buy a new MacBook but very confused with which model to buy. I was very keen on MacBook Pro (non-retina) because of it good specs and the flexibility it provides for hardware upgrades.
But with the launch of new MacBook Pro Retina models, I have been hearing news (rumours) that the old MacBook Pro (non-retina) will be phased out.
Please advise me if it is still a good idea to purchase the old MacBook Pro (non-retina) model ? I am just afraid that Apple might stop supporting the product in future.

I bought my MacbookPro 15.4'' (mid 2012) in the beginning of October and have been fully satisfied, even if it's not Retina. It has IntelCore i7 2.3 Ghz, 1600 Mhz DDR 3 and this alone let draw a conclusion that this is indeed powerfull and efficient machine one could ever wish to own and at the same time to pose a question: what else could one desire? It's definitely OK for the next 5 years and as much as I can determine to derive from it for my needs (by the way I'm convinced it would even meet the requirements of professionals such as IT specialists and the like) this Mac will give me much to benefit from its specs. Mine came with Lion 10.7.4, upgraded then to Mavericks and voila - its performance didn't dissapoint me either. You should concern more where to buy to purchase high-quality product, of course brand new (not used/overused, damaged both internally and externally). The best choise is to buy it from an authorized reseller, a local Apple Store etc. Believe me, an "old" Mac (is mine old??) - speaking of the span of -2,3,4 years prior to this year is a very relative notion: it is TO SOME EXTENT if you compare to the newest models, BUT it isn't so "old" (whan saying the word our psychology distorts this making it sound like "total garbage" which IS ABSOLUTELY INCORRECT) comparing to the whole Microsoft-based stuff, even pretending to smooth quality (Windows 8 2-in-1 "tablets"). My advice - buy a 2012 model and you won't lose.

Hello, I am interested in buying a new Macbook Pro but want to run Adobe CS package. Which computer do you recommend?

Hello, I am interested in buying a new Macbook Pro but want to run the latest Adobe CS package. Which computer do you recommend for best speed and perfromance?

Depending on the software you'll use - I doubt you'll be an expert on After Effects and use Photoshop, Illustrator and Dreamweaver like a pro (you may be an exception) - I have a 13" Macbook Pro simply because the 15" lacks the portability of the smaller size - the Retina 15" is alot lighter and if you can afford it - go for it!
I bought the Macbook Pro and replaced the 4GB of RAM with 8GB of RAM and replaced the HDD with an m4 SSD from Crucial. The SSD really makes a difference in app start up speeds, loading times and bootup speeds. The RAM ensures apps operate smoothly and everything is snappy. Since getting an SSD, I would say the performance of Photoshop and Illustrator is vastly improved. I can have both open whilst surfing the web, checking my email and even using Dreamweaver every once in a while. Multitasking is great.
To conclude, depedning on your price range, buying a £999 Macbook Pro and swapping the HDD for an SSD and the 4GB of RAm to 8GB, will ensure better performance than both 15" Models. However, buying a 15" Model and maxing out the specs, would beat the performance of a maxed out 13".
I have a 13" and it runs faster than it was when I first purchased it last year. Photoshop opens in 2/3 seconds and performance is great.
Hope this helps.
P.S. If you have the money, get the 15" Retina. If not, max out the 13" if you still want portability. Otherwise, get the 15" and max that out if you feel performance is poor.
The reason I say Retina, is because the maxed ram and SSD is already installed and saves alot of hassle aswell as the slimmer design and lighter weight.

Maxed out Mac Pro (nearly new) DEAD SLOW - why???

*I have always been a PC guy (animation and film production is what I do -- www.speedbumpstudios.com) but I decided to bite the bullet and go Mac. I maxed out my Mac Pro-- if it's available, I got it. It's a 15,000 machine. Great. So I've had it for a few months and the thing is so dead slow I am finding it almost unusable. My three year old PC laptop kicks its butt. Here are the symptoms.*
*Opening Photoshop takes anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes. Once it is open, if I try to open a file, it takes another couple of minutes for the finder to pop up so I can search for it.*
*iTunes regularly hangs and/or takes several minutes to load. My iPod, which is also new, sometimes cannot even connect to it (error).*
*HP scanning software takes minutes to open. Once the scan is ready to be saved, it takes minutes for finder to even offer the option to name the new file.*
*Almost all the software on this thing starts up painfully slow.*
*IMPORTANT: I have noticed that the machine runs almost all right immediately after a restart. The longer it runs, the worse these symptoms get.*
*ALSO IMPORTANT: -- I had been running Boot Camp on the machine, allowing me to boot into Windows XP. Recently bought Parallels and ran that. While this Mac never ran great, the problems seemed to get markedly worse at that point. I have since, out of desperation, removed Parellels completely, but the problems persist.*
*I am, of course, sick about how much I am paying for this machine that is supposed to be the best available and it about as useful as a boat anchor. WHAT SHOULD I DO!?*

George, I feel your pain. I too have a maxed out Mac Pro;
Mac Pro - 8 Core (Dual Quad-Core 3GHz)
16GB RAM (Crucial Memory)
4x 750GB Drives
ATI 1900x Vid Card
2x 30" Cinema Displays
etc etc etc .... I even have a 2-port eSATA cables installed (OWC) with a 1.5TB external drive (Iomega, and fast as the dickens!)
My machine has been in the Apple repair facilities THREE times so far (I am working with an executive relations person for 3 months now) and we are about to swap it out for a new machine because the term "ghosts in the machine" apply to many Mac Pros. In fact, the last time Apple fixed this machine was yesterday, replacing a bluetooth module, and as soon as I booted the machine it started having kernel panics (for the first time), we thought it was the RAM Riser cards being seated wrong... after making sure everything was seated properly, and doing a complete OS reinstall, it is still kernel panic-ing every hour (if I let the machine sit quietly)...so, there is a ghost in this machine that does not want to go away.
To get your situation though, MY machine has ALWAYS been much slower than the dual-G5 I replaced last April. You are not alone here. This is an 8-Core machine, ran Tiger slow and is now running Leopard only about 20% faster, which is still slower than the G5. Makes me want to cry sometimes because I paid, what, $1300 for the processor upgrade alone?
Something is wrong with your machine. I suppose you have already tried to reinstall, reformat your drives, correct permissions, etc and still found your machine wanting in the ways of speed, right? What you need to do is to contact Apple Executive Relations and tell them what is going on. Once they see that you ordered such an expensive machine (no one buys extra RAM from Apple so they will sympathize right there!) they WILL contact you and work with you until your problem is solved. The only reason they have not replaced MY machine yet (they will usually do so after the 2nd or 3rd repair attempt) is because in my case I cannot afford the downtime. Now, however, I think we have to because no one can figure out why this machine is having panics after sitting still for an hour.
Anyway, be assured this is NOT representative of Apple or the Mac Pro speed. Mac Pro's are plenty fast, and unbelievably fast with newer, Intel-based software (CS3), and even though Leopard has many many bugs it is faster than Tiger. My partner has the same machine as I do and it is so fast I think it does most of his work before he even arrives in the morning.
Work with Apple, let them fix your machine or replace it. They will.

Should I buy a new Macbook Pro 13 inch or Macbook Air 13 inch?

Hi,
I was wondering if I should buy the new Macbook pro 13 inch, or keep my old 2010 1.4 C2D Macbook Air. I am not satisfied with the tiny 64GB SSD that my current Macbook Air has, because just a few weeks after I had done a clean reinstall of OSX Lion, the whole disk almost filled up. The one thing I do like about the Macbook Air, however is the speed of the SSD. Its really quick, and it boots in under 20 seconds. The Air didn't have many performance issues (other than overheating like crazy after playing a few graphics-intensive games).
If I were to buy a new Mac, my price range would be from $1200-$1500. I plan to use Garageband/iMovie frequently for making Youtube videos/school projects, and store a large music library. I also plan to do some moderate gaming and run Windows 7 in Bootcamp/Parallels. I don't plan to take it around much, but I don't want to have to weigh down my backpack in case I have to. My two options now would be the new Macbook Pro 13 inch or the new Macbook Air 13 inch. Could anyone give me a suggestion of which computer to buy?
Thanks!

I went through this same thing when I purchased my first Mac 3 days ago, also between the 13 inch MBA and MBP. I ended up deicding with the 13inch MBP, here's why:
1. More hard drive space, yes it may not be an SSD but more space is more space. I have also heard about people taking out the disc drive and adding an SSD in its place, so there would be an option.
2. The disc drive, I rarely do use it but just in case it's there and easier than carrying around an external.
3. Upgradability, I plan on keeping this Mac for a while because I spent so much on it. On a MBP I can upgrade the internal parts such as the hard drive and RAM. On a MBA everything is soldered together so what you buy is what you stick with.
4. Ethernet port, this is one that could be gotten around by an adapter but I still took it into consideration. Not everywhere has wifi yet including my work where every computer is hard wired.
5. Bootcamp, as well I plan to run Windows 7 on mine and Windows 7 takes a good amount of space so this is another spot where the larger hard drive of the MBP comes in handy. You could always have an external hard drive and run Windows 7 off of that on an Air but then you would have to have it always plugged in when you wanted to run Windows 7.
About me, I am a student so I had a lot to think about and read a lot of reviews online before I decided on my MBP but I am glad I decided on this over an Air. It may be a few pounds heavier also but in the long run for me I think the Pro will be better, I do plan on adding more RAM in the future as software becomes more memory intensive. With you're pricerange being 1200-1500 the 13inch MBP with the i7 processor may be one to look at. From Apple with their student discount, if you are one, you get $100 of plus a $100 giftcard. At BestBuy (where I got mine) the price of the i7 13inch MBP is 1,424.99 and if you're a student you get $100 off but no giftcard. I got the i5 13inch MBP because I don't need an i7.
In the end it all comes down to what works for you, but I hope I was able to help you some.

Questions about buying a new Mac Pro for 4k video editing.

Hi everyone,
I'm currently looking into buying a new mac pro and I have a few questions. I'm a filmmaker/freelance editor looking to get a system that can handle any/at least most 4k formats that I might throw at it, and will hopefully last me around 7 years or so, like my last mac pro has. I've saved up about $5,300 and am becoming more obsessed with getting it asap, but am willing to wait a bit and save up more if necessary. I also play the occasional elder scrolls or civilization game, and might run windows on the new system as well. So here are my questions:
1. I've read rumors that a newer build could be released this year, with newer processors and graphics cards. Is there anything to point to when? I tend to buy things a month before a newer version is released, and I'd like to prevent myself from doing it this time around..
Here's the Build I'm looking at:
6 core
2 D700s
base ram to be upgraded myself to 32Gb (2x16Gb cards leaving 2 slots empty to expand to 64Gb later)
512Gb-1Tb internal hd
2. Should I be considering the 8 core? I'm not too excited about the additional $1500, but I want a system that will last.
3. Is getting the two 16Gb chips of ram and leaving two slots empty a bad idea?
4. I currently work with FCP studio 2 and love it. Not sure whether to go with FCP X, or adobe. Any thoughts?
5. I'm not finding many deals for cheaper ram and hard drives. OWC's prices seem to be comparable to Mac's. I want to do the ram so I have room to upgrade to 64Gb later, but are there any hard drives out there that would make it worth upgrading it myself?
I appreciate any insights you might have. I plan on getting a decent raid and 4k monitor in the next year or so, but for now just want a base system that will keep me editing and will be ready for 4k when I take that next step.

The late 2013 Mc Pro uses Intel Xeon ECC processors (error correction), and as far as I know Intel has not announced any newer Intel Xeon processors than those in the late 2013 Mac Pro. I would not expect to see an update to the 2013 Mac Pro until the end of 2015 at the earliest and probably later than that.
If time is not an issue, then you should be quite happy with the 6 core 2013 Mac Pro. It will do an excellent job with 4K video footage. And, yes, I would suggest getting the best raid system you can afford. That is actually more important than processor speed since I/O is frequently the bottleneck when doing multi camera video or 4K video.
I have the latest version of Adobe's Premiere Pro 2014 CC installed on my late 2013 Mac Pro and i have used it a bit without problems. However, I find it much much slower to edit with than FCP X. Also be advised that if you Google you will find several individuals on the Adobe Forums who purchased the late 2013 Mac Pro and have not been able to use it with Premiere Pro CC because of either a hardware incompatibility or software issues between Premiere Pro CC and BMD's Resolve. It is quite possible that I have not experienced these problems because I have not made very demanding projects with Premiere Pro CC on my 2013 Mac Pro.
I strongly recommend FCP X. Apple released FCP X before it was ready, and many early users were unwilling to take the time to learn how to use this very different NLE which is not track based. Apple has over the last 3 years since FCP X was released, issued more than 10 updates (all free), and the program is stable and blazingly fast. I urge you to check out the FCP X training offered by Ripple Training and/or Larry Jordan. Both are inexpensive, and worth every cent. Watch their training videos and you will be up to speed in FCP X in no time at all, and you will wish you had switched a long time ago.
If you can afford the 1 TB of PCie internal flash storage on your Mac Pro, then by all means get it. For me 1TB is well worth the cost.
As far as editing 4K video, the format of the video will be important to the ease of editing. For example, I am able to edit in its native format (XVAC S) several streams of 4K video form my Sony FDR-AX100 with no problems. If I were editing Sony's XVAC format used in their professional 4K cameras, that might pose a problem that would require transcoding. Similarly for other 4K formats. XVAC S is an easy format to edit natively because it is essentially a high bit rate h.264 format.
Best of luck on whatever you decide to do, and happy editing.
Tom

Should i buy the 13" macbook pro?

I am a college student and am looking to upgrade from my mac mini to a more portable and powerful mac. I have £1000 to spend.... for now and i obviously want a macbook of some kind to upgrade to. I will be using it for word documents, itunes ect but also the biggy- Adobe CS6 for my media. So... do i buy the base macbook pro, the 13" macbook air or wait and see if they bring out a retina 13" which would give me time to save a bit for it. I have no use for a larger screen and the CD drive is relitively unneccisary but I do wish for something future proof! that will run things like cs6 smoothly... I am aware the macbook air has the smaller processor but it also has the ssd making it faster hence my uncertainty. Any ideas what to do? I would see no use for buying the retina if the other macbooks could run with ease using such software and would keep that kind of speed for a bit through my education.

I would wait a week and see what features the new one will have.
http://www.macrumors.com/2012/10/15/more-claims-of-13-inch-retina-macbook-pro-co ming-at-next-weeks-media-event/

Processor advice- buying max spec rMacbook Pro

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