Should I buy 2.4 GHz MBP with 5400RPM or 7200RPM HD?

Hi,
I'm about to buy a MBP for the purposes of 3D software (primarily Sketchup), Photoshop, video editing and some Windows based software such as AutoCAD. Chances are I will need to run some of these simultaneously using Windows on Parallels.
The question is, is it really going to make a big difference I go for the 7,200RPM HD? Is this something I might just decide to upgrade later? I heard the 7,200RPM HDs are likely to make the machine run hotter (makes sense)... Is this true? Is it more likely to cause problems I've heard about such as warping the laptop's body?
Any quick advice on this would be much appreciated (as I'm in HK until tomorrow, where I can get it particularly cheap - but I'd have to order the 7,200RPM one, which is more hassle...)
Many thanks,
Alex

a 7200rpm drive will be faster, there's no doubt about that. Just think if that wasn't the case all computers including desktops would still be using 5400rpm drives.
Now depending on what you do will dictate the how much of a speed boost you'll benefit from the upgrade. Normal users, web surfing office apps will see the biggest boost at bootup but then most apps will operate as they would on a 5400rpm.
Move on to more of the higher end applications like Photoshop, motion, aperture and you start seeing a bigger difference in speed.
For me, I opted not go with the 7200 drive, mostly because I didn't want to go the CTO route and while I use photoshop and aperture the speed difference matter little to me.

Similar Messages

Which NI devices should I buy and how to start with?

Greetings!
I am an undergraduate who is trying to design a control system which can measure chemical solution conductivity as well as PH value; besides, based on those values, we need to control 4 valves to open and close so that acid, base, water,and salt from 4 tanks can flow into the main pipe.
Question: Which NI device should I buy and start with? The devices have to have at least 4 input/output, do you have any suggestion, Thank you very much!!
I am also new to LabVIEW, so any extra suggestion would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you , we are considering purchasing NI USB-6008
http://www.ni.com/products/usb-6008/
Doest it work with the following PH sensor, one specification says that it has output voltage of Output 0-5 vdc, does NI USB-6008 accept it?
Model A1004 pH Transmitter
Warning
Do not short the power connections. Wrong wiring of the signal and power wires will result in
permanent damage to the unit instantly.
Specs:
Range 0-14pH
Power: 12vdc 500ma nominal
Output 0-5 vdc
Material ABS
Calibration trim pots
Distance up to 50ft
Model A1004 is a pH transmitter designed to be used with PLCs and microprocessors that accept
analog input of 0-5vdc.
Connect any general purpose pH sensor to the transmitter. Double junction sensor is preferred.
Calibrate unit with 4 and 7 pH buffer solutions. Use zero trim pot to adjust 4pH and span trim pot to
adjust 7pH..Fine tune adjustment is done with span trim pot.
If you do not have a sensor , short the bnc connector ,this will simulate 7pH and observe output voltage
of 2.5vdc.
Din connector provides power and signal from one cable.
Note.: When connecting signal and ground to the PLC input ,use .01uf capacitor across signal
and ground to filter any noise issues.

10.6.3 breaks screen display on older 2.33 GHz MBP with RadeonX1600

I did the 10.6.3 upgrade on my MPB today. After rebooting my MBP screen was unusable, with random blocks sprinkled around the screen and the external video port was unusable as well
Took the machine into Genius bar and was told that I had a bad video card but after booting in safe mode and the screen was fine.
Luckily had a SuperDuper backup and backed out to 10.6.2. All is fine no video issues ...
Make sure that you have backups on older MBP's before attempting the 10.6.3 upgrade

Make sure you have two backups on any machine that you are trying to upgrade.
Just in case

What type of camcorder should I buy? Which works best with iMovie?

Ok...so from my previous post I have come to the conclusion with some help from my new discussion board friends , that I should ditch my Sony mini DVD, and reinvest in a mini DV camera for ease of use with QT Pro and iMovie....that being said...tell me what YOU ALL use? How easy is it to connect to Mac? Firewire? Editing? iMovie making? Trial and errors? Pro/Cons? Sony? Other brands?
iMac Mac OS X (10.4.7)
iMac Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Hi Karsten et al.
I have a problem that I am desperate for any kind of feedback from. Can you help?
Last week I bought a Sony DCR-SR90 HDD camcorder, thinking it would be simple to pull files from this hard drive camcorder straight into iMovie.
However, there is only a USB connection, and the bundled software is for PCs only. I had to download an MPEG2 program from Apple (£14.99) just to be able to import the files and now it does so, but without sound. Moreover, the quality of the image is awful in the iMovie viewing window.
I have a feeling that this Sony camcorder, though quite new, is not compatible with an Apple Powerbook and/or iMovie. This is disastrous as it cost £850 and I need it for my own wedding in September.
My question is: is it worth taking this machine back to Jessops and getting a Mini-DV camcorder that is definitely compatible with Apple/iMovie, or is there a way to get this funky Sony camcorder to sync/work with a Mac?
Second: if I exchange it for a different camcorder, which one should I get guys???!!! (it's vital that it works with iMovie as I like to make decent edited home movies with music, effects etc).
Can you help???

What kind of iphone should i buy in order to work with an spanish company as well as witn an usa one. Must it be unlocked?

I want to buy an iPhone 6 to be used in Spain and in Usa without problems. Which is the Best? unlocked? or I need more specifications

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.

How much noticeable difference in speed between 2.66 and 2.8 ghz MBP?

I am trying to decide between buying a new 15" MBP with 2.66ghz processor and 256 of graphics RAM, or the 2.8ghz processor with 512 graphics RAM. Plus a 24" cinema display.
Or.. a new 17" MBP 2.8ghz processor versus a refurb 17" with 2.66 ghz processor. (both with 512 graphics RAM)
I will be using this for Final Cut Express, Aperture, Logic Express plus all the usual web, emails etc. I won't be playing games or doing any 3D stuff.
I would save a fair bit of money choosing either the refurbed 17" or the 2.66ghz 15".
How much difference does that extra processor speed make for what I want to be doing? And what about the extra graphics RAM?

I've just found a Macworld review of the latest 17" MBP and the benchmarks show that they are only 3% faster than the older ones and barely noticeable for most tasks so I am now seriously considering the refurb as it is £400 less than new!

Why Should I Buy A Macbook?

Hi i have always wanted an Apple Mac-book i don't know why and i don't know which one to get. Any Ideas.I have viasted the Apple store and i the very helpful staff suggested i buy a Mac-book Air ( Is this the right choice) I am asking you Apple helpers and experts to help as i have no idea were to start although i do now what i would want to use it for.
Film-making and DVD watching ( Although the Mac-book air comes with no disc drive but a add for £65 is it worth it)
Photo Editing and Viewing ( 13 inch is the only air model to come with a SD slot)
General ( Word,Excel and the everyday things )
Music and iTunes and traveling
With all that in mind what memory should i buy as a 13 inch with 256 GB is £999 not including the accessorizes and the DVD player plugin
Thank you in advance to anyone who answers my questions

One of the first things you mentioned is movie creation and watching DVD's.
You might consider purchasing the older but still available mid 2012 13.3" MacBook Pro model 9,2 that includes both built-in DVD and an SD card slot.
The benefits are that you would not need to carry a separate DVD drive, and the 9,2 is one of the few remaining Mac computers still designed to permit the end user to open the computer and self-install higher capacity RAM and replace the internal hard disk or SSD drive with a higher capacity model in the future.
The penalties are that model 9,2 weighs substantially more (about 4.5 pounds/2.0kg, versus 3.5 pounds/1.6kg for the MacBook Pro with Retina Display, and 3 pounds/1.4kg for the MacBook Air), has shorter battery life, lower resolution 13.3" 1280x800 screen, slower WiFi ('802.11n') and has less peak processor performance. If you are a student and carrying it around daily in a backpack, the shorter battery life and extra weight probably negate any benefit of a built-in DVD drive. If the computer will 'live' primarily on a desktop, then extra weight and shorter battery life are probably not a concern.
If you select a MacBook Air or Retina MacBook Pro, I'd purchase it with at least 8GB RAM installed, not 4GB.
RAM in these two models is soldered in at the factory and simply not designed to be upgraded, ever. In my opinion, 4GB is not enough to ensure that future OS X upgrades will run well.
I'd select a minimum internal storage drive of 256GB. SSD is preferable for a computer that will be transported frequently, although my son carried a mid-2009 MacBook Pro with a 500GB internal hard drive through 4 years of college without incident.
I'd also immediately plan to purchase a 500GB or 1TB or larger USB-attached portable external hard drive to hold music, photos, and movies. I'd also suggest purchasing a 2TB or larger external USB or Thunderbolt-attached desktop hard drive exclusively for Time Machine backups. Yes, those two items add to the total cost, but both are fairly essential to the long-term use and enjoyment of your system. By keeping music, photo, and movie libraries on an external drive, you needn't pay a premium price for the huge amount of internal storage that those collections will eventually grow to fill. And the price of external drives keeps dropping, so when you DO fill one, you can purchase a larger one and transfer your existing libraries.
Apple sells refurbished MacBook Pros (and most other recent Apple devices) that are identical to brand new products, have the same 1-year full AppleCare warranty, and are typically priced at savings from 5% to 15% or greater, directly from the Apple website.
Although no MacBook Pro 9,2 models are currently listed, the UK link to the Apple Refurbished models is:
http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/specialdeals/mac

It seems that my Office 2008 is incompatible with the Yosemite OS that my friend just installed on my iMac. My Word no longer works. Also, I can't access messages on Entourage. What version of Office should I buy?

My friend installed OS X Yosemite 10.10.1 on my iMac. Since then, I can barely use my Miocrsoft Word 2008. The spinning pinwheel, things freezing up, template and formatting trouble, and I can't get any Entourage messages more than a year old, which is a disaster. I read that Yosemite won't support Word 2008. What Microsoft Update should I buy, and will that fix my problems? I am desperate. Thank you in advance for your help. Here is the result I got from EtreCheck. I hope this helps you help me. BTW, your drop-down menu under Operating System doesn't work
EtreCheck version: 2.1.8 (121)
Report generated February 19, 2015 at 11:26:31 PM EST
Download EtreCheck from http://etresoft.com/etrecheck
Click the [Click for support] links for help with non-Apple products.
Click the [Click for details] links for more information about that line.
Click the [Adware! - Remove] links for help removing adware.
Hardware Information: ℹ️
    iMac (24-inch, Early 2009) (Verified)
    iMac - model: iMac9,1
    1 2.93 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU: 2-core
    4 GB RAM Upgradeable
        BANK 0/DIMM0
            2 GB DDR3 1067 MHz ok
        BANK 1/DIMM0
            2 GB DDR3 1067 MHz ok
    Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported
    Wireless: en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n
Video Information: ℹ️
    NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 - VRAM: 256 MB
        iMac 1280 x 800
System Software: ℹ️
    OS X 10.10.1 (14B25) - Time since boot: 5 days 6:58:44
Disk Information: ℹ️
    WDC WD6400AAKS-40H2B0 disk0 : (640.14 GB)
        EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
        Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / : 639.28 GB (603.31 GB free)
        Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB
    HL-DT-ST DVDRW GA11N
USB Information: ℹ️
    HP Officejet 4500 G510g-m
    Apple Inc. Built-in iSight
    BELKIN USB 2 Flash Media Device
    Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver
    DELL Dell USB Wired Multimedia Keyboard
    Logitech Optical USB Mouse
    Apple Inc. BRCM2046 Hub
        Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
Gatekeeper: ℹ️
    Mac App Store and identified developers
Adware: ℹ️
    Conduit [Adware! - Remove]
    Geneio [Adware! - Remove]
Launch Agents: ℹ️
    [running]    com.conduit.loader.agent.plist [Adware! - Remove]
Launch Daemons: ℹ️
    [loaded]    com.adobe.fpsaud.plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist [Click for support]
User Launch Agents: ℹ️
    [loaded]    com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.genieo.completer.download.plist [Adware! - Remove]
    [loaded]    com.genieo.completer.ltvbit.plist [Adware! - Remove]
    [running]    com.genieo.completer.update.plist [Adware! - Remove]
    [loaded]    com.google.keystone.agent.plist [Click for support]
User Login Items: ℹ️
    iTunesHelper    UNKNOWN Hidden (missing value)
    Genieo    Application (/Incompatible Software/Genieo.app)
Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
    Default Browser: Version: 600 - SDK 10.10
    Flip4Mac WMV Plugin: Version: 2.4.4.2 [Click for support]
    OfficeLiveBrowserPlugin: Version: 12.2.8 [Click for support]
    AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: Version: 10.1.13 [Click for support]
    FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 16.0.0.305 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]
    Silverlight: Version: 4.0.60531.0 [Click for support]
    Flash Player: Version: 16.0.0.305 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]
    QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3
    iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 7.0
    SharePointBrowserPlugin: Version: 14.0.0 [Click for support]
    AdobePDFViewer: Version: 10.1.13 [Click for support]
    CouponPrinter-FireFox_v2: Version: Version 1.1.7 - SDK 10.5 [Click for support]
User internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
    BrowserPlus_2.9.8: Version: 2.9.8 [Click for support]
    CitrixOnlineWebDeploymentPlugin: Version: 1.0.79 [Click for support]
Safari Extensions: ℹ️
    Omnibar [Adware! - Remove]
3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️
    BrowserPlus [Click for support]
    Flash Player [Click for support]
    Flip4Mac WMV [Click for support]
Time Machine: ℹ️
    Time Machine not configured!
Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️
         4%    WindowServer
         0%    AppleSpell
         0%    fontd
         0%    askpermissiond
Top Processes by Memory: ℹ️
    412 MB    softwareupdated
    206 MB    Image Capture Extension
    180 MB    Safari
    125 MB    Microsoft Word
    120 MB    Mail
Virtual Memory Information: ℹ️
    511 MB    Free RAM
    1.67 GB    Active RAM
    1.06 GB    Inactive RAM
    691 MB    Wired RAM
    12.59 GB    Page-ins
    90 MB    Page-outs

Remove Office 2008 for Mac using Microsoft deinstall procedure. Reinstall Office 2008 for Mac. If there are updates, apply them. Using Disk Utility, verify/repair permissions on your boot drive.
Does Office for Mac 2008 now work correctly? If not, you may want to repeat the above first sentence, and then update to Office for Mac 2011, and apply the latest (14.4.8) update which has Yosemite fixes.

Should I buy a macbook air wid i7 and 8gb ram or macbook pro with 2.4ghz i5 and 8gb ram

Hii.i am planning 2 buy a macbook and i am confused between pro and air so should I buy a macbook air wid i7 and 8gb ram or macbook pro with 2.4ghz i5 and 8gb ram..I want it to be fast and my use is onli web surfing , word & excel, watching movies and loading photos....plss help its urgent

I have a 2 year old Air with 1.8 GHz i5 4 GB that is more than adequate and extremely fast for the uses you describe.
Is battery life a factor in your decision? If so, knowing that may help someone else give you some more input.

When should I buy a new MBP?

I'm leaving for college in the fall and I would like some help deciding when it makes sense to buy a new computer. I'm planning on buying a new MBP with Retina display, but I'm not sure if it's totally worth updating yet. I currently have a Late (October) 2009 White Macbook (2.26Ghz, 8GB RAM, 250GB HD), that works decently, but isn't wonderful--it's slowing down. I would appreciate some ideas and thoughts on when it makes sense to upgrade: now, before I leave for college; sometime during the fall semester, after I really know my computing needs (my least preferred option); or, this Christmastime? If anyone has some advice, it would be much appreciated.
Cheers!

ccshaw wrote:
Wouldn't it just make sense to put the money for the 7200rpm drive towards one more upgrade on the MBP? I could just cut that up front cost.
You can choose to forgo the hard drive upgrade, however 250GB is quite small, meaning your likely using a great portion of the second 50% of the drive, which the read/wrire performance is substancially reduced.
7,200 RPM doesn't make that much of a battery life dent that one will notice it, but one will notice the speedier response.
S0 by incrreasing the RPM's and the storage size, plus newer drive with better read/write speeds through technology improvments combined with a zero erase + fresh install of 10.6.1 (your original disks) and Software Updated to 10.6.8 (10.7 is slow) should make a dramatic improvement on that model.
However a erase + fresh install of 10.6 on that present 250GB can do the job well too, 10.7 is slow and you likely have other problems the 10.6 install will also cure.
How to erase and install Snow Leopard 10.6
How to revert your Mac to Snow Leopard
I'm not sure where I can get a copy of 10.6.8. Do you know where I could obtain that?
Your computer came with 10.6.1 install disks, hold c or option key down and boot off the disks, use Disk Utility to erase the entire drive (select the drive makers name and size on the left) with Security Option > Zero all data, wait, then when finished quit and install 10.6.1 and Software Update fully to 10.6.8.
If you no longer have the 10.6.1 disks, call Apple for a machine specific replacement disks for your 2009 Late 13" White MacBook.
You can also use the $29 10.6.3 white Snow Leopard retail disks sold here
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A
f it turns out that I do need Windows for class applications, do I install it on a partition by using disk utility and partitioning my HD (also, how big does that partition for windows need to be)?
There are two methods to use Windows on a Mac.
1: Apple's Bootcamp, which takes the bottom free space on your boot drive (250GB isn't much if you have a lot of OSX data) and allows you to direct install Windows 7 (only) there.
2: Virtual machine software, which allows one to run Windows (any flavor and Linux's) in a window in OS X.
You can read about both (pro's and cons) here:
Windows in BootCamp or Virtual Machine?

Can I buy a MBP with the danish software?

Hey!
My name is Farida Laryea.
I am a danish exchangestudent in America and I would like to buy a Macbook Pro here since they are a bit cheeper here.
Does anyone one know if it is possible to buy one with danish software or at least change it into danish?
I was going to change the keyboard setting to danish if I couldn't buy it with the danish sofware and then buy stickers and stick them on.
But I would really like the whole thing to be in danish!
I hope someone can help me!
Thanks

(1) Mac OS X is already localised for Danish. There's nothing to re-install; all you need to do is change the respective system preferences.
(2) Other applications (eg, MS Office) may or may not have Danish localisations -- that does not depend on Apple, but on their developers.
(3) Ordering an MBP with a Danish keyboard in the US is going to be difficult. You have to ask at the Apple Store; in fact, you should ask in several Apple Stores.
(4) Using stick-ons may be a solution; at any rate, don't count on changing the keyboard in Denmark -- that's possible, but it's quite expensive.
(5) I'm told Danish customs officers are eagle-eyed and merciless. You must know much more about that than I do -- but you may wish to keep it in mind.

Which should I buy - MBP or MBA?

I live in Bahrain and so can't really order anything from the Apple store as they don't ship it to Bahrain. I have never used a Mac and would now like to transition from PC to Mac as I am totally in love with the iPhone 4s and the new iPad.
I am confused on which Mac I should get. I am keen on getting the MBP Retina display but not sure if I should go for the 2.3 or 2.6ghz. But then again I can't upgrade in future so was wondering if I should go in for the normal MBP 2.6ghz which works out to the same price as the MBP Retina 2.3ghz plus I can upgrade it in future if the need arises. But since I am not a professional photographer nor a video editor nor a graphic designer, I was wondering if I would need all that power? Should I just stick to a MacBook Air instead? I would be using it for everyday use like surfing the web, writing blogs, using iWorks or Office and even maybe the occasional use of Photoshop but only light use as I am not an expert in it. But whatever I choose I would like it to last me for a good 3-4 years at least!
Presently my heart is set on the MBP Retina 2.3ghz but looking at the price tag I am not sure if it's the right move. Please help me choose the right Mac for me.
Thanks in advance!

Thank you all for your suggestions! I considered the 2.6Ghz regular MBP as it did cost the same price as the base model of the Retina MBP but after checking again and again on various websites, as well as apple.com, I realized that if I go for it I still end up with a max of 8GB RAM as it cannot be upgraded beyond that. What's the fun in that!?! The same hardware specs (other than the Ghz speed) are available in the base model Retina MBP but with a SSD drive (even though it's 1/3 the capacity).
Secondly, I have been using a Sony laptop with 4GB RAM for the past couple of years and to get a laptop with 8GB RAM would be great! I don't think I would upgrade beyond that anyway! Especially not for the applications that I plan on running on it... Again, I am not a photographer nor a graphic designer nor a video editor... Plus I have a 500GB HDD but I have barely exceeded 50% of it as I download a lot of movies. But once I transfer them to my portable HDD's I have a lot of free space left! So I think the base model for the Retina MBP would suit me fine with 2.3Ghz, 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD. I would love to go in for the 2.6Ghz version but unfortunately it is out of my budget. If I could afford that then I would definitely go in for the 16GB RAM as well! But my pockets aren't that deep and will have to settle for just the base model config.
Thanks again everyone!

So im about to buy a mac pro, I just need help cause im not sure if it's worth paying more for instance, a hi-res screen compared to the stock screen, and will i really miss the .2 ghz and the upgraded video card if I get the 2.0 ghz mbp?

So im about to buy a mac pro, I just need help cause im not sure if it's worth paying more for instance, a hi-res screen compared to the stock screen, and will i really miss the .2 ghz and the upgraded video card if I get the 2.0 ghz mbp?

The_Tiger92 wrote:
So im about to buy a mac pro, I just need help cause im not sure if it's worth paying more for instance, a hi-res screen compared to the stock screen, and will i really miss the .2 ghz and the upgraded video card if I get the 2.0 ghz mbp?
It appears the 15" 2.2 ghz isn't worth spending $400 more for, but you get the 1GB Radeon 6750M that has four times the VRAM than the 15" 2.0Ghz model and about 167% more performance. High settings on all current games with over 50 fps.
If your not into 3D gaming or just light weight, then the 2.0 Ghz (last years performance) will suffice on low-medium settings at about 30 fps.
The 13" is rather poor as it has integrated graphics. 30 fps on only some games.
The high res screen is a excellent choice and the anti-glare is great for viewing just about anywhere.
No messy films to replace at $30-$40 a pop.
A lot of people bring the glossy screens back once they hear about the anti-glare.
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2011/05/23/glossy-vs-matte-screens-why-the-pc-indus trys-out-of-touch/
Here's my 17"
In my opinion the extra $400 for another 2-3 years of use out of the computer is worth it.
Quad cores are more than enough for most uses for most people for many years, it's just a slow card is going to make the machine feel slow in rendering graphics in the future.

Which Mac Mini should I buy for use with a 65 inch Panasonic GT30?

Im very interested in surfing the web from the comfort of my Lay Z boy. I have a 65inch Panasonic GT30 tv along with an Onkyo TXNR609 av receiver that handles everything (DirecTV, PS3, X360, Wii, Apple TV). My only concern is the lag issue in dealing with the big display. Should I buy the base modle with the slower processor and upgrade the RAM? Or should I buy the i7 and rock out that way? I can afford either but would like to spend the least considering this isnt going to be the main computer in my house. Thanks for any advice!!

If you ever (*ever*) want to fire up a serious 3D game (one with a 2010+ appetite for GPU power), go for the midrange model with the real videocard. If you only want to browse the web, maybe do some flash, things like that, the low end model has enough videocard for that. That Mini has the same Intel HD Graphics 3000 as my MBA13/2011 does, and that is currently driving my external 24" 1920x1200 screen just fine. Your TV is 1920x1080, so that even though it may have a lot more inches, it has fewer pixels than that, and it's the pixels that cost GPU power, not the inches. Size doesn't matter, its what you do with it!
Since you're comfortable upgrading the ram yourself, obviously put in 8 or 16 instead of the 2 or 4 it comes with. The pricing on that ram is insanely low right now and while I'd personally go for the 16 on a desktop machine, I reckon for your intended usage 8 is well more than sufficient (4 would probably work, it does on aforementioned MBA13 after all), and it's about $50ish difference which is not nothing.
If you can live with a small capacity drive, and are willing to open up the Mini further than just the base cover over the ram, I'd recommend getting a 128 GB SSD and installing it. The Apple price for the 256GB SSD, only on the midrange, is probably not worth it. You can even get a second-hard-drive-kit from one of the two well-known vendors and add the SSD while keeping the existing drive as an internal storage drive.
P.S.: I don't actually believe in CPU upgrades. Even when you start with the midrange, the i7 is still $100 and that will also buy you that SSD, or get you most of the way to that SSD plus the second hard drive kit. The difference in performance between the i5 at 2.5 and the i7 at 2.7 is really pretty darn minimal, so as long as you're choosing to do one thing and not the other, get the SSD before the CPU upgrade, no question. If you wanna go full-option balls-to-the-wall-everything-maxed, that's another thing, just don't go for the i7 upgrade as the first thing.
P.P.S.: Now that the 2012 MBAs and traditional MBPs are out, it seems likely that a Mac Mini refresh is coming relatively soon which contains an Ivy Bridge CPU and chipset (which means USB3 and HD4000), a more capable discrete GPU in the versions that have them, and (speculation tempered with hope) one of those new 35W TDP Quadcores in the midrange model, possibly as the CPU upgrade (pretty please, Apple?). It might be worth waiting for. On the other hand, waiting for new computer hardware is also a chump's game. There's *always* something better around the corner.

MBA vs MBP: Should I buy?

I was hoping to get some opinions from some of you who have the Macbook Air.
Currently I have a Powerbook G4.. the second to last revision before the Intel switch: 1.67Ghz G4/1Gb RAM/160Gb HD/ATI 9700 w/128MB.
Here is my dilema: I am going to be buying a new Apple laptop as early as tomorrow 2/15. I was originally planning on buying a 15" Macbook Pro fully maxed out in every made to order configuration, but all my research has led me to believe that an update to that product line is imminent. I am the type of person that likes to have the best/most powerful thing for the sake of having it even when I may not use it to the limit of it's capabilities, but I am also very impatient and don't know if I can wait for the update whenever that may happen while my $$$ burns a hole in my pocket.
So, I began thinking about what I actually do with my PBG4.. I used to do music production and graphic design but not so much anymore. Mostly I watch movies and surf the net, I do convert movies and music quite often, but don't really utilize all the IO that I have (except S-video) I have been tempted by the Macbook Air, but I am wondering if I will regret giving up all the power and IO of a Powerbook or Macbook Pro.
I know if I get a Macbook Pro and they release an updated version shortly after my purchase I will be totally burned.. but I am wondering if I could live within the limitations of the Air?
Just interested in getting some opinions from those of you that have the Air or both MBA and MBP..
Many thanks,
James

Really, IMO, you should wait it out until the MBP is refreshed. If you absolutely cannot, then it's going to be a difficult decision on your part. When you break down the specifications, the MBA is really not "new" in the sense that it still uses the 65nm Merom microprocessor. This processor is set to be eventually phased out by the new Peryn, 45nm processors that were announced in late January. So if you go with an MBA today, you're almost dropping the cost of the baseline 15" MBP for a notebook that is essentially last year's technology. Not to mention that the RAM in the MBA is not upgradable, and the HD uses an outdated parallel ATA interface (ie slow).
Additionally, you need to really consider your needs in a notebook. If you still do music production and graphic design at all, then the MBA is probably going to be a huge disappointment. Remember that this thing wasn't meant to be a desktop replacement like the MBP. Apple's target consumer for the MBA is someone who needs a second or even third computer for situations where portability is a must, and is willing to sacrifice speed and power to get it.

Should I buy 2.4 GHz MBP with 5400RPM or 7200RPM HD?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for