The Best specs laptop for a mainstage setup

Question

Hi guys! It's my first time here and I'm planning to buy a new Mac book pro, (which i want to replace my core 2 mbp mid 2010)
Is it ok to get ;
2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz
4GB 1600MHz memory
500GB 5400-rpm hard drive1
Intel HD Graphics 4000
or the Retina;
2.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
Turbo Boost up to 2.9GHz
4GB 1600MHz memory
128GB PCIe-based flash storage1
Intel Iris Graphics
Are these intel dual core's is enough for mainstage?
Can i maximize the ram up to 16gb?
5400rpm is it enough speed for a hard drive?
Its also my first time using mainstage, i will be shifting from hardware to mainstage. Maybe you guys also can give me some tips?
I will be using massive(NI) and alicia keys. Maybe i will be putting more samples also, i will be using also a lot of exs24 for my samples also.
And also im on a tight budget.
Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

SURPRISED to hear that Logic Remote is for Mainstage, and now I'm wondering whether I should get an iPad now or not. LOL!
well.. it is, but it's not goning to have the flexibility you probaby want.  it's fairly preset in it's layout as far as i can tell.  anyone here used it?
MidiDesigner or TouchOSC are totally customizable.  it's kind of weird, but you create a virtual control to control the virtual controls in MS to control the channels and plug-ins. 
loading up Concerts takes time, and so does switching BETWEEN concerts, as MS must load and analyze all samples/plug ins.
In my opinion, you are CORRECT that all of your songs should be loaded into one Concert, as mine are.
you know, i was so frustrated trying to be able to call up various presets in UltraBeat by control map and could figure out why i couldn't access them in the map.  then i realized that doing so also causes a sample load which is time consuming. the way MS works, it seems to me, is that you DO load everythign up all at once and so there is no lag. if i like say 4 different UB presets then i don't have one channel of UB from which to load them up, but 4 channels so they are always loaded.  this requires maybe a buss so that you can control the volume of all of them regarding effects and volume, etc.  however, what would be nice is to be able to group them so that when you switch from one the others start..  i guess you could put them all on different MIDI notes/same channel.  so say UB1 is C-1 to B0 and UB2 is C0-B1 and have all Toggle on 1 so they  would maybe do that..  hmmm. 
whereas MS does want you to change Patches, i like to hang out in the same Patch and have everythign available at all times.  i really need to get a video up of my stuff liek you have.
If you're interested, have a look at my setup here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdbF4_AmaXM
these are great!  i can see whe have a lot in common in how we think about MS.  most people usign it are live players of GTR and Keys, but i'm in a cross between DJ and player.  MS sits somewhere between Live and Max/Msp it seems to me.  someone is sellign an APC40 and i was thinking about it.. hmmm.  see what you're doing is super cool.  especially if you use video. 
i wish there was a group for us who are sitting on MS between Live and Max.  know of any? 
—C