What size Macbook Pro should I get?

My 2012 Macbook Pro recently bit the dust and won't recognize the hard drive. It would cost about as much to ship and fix it than to purchase a new one. I am a commuter student attending Truman State University and take my computer with me on some days. I plan on purchasing a Macbook Air in the near future, and use it for class and my Macbook Pro for the heavy lifting task (writing papers, doing research, online class work, etc.). I do not know which one of the following to purchase. I am financing, so the price does matter but about $10 separates the 15 inch from the 13 inch.
13-inch: 2.6GHz
with Retina display
Specifications
2.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz
8GB 1600MHz memory
256GB PCIe-based flash storage1
Intel Iris Graphics
Built-in battery (9 hours)2
$1,399.00
Education financing for 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display 256GB flash storage 2.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5From $37.53 per month
13-inch: 2.8GHz
with Retina display
Specifications
2.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
Turbo Boost up to 3.3GHz
8GB 1600MHz memory
512GB PCIe-based flash storage1
Intel Iris Graphics
Built-in battery (9 hours)2
$1,699.00
Education financing for 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display 512GB flash storage 2.8GHz dual-core Intel Core i5From $45.58 per month
15-inch: 2.2GHz
with Retina display
Specifications
2.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7
Turbo Boost up to 3.4GHz
16GB 1600MHz memory
256GB PCIe-based flash storage1
Intel Iris Pro Graphics
Built-in battery (8 hours)2
$1,899.00
Education financing for 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display 256GB flash storage 2.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7From $50.00 per month
Thank you so much!

In my opinion your interests would be best served by a Macbook Air rather than a Macbook Pro. Unless you are taking a photography/video course or scientific studies that use applications that require lot of CPU/GPU resources, the Air will do everything you need to do very efficiently. Combine that will the ease of portability and vastly superior battery run time. it is an ideal notebook for college work. It will also be less expensive!
Ciao.

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What the Macbook Pro should have

Hi guys, 2 weeks ago I purchased my first Apple laptop - the Macbook Pro 13", before that (and still sometimes) I used PC. Even though the design is great, there are things that could be done to make it perfect. Here is my list, please tell me what you think about it.
1 - A delete button one the keyboard, I noticed that the Macbook Pro doesn't have one before purchasing it, but after using if for 2 weeks noticed how important it is.
2 - The 2 USB ports are quite inconvenient because they are next to each other, it would be more convenient if they are from both sides instead, like Macbook Air. I have devises that are a bit wider than the other ones, so when one of these is plugged in, the other USB port is unusable. Speaking of which USB 2.0 isn't good! The ThunderBolt port is great but there are no devises yet that can take any advantage of it, so in the meantime USB 3.0 would be great.
3 - HDMI port - most of the laptops already have it, I don't see why none of the Macbooks has it. If I want to connect my Macbook Pro to my TV, I have to spend extra money on MiniDisplay to HDMI adaptor (it's not like Apple products are any cheep, so spending extra money on things that should have been there on first place is NOT good).
4 - Numerical Keyboard - I know there is no room for it, but a button like Caps Lock could be used, when it's pressed certain buttons from the keyboard could act only as numerical keyboard and when pressed again, the keyboard could be back to normal.
5 - The screen resolution of the 13" Macbook Pro should have been like the 13" Macbook Air.
6 - The CD Drive is unnecessary, nobody uses it nowadays. Nobody listens to music from a CD and nobody installs any software from a CD, everyone uses the Internet for these things, the little part of people who are still using CDs, DVDs, etc. have other devises such as: DVD or Blue-ray players, HiFi systems and Desktops. The room that is taken by the Optical Disk could be used for a bigger battery.
7 - Better cooling system - when watching a move the laptop gets so hot that I literally can't put it on my lap (lol what a paradox, a laptop that cannot be put on a lap), also I would love to be able to close the lid and leave the laptop works (it is great when downloading big files or scanning software is used), but with that cooling system I'm afraid that it would overheat.
8 - Last but not least - The screen bezel. It's too big, Macbooks should be bezelless, it would make them much better looking.

DS had some great points, I'll chime in as well.
1.) I agree, it'd be handy to have. It definitely took some getting use to but once you do and modify your keyboard workflow it becomes second nature.
2.) I ended up investing a USB extension cable, Apple makes them I believe. At least they use to, I've had mine for years. While the cable dangling off the side of the machine is a bit of an annoyance, it's a necessity if I want to double up my AirCard (USB) with a thumb drive. USB 2.0 is still the "standard" and as such it's going to be the de facto peripheral port. Apple is historically slow about adopting non-standard peripheral interfaces unless they pioneer or champion it. It wouldn't surprise me if Apple still doesn't offer USB 3.0 this time next year. Thunderbolt/Light Peak is brand new tech, and as such it's going to take a while to have peripherals that support it. There are NAS devices that have it, they were just announced this week.
Here's a link regarding its deployment - http://www.tuaw.com/2011/04/13/intel-distributing-thunderbolt-developer-kits-thi s-quarter-more/
3.) I agree that HDMI would be nice but with Thunderbolt supporting HDMI, I really don't see Apple adding another video out port. There's no room left on the I/O strip on the 13" MBP for it. Apple use to include adapters (when the MBP first came out) but they've since stopped doing that and gouge with adapters. Thankfully there are numerous 3rd party offerings at a fraction of the price.
4.) I agree, I forget which "redesign" of the keyboard layout got rid of the Num Lock key. I know my 15" MBP (Santa Rosa) has it. I currently use my iPhone as my numerical keyboard, there's a great little app that pairs the phone to your computer via Bluetooth. It works great as an alternative.
5.) Marketing 101. By introducing it via a future revision this encourages current owners to want to upgrade/switch and thus move more units and tout it as a "feature upgrade." I was pretty shocked the i5/i7 update to the MBP 13" did not introduce the 1440 resolution.
6.) This is where you'll get disagreement. Rule #1 of proper Internet forum posting, don't use words like: everyone, everyone, most, all, nobody, no one, etc. Especially without evidence to back it up. While you don't use it, people do. I use mine daily, my co-workers use their drives daily. That's 11 people right there, which is 11 more than "nobody."
7.) Apple has never called their computer a "laptop." They've always referred to is as a portable computer. Matter of fact, they strongly discourage the use of their portable computers on your lap due to how the heat dissipation process works through the top case. So the problem(s) you're experiencing are to be expected, you're using the machine in a method that is not recommended by the manufacturer. They even discuss that in the "Getting Started" booklet that came with your machine.

What size MacBook Pro is best for graphic designers?

I am entering an Emerging Media/graphic design program that requires a MacBook Pro to do my work on. Am I ok to get the 15" or do I need the 17"?

I will only add 1 thing to John Hammer1
While I canot tell you what you *must* do, I can tell you that *I would* do if 15 in was the only option based on size/weight and graphic design was the use.
I would order from Apple to get the upgrade to hi-res (1680x1050). While you can connect external display for easier working with pictures, you will not always have the external display.
Anti-glare is your call competely. It helps in open-air condiitions with direct sunlight. But some say image clarity is sacrificed in favor of dffusing the glare from the screen -- I am not sure my eyes would see the difference, but I am old and blind and do not care as much about it. But I truly have only rumor and innuendo on this subject.
As John Hammer1 said, analyze any "I woud do <this>" advice objectively and do not care about hurting feelings.

Which Macbook Pro should i get for use with Solidworks?

I want to get a Macbook Pro but unsure whether to go for the higher end 13 inch or the lower end 15 inch.
I will be running Solidworks(CAD) a lot as im in my final year of an engineering degree.
Has anyone got either and had any problems etc?
Thanks

Yes, the MBP you've suggested will do fine with MainStage but at the same time, I'd recommend you getting the fastest machine you can realistically afford as MS is still a very resource-hungry beast.....especially once you get to know it and decide that you want to do extra stuff that you didn't originally intend to do with it!
I also run a MOTU Ultralite MK3 and can recommend this as a very good bang-for-buck interface.....especially the new hybrid model (which I don't have) that has both firewire AND USB. Apart from Apogee interfaces - which are apparently phenomenal (and phenomenally expensive!) - I've also heard extremely good things about the RME Fireface 400 and 800 interfaces.
But back to the MOTU Ultralite MK3: it has heaps of I/O, is half-rack space (so very portable), is bus-powered (with A/C option), has onboard DSP FX, the latency is very low, is easy to set up and use, and is quite affordable for what you're getting. And MOTU is pretty good with tech support and the drivers are very high quality. Can't go wrong, really.
The only other thing I'll mention about using a MBP is that having a decent screen size can really help if you're using it live at gigs. I have the current top of the line 17" model and really notice the screen size difference compared to friends who have the 13" or 15" models.....there's a HUGE difference in screen "real estate" with the 17" screen.
BTW, it's rumored that Apple will soon be announcing the next MBP models and so you may want to wait till the end of April before you decide to buy something.

Which Macbook pro should I get? 2.53 vs 2.66

Does anyone have a good reason to get the 2.66 over the 2.53 macbook pro?
Both are 15" both have 4GB ram
2.53 3MB cache:
250GB 5400RPM Hard drive.
Nvidia 9400M shared graphics.
1 fan
2.66 3MB cache:
320GB 5400RPM Hard drive.
Nvidia 9400M + 9600M GT (w/dedicated 256MB ram)
2 fans
I'm not a game player, I am not sure I'd see a huge speed increase (.13 ghz) and the extra 70GB isn't that enticing. So normally, I'd say it's not worth it, but I wonder if there's other apps that would make use of the 9600GT now that OpenCL has been included in 10.6
Thoughts please! Convince me to stay at 2.53 or move higher!

I'm always a proponent of more RAM for performance, but I'm using a late 2007 MBP 2.6 GHz with 4 Gig of RAM and feel that is sufficient for my needs. My biggest users of resources are 2 virtual machines (Fusion 2.0.6 right now, 3.0 within a month I'm planning). I also run XCode occassionally (mostly for iPhone, but sometimes for Mac). Also do some website development with MAMP Pro. To date I've never run low on RAM with this configuration.
For better Virtual Machine performance I would seriously consider an external drive. No matter how you slice it having 2 OSs use the same drive will create some resource contention. SSDs may pretty much eliminate that with near zero seek time, but it is my understanding SSD write performance is about the same as a 7200 RPM traditional disk.
What I did to speed up I/O was to purchase a RAID 0 external disk. I am currently using it via Firewire 800. Originally I was connecting it via eSATA (not an option for the newer 15" MBPs) which may have had a bit more performance, but not significant.
To me the more significant difference between the 2.53 & 2.66 models is the separate graphics card. With Snow Leopard being able to use the processing power in that card for general purposes you will likely see a greater performance difference than just the .13 GHz of the respective CPUs.
I always try to get the best non-upgradeable specs on a computer as I can afford. As you have implied at some point you can put in more memory or upgrade to a faster hard drive (whatever the technology at the time) but the CPU speed and graphics capabilities are fixed for the life of the computer.

New macbook pros should I get 802.11g or 802.11n

I'm about to get one of the new Macbook Pro's with the Intel Core Duo 2's. I'm getting a new wireless router as well. I was planning on getting the Linksys WRT54GL, which is 802.11.
Would I gain anything by getting an 802.11n router instead? If so, anyone have any recommendations?
macbook pro 2.16 Intel Core 2 Duo

I have the Belkin Pre-N Router and it has been great with my MBP Core Duo. My new Core 2 Duo MBP has a different card and it is working very well also. No one is sure what the nature of the wireless adapter in these new books is, but it appears to be some sort of N-like technology, however, Apple has it behaving as if it is the same as the others. The reason being that there is no established N yet and they are waiting. My guess is that we will receive a firmware update to get them running at N speeds once the specs for N are official. Until then, I would not spend too much money on a Pre-N or Draft N router because it could very well be useless for N speeds when N is released. I got the Belkin for $100 and the speed is very nice and the range is exceptional. Anyhow, that is my two cents...if it's worth that much.

Which Macbook Pro should I get (Iris Pro or no Iris Pro?)

I have an outdated MBP (2009) and want to get a newer one. I use it mostly for work --- web/editing images but expect to occasionally need to edit videos as related to my job.
I am looking at refurbished and it's between:
Refurbished 15.4-inch MacBook Pro 2.0GHz Quad-core Intel i7 with Retina Display for $1659. This one has Iris graphics
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FE...retina-display
or
Refurbished 15.4-inch MacBook Pro 2.3GHz Quad-core Intel i7 with Retina Display. No Iris Pro. $60 cheaper.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC...retina-Display
So, I guess my question is do I need Iris Pro for my purposes? I don't know much about computers but it looks like the processor on the one with Iris Pro Graphics is slower. Is that right?
Thanks.

I would choose the first one.

Which MacBook Pro should I get?

I'm gonna do it. Question is, which one?
The 1.83 is $500 cheaper, which leaves some extra $$ for upgrading RAM, and going with the 100 GB 7200 rpm HD. I'm guessing the performance difference between the 1.83 and the 2.0 would be negligible. However, I noticed the 1.83 has 128 mb of video ram while the 2.0 has 256, and it's not possible to upgrade the 1.83. I'm wondering how significant this will be, especially since I use Aperture and from what I understand it relies heavily on the graphics chip.
What do you think? Should I go with the 1.83 or bit the bullet and get the 2.0?
Thanks...

Thanks for your feedback.
The question (and I think it's a valid one), is how much of a difference will the extra 128 MB on the video card and the .17 Ghz on the chips make? Will it be noticeable, or simply somethinig that can be measured by speed tests in a lab?
I know with G5 desktops for example I can't tell a huge difference in day-to-day usage between the dual 2.0 and the dual 2.3. The major speed bumps, in my experience, tend to come from hard drive speed, RAM and graphics chip.

I have snow leopard installed as an OS. When trying to reboot a MacBook Pro I am getting stuck on grey screen with apple logo and rotating symbol. What can I do?

I have snow leopard installed as an OS. When trying to reboot a MacBook Pro I am getting stuck on grey screen with apple logo and rotating symbol. What can I do?

Maybe this might help.
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2570

I am about to buy my first Macbook Pro, should I wait for the possibility for a 2015 macbook, or just get the most recent model currently? (9-22-14)

I am about to buy my first Macbook Pro, should I wait for the possibility for a 2015 macbook, or just get the most recent model currently? (9-22-14)

No one knows if there will be a new model and if so, when that would be. However, there always will be something bigger, better, and newer around the corner, so you'd be waiting forever.
Buy it when you want or need it.
FWIW, here are the specs of the latest models (which happen to be mid 2014):
Apple - Support - Technical Specifications

I have a new Macbook pro, I cannot get past the country selection screen. 'Continue' is greyed out and keys just make error sounds. How do I move it on?

I have a new Macbook pro, I cannot get past the country selection screen. 'Continue' is greyed out and keys just make error sounds. How do I move it on?

sideeque wrote:
I have the same problem. What did you do last time?
What should I do now? Its around 40 miles away the apple store? Would they pay my taxi fare to go and return?
How can we trust this apple product?
You are still under warranty. Call Apple Care.

I can no longer charge my iPhone5 through either of my macbook pros. I get the error message that a USB device is using too much power. Can anyone help?

I can no longer charge my iPhone5 through either of my macbook pros. I get the error message that a USB device is using too much power. Can anyone help?

I reconnected the original powered hub that I thought probably caused the problem and this time it shut down the whole computer. When I rebooted everything now works perfectly. The system reset. I tried another powered hub and it didn't have the same effect so the old one is heading for the bin and with fingers crossed all systems are now working perfectly. Trying to reset PRAM or reset the SMC didn't work but causing the same power issue did. Thanks for your input though. It did get me to think what was the original cause.
Cheers
Guy

For the 2013 versions of macbook pro should I purchase 32 bit windows or 64 bit version to be able to install it on macbook and use windows with bootcamp?

for the 2013 versions of macbook pro should I purchase 32 bit windows or 64 bit version to be able to install it on macbook and use windows with bootcamp?

Then you might check at any of the other university book stores or software stores or any computer store in town for the 64-bit version.
If you want to use the 32-bit version from the school (you probably get it for free or very cheap) then you could purchase Parallels and run it as a virtual machine concurrently with OS X. There are some caveats:
1. You have to purchase Parallels (there may be an academic discount.) List is $79.95.
2. Your computer needs minimally 4 GBs of RAM, but realistically 8 GBs would be better.
3. Parallels creates a pseudo-drive on your hard drive. It could easily require 50 GBs of disk space.
Accommodating these might be more costly than buying 64-bit Windows 7. And, if you look online you may find them with an academic discount (or may be able to order it through the school.)

Hi! I've got CS3 Design Standard - the actual disks and Software License certificate. It was installed on my laptop which crashed and could therefore not be uninstalled. I have now installed it on my new MacBook Pro, but cannot get it registered with the

Hi! I've got CS3 Design Standard - the actual disks and Software License certificate. It was installed on my laptop which crashed and could therefore not be uninstalled. I have now installed it on my new MacBook Pro, but cannot get it registered with the serial number. Is it because it wasn't uninstalled on the previous laptop? What to do now?? Thx!

Maybe this can help someone else... I simply had to properly uninstall CS3 and reinstall it again after that. I think that sorted it! I also remember having a similar issue with Macs at work a couple of years back. Not sure whether the same applies to CS5/CS6. Here's a link on how to properly uninstall CS3 on Windows XP, Windows Vista and Mac OS. I'm on OS X 10.9.2 but it worked just fine. Remove Creative Suite 3 and CS3 products

Trying to set up iCloud on my MacBook Pro, and I get to the point where it tells me to view my email for further instructions to verify acct, but I have no email in my inbox, even after resending multiple times.

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Well, running on a 2006 model. I did not have a startup disc. Initially, it booted up on original software in 2006. Since then, I've upgraded to 10.6 via a box set. And, since then I think I popped it up to lion.
All I have on a disc is snow leopard. And, I can't get farther than the setup screen due to hard drive. I'm taking to a apple authorized repair store right now. We'll see what they tell me . I'm just going to weigh the cost of repair vs. buying new.
Another bad, stupid thing is I had no means of backing up my stuff. So, I might have lost things like music, vids, etc. we'll see if they can recover. If the cost is too much for repair I might just forget it and start over with a new system. Just not sure at this point.

What size Macbook Pro should I get?

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