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.

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Which MacBook Pro should I go for? Which will complete my needs?

I wanted to buy a MacBook Pro for school in September. I was just curious on which model I should go for.
I need to do the following:
- I need to be able to run accounting software (Simply Accounting).
- I need to be able to Skype with friends/family.
- I need to be able to run Adobe Suite CS5+.
- I would like to create a home studio surrounded around this new computer.
- I would like something portable and durable. I need to be able to carry this laptop everyday and it's going to be used in an environment that is more or less abusive.
- I would also like a CD drive (I still find myself using CDs every once in a while).
- And I would like to get a nice screen, the stock screen is fine on the 13 inch, but I would need the upgrade on the 15 inch.
So, basically;
Option 1: 15 inch MacBook Pro base (no extras)
Option 2: 13 inch MacBook Pro with an Intel 520 240GB SSD + 8GB RAM
Option 3: Wait until June/July for the next generation of MacBook Pro's.
Which would you guy do?
Thanks.

Skip the 13", does not have the audio I/O you will need. The 15" with as much ram as you can afford. You can wait, keeping in mind that you will spend time working bugs ou, depending how Apple rearranges the "furnature yet again. I have a 15" running SnowLeopard as my music production, as I do a lot of live, and it is VERY stable. (can't afford issuses) I have a 13" Bare bones for doing light duty stuff and I'm to lazy to lug the big 15" bag of cables/adapters... with me. Best of luck, hope I helped, and did not confuse you too much. All the Best

Which macbook pro should i buy for architecture/interior design?

My question is about the 13" or the 15" pro. My wife is starting out in architecture/interior design and she already knows she'll be using photoshop cs3, Rhino and auto cad. Her concern is the weight of the unit and the price and is therefore leaning towards the 13". But I've been pushing her to the high end 15" because of the better video card and processor.
All said and done is the extra $1000 worth it, considering she'll be using it for the next 4 years? She is the careful one with the money, so I need a better way to rationalize the extra $1000 for the 15" than just saying that its "better". As far as she's concerned, I'm just buying into the apple occult over the best shiny new thing!
Another question concerns whether, if she can make it through first term without a computer, we should wait until the next refresh. My friend told me that macbook pros might become like the mac airs. If that's the case it'd really solve our weight problems.
Thanks!

The AIR is the way it is because it's stripped down and has lousy integrated graphics where the CPU handles it, thus they overheat. A Windows PC laptop would be the same and a lot leas expensive (although not as thin), dragging the external optical drive around is a real pain too.
Your correct about the 15" for the software she needs to run, namely Photoshop and AutoCad, and likely VMFusion and Windows too.
I would get the 2.2 Ghz 15" MacBook Pro and the anti-glare high resolution screen, the glare of the glossy screens makes it unsuitable for most professional uses.
Don't go by my word 100%, just read the posts from professionals here
https://macmatte.wordpress.com/
and the general computing public here.
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2011/05/23/glossy-vs-matte-screens-why-the-pc-indus trys-out-of-touch/
The 15" and 17" MBP are the only anti-glare screen computers Apple still makes, so grab a powerful 2.2 Ghz while they still sell them and make it last as long as possible
That would make the lowest annaul cost of ownership possible, as the software wouldn't need to be replaced as soon, the softwares combined is likely to cost more than the machine.
The AIR is nice, if she used it as a consumer computer, but she's got "Pro" intentions and the AIR, the 13" and the 2.0 Ghz 15" doesn't cut it, especially in the graphics/3D rendering which AutoCAD is sorely needed a strong video card to render fast.
Some get a/iPad for light portable uses and the MaBook Pro for the heavy lifting, that could be a option for a extra $500,
Good Luck.

Which Macbook Pro should I buy for recording, making music and editing videos?

I really have a huge interest in music and editing videos and I want to make it as a part of my career so I want to start making some videos/music videos, etc. I have an iMac, but I share with my whole family, so I don't really have the time and I don't have the privacy that I need. I was thinking about buying a PC but that gets viruses easily unlike the Mac OS. I really hope someone could help me. I was thinking about the 13 inch Macbook Pro with Retina display (8GB Memory and 500+ Flash Storage). That's what I could afford right now.
Thanks.

Based on reports here and elsewhere, I'm not sure buying a Retina MBP is such a great investment of your money as Retina Displays make much higher demands on the systems... and provide a lower overall performance with CPU/Sub Systems intensive and timing reliant/critical applications such as Logic Pro X
While I understand the 'draw' of Laptops.. because of their portability etc... there are drawbacks that should be taken into account too.. and compared to a similar priced iMac/Mac Mini.... you get much better power/cost ration with an iMac/Mac Mini than you will ever get with a MBP....
Simply put you will spend roughly twice as much for a MBP compared to an iMac/Mac Mini to obtain the same performance... and while Retina does provide for a very good clear screen... the overheads that places on the systems of a MBP.. can often outweigh its real benefits when used with an App like LPX where Retina really serves no useful purpose/benefits....... especially for the extra cost.
Example..My nearly 3 year old 3.4Ghz i7 32GB iMac which cost less by some degree as my top of the range 2013 2.5 Ghz i7 16GB MBP with Retina.. 'smokes' the MBP so easily..... when using identical versions of LPX/LP9 under Mavericks.. Even my 2010 Mac Mini Server 2.0 Ghz 16GB gives the MBP a good run for it's money in comparision.. and that cost me less than $800 plus Monitor!
Note: This is just a personal opinion and should be viewed as such....

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.

Which Macbook pro should I buy for recording and producing music??

So I should probably start by saying I don't know too much about computers. I just know I want something fast and dependable, that will let me record, mix, surf the internet, all without having to worry about speed and performance.
I'm considering buying the 15 inch 2.2GHz retina model and I'm wondering if that would be good enough.
For the most part, I'll be doing the typical "record the band" dealio... Tracking and mixing drums, bass, guitars, vox, you know..
I'm definitely planning on getting an external hard drive to keep the space on my laptop free. Again, I'm kinda dumb when it comes to computer terms, so I'm just hoping someone can shed some light on the situation for me.
Thanks for reading!
Chad

Based on reports here and elsewhere, I'm not sure buying a Retina MBP is such a great investment of your money as Retina Displays make much higher demands on the systems... and provide a lower overall performance with CPU/Sub Systems intensive and timing reliant/critical applications such as Logic Pro X
While I understand the 'draw' of Laptops.. because of their portability etc... there are drawbacks that should be taken into account too.. and compared to a similar priced iMac/Mac Mini.... you get much better power/cost ration with an iMac/Mac Mini than you will ever get with a MBP....
Simply put you will spend roughly twice as much for a MBP compared to an iMac/Mac Mini to obtain the same performance... and while Retina does provide for a very good clear screen... the overheads that places on the systems of a MBP.. can often outweigh its real benefits when used with an App like LPX where Retina really serves no useful purpose/benefits....... especially for the extra cost.
Example..My nearly 3 year old 3.4Ghz i7 32GB iMac which cost less by some degree as my top of the range 2013 2.5 Ghz i7 16GB MBP with Retina.. 'smokes' the MBP so easily..... when using identical versions of LPX/LP9 under Mavericks.. Even my 2010 Mac Mini Server 2.0 Ghz 16GB gives the MBP a good run for it's money in comparision.. and that cost me less than $800 plus Monitor!
Note: This is just a personal opinion and should be viewed as such....

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.

As a computer science graduate interested in programming (not in graphics) which macbook pro should i go for?

13 inch retina 3.0 GHz dual core or 15 inch retina 2.4 GHz quadcore Price is not that much of a concern as I'm getting both of them at almost the same price.
One of the guys on quora suggested that a top end mac air can also be considered

I mostly develop moderately complex C++, Objective-C, and C projects. For what I do and for fast build and test iterations, I wouldn't go below a quad core with 16 GB memory. Other languages may not need that much, and smaller projects will certainly not need that much. If you are developing using the programming languages above, I would recommend a quad core and 8 GB to keep you from hitting the ceiling very frequently over the next few years. The dual to quad price difference can save you a lot of thumb-twiddling over the years the machine is in use.

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.

Which macbook pro should i buy?

I am looking at buying a new macbook after 6 years with my current one which is running really slow. I will be using the macbook pro with the retina display 13 inch to -
1. Add photos and videos as well as edit them as well possibly by using adobe photo shop
2. Surf the internet
3. Update my blog
4. Basic Web design
Which macbook pro should i buy for the tasks that i plan to do??
The 256GB with the i5 processor and buy a 1TB external hard drive
or 256GB with the i7 processor and buy an external hard drive
or go max out at buy the 512GB with the i7 processor

Consider this option.
lknights1987 wrote:
or go max out at buy the 512GB with the i7 processor
Best.

Which macbook pro should i buy if i use finalcut7?the i5 or i7?

which macbook pro should i buy if i use finalcut7?the i5 or i7?

Either one will do the job. The more powerful the CPU, the faster it will perform. I suggest that if the budget is tight, go for the i5, if not go for what the bank account will allow.
It is nice to have a fast CPU, but they are not essential to the overwhelming applications that most people use, especially in a non-vocational context. On this forum there are the 'speed freaks' who will tout the virtues of faster CPUs, yet most have never compared two MBPs side by side and experienced the differences of real world results.
Ciao.

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

Which macbook pro should I buy?? 13 or 15??

I am planning to buy a macbook pro but I don't know which macbook pro I should buy.
Games are not that important to me, however I play games such as call of duty, nba 2k, need for speed sometimes. Portability is important to me because it is compulsory for bringing laptops to school. I am confused on buying which macbook pro because the gpu of 13 is bad but 15 might be too big and heavy.
So which macbook pro should I buy?

Hi Lawrence,
You've point out some of the important factors. For me, the choice would be easy. I'd gladly put up with a bit more bulk/weight to have a 15" display. ymmv

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

Which Macbook Pro should i get for use with Solidworks?

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