Which Retina MacBook Pro Model to Buy?

Hi everyone!
I am studying engineering and are about to buy a new notebook. I have been using macs since 2008, so that is an obvious choice. I am also sick of my hard drive, so I want SSD models for sure. And I have tried out the retina models and I am certain I want one of those. Beyond that I am hesitant which one to buy.
I am an engineering college student. Here is what I need it for:
- mostly everyday stuff
- I don't mind if I can edit a full HD video conveniently on it once in a while, I don't mind however if I have to wait 3 minutes longer for it to export a video
- I regularly have to do some CAD editing (that would be done under windows) this is however merely stuff that are needed for college, so we are not talking about entire power plants with billions of parts being loaded onto the screen, but rather smaller constructions
- I never play video games. Somehow I don't feel the need, so that's not a factor for me whatsoever
- I have tested the 13 and 15 for wheight, and I find the 15 to be fairly light too, so I don't think portability is a major issue with either machine
However performance-wise I can't decide.
For the activities listed above should I go for 15 or would a 13 suffice? I am aware of the imminent upgrades, and OS X Mavericks as well.
Thanks for your advice.

Not sure you know this but you can put a SSD in any standard computer, including all Macbook Pro models. Nothing new about that. It is just Apple doesn't offer the standard MBP with a SSD as standard equipment. A SSD can be included during the ordering process or you can install one yourself. An even better option is to install one of the hybrid SSD+Rotating HDD being offered by Seagate. It combines the speed of a SSD and the storage space of a conventional HDD for much less than a real SSD.

Similar Messages

  • Which new MacBook Pro should I buy?

    I am currently running a mid 2009 MacBook Pro with 4 GB of memory and 2.8 GHz processor.  I run Parallels and a GIS system.  It is now running like a dog, although I realise I need to do a bit of cleaning up.  However the GIS is getting bigger and I have the opportunity to upgrade.  I need to be portable and as light as possible.  Is a thunderbolt drive going to be of any help.
    Your input much appreciated.

    I have a mid-2009 MacBook Pro with the 2.66 GHz processor and run parallels on it and use it for application development. I've upgraded mine to have maxed out RAM of 8GB, upgraded the internal drive to 1TB and, best of all, replaced the never used DVD drive with a OWC data doubler holding an OWC 240GB 3G SSD as my boot drive. The computer is very fast indeed, I am very pleased with this setup. As long as you are not CPU bound in your tasks, adding an SSD drive and maxing RAM can cheaply (compared to a new Mac) extend the useful life of a machine.

  • Which 2012 13" MacBook Pro model is worth buying?

    I was wondering which 2012 13 inch MacBook Pro I should buy. I can see that there is a difference between the models in their processors and RAM but I don't really know what good they would do for me as a student and casual gamer. Which model is worth buying for my needs and can you please explain why? I know that there is almost a $300 difference between them, but I have no idea if paying more is really necessary.
    Thanks.

    Yes, in the case of memory 8GB will cover everything, at tops the system (OS X Mavericks) uses around 4GB to run smoothly leaving the rest for programs to run. Even memory intensive games or photoshop use around 2GB leaving some free for 'movement' I have been using 8GB when video editing (2 screens) and very rarely slow up and when it does slow down that's due to my slow harddrive. For what you need highly recommend an 8GB (Welcome to the reassurance of macs, good choice). Happy to help

  • Which Macbook Pro should i buy, 13" or 15" SSD or HDD or flash drive?

    I'm a Graphic Designer, and looking to buy a new Mac. Believe it or not, i've been using a Powerbook G4 for more than 10 years, the best of its kind, until recently the Hard drive died and the OS on the computer can't be upgraded any more. I can still use Adobe CS3 on it. Its an awesome device but hard to part with. The exterior is in great shape, looks almost new.
    I've heard a lot of negatives on the newer Mac Book Pros, it's battery life, etc. Are there any Graphic Designers that can help with reviews and experiences using the new ones. I don't care so much for the Retina display, recently Apple made it available for most all except one option and the price jump stinks.
    I'm actually considering the 13" macbook pro w/o Retina that way i can upgrade the RAM and HD. I will be using Adobe CC on the macbook pro once i buy it.
    Can anyone suggest a better configuration, is 13" sufficient?, which should i choose SSD or Flash drive. I would like to keep the budget somewhere between $1500-$1750. Also do people recommend taking Apple care?
    Thanks any advise is much appreciated.
    CR

    You will love the new mac's. An SSD is 2-3x faster than an HDD when it comes to startup and loading apps. SSD and flash drive is the same thing, flash drive is just a faster SSD.
    I would say you could go with the non-retina mac's but you are doing graphic design after all, and a retina display has much better graphics. The retina display also weighs a whole pound lighter which is a very noticable difference.
    The battery life is very good. The 13" processor should be powerful enough for everything you need. The 15" will be at least $2,000 which would not fit your budget.
    I would go for the mid model 13" with 8GB ram and 256GB space. It will be around $1,399 + tax with the education discount. You will be fine with 8GB ram as the new OS is very efficient when it comes to memory management.
    http://store.apple.com/us/buy-mac/macbook-pro

  • Should I buy the 13' non retina MacBook Pro or the RMbP

    I am looking forward to buying a new MacBook Pro this year, but I am having a hard time choosing between the newer retina base model of the MacBook Pro or the older (2012) non retina MacBook Pro. I would use the laptop for non heavy gaming, web browsing, and creating documents for school. What would be better in the long run? I know that the newer retina is non upgradable but would the 128ssd and the 4gb of ram would still be good for a couple more years?

    Personally, I would spend the extra $$ and get the 13" with 8GB of RAM and 256GB Flash Storage. I bought my daughter an early 13" Retina with 8GB of RAM and 128GB Flash Storage of which she only has ~27GB left. She'll be needing an upgraded Flash Storage (OWC) soon if she doesn't offload some files to an external drive. Her rMBP is not the PCIe flash storage.

  • 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.

  • Should i wait to buy the 2015 retina macbook pro?

    I've been wanting to buy the retina macbook for about a month. But im worried the new model will come out soon with better specs for the same price. Should i hold off on buying it? Or does it not really matter?

    I am wondering this too, but usually no one says too much, because of policy on here.... I expect to see new Retina Macbook Pro's with the new 5th generation Intel processor's. I am waiting for now, because I don't need one right now today. My Late 2011 works flawlessly (knock on wood), so I'll probably keep it even with a new one. The price will probably be the same, or close.... Depends on if there will be a redesign of the Macbook Pro's, too. You never know, but the 12" Macbook Air and iPad Pro, may be taking priority, for redesigns, anyways. So, I would wait, as I am..... I'd like to here if there is any inside info from anyone on here....

  • Should I buy the Retina MacBook Pro 13" 2.6 GHz now or wait?

    Should I buy the Retina MacBook Pro 13" 2.6 GHz now or wait?
    Are there any widespread problems with it?

    buy it today, Apple has black Friday sales
    Apple Store
    Apple's online Black Friday sale continues until tonight with gift cards ranging from $50-$150 depending on model.
    - iPad Air: $75 gift card
    - iPad mini: $50 gift card on non-Retina models, no gift card on Retina models
    - iPad 2: $50 gift card
    - iPod touch: $50 gift card
    - iPod nano: $25 gift card
    - MacBook Air: $150 gift card
    - MacBook Pro: $150 gift card for both Retina and non-Retina models
    - iMac: $150 gift card
    - Apple TV: $25 gift card
    - AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule: $50 gift card

  • I need help identifying which Magsafe Power Adapter I need for my Macbook Pro Model A1398, EMC 2673?

    I need help identifying which Magsafe Power Adapter I need for my Macbook Pro Model A1398, EMC 2673?

    Provided the computer-end fits, you are free to use one with a HIGHER Wattage rating. No damage whatsoever will be done to any component, but it will likely run cooler (but may be slightly heavier).
    If you use one with too LOW a Wattage rating, you will not be able to charge and run at the same time, and your computer's top speed (for its most intensive computations) will be limited.

  • 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

  • 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.

  • Buying new retina macbook pro

    I'm getting a new retina macbook pro and I was wondering if I could ask for a Samsung make at the store before buying it. Thanks

    You could try - there are an number of people on the Retina IR thread that have asked, specifically, for Samsung displays and have been able to open up to three boxes in hopes of finding one. You may get lucky, you may not. The IR problem isn't universal although it seems more prevalent on LG monitors than Samsung - while the Samsung monitors seem to have the problem of display yellow or pink tints on the screen.
    I just wouldn't buy a Retina display right now - although I'm sure that there are tens of thousands of happy oweners, I've heard of too many problems on these boards to buy one yet.
    Just my 2¢...
    Clinton

  • Which DVI connector for MacBook Pro model 3,1?

    I assume the DVI out on the 2007 MacBook Pro (model identifier 3,1) is a nonstandard DVI and requires a DVI-to-DVI adapter? It looks like a fullsize connector that I could attach with a standard DVI, but I thought I needed a 30.00 adapter, is this true?

    The connector that will be used on your MBP has to reflect the input requirements of you TV.  Newer ones will have HDMI inputs, older ones may have VGA.  In both instances, you will have to supply audio to your TV via the audio output port of your MBP.
    To give you an idea, look at these representative examples:
    http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Micro Accessories/DVIVGA/
    http://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/HDM120006F/
    http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other World Computing/PODCONNECTOR/
    Ciao.

  • Seems like non retina macbook pro is more expensive than retina macbook pro!

    MacBook Pro 15-inch 2.6 GHz is $2,299.00 with the Antiglare Widescreen Display now. If I wanna upgrade it with Crucial 16GB kit ($80) and 256GB Crucial m4 2.5" SSD with Data Transfer Kit ($220) it's gonna coast $2,599.00 all together.  On the other hand, with the base Retina version with the upgrades (2.6 GHz, 16GB) from Apple It only coasts 2,499.00.  I even save $100 for my external DVD burner if I want to get one. Most people say on this forum non retina is cheaper than retina MAcbook pro but I couldn't figure it out how please tell me if I am missing anything!
    I have been looking for most discussions in this forum about retina and non retina Macbook pro.  Most people think that upgrading is the biggest issue with the Retina Macbook pro but can we upgrade the non retina version more than 16GB?  if we can't it's not an issue.  With the SDD I guess we can go with the external ones if we really need one and I assume that external SSD's are going to get cheaper in the time too or we can get external USB3 / Thunderbolt hard drives.  I just decided to purchase one of these Macbook pro and started looking for more information online to figure out which one is better but I got more confused because the numbers say the Retina is cheaper and upgrading is not that big of a deal but most people who know about Apple products more than me on this forum say non Retina is cheaper and it can be upgraded after purchasing it.
    I might be wrong with my thoughts but I need some info about upgrading. What rigs can I upgrade with the non retina Macbook pro?
    (Only RAM and Hard drive or more than that?)  I would like to know your thoughts and advises too?
    Thanks for your help!
    I am thinking of getting one of these for video editing (Final cut pro X)!

    Yep, the only things that you can upgrade on the non-Retina models is the RAM and the HD/SSD. I'm assuming that your calculations are correct, so you've just got to decide if you want to the Retina display model or not. For me, there have been too many issues with the Retina models to buy one just now - but I'm sure that there are a lot of happy Retina owners out there - we only hear from those having problems.
    Clinton

  • Retina Macbook Pro: Constant Crashing, Kernel Panics, Etc

    I've heard a lot of talk about how certain apps are crashing these new Macbook Pros. I'm here to tell you that it's not the apps: it's the hardware.
    At least, that's what casual observation has taught me.
    Here's my story:
    Bought a new, fully-loaded Retina Macbook Pro. Immediately, apps start crashing left and right: Evernote, Reminders, Pages, etc.
    Even worse, the computer had multiple kernel panics in the first week of purchase, none of which could be attributed to Chrome, Skype, or any of that nonsense. When I ran the Apple hardware test, everything came up fine, but I wasn't so sure, so I  took the computer to the Genius Bar, who recommended that I erase and reinstall. I did that, and I just experienced another crash today. I was in Pages, and the entire computer froze, although I could move my cursor.
    Put simply, I dropped almost four thosuand dollars on what should be the best computer on the planet, but is actually a piece of crap.
    No matter what app I'm running, whether or not I reinstall, the machine continuously crashes.
    Either that means that something is fundamentally broken about the OS, which doesn't seem to be the case given that it's working fine on other machines, or there is something wrong with these new Retina Macbook Pros.

    Not really. If you read the terms of use for this forum it says something to the effect of Questions. No Ranting and or X Y or Z.
    I feel for you and gave the only option you have, if you are within that 14 day period.
    You could try calling Apple Customer Service and simply stated that you want a refund even though you are just outside that 14 day time period as you are very dissatisfied with the system. If that doesn't get you anywhere you could file a complaint with your CC company.
    You are right, It Is a Piece of KWrap. These forums are littered with problem post of all kinds for the Retina MBPs.
    Not only that but the Retina models are basically irreparable. They are Throw Away computers as most parts are either glued to the case parts or soldered to the main Logic/mother board
    Personally I have bought my First and Last Mac and with that the last Apple product I will ever buy.
    Good Luck.

Maybe you are looking for

  • RE: Auto-close all OPEN/Partially open Purchase Order

    Hi, Is there a standard program that will perform auto-closing of all open or partially open PO whcih does not have GR for the past 3 months? if no, if I need to customize an ABAP to close it off, which are the tables needed to be changed? EKKO, EKPO

  • Number of movies for which you can only buy and not rent.

    Is anyone getting aggravated by the number of movies on demand that you can only buy.  It seems as if I am running into this issue all too frequently now.  I am beginning to find this very upsetting given the amount of money I pay for my monthly serv

  • Lens profile - Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM

    I am using Lightroom V5.  When I went to use the Lens Profile Correction feature, I could not find this lens in the database. This prime lens is one that is most recommended for portrait work on a Canon EF-S body. Why doesn't Adobe have a lens correc

  • DAO and Struts 2

    Hello again, I've been doing a fair bit of reading in regard to Struts 2 (all theory just now) and how Struts fits/implements the MCV architecture but I was looking for a bit of clarification. I'm not 100% certain of whether the Struts Action represe

  • Satellite L855 - 13G - can not adjust the brightness after update to Win8

    Hello After update to windows 8 , and installed the latest AMD driver on Toshiba site, I can not adjust the screen brightness using the Fn F2 or F3. In this thread : http://forums.computers.toshiba-europe.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=69752&tstart=