Macbook pro retina 13"

Chriscooke

Chriscooke

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First off sorry if this is posted in the wrong section but as a relative noob it's not really clear where to post it.

I'm looking at getting a new 13" macbook pro retina with the plan to use it to edit my pictures along with normal day to day use but have a few questions first...

Is the retina screen worthwhile or would I be better off saving the cash? Will it help me get the most out of my pictures?

The model I'm looking at only has 4gb of ram, is it worth upgrading or is this enough?

Is lightroom available for the mac or is photoshop a more worthwhile tool to master especially as I have a copy here currently?

I like the idea of a macbook and since getting used to an imac that my parents have I'm sold on the way mac's work so fingers crossed it should be an easy transition from my old laptop :)
 
This is just IMO but 4Gb is not enough, and you know these machines can't be upgraded (not even by Apple). It will get you by for now, but in 3 years time it's likely to become a source of frustration, when more memory would reduce the lagginess. My present Macbook came with 2, and was becoming very frustrating before adding 2 more & an SSD. I expect the retina screen will be a bonus for editing, but 13" is very small to see the effects of small changes in sharpness or noise, and to crop accurately, regardless of resolution, and zooming in and out to evaluate is a pain.

If you had that much money to spend and want an OSX-based system to edit images then I think you'd be far better with a Mac mini and a decent 20"+ screen. The Mini is very portable if you have another monitor & keyboard to plug into at the other end.

As for software, others can advise because I use Linux for image editing.

Just my opinions. :)
 
I'd love a 15" MacBook but they are out of budget. I would prefer a MacBook/laptop style as it fits my other needs much better tbh.

I see your point about the small screen making life more difficult while editing also. Hmm.
 
I'd definitely upgrade RAM. I have a rMBP and it has 8 Gb which I think is the minimum you need. Yes Lightroom is available for the Mac and is a great program. I run both Lightroom and Photoshop on my rMBP so its really horses for courses. With Lightroom I do 98% of my work in it with the odd round trip to Photoshop for a bit of clonning, which Lightroom doesn't do that well.

Try the 30 day trial of Lightroom and see if you like it.
 
Also in the same position and leaning towards a 13" retina pro.

Have you been a store yet to try them out? I went to the Apple store to have a look at the models. I was previously looking at a 13" Air but actually although very light, I found it felt kind of flimsy. The new 13" pro isn't much bulkier in comparison (they have made a good job of slimming it down) but its also much slimmer than the previous model and seems more sturdy. I also thought the 15" seemed quite big and heavier for portable use and although I'm sure the bigger screen would be ideal with editing the extra cost is a factor.

In terms of Ram when buying new its silly for I think an extra 100 (?) not to upgrade to the 8GB 256 model.

Oh I thought I could see a difference in the retina screen vs non retina so I've pretty much decided on the 13" MacBook Pro Retina :)
 
Thanks for the replies guys. I haven't had a chance to get to an apple store yet. I planned to go today but have been ill in bed instead :(

May go at the weekend :)
 
I'm running a late 2011 13" MBP with the i7 and 8gb ram. With that i can process 1080p video and my images using Lightroom 5 and Photoshop CS6 with ease. I just advised my friend on the 2013 MBP Retina with 1tb hard drive and 8gb ram for the same uses. Clarity on the retina is better than on my 13" 'standard'. If i were in the market right now, i'd go for a retina without a doubt, but more than likely i'd go for a 15". There are times when i've found the native resolution of mine to limit my screen space when processing some mega sized imaging.
Without a doubt, i'd spec as much ram as you can afford to, as the new models are non-upgradable.
 
Whether 13" is too small or not, is a personal thing. Try it and see. Personally, I couldn't stand to work on anything less than 24".. doesn't mean it's wrong to use a smaller screen though. That's just me... I never need to edit on the go though. I don't even own a laptop.
 
I'm away from my main computer a lot and I edit on my 11" Macbook Air a decent amount. I'm not sure what the spec is, but I'm pretty sure I bought the cheapest one of last years model. I find the screen adequate once calibrated.

However the one problem with laptops is the fact you really have to use an external hard drive to store your images. I have a 2TB USB3 Western Digital Passport which I find quite slow to run my Lightroom catalogue from. It's certainly the weak link in the chain compared to my desktop. However the freedom I have by being able to travel with an entire editing machine and image library is well worth the compromise.
 
More great feedback, thanks :)

I visited a store yesterday to check out the MacBooks and I've come to the conclusion I can't live with such a small screen and the 15" version is out of budget :(

I've now made space in the house and will be getting 21.5" iMac.

I could prob get a really nice windows laptop for the money but I have my heart set on a mac now.

The iMac has a 1tb hd plus I have a 1tb external drive on its way for Christmas so should have plenty of storage.
 
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ancient_mariner said:
This is just IMO but 4Gb is not enough, and you know these machines can't be upgraded (not even by Apple).
Just my opinions. :)
Click to expand...

The macbook pros can be user updated for ram & HD you must be confusing it with a Macbook Air :)

Steve
 
Don't forget that the 21" iMacs cannot have their memory upgraded. It's only the 27" that can
 
The new macbook pro retina can not be upgraded as mentioned :(

Didn't realise that this was the case with the new imac as well?? Seems daft but I'll most likely get 8gig anyway which should be more than man enough for my needs/requirements/skill level :)
 
CharlotteM said:
They used to be able to be upgraded, but I'm not sure they can anymore.
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theurbanclown said:
No they can't. Not Retinas, anyway.
Click to expand...

I stand corrected. Apologies to Toni :)

I have a 2012 air and a mid 2010 macbook pro the pro I upgraded to 8gb I didn't realise that apple had changed their upgrade strategy

Steve
 
The 2012/13 - 21.5" iMac can't be upgraded either. Well... they can, but it's a nightmare, and you will void your warranty... or you'll pay through the nose

Apple said:
(the 21" iMac) has no user-accessible RAM compartment. RAM replacement on the iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2012, [Early 2013 and Late 2013]) must be done by an Apple Retail Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider.
Click to expand...


Note that's REPLACEMENT not upgrade...

The 27" iMac is user upgradeable.

The 21" is just too slim to incorporate a user accessible door/slot assembly.

Good old Apple.... looks first, actual functionality second :)
 
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I seem to be the new owner of a 21.5" iMac and Lightroom 5. It's been an expensive day :D
 
Very much so. Almost bought it at full retail earlier but they had sold out, Just by chance downloaded the free trial and saw it was 40% off :D
 
All I used to edit was on a 24" screen, then I got a retina 15" MacBook Pro and nothing else gets used now, everything is just better and clearer.
 
The 15" would of been nice but I couldn't justify the extra £400+ for one :(
 
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