Potential Macbook purchase - but which one?

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Chris Richards
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My current laptop (Windows 7) is getting tired and needs replacing.

As I seem to spend more and more time away from home, I'll need a replacement that is capable of running LR & PS.

So, Macbook wise, what sort of spec would I need?

Thanks
 
i5 quad core (pref i7) minimum 8GB RAM (pref 16GB because retina Macbooks cannot be upgraded) minimum 128GB SSD (pref 512GB - no upgrades again) 15" retina screen.

Basically the same minimum spec will be required for a Macbook as a PC (since Macs are just PCs with OSX instead of windows/Linux). As Neil said, why a Mac?
 
I run Creative Cloud just fine on a MacBook Air 13" with i7, 8Gb RAM, 512SSD. Everything is instant. Many a time I've even got several virtual machines open as well grabbing a fair piece of memory.

For me portability was important. At office I plug in an external screen at 2560x1600 resolution. Again no issue whatsoever. Everything is instant.

I'd say any model is suitable depending except for HDD models.
 
preferably 16GB, and min 256GB SSD + external HDDs and certainly decent monitor. On those grounds 13 or 15 doesn't really matter.

I can totally understand why you want a mac...
 
16GB, 512GB ssd, its amazing how quickly the hard disk fills up.
13" is great for portability and should be ample for your needs with the option of getting an ext monitor if required.

Once you go mac you will never go back :D
 
Big Apple event on Tuesday. Mainly iPhone plus iOS and OSX but could be new Mac's announced. . If you are going to keep the Mac for some time ( and they do last.) go for the 16Gb option, and if you can afford it 512Gb of storage. The later is not so critical,external storage is not expensive. As to 13" or 15" both are OK as I have used both, but the 15" does give a better canvas for Photoshop.
 
"luvely" piece of kit …….. nothing compares with it


IMHO, E & OE accepted, of course
 
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Mate has just bought a fairly powerful Dell XPS15 (9530) with quad core/16G/512G SSD/QHD+ touchscreen etc.. from the Dell Outlet. It's the £1500 one with the mobile processor that's almost as powerful as my i7-2600K(!), but he got it for just over £1000. Very nice bit of kit and will be WAY cheaper if you can get it from the outlet than anything comparable from Apple....
 
And here we go again and another thread and another price comparison......sigh so boring the same old same old all the time.
 
dejongj said:
And here we go again and another thread and another price comparison......sigh so boring the same old same old all the time.
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Oh dear. Have I touched a raw nerve?
 
arad85 said:
Oh dear. Have I touched a raw nerve?
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Nope, just forgot to change the record. It's an old song which doesn't even have royalties anymore :boring:
 
arad85 said:
Mate has just bought a fairly powerful Dell XPS15 (9530) with quad core/16G/512G SSD/QHD+ touchscreen etc.. from the Dell Outlet. It's the £1500 one with the mobile processor that's almost as powerful as my i7-2600K(!), but he got it for just over £1000. Very nice bit of kit and will be WAY cheaper if you can get it from the outlet than anything comparable from Apple....
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I recently bought identical machine from dell outlet, but it had an odd almost smudge like patch inside the screen near the edge.
Two weeks of phone calls to get Dell, reluctantly, to accept a return. Shame as was a great laptop otherwise.
 
dejongj said:
Nope, just forgot to change the record. It's an old song which doesn't even have royalties anymore :boring:
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Probably as boring as the B-side entitled "Macs are better than PCs" ;)
 
This is what I use,just a nice as a mac

ASUS ZENBOOK UX31A
ASUS recommends Windows.
P_500.jpg

Full HD Ultrabook™ combining beauty and sound
  • Windows 8.1 or other editions available
  • 2-second resume and up to 150-day* standby time
  • Powered by up to 3rd generation Intel® Core™ i7 processors
    with Ivy Bridge tech
  • Ultra-slim at only 3mm front and 9mm rear
  • Gorgeous full HD IPS display and artistic backlit keyboard
    light up your fun**
  • High speed SSD with auto data backup and recovery**
  • USB Charger+ extra zippy device charging tops up all your other portables
  • Exclusive ASUS SonicMaster audio, co-developed with Bang &
    Olufsen ICEpower®
*Actual standby time may vary due to specific component performance,
sleep mode design, connected devices, and environmental differentiation.
** Upgradable features available on ASUS ZENBOOKTMmodels
 
I made my choice after 30 years of pc,s and went mac. Just spent 3days removing a virus from sis in laws pc enough. In 4 years no attacks no problems.
 
I did see something the other day, mac virus are becoming more & more common, make sure you are protected
 
Digisatman said:
I did see something the other day, mac virus are becoming more & more common, make sure you are protected
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More malware than viruses to be fair, but that's going to be the trend from here on out on both platforms anyway. Why trash a system when you can get the users personal info and/or hold their data to ransom..
 
neil_g said:
Did the op post and run? Question still stands, why a MacBook. Doesn't sound like there's a specific requirement that demands the platform change.
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How about just answering the question the OP posted? It was a simple question, yet people seem hell bend on challenging the op.
 
dejongj said:
How about just answering the question the OP posted? It was a simple question, yet people seem hell bend on challenging the op.
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Because the way the OP has asked the question it seems that he assumes a Windows based laptop is incapable of being useful as a processing device.

Do you have a believe any Windows 7 laptop cannot do what a Macbook can - at the same or faster speed?
 
neil_g said:
Did the op post and run? Question still stands, why a MacBook. Doesn't sound like there's a specific requirement that demands the platform change.
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And what does he plan on doing with it? What sort of portability does he need (drives and stays in hotels or backpacks and needs something small and light)?

MacBook Airs are very portable and the 8GB 256GB model would do fine for basic processing. The 15" retina 16GB 256GB would be a great workhorse but not particularly portable...

Alternatively the GF has just bought a Surface Pro 3, almost identical internals to the Air but lighter and a much better screen. It also comes with a pen (not stylus!) so it's like having a Wacom tablet attached and the 2:3 aspect ratio is just about the perfect ratio for shooting with a DSLR. Personally I hate the way OSX does a lot of things when it comes to file organisation and importation so while I use my Air when I'm out and about to quickly process and proof/inspect photos I run Lightroom and do my proper processing on a Windows PC (16GB RAM, 2x256GB SSD, 4TB NAS) with a 27" screen...
 
arad85 said:
Because the way the OP has asked the question it seems that he assumes a Windows based laptop is incapable of being useful as a processing device.

Do you have a believe any Windows 7 laptop cannot do what a Macbook can - at the same or faster speed?
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What makes you ask that question of me? Of course not, like for like there is no noticeable difference at all. Did I ever suggest that? Is this a Mac vs PC thread or something? Don't get why you guys keep on turning it into one.
 
dejongj said:
How about just answering the question the OP posted? It was a simple question, yet people seem hell bend on challenging the op.
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Because the op won't gain anything by switching platforms for just Lightroom and Photoshop. I don't care what platform they choose but if they're making an ill informed decision I'll be happy if I can maybe save them a little cash.
 
neil_g said:
Someone will say it so I might as well.. Why MacBook?
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Because any windows based laptop will eventually let you down. Most models have inferior screens and they are made of plastic. If you want anything like a mac spec you will pay pretty much the same price anyway.
 
dejongj said:
Don't get why you guys keep on turning it into one.
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Ahahah... Funny. You're the one who started the Mac vs PC thing - it's like you're saying "no, this guy needs a Mac, please don't dirty this thread by mentioning a PC and if you do, I'll play the 'stop turning it into a PC vs Mac debate' card".

I just posted that the Dell looks good value and was worth looking at - which it is - particularly if you can get it at a Dell Outlet price. If the OP wants to try a Mac that's fine - it's his money, but there it will not perform any better than a similarly spec'd PC - which is, incidentally, likely to be cheaper. :)
 
Muzzieman said:
Because any windows based laptop will eventually let you down. Most models have inferior screens and they are made of plastic. If you want anything like a mac spec you will pay pretty much the same price anyway.
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Any laptop display is a compromise. And the mac one made of glass? That's great, we've had several shatter for one during international flights. On the plus side they're really good to use as mirrors.

And no, not all windows based laptops will let you down. We've got dell laptops in service that are 5-6 years old. It's all down to treatment.

Anyway really not interested in a mac/PC debate..

(Sent from my apple device)
 
ecoleman said:
Maybe the OP, like myself, just fancies the look of a Mac, would like to use their OS and money is not really an object.
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Yes. Maybe. But he hasn't said that. Both Neil and I have said if you want one, go for it.

The reason they always turn into a debate is because someone says Macs are better than PC's, they get told they aren't and then we get told it's being turned into another PC/Mac thing which leads to posts like this one I'm making now ;). TBH, I only ever post on these threads these days if I see someone making or appearing to make the assumption that Macs are better. If the OP wants to buy a Mac, that's fine - they're good computers, but if he has been told to get a Mac by his mate as "they're better than PCs so he needs to get one" then I'll continue to post with Windows based alternatives and continue to respond when challenged :)

Although this could all be cleared up by the OP responding ;)
 
arad85 said:
No it won't.

No you don't.
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Depends. Just look at MBA equivalents as an example. Several direct competitors (same RAM, processors, metal bodies etc.) actually come out more expensive than the 13" Air...
 
To answer the OPs question in my opinion the 13 inch retina macbook pro is the best mac for travelling
Its only slightly larger and heavier than the air but a slightly better spec and nicer screen its what I went for anyway
I've had windows laptops before and they were good too I just wanted a mac this time
before I got the mac ive had a Phillips vista notebook for years is a bit battered with a cracked case but its never let me down and still works
the battery life was pants tho and needed something with good battery life in case I don't have mains power while I'm away
 
Anyway, ridiculously internet arguments aside.

All 15" Retinas now come with 16gb of RAM and at least 256gb of pcie based flash memory (twice as fast as a regular SSD) and quad core i7s

The big choice is about the jump to the 2gb NVIDIA graphics card. Intel say the Iris Pro is as powerful as a dedicated 1gb card now, so it's a tough call. You do get 512gb of storage with that model though.
 
Firstly, thank you for all your responses.

Let me clarify my situation and reasoning behind a Mac machine rather than a Windows one.

As I originally said, my background is PC. HOWEVER, I recently purchased a iMac. I've been very impressed, not by the performance, but by the quality of the screen. I've had no issues with screen calibration - something that I struggled with with the PC. SO life with a Mac has been...... fuss free.

So, having been impressed with the iMac, I am now attracted to a MacBook.

Of course, like many others I am still money concious, and question whether the Mac solution is worth the money.

Finally, I put my hands up and admit that the physical feel and quality of an Apple product does appeal to me!
 
One of the reasons I purchased a Macbook rather than a Windows laptop was that the macbook integrates so seamlessly with the rest of my Apple products, so my Apple Desktop,Macbook, iPad, iPhone, AppleTV and Time Capsule just slot together so easily, and so well.
The ability to share the time capsule with both Desktop & laptop for backups, without the fiddling around needed on a PC, the way a calendar entry on any device is automatically transferred to all other devices. My kids all have iPhones, so iMessage gets a hammering, so being able to message from my laptop/desktop is a real bonus, and from IOS8/Yosemite the ability to make/receive phone calls from laptop/desktop, and send/receive SMS messages from non iPhone users on phone/ipad/laptop.
I know you can probably achieve most of this with PC/windows/android phones, but it takes a fair degree of setting up/adjusting settings etc.
So if you are considering the Apple line up of products, then a Macbook would seem a sensible purchase, and get the best you can afford.
 
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Well, not wishing to join the Mac V windows argument, I have a 2012 Macbook Pro 15" with 2.3ghz i7 processor, 16gb memory and a 1tb hybrid hard drive ( no idea!)
I run LR 5.6 and Aperture with no problems. Haven't used PS for many years, but I should imagine it would run fine.
Apple sells refurb equipment at a good saving, still with 12 months warranty and the choice of Applecare. My MBP was a refurb, it looks like a new one and I saved about £300 off the new price. A similar spec windows machine was more expensive and didn't look as nice. I'm with you on the physical feel and quality too and I love OSX.
I didn't like the idea of the retina display devices with no optical drive, and I am not sure they are that much better than a standard display. A well set up display ( and its easy to calibrate a Macbook) looks superb.
Allan

PS, you don't need to justify your decision to buy a Mac...........
 
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