Help me choose a Macbook Pro.
March 31, 2011 9:52 AM Subscribe
Which is a better deal right now: a refurbished 15.4" Refurbished April 2010 MacBook Pro 2.66GHz Intel Core i7 or a new, current generation 13-inch: 2.7 GHz 2.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 Macbook Pro for $100 less?
I like the idea of having a bigger screen, and specs and price seem comparable, but I am wondering if the new ones a better to the point that I'd be foolish to not buy the current version. Also, I have no problem with buying refurbished from Apple, so that is not an issue.
On my 2006 white polycarbonate Mac, I mainly do some light video editing, Garageband, web, and word processing and Keynote, so this is what I would need the new one for.
Thanks for your help.
I like the idea of having a bigger screen, and specs and price seem comparable, but I am wondering if the new ones a better to the point that I'd be foolish to not buy the current version. Also, I have no problem with buying refurbished from Apple, so that is not an issue.
On my 2006 white polycarbonate Mac, I mainly do some light video editing, Garageband, web, and word processing and Keynote, so this is what I would need the new one for.
Thanks for your help.
I believe the older 15-inch has a dedicated graphics card, while the current 13-inch does not. If you're doing video editing, that's something to consider.
posted by kagredon at 9:56 AM on March 31, 2011
posted by kagredon at 9:56 AM on March 31, 2011
The 13" macbook air's have the same resolution as the 15 pro's, so maybe that's something to consider too? My mother has a base 13" Air and it flies. I imagine it would handle everything you need to do alright, but you might want to find someone who has used it for video editing to confirm.
posted by backwards guitar at 10:09 AM on March 31, 2011
posted by backwards guitar at 10:09 AM on March 31, 2011
Best answer: The new 13" MacBook Pro runs on a Sandy Bridge i7 processor, the 15.4 April 2010 version runs on a first-generation i7. In general, the 13" will run faster than the 15.4". When it comes to video, the Intel HD3000 in the 13" will run slightly slower than the GT330M that is in the 15.4". The 13" will also have a significantly better battery life than the 15.4"
If screen size is a priority, I would go with the 15.4". If it is not a priority, I would go with the 13". Otherwise, the 13" will run faster on most programs, slightly slower on video and have a longer lasting battery.
Disclaimer: I am not a "Mac" person, but hardware is hardware.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 10:17 AM on March 31, 2011
If screen size is a priority, I would go with the 15.4". If it is not a priority, I would go with the 13". Otherwise, the 13" will run faster on most programs, slightly slower on video and have a longer lasting battery.
Disclaimer: I am not a "Mac" person, but hardware is hardware.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 10:17 AM on March 31, 2011
As a refurb buyer whose current MacBook is much like yours, I'm going through the same process, except it's Pro vs. Air.
After some comparative testing, I can say that both this year's 13" and last year's 15" are going to feel significantly zippier than your current Mac: the new generation CPUs, better graphics hardware and 4GB base RAM really makes a difference.
Mister Fabulous has covered the hardware specs, but there are some nice innovations with the new 13" Pro, especially if you're looking to keep your new Mac for 4-5 years. If Thunderbolt proves to be the next generation of I/O, then you'll feel glad to have it onboard.
posted by holgate at 10:51 AM on March 31, 2011
After some comparative testing, I can say that both this year's 13" and last year's 15" are going to feel significantly zippier than your current Mac: the new generation CPUs, better graphics hardware and 4GB base RAM really makes a difference.
Mister Fabulous has covered the hardware specs, but there are some nice innovations with the new 13" Pro, especially if you're looking to keep your new Mac for 4-5 years. If Thunderbolt proves to be the next generation of I/O, then you'll feel glad to have it onboard.
posted by holgate at 10:51 AM on March 31, 2011
I have the current-generation 13" 2.7GHz i7, and quite like it. The battery isn't as good as it's advertised to be, but otherwise it's a great machine.
I'm very happy with my purchase, and waiting for the 13" to get a decent processor in it was an especially good decision -- I was actually prepared to buy an iMac, since I didn't want a huge laptop, but also didn't want the embarrassingly anemic previous-generation 13" MBP.
No idea if I'll ever use thunderbolt, although I guess it's kinda cool that I could capture and store uncompressed HD video if I wanted... Most desktops these days don't have the I/O bandwidth necessary to do that.
My only gripe is that I actually wish it was a bit smaller. (It turns out that they were able to pry my 12" PowerBook out of my cold dead hands. Oh, how I wish Apple would make another laptop with a small screen that is comparable in features and processing power to its larger siblings.)
posted by schmod at 11:24 AM on March 31, 2011
I'm very happy with my purchase, and waiting for the 13" to get a decent processor in it was an especially good decision -- I was actually prepared to buy an iMac, since I didn't want a huge laptop, but also didn't want the embarrassingly anemic previous-generation 13" MBP.
No idea if I'll ever use thunderbolt, although I guess it's kinda cool that I could capture and store uncompressed HD video if I wanted... Most desktops these days don't have the I/O bandwidth necessary to do that.
My only gripe is that I actually wish it was a bit smaller. (It turns out that they were able to pry my 12" PowerBook out of my cold dead hands. Oh, how I wish Apple would make another laptop with a small screen that is comparable in features and processing power to its larger siblings.)
posted by schmod at 11:24 AM on March 31, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by 4ster at 9:54 AM on March 31, 2011