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Level 1

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Can't decide Macbook Pro 15 or Retina

Hello!

This is my first post here so excuse me if I'm doing anything wrong!

I'm going to buy my first Mac but I can't decide if I should buy a Macbook Pro 15 or a Retina.

I'm in college and I'm going to use it for FinalCut, Photoshop, Logic Pro and some Illustrator probably, but also for some gaming through bootcamp (Dragon Age, FM, Mass Effect, etc).

My actual computer is filled to the top and it's 500GB so that's a cons to Retina unless I chose the 512Gb but it would be even more expensive. Another problem is that if something happens to the Retina the repair is a lot more expensive due to the sofistication of the hardware.

And altough I really like Macbook Pro 15, buying it is like betting in the past.

Is the Retina really worth the extra money or is the Macbook Pro 15 an awesome machine that will be able to do everything that the Retina does?

So as you can see I'm a pretty unsure guy, so all your help is needed!

Thanks!

Posted on Nov 25, 2012 10:15 AM

18 replies

mr.soueu Author

Level 1

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Nov 28, 2012 3:47 PM in response to OGELTHORPE

Yeah that's probably what I'm going to do!

Although the non-retina is my probable choice mainly due to the price, since I needed at least 512Gb and upgrading that is not that cheap.

One question: how would the non-retina with the specs I listed perform editing in Final Cut? Or even in gaming?

Thanks!

OGELTHORPE

Level 9

57,305 points

Nov 28, 2012 4:02 PM in response to mr.soueu

You should be just fine as far as the video editing goes. I'm not one for games, but the general consensus seems to be if that is very important, a PC is the right way to go. This is not to suggest that a MBP cannot run them but I understand that some games cannot be used at the highest settings.

RAM has become cheap and I installed 16 GB RAM in my newest MBP for $82. The prices are now even a bit lower in some cases. A year ago I would not have recommended such an upgrade due to the cost. I suggest Crucial or OWC. Some brands seem not to perform well in MBPs, so be aware.

Due to the high cost of SSDs, it may not be prudent to purchase one now but as in the case of RAM, perhaps in a year there will be a 1 TB SSD for $200 and then you, and certainly I will, buy one and do the upgrade. That is something that you will not be able to do with a Retina MBP.

Ciao.

Nov 30, 2012 9:09 PM in response to mr.soueu

Mr.soueu, I think your decision is very simple. Consider that:

Every piece of film, every major movie or music video or advertisement or home movie ever edited with Final Cut Pro was edited on a non-retina display until 6 months ago. I would estimate that 95-99%% of what is being edited now is on non-retina macs. Retina display is simply the latest hype from Apple.

The retina display machine is in its infancy. It is not upgradeable. It doesn't have a dvd burner. It doesn't have enough storage for video editing. It is not expandable. It is expensive to repair. Its strong point is a smaller, sleeker size. It is sexy. If you want to edit video, that's not what you are looking for. It's a fancy purse when what you need is a good-looking daypack.

The latest (and last) 17" macbook pro will be a fine powerhouse of a machine for far longer than two years. You can add storage, replace the optical drive with a second drive, add ram as needed, and run all the software and hardware peripherals you need for editing with FCP. Buy the non-retina mbp. Even a 15" will also be a fine machine for the purposes you describe.

Refurbished is good. Ebay is fine. Get applecare. You get 3 years of world class support, and you will be glad you have it.

Forget the retina display. Maybe the new line will have matured by the time you wear out your first mac.

Can't decide Macbook Pro 15 or Retina