128 gb vs 256 gb mbp

Question

Level 1

42 points

128 gb vs 256 gb mbp

Hi all,

I've decided to get an early 2015 13'' macbook pro retina, however i am unsure about which storage capacity i should go with. Primarily, i intend to use the macbook for schoolwork, light gaming, light videos, music, etc. I might be running windows on the mac but if so, only for microsoft office 2010 for windows. At the moment, i am thinking of getting the 128gb model and purchasing a 1TB external hard drive for AUD$100 if needed. The 256gb model will cost an extra AUD$300, which seems a bit much as the total cost of the laptop would be around AUD$1850.

Finally, is it possible to run windows 7 (via parallels desktop) from an external hard drive?
Any advice is appreciated!

Thanks.

Posted on Apr 11, 2015 5:59 AM

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Answer 1

KiltedTim

Level 10

225,972 points

Apr 11, 2015 6:28 AM in response to BladeFURY

If it's going to be your primary machine, you may find 128GB pretty tight.

You can run a Windows VM via parallels, VMWare, or Virtual Box from an external drive without too many issues, though if the only reason you need it is for office, you might just be better off to see if the Mac version of office will fit your needs. Office Mac 2011 is functional, if not quite the equivalent of office for Windows, but it's decent, and Office 2016 will be out this summer, which will bring it closer to feature parity with Office for Windows. The bigger consideration when running Windows in a VM is going to be RAM. The standard 8GB of RAM should do the job OK, but only OK. Especially given that you've only got a dual core CPU in the 13".

My MBA is a 4/128. Needless to say, I do NOT run Windows on it. I use my iMac for that, with a 500GB hard drive and 12GB of RAM. I also don't store my music or photo library on my MBA. I use OneDrive and DropBox to carry any documents I need to be portable with me so that they sync seamlessly to my desktop.

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Answer 2

BladeFURY Author

Level 1

42 points

Apr 11, 2015 6:28 AM in response to KiltedTim

Hey KiltedTim,

Thanks for your opinion. Won't be upgrading to 16GB RAM since I don't think I'll be needing that much. As for whether or not it is my primary machine, I do have a 15'' i7 750gb windows laptop which i can easily access, however i do intend to use the macbook pro as my main computer (unless i need to use something which is only available on windows os). Any other opinions would be great!

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Answer 3

kahjot

Level 4

2,463 points

Apr 11, 2015 6:29 AM in response to BladeFURY

128GB is going to become inadequate pretty quickly. 256 Is on rhe skimpy aide, but if you are very disciplined about what you keep on the drive, you can get along with it. Running Win 7 in a VM is workable with 8GB of RAM, but if you will be spending a lot of time in Windows, you may find the slight sluggishness annoying. I upgraded my non-Retina MBP to 16 GB of RAM and find that Win 7 runs better with more memory allocated to the virtual machine.

GIven how little can be upgraded on a Retine MBP, you have to make some very careful choices before buying.

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Answer 4

BladeFURY Author

Level 1

42 points

Apr 11, 2015 6:42 AM in response to kahjot

Hi,

Thanks for the quick reply. The primary reason I am uncertain about upgrading to 256 gb is the cost - $300 is a lot imo for 128gb extra storage 😕, and i'm not sure if i would use most of it up since i do not download much movies/videos, just some music.
In regards to running a VM, i am quite certain i would not run windows on the mac since i already have windows laptops at home, but there is a slight chance i might. As this is my first mac, i am unsure about which apps are considered 'essential' for a student. I am under the impression that the included apps such as pages, keynote, numbers, etc. are sufficient for a uni student?
Also, on average, how much storage space do apps take on a macbook?

Thanks.

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Answer 5

kahjot

Level 4

2,463 points

Apr 11, 2015 7:12 PM in response to BladeFURY

$300 is ridiculous for an additional 128GB of storage. I can see why that sticks in your craw.

The apps themselves won't take up much space. But if you start to store a lot of images, music, and movies, you will find your space disappearing pretty quickly. You would have to keep your internal storage very lean. Keep in mind that you will need to keep about 20GB free for the system to work well without grinding to a halt.

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