new macbook as primary computer?

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Level 1

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new macbook as primary computer?

I've been looking everywhere online and I'm getting such mixed reviews about the new Macbook, so I thought I'd pitch my question here as I feel it would be the best place to get answers.

Right now I have the 13" mid-2010 Macbook, so let me just precursor this by saying that anything is an upgrade to that. And I love the size and the keyboard of the new Macbook... I'm a tiny girl, so the 12" is perfect, and the weight is beyond amazing.

I'm starting a new internship in the fall as a journalist, so I'm looking for a laptop where I can write, do a ton of research, create photo essays, edit travel photos that I take in raw format (but small adjustments, like playing with saturations, nothing fancy), social media content, blogging, Skyping (mostly friends and family, and even then, I'm used to my mid-2010 computer, so even the camera on this little guy is an upgrade!).

The only heavy programs I'll be downloading I think will be Lightroom and Photoshop CC with the monthly subscription (I think the requirements are lower for that?). I will be running this machine almost all day though, so does anybody have any experience using this computer as a daily machine for 8ish hours a day?

The Retina display is really helpful for my photos, so I think my options are between the 12" Macbook or the 13" Macbook Pro. Is this computer fine for everyday use based on my needs, or should I just suck up the 1.5lb weight difference and get the Pro? (I would get the Pro refurbished, so I would get one with the same 256GB storage.)

Thanks in advance for the help!

Posted on Jul 27, 2015 7:24 AM

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Answer 1

sberman

Level 10

263,787 points

Jul 27, 2015 3:04 PM in response to mac_aroon

Look at the Macs' features side-by-side:

http://www.apple.com/shop/mac/compare

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Answer 2

Tom380

Level 1

63 points

Jul 27, 2015 7:55 PM in response to mac_aroon

I have a Macbook Pro 13 retina early 2015 which I use a my primary computer. I also have a 2015 Macbook which I use exclusively for travel. I principally use the Macbook for email, web browsing, composing and editing Word, Powerpoint and Excel documents. I don't do much with photo editing, so my experience is limited. I would suggest that the Macbook would do most of what you need effectively. Again I don't have much experience with Photoshop or Lightroom, so I can't comment on those applications. The retina screen is very good; the size is great for frequent travelers and it is very lightweight. The keyboard has a different feel to it compared to my Macbook Pro, it took some getting used to. The question I would have is using it heavily for 8 hours per day. When I travel I typically use it for 4 hours per day intermittently, and it is fine. Since Apple has a 14 day return policy, I suggest you buy it and try it out. If you are not satisfied, return it within the 14 days and go for the Macbook Pro. I hope this is useful.

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