arunfrommrt

Q: Which is better for my work Retina or Pro

Hi,

 

I need advise for buying a Macbook laptop....

 

My work involves developing software for both linux and windows systems, the software I develop usually require connectivity to external hardware via ethernet and serial RS 232 ports, apart from this for windows I have several special software which I use for programming PLCs for use in industries, and also software IDEs for embedded systems like Cypress, Microchip etc.

 

Linux I primarily use for developing applications for beaglebone and raspberry computers.

 

Using a Mac system means I can also develop on Xcode for Mac OSx systems, something I have been wanting to do for a long time.

 

I intend to run these operating systems (Windows and Linux) as guest systems using VirtualBox, with Mac OSx as the host.

 

Since I also have to travel a lot servicing installed machinery (requires Windows) I would prefer a laptop instead of a desktop, so I have decided on the following configuration.

 

MacBook Pro Laptop

- 2.9 Ghz Dual Core i7, Turbo boost upt 3.6 Ghz

- 8GB 1600Mhz, DDR3 RAM

- 1 TB Serial ATA Hard disk @ 5400 RPM

 

I don't need many accessories as I already have a brand new Kensington trackball mouse, if required I may use an external HDMI monitor (26 inch) for my office.

 

My questions are as follows.

 

1. Does the above configuration support Virtualisation ?, I would like to VirtualBox for this, is this possible with the above specs ?

 

2. Ethernet RJ45 connectivity is very important for me as I require this to connect to various industrial PLCs, besides I have Ethernet I/P simulation software that needs this port. I see that my configuration does not have an ethernet port, so how do I connect via ethernet ? Is there an Ethernet adapter available ? What possible limitations are there compared to a in-built one ?

 

3. Can the Ethernet port be customised via Mac OSx, by customise I mean changing IP address, DHCP/Static, Gateway IP Address ], Subnet mask etc. Can these settings be changed ?

 

4. I would like to increase my RAM to 16GB (or above) I use 16GB currently, I feel this is essential for running Virtual systems.

 

5. Can the HDMI support a full fledged HD monitor of 26 inches ?

 

6. Is Retina better than Pro ?, I won't be upgrading my laptop, once I have the required RAM and hard disk.

 

7. Since this will be my work computer, what is the approximate years apple is going to support this laptop ? Will support for the laptop be dropped in later years ? I have a Ipad Gen 1, which is totally un-useableas it cannot be upgraded. Will my laptop end up like this in 5 years time ??

 

Rest of the specs look OK to me, 1 TB is better as virtual systems consume lot of disk space, speed may not be a consideration as I would leave the laptop ON, or in hibernate mode, this I believe extends the life of the hard disk. Battery life is not a consideration as I would leave my laptop plugged in all time.

 

Please advise what you think....

 

thanks

a

Posted on Aug 15, 2016 9:33 PM

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Q: Which is better for my work Retina or Pro

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  • Helpful answers

  • by theratter,

    theratter theratter Aug 15, 2016 10:17 PM in response to arunfrommrt
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 15, 2016 10:17 PM in response to arunfrommrt
    1. Yes. But use Parallels instead of Virtual Box. The former is faster.
    2. There are two types of Ethernet adapters. One uses a USB 3.0 port and one uses Thunderbolt.
    3. Configurations can be setup manually. In most cases it should be automatic.
    4. You can increase the RAM on the 13" model as a custom configuration. The 15" model comes with 16 GBs. RAM is not user-upgradeable.
    5. The HDMI port should be compatible with most monitor ports.
    6. There is no non-Retina model.
    7. Standard warranty is 1 year from date of purchase. Anytime within that first year you can purchase the extended warranty that adds another 2 years after the standard warranty expires. Entire support including post-warranty support has a set time period. See Vintage and obsolete products listing.
  • by arunfrommrt,

    arunfrommrt arunfrommrt Aug 15, 2016 10:34 PM in response to theratter
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Aug 15, 2016 10:34 PM in response to theratter

    thanks for the reply.

     

    1. Does Parallels support Linux as well (I will look in google..), I will install linux from an .ISO file, whereas WIndows from a Windows disk.

    2. How is the performance of Parallels or VirtualBox on 8GB RAM ? Slow ? Fast ? Terrible?

    3. Is there any perceptible difference between Dual core and Quad core ?

    4. With the Retina version of 13 inch MBP I get these specs,

    Summary

    13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display

    • 3.1GHz Dual-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.4GHz
    • 16GB 1866MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM
    • 128GB PCIe-based Flash Storage
    • Intel Iris Graphics 6100


    however the disk space is dismal, just 128 GB. I will be using at least 3 guests, 60 GB each, maybe I can reduce the size to just 20 GB each, so I get max 60 GB.

     

    Is 60 GB enough for MacOSx and its applications ? In MacOSx I will be using OpenOffice, Parallels/VirtualBox , XCode, Misc development IDEs, Firefox..

     

    5. Is there any perceptible difference between i5 and i7 ? I currently use i3 on a Lenovo running on linux, its not slow.

     

    thanks

    a

  • by BobTheFisherman,

    BobTheFisherman BobTheFisherman Aug 16, 2016 10:08 AM in response to arunfrommrt
    Level 6 (15,269 points)
    Aug 16, 2016 10:08 AM in response to arunfrommrt

    1. Parallels supports Linux and Windows. But my choice would be VirtualBox because it is free and runs VMs as well as Parallels or Fusion.

     

    2. I would get a 16 GB RAM. The more RAM you can allocate to each OS the better each will perform.

     

    3. ?

     

    4. 128 GB is not enough space for running just one OS and data in a work environment. Get as much storage space as you can afford. A 13 inch screen is not large enough for a programmer in my opinion. You'll be wanting to run several windows side by side and 13 inches is just not enough. Opt for the MacBook Pro 15".

     

    5. You won't observe any difference between i5 and i7 in every day normal use.

  • by Phil0124,

    Phil0124 Phil0124 Aug 16, 2016 10:26 AM in response to arunfrommrt
    Level 7 (26,946 points)
    iPhone
    Aug 16, 2016 10:26 AM in response to arunfrommrt

    arunfrommrt wrote:

     

    thanks for the reply.

     

    1. Does Parallels support Linux as well (I will look in google..), I will install linux from an .ISO file, whereas WIndows from a Windows disk.

    Anything Virtual Box can run Parallels can run also.   I use Virtualbox as well and would recommend it above Parallels because its free. no reason to spend money when VB works just as well. no real difference in speed or performance that I have noticed. I run Ubuntu, and Windows on VMs at the same time no less on my Mac Mini and it works fine.

     

    arunfrommrt wrote:

     

    2. How is the performance of Parallels or VirtualBox on 8GB RAM ? Slow ? Fast ? Terrible?

     

    That's going to depend on how much RAM you assign to the Virtual Machine.  i.e You should have no issues with 4GB for the VM.  but I would also get as much RAM as you can. The more RAM the VM has the better if will perform.

     

    arunfrommrt wrote:

     

    3. Is there any perceptible difference between Dual core and Quad core ?

     

    In everyday work, no.  The VMs may be able to take of advantage of the extra cores but unless you are really taxing the CPU it won't matter.

     

    arunfrommrt wrote:

     

    4. With the Retina version of 13 inch MBP I get these specs,

    Summary

    13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display

    • 3.1GHz Dual-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.4GHz
    • 16GB 1866MHz LPDDR3 SDRAM
    • 128GB PCIe-based Flash Storage
    • Intel Iris Graphics 6100


    however the disk space is dismal, just 128 GB. I will be using at least 3 guests, 60 GB each, maybe I can reduce the size to just 20 GB each, so I get max 60 GB.

     

    Is 60 GB enough for MacOSx and its applications ? In MacOSx I will be using OpenOffice, Parallels/VirtualBox , XCode, Misc development IDEs, Firefox..

     

     

    No. get a larger drive. Even with extreme storage management 20GB for each VM is not enough. and 60GB for OSx will run out very very quickly.

    arunfrommrt wrote:

     

    5. Is there any perceptible difference between i5 and i7 ? I currently use i3 on a Lenovo running on linux, its not slow.

     

    thanks

    a

    You won't normally notice it really. Differences will only be apparent in benchmark tests.

  • by arunfrommrt,

    arunfrommrt arunfrommrt Aug 16, 2016 7:11 PM in response to Phil0124
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Aug 16, 2016 7:11 PM in response to Phil0124

    thanks all for the helpful tips.

     

    Finally I would like to know is it better to wait for the next release (MacOS Sierra) sometime in September, or buy the laptop now ? Is there any advantage of hardware upgrade etc, when buying after the release of sierra ?

     

    thanks

    a

  • by Phil0124,Solvedanswer

    Phil0124 Phil0124 Aug 16, 2016 7:20 PM in response to arunfrommrt
    Level 7 (26,946 points)
    iPhone
    Aug 16, 2016 7:20 PM in response to arunfrommrt

    It's unknown at this time whether there will be a hardware update for the Macbook Pros.  It's not unlikely, but no way to know for sure yet. Generally its not a new OS that dictates a Hardware Update.

     

    The Current Macbook Pro is perfectly capable of running Sierra though.

     

    So it comes down to whether you can wait a month to find out if a new model of Macbook Pro is released or not.