I can't decide.... new macbook pro or not?

[Jay]

My current 2009 15" Dell XPS is starting to show its age, its core 2 really struggles with modern apps, it runs pretty hot as it has an ATi 4670, so hot if you have it on your lap its uncomfortable (it has always been this way) and it's quite heavy.

I have been thinking of giving this to my wife and buying a macbook pro but at £999 they are a bit expensive! I'm not sure if I should just buy a standard windows laptop. What do you think?

[peterb]

It isn't so much the OS as the infrastructure. You don't have to use iCloud, but if you have more than one Apple device, iCloud syncs most applications seamlessly. Most useful are contacts, calendar and messaging, without any need for exchange servers or anything else.

Google docs comes close, but I distrust Apple less than Google.

Of course you don't have to use cloud services at all, in which case the MacBook is a very capable general purpose laptop. You pay a premium, but they are well built, and you know exactly what you are getting.

There will be others who post here extolling the virtues of other laptops and OS, and they will have good points. Some will say that they wouldn't buy Apple because of alleged 'dubious' business practices.

Ultimately it is your choice, and if you do go the Apple route, I doubt you will be disappointed, but the real benefits come when you have more than one device. Yosemite and iOS8 are very well integrated.

If Microsoft go down the route that is being predicted, subscription based OS and/or applications, then the decision becomes easier (imho) to make.

[Jay]

Thanks, I have an iPad retina and will also have an iPhone 6 soon. I has an original iPhone and swore I would never go apple again but I have changed my mind in recent years after trying android and windows phone 8 and 8.1.

[Goobley]

I run a mac for laptops too, whilst I've had a few problems, I've yet to find a laptop that'll match it for the same price (one of my personal requirements is to have a full unix environment available - which probably doesn't affect you). I also have an iPad mini, but in general I keep the two separate don't have iCloud or any similar features turned on (hand manage a lot of that stuff with Dropbox).

What do you do on your computer? I ask because I'm not an enormous fan of the 13" Retina for anything other than a few niches. From my experience the air is a great machine, the screen's not as good (1440x900 vs 2560x1600), neither is the gpu (HD 5000 vs 5200 Iris Pro), but the machine runs cooler, quieter, is lighter and has better battery life. While the 13" pro is more powerful I have yet to see it justify itself. (Aside - I'm currently involved in game development and we've been evaluating Unreal Engine 4, amongst others, and the extra horsepower of the rMBP is not really sufficient to make it properly usable for a scene of any complexity).

In my opinion of laptops the Apple ones are worth it, but definitely make sure you look at all of them. I know someone who used to work in an Apple store before the rMBPs were released and he said that the computer they sold most of was the 13" MBP, because people wanted the one labelled 'pro' when many of them would have been better served by the Air.

[peterb]

There are a number of good refurbished offers at the moment
http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/specialdeals/mac

[Domestic_Ginger]

I am running a t7300 c2d in a lenovo t61 from 2007 . The paste is failing I think and it has been locking up. I'll get some time over the holiday to redo it. I recycled a 64gb ssd which makes it feel like a different machine.

I used to use rmclock to under volt but due to non signed drivers I could not get it to work in windows 10. I tried Throttlestop on sat. And its great. 1.3v down t 1.1v. Much cooler.

Whether you buy an apple is whether you can justify the cost. For a grand you could buy a couple of upgrades to keep you going. The biggest improvement will surely be battery life!

For OS can you not just install ilinux on a cheaper laptop?

[Jay]

Mine is a P7400 I think, Core 2. I did think about throwing some money on an SSD etc.

[Harnser]

Do you need one now? The line hasn't been meaningfully refreshed for a couple of years and Broadwell is supposed to be available by Q2 2015 (in laptops at least, desktops possibly longer). My 2009 MBP needs replacing (even with a SSD instead of a HD it's a bit slow) and I'm waiting for the next round.

If you do need one now, I recommend the refurbished models - either from them or the usual auction sites/classifieds. Apple users do upgrade regularly so there's usually some decent ones available!

Oh and if you're buying new, the 'trick' used to be to buy from John Lewis as you then got 2 years' warranty instead of 1 when buying direct from Apple. Not sure if that's still the case so check before believing...

[peterb]

If you do need one now, I recommend the refurbished models - either from them or the usual auction sites/classifieds. Apple users do upgrade regularly so there's usually some decent ones available!

See my link above http://forums.hexus.net/apple-mac/33...ml#post3422110

[Jay]

I think I will wait for the rMBA with Broadwell.

Thanks for the input!

[Splash]

I dropped 2 grand on the top end model a couple of months back and couldn't be happier, though I'm still feeling my way. at the £1k end of the spectrum I think I'd be more tempted to go with the MBA than the Pro though.

[MrRockliffe]

I dropped 2 grand on the top end model a couple of months back and couldn't be happier, though I'm still feeling my way. at the £1k end of the spectrum I think I'd be more tempted to go with the MBA than the Pro though.

I was tempted, but I'm so happy I didn't. The screen on the MBPr is incredible and noticeably better than the Air.