Post: #151

Hey guys, I ordered the new macbook pro w/ retina 13". The specs are as follows:

2.8 GHz Intel i7
16GB memory
512 SSD

I customized it to those specs. And let me just say, I've always been a PC guy. All my life, I have owned PC's. My last laptop was an HP laptop purchased 5 years ago, it went to shit about 1.5yrs in. I heard Mac's are more reliable and longer lasting.

I must say, I am very very impressed with my new Macbook Pro. I love this machine. It is fast, and just the perfect size for me. This is a guy coming from using a 17" HP laptop. I will never get a 17" again. It was clunky and troublesome to carry.

To those on the fence, I say get a MAC now!

For $1,1999 you can get the Air (w/ no retina display). Or you can get a Pro for $1,299 (w/ retina display).
I wanted a crisp display, and I customized it to my liking because I wanted the extra memory as you cannot upgrade it once you've made your decision, and I figured I could use it just in case. The 512gb is more than enough but I wanted some extra space as you never know when it could come in handy. I suppose I could have gone a bit "lower" in the CPU, but I'm more than satisfied knowing I got the full specs available. It can handle video/photo editing and I'm sure more tasks.

Just my two cents. Let me know if you have any questions.

Post: #152

What do you think about editing video on a 13inch screen?

Post: #153

(10-29-2013 09:35 PM)murrb Wrote:  What do you think about editing video on a 13inch screen?

I think it comes to preference I guess. I personally thought the 13" would be a bit bigger in my mind, but I have come accustomed to the display size now.

My best recommendation for you, would be to go inside an apple store and see the difference between the 13" and 15" and decide for yourself.

Me personally, I think it's fine for editing videos and whatnot. However, yes, I'm sure a bigger screen would help but my assumption is that the efficiency would be marginally better, if at all.

Post: #154

On Friday, I ordered an MBP online through the Future Shop site, which I only received today while they were advertising same day delivery, but that's another story...and started using it at around 8pm here. At the time I started using it fresh off the box, the battery was at 72%. About an hour after I started using it, while browsing online, it shut down on its own, followed by a strong burning smell coming from the inside of the MBP.

After that happened, the battery is not working anymore. To use it, I have to have the laptop plugged. But even while it's plugged, it shows on the battery bar status as "battery is not charging".

I have never had any problem like that with any previous laptops, whether PC or Mac. I'm totally bummed by that as I was very much looking forward to start finally working on it.

Of course I'm going to return this crap tomorrow morning and have it replaced by another one.

Wanted to know if anyone else has ever had a similar experience with a Mac laptop before? Or if this is a known issue with the previous version of the MBP?

I got the "older" version of the MBP as to me, it's the one that best suits my needs as it has everything I want, plus has a great flexibility in upgrading it later, not to mention a CD/DVD drive. I could have got the new MBP but I don't want to spend 1600/1700+ for something that I can get for about 1100 tops at this time.

Should I forget about the convenience and tested reliability/solidity/power of the previous generation of MBP and go for the newer, faster, shinier but untested and less powerful MBP?

Totally stunned by what happened with a brand spanking new Macbook Pro to say the least! This is a computer I want to keep for a while and take with me on my travels as it will be the base and foundation of my businesses and empire. Thoughts on that guys?

Cheers!

Post: #155

Neither, overpriced and the software/platform is restrictive.

Asus/Toshiba/Samsung/Acer/Lenovo, depending on the model, all can offer superior performance for significantly less the price. And if you do like mac software, just put a OSX on it.

Post: #156

@Vacancier Permanent - I would be so bummed right now. Good luck on getting it all sorted out. I have never heard of a problem like that.

I would not call the new MBP untested. Yes you should go with the newest version, or at least I sure would.

Fuck I would be so upset if I were you! Keep us posted on how it turns out.

Post: #157

@Vacancier, never heard of Future Shop. Usually if you buy with Apple from their store, you can return back in 14days with money back, no questions asked.

Since I don't know your model year, I am guessing that your battery is probably an old one and has swollen up. Hence it blew up. I did face a similar situation on my 2010 MBP model where the battery bulged up and I couldn't use the trackpad. Had to remove it and replace with a new one working remarkably until now.

Usually newer Apple batteries can run for 1000 cycles before they lose charge. Older Apple batteries had a different technology and hence could handle 300 cycles now. Don't know about your battery type or model but perhaps try your luck by taking it to the Apple Store directly and explain your situation calmly. I wouldn't be surprised if you got the battery replaced for free.

As a tip, never ever buy Apple laptops especially old ones from anywhere else. Simply because Apple refurbishes and checks it before they put it for sale. You can check out refurbished ones on the apple site itself and sometimes you get unto 30% off on models. Or you can put extra money and get an extended AppleCare warranty for a year.

Post: #158

VI,
Future Shop are the biggest electronics retail chain in Canada. Me and my family have been buying all our electronics from them for almost 20 years and never had any problem before. This was my first time buying from their site tough with the experience so far less than impressive to say the least.

The MBP i bought is not used or refurbished but brand new. I never buy used electronics or cars for that matter.

DD, I'm going there later today and I will play around with the new MBP. Is the difference between the new/current MBP with Retina and the previous gen non Retina really that great to warrant the 5-600$ price difference?

Johnwu,
Im done with Windows. Mac all the way!

Post: #159

Any help is appreciated. Im shopping around for a laptop to use for years.

Can you watch DVDs and blu rays on MacBooks?
Can you burn CDs and DVDs?
Can you still use torrents like with windows?
Can you use external hard drives?
Are there MacBook covers or protectors for harsh outside weather and dust?

Rico

Post: #160

Also, any websites that go over the basic MacBook features and options?

Rico

Post: #161

Go with a refurbished MBP w/ Retina display. All of my devices are refurbs (iMac, MBP, iPad mini) and work flawlessly at a substantial discount.

Post: #162

I'm having an issue with the battery on my MBP. Bought it brand new at the end of dec last year and I am using it very lightly and the most I get out if the battery is 2.5 to 3 hrs tops. Which us nowhere near the advertised up to 7 hours.
I got the MBP with a DVD cd drive with 750GB HD, 8 GB processor.

Anyone else has the same issue? Or did I get a lemon?

Post: #163

VP, how many cycles on your battery so far? Download the app, Coconut Battery. This will tell you what the actually battery health you have. Anything below about 80% triggers a service battery message.

If it within the cycles (<1000), maybe you can take it to an Apple store and they can run some diagnostics on the battery for you.

Post: #164

It has very little cycles. It should be under 100. I checked it a week ago and it was at 88 cycles.
I did download an app for the battery health. Don't remember the name as I'm on my phone now.

Post: #165

I was leaning towards a 4GB MBPro, but now seriously wondering if it's worth the extra few hundred to get an 8GB RAM? Beyond surfing/emailing and word/stat documentation, I'm into audio recording/turntable/vinyl music stuff, a little photography/image editing, and I want to use language softwares like rosetta stone.

Is it worth the upgrade to 8GB or would a new 4GB MBP retina 13" be sufficient for the job?

Post: #166

BWSpade,
For what you need it, it would be worth it for sure as the tasks you are talking about are memory intensive ones. That kind of tasks would really benefit from the extra power/speed that comes with the 8GB Ram. You're already spending a decent amount to get an MBP might as well spend a few bucks extra to get what you really need for your needs.

Post: #167

That's what I'm thinking, unless I'm willing to upgrade in 2 years, which, if history is an indicator, is unlikely. I haven't bought a new computer since 2006. My old Toshiba pretty much crapped out on me 2 years ago and I've been abusing my company-issued Dell laptop ever since.

I'm not planning on opening my own recording studio, but I would like to experiment with my own recordings and I have a MASSIVE itunes/CDs/Vinyl collection. Photos also took up much of the memory on my last machine.

Post: #168

(09-20-2014 03:24 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  It has very little cycles. It should be under 100. I checked it a week ago and it was at 88 cycles.

Get it checked at the Apple store. Since it is under 1 year, you may get a free battery possibly.

(09-22-2014 04:46 PM)blacknwhitespade Wrote:  Beyond surfing/emailing and word/stat documentation, I'm into audio recording/turntable/vinyl music stuff, a little photography/image editing, and I want to use language softwares like rosetta stone.

16GB is a better bet than 8. Since you do music AND photography. I always recommend people to up their RAM whatever they get if they use it for media production. Also, get the quad-core 15"MBP rather than dual-core as your machine will need to render it fast like this. The i7 quad-core will also allow you to record and run more tracks at higher sample and bit rates which will add clarity to your recorded tracks and any effects you run on them.

But remember, Retina does not have a line-in jack separately - so if you're thinking of sampling vinyl or plugging instruments into the machine, you'll need a splitter cable if you want to hook up an input only device. For actual music production I would use a digital interface anyway. The Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter should be good for that.

Also, you will need storage to manage the music. Make sure you invest in a good 2-3TB drive with USB 3.0. Will help to transfer data fast.

You may benefit from a good-sized monitor, such as a 27", or perhaps even one of the new "ultra-wide" 29" displays if you have the money.

I realize I am adding on more expenses than you need but I'm just letting you know that you will have a good system atleast for 3 years to have a resale value if you chose to sell down the line.

Edit: Added a link to the laptop model.

Post: #169

I could get the MBP 8GB 256GB flash storage for $190 more than the one with 128GB flash from MacMall, no shipping cost and no tax I hear. Is this website legit? Regarding photos, it sounds like the amount of flash storage is more important?

Is it worth it to get the drops/spill warranties? Amazon is offering 3-4 year warranties.

Post: #170

I have no experience with MacMall so cannot comment.

Generally, you're talking about SSD storage (flash). SSD is much faster than normal HDD storage (500/750GB) with higher read-write (R-W) speeds. SSD is blazing fast and your apps open up instantly. Please check at your local Apple Store if you can before buying. If you use either SSD or HDD storage, you still need a good USB drive to store your music and photos due to space constraints.

Whether SSD storage or regular HDD, the choice is entirely yours but SSD will definitely be faster than a regular HDD. Basically, your main software programs will run off the mac while you manage the files from the USB drive. So what matters are the connection components like USB and SSD speeds rather than just storage amounts alone. Check for USB 3.0 and SSD R-W speeds.

Hope this explanation is enough to make you decide which storage to go for.

Post: #171

Hey guys, awesome thread.

Quick question:

I am looking to buy a macbook pro mid 2012 model, 15", non retina (so I can have the choice to upgrade the memory, and hard drive if I choose). I am looking to get 8GB of memory and 750GB harddrive. My budget is $1200.

I'm mostly using it for day to day internet browsing, word processing, listening to music, etc. I listen to lots of music and take lots of photos/videos so having a large hard drive is essential. I am looking to have the macbook last for atleast 3-5 years, if not longer.

I checked apple's refurbished site and the only 2012's they offer are retina models. I also checked powermax.com, gainsaver, mactoystore, and other sites that sell refurbished models and I didn't see anything in my price range (or even many 2012 non-retina display macs in the size I want).

I did see a good amount of macbooks online via ebay, but I am reluctant to pull the trigger given there is always a risk of a scam. Have any of you guys bought a macbook off ebay and had success in doing so?

This is the one I am looking at.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/171657082447?_tr...T#shpCntId

I contacted the seller and he answered all of my questions to my liking. It comes with applecare which is a plus;however, the big negative I see is he offers no return policy (though I am covered by ebay's money back guarantee). Assuming the seller is honest, I doubt I will find this laptop any cheaper, especially with these specs.

I found the same specs refurbished from a reputable seller, except this one has no power chord, and has physical damage on it.

http://www.cowboom.com/product/1246223/

Also, in a unrelated question, does anyone run Linux on their macs? How well does it function?

Post: #172

Just ordered a new Macbook Pro 13 inch with retina. It was updated when the apple watch was announced yesterday.

I ordered from Macmall.com so I didn't have to pay taxes. I used macmall 2 years ago when i bought my macbook air. Worth ordering from them to save on taxes.

Crazy how expensive it gets when buying a macbook pro.