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MacBook buying advice
dorin
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I am thinking about getting a MacBook to work on some iOS app development. Is now a good time to buy, or would I be better off waiting for a Mountain Lion to come out?
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it's all but confirmed that the update/refresh/whatever for the laptops will be done next month at wwdc
normally i'd say 'just buy what you want, there's always an upgrade to make you want to procrastinate'... but this new update is very imminent, and if you want to get one of the (very capable, i might add) current gen machines you'll be able to grab it at a discount
Seriously. Some of the rumors about the new macbooks due this summer make them out to be the second coming of computer jesus.
Super slim, ssd only, no optical drive, and a retina-ish display.
Im a PC fanboy and im drooling over one.... to format and install windows 8 on
Since I am buying this for iOS app development, primarily game development, what would be the best product line to go with? I like the MacBook Air, but I don't know if I would need a graphics card for iOS game development.
My i7 Air runs ME3 (on windows) pretty well, for reference.
Unless you would rather have the blazing fast SSD than the extra HD space.
It will likely be available for all Mac computers with a certain low level of spec, but typically major OS revisions have come along around the same time as new hardware revisions. They're basically saying that if he waits, he may get something better for the same money, or one of the current gen things for less money, plus he won't have to pay for the upgraded OS since it will come on all new macs.
but if this'll be your primary machine and you plan to move around with it at all, the ridiculous lightness of the air is a huge plus.
it's definitely something you'll want to poke around at in-store.
Yeah, I'll take quadruple the storage space over a marginal hard drive access time and let's PLEASE not get into an argument about the speed difference. If it's really going make a difference, buy a hybrid drive. I put a 750gb hybrid into my MacBook Pro and I'm at less than 20 second boot times.
I carry my 13" MacBook Pro everywhere all day every day and I don't even know it's there. As it's going to be the OP's main machine, an Air wouldn't be the best choice. It's definitely a secondary platform for anything of substance.
op: i definitely recommend picking up both.
Really? The SSD is enough space for you? Which one do you have? I think it's just a matter of people being spoiled by convenience. There's absolutely nothing hefty or limiting in form factor about the Pro. It's just a matter of one being a bit lighter and to equal the same power and utility, much more expensive.
i don't have any mba; i have a mbp. i'm saying that i will replace it with a mba when it dies. and of course heftiness is relative. a 6 lb laptop isn't really heavy, either. it's not like 6 lbs is a lot of weight. and 4.5 lbs certainly isn't. but next to an air, it feels unpleasantly heavy (to me, at least). the air can run 3d games (on low settings), it can play HD video... it works fine. it's not exactly like most people (even developers) need a tremendous amount of under the hood power. i am perfectly happy using an ostensibly less powerful machine. it accomplishes all the same tasks albeit a bit slower. and in return it is delightfully insubstantial. different strokes, i suppose.
but of course, we will see come wwdc. tons of rumors about merged lines and slimming all around and removing optical drives and retina displays and so on.
Oh, I thought you actually owned one and were recommending it based on use.
And yeah, I'm planning on upgrading from this 13" to a 15" MBP come August. I'm quite excited.
I have a 128gb and it's absolutely enough space when you use cloud storage and externals for all your music and videos. Also, MBAs aren't more expensive, they're just specced in different directions.
They're not "specced" differently. It's the fact that it's pretty much all you can cram into the form factor at this point. It's a necessity, not an option.
I mean, it really depends on your usage, for me, that's a slightly (and I do mean slightly) larger form factor along with the greatly increased storage and power. MBA are for the majority of people secondary computers, but if that's enough to get you by, then by all means, I just think it's strange to suggest that it's more than enough for most people.
I mean, definitely go into an Apple store and look at them first hand. Just don't let the wowness of "Holy shit this is small!" overwhelm what might be a more practical solution.
Okay, first: 128gb is definitely enough space "for most people". It's certainly enough space for iOS development. I've been running off a 128Gb drive for the past year or more -- complete with a Windows 7 partition -- and it's been fine. I don't want to be running around saying "it fits my needs therefore it must fit everyone's needs", but I have to wonder if, yeah, um, if I can manage living off a 128gb drive, maybe other people who aren't dual-booting a separate OS can also manage just fine.
Second: the MBA has a 1440x900 resolution screen. The 13" MBP still, somehow, and hopefully not for much longer, is saddled with a 1280x800 display.
I honestly think the 13" MBP is the worst laptop you could buy from Apple's lineup right now, including the plastic Macbook*. The MBA is definitely more than a "secondary platform for anything of substance". What, the lack of storage space is crippling its ability to develop iOS programs? I think the MBP's anemic resolution is more "crippling".
Well … it is. "Most people" don't even use an MBA to its full potential. What are "most people" doing on their computers, in your curious little world? And don't you dare say videogames, because the MBP and the MBA are both stuck with the same shitty onboard graphics, so neither laptop would suit in that case.
* on closer inspection, it looks like the plastic Macbook was discontinued? That's a shame. I didn't mind that little chap. Bit misunderstood though. Oh well: the MBP is now the worst laptop in Apple's lineup.
Take a breather and try not to be such a goose when you post. Personal insults aren't going to get you anywhere.
Sure, if all you're doing on it is OS development. My music collection alone takes up four times the space of the 128gb Air's SSD. If that was "just fine" for most people as you say, why does the baseline MBP come with a 500gb drive? The Intel HD3000 isn't that bad for games actually. I play Diablo III at med-high resolution on it. So, yeah, they're more than adequate for mid-level gaming. On board processors are getting better and better. I'm not suggesting you try and play Crysis on it or anything though.
Beyond that, had you read the thread, I told the OP to wait for the next line up, which by all accounts will have the high resolution displays on the MBPs. So, that makes that point moot.
Saying the MBP is the worst computer in Apple's lineup? Really? That's enough to make me disregard anything you've just said.
Both of you guys have some good points, but... Are you really saying you have like 500 GB of music? Holy cow. "Most people" don't store their music in FLAC, which is the only way I could see music taking up that much space. They use MP3 or AAC. I have a fairly sizeable music library, and I'm pretty sure I still clock in under 20 GB because I don't store all of it in lossless. I know FLAC is the ideal standard for music, but I really don't have a 500 GB drive just lying around my house for additional quality (which I might not even notice because I don't keep my music in 128 kbps either). I'm a gamer myself, and I'm still using a laptop with only 250 GB of space (of which I'm currently keeping about 20 GB free) and while yeah, I could now use the space at this point since I have quite a few games on this thing, I'm still managing okay. The OP probably isn't in major need of all the space my games are taking up if he's mostly using it as a dev system, and he almost certainly isn't in need of 500 GB of space for his music collection. 128 GB is actually a good bit of space if you don't download movies or games onto it all the time like we presumably do (or take a ton of photos all the time like my mom does), and keep your music in the typical lossy formats if you've got it on there, even if you've got FLAC copies of everything elsewhere.
Naturally, though, only the OP really knows whether having 128 GB will be a headache for him. I figure it shouldn't be if his primary goal is to have it work as a dev system. Either way, you're definitely right that he should wait until after the next line of laptops is announced to buy anything, whether it be new awesomeness or the current good stuff for cheaper.
I read the thread. In my own post I mentioned the resolution will likely change soon. Doesn't change the fact that anyone arguing for the MBP versus the MBA right now needs to consider that fact. If we're arguing about Future MBP vs. Future MBA, then I'd have to argue toward the Future MBA because it's powered by fairydust whereas the Future MBP takes unicorn tears.
The 13" MBP, yes. I'm not alone in thinking this. It's a silly computer and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it disappear in the coming refresh. The MBA is thinner, lighter, just as speedy, has a higher-res screen... "most people" don't have 500Gbs of music lying around, and even if they did, um, the 500Gb drive on the MBP would still be inadequate, leaving you with the option to either buy an aftermarket HDD or just use an external drive, which levels the playing field even further.
Well, you did say MBP, so you know...
And no, it's not silly. I need the storage that the MBA just doesn't have and can't have. I don't have the money currently to spend on a 15". So, it's silly to you, but you are by no means everyone. Even if 500gb isn't enough for someone (like me) you can user upgrade (easy) or pay for Apple to do it (expensive).
Anyway, apples and oranges. OP, should like I said, go in and handle them himself.
I think we can agree you're not the norm.
As for music storage: I have about 30 gigs of music stored. Almost everyone I know just streams music these days anyway, because the cloud services are a pain in the ass to sync across all the machines you live on (home, work, mobile) and all you really want is something to throw on your headphones during the commute or at the office.
Anyone who needs more than 500 gigs of storage is either a media professional or a digital hoarder.
I'm not claiming high ground, I'm saying that ultimately the OP is going to need to wait, see what the new line looks like, and decide for himself after going into an Apple store. He's not going to blindly order (at least I hope not) one based on our opinions. If you want to continue this, just PM me.
Also, I'm not a professional or a hoarder. I just like my music to sound the best it can. ; )
See?
The only time I've ever needed storage like that I had 500 gigs on a Macintosh Pro, and I was doing video editing. I would generally need 20-30 gigs of space when working on actual video for a final product, and then I'd compress for storage and archive on removable media. I just don't see how you can possibly use that much space for personal music. That is insane.
Yeah, I was talking about my 250 GB hard drive in my laptop earlier, where I have enough storage... But I forgot to mention that the thing I don't like about the drive is every time I do anything that requires extensive reading, or possibly writing, from/to the hard drive (zoning in an MMO, starting up a program that takes a lot of disk space, etc.) it's soooo sloooowww. My own laptop handles gaming just fine, except my hard drive often means I'm at least a couple seconds behind anybody else I'm playing with if I have to load anything, with the worst offender having been WoW where my group was able to start getting themselves killed before I zoned in if they all felt like being Rambo. The MBP seems to have the same speed of hard drive (5400 RPM) if I've found the correct set of specs, so the lack of speed may be noticeable for the OP as well. The average desktop drive has been 7200 RPM basically the whole time I've had my laptop (2+ years) so I think that tells you something.
Granted, but like I was saying the loss in performance can be VERY noticeable side-by-side with any random desktop machine, let alone an SSD. I mean, literally almost everyone I've ever played with online loaded into an area before me (and it's noticeable even in Diablo III with its brief load times between areas). So. Yeah.