Recommendations Please.

[rayyan]

My Macs have given up.:angry:

To start with, I need your recommendations for a Macbook Pro 15".
This shall keep me going till I can afford a Mac Pro.

I shall only use it for CS and Lightroom plus NIk software and some filters.
What Ram, storage would you recommend. Do I need to go the whole hog..the costs mount up!!

I am restricted to using Snapspeed on my mcair now.

Grateful for your advice.

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

If it was me, I would buy the 15" Retina (I would actually buy the 13" Retina, but since you ask about 15"...). It comes with 8GB RAM as standard, so that is sufficient for most uses. The limitation is the SSD, which in the cheapest version is just 256GB. SSD is still relatively expensive if you want a lot of it. It makes the computer amazingly fast though.

The only reason I can see for buying a "traditional" MBP, is if you want a lot of HDD space. They max out at 1TB, but std. RAM is less at 4GB, so you have to add the cost of more RAM if you feel you need it.

Myself, I use a 13" MBA, not even the latest version, with 256GB SSD and 4GB RAM. I run the full CS6 suite (Creative Cloud) on that computer, and apart from video editing, I find it fast enough for my needs. I have most of my photos and other user data on external drives though. They are connected to a Mac Mini that communicates with the MBA through an AirPort Extreme, a fantastic device.

 

[rayyan]

Hi Jorge. How are you keeping?

Thanks for suggestion. If I wanted to upgrade the ram, do I have to send it to Apple?

Is 13" screen easy on the eyes? Do you have the non-glare option or the. Normal one.

Grateful pal.

Regards.

 

[Joe Blackwood]

With the Retina Models you cannot upgrade the ram

If I wanted to upgrade the ram, do I have to send it to Apple?

For the Retina MacBook Pro's you have to order the amount of ram that want forever. The ram is soldered in and it cannot be upgraded.

For CS6 work there is an advantage to the discrete graphics adapter available on the 15" MacBook Pro with Retina Display. With CS6 Adobe uses the graphics processor to aid the editing process with what Adobe calls their, "Mercury Graphics Engine."

You can read about how Adobe uses the GPU in CS6 here - Adobe Community: FAQ: What features use the GPU and how do I troubleshoot GPU issues?

Links to good articles to read about both the 13" and 15" MacBook Pro Retina Display models...

AnandTech - The next-gen MacBook Pro with Retina Display Review

AnandTech - 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro Review (Late 2012)

MPG - Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch Quad-Core (June 2012) - 2012 MacBook Pro 15-inch

MPG blog - MacBook Pro 13" with Retina Display* ? Analysis versus the 15" Model

Macintosh Performance Guide: News Index

 

[Godfrey]

My Macs have given up.:angry:

To start with, I need your recommendations for a Macbook Pro 15".
This shall keep me going till I can afford a Mac Pro.

I shall only use it for CS and Lightroom plus NIk software and some filters.
What Ram, storage would you recommend. Do I need to go the whole hog..the costs mount up!!

I am restricted to using Snapspeed on my mcair now.

Grateful for your advice.

I don't know what you mean by "my Macs have given up" or why you feel you are restricted to Snapseed on your mcair now.

I currently have two laptops: a mid-2011 series MacBook Air 13" with 4G RAM and 128G storage, and a late-2010 series MacBook Pro 13" with 8G RAM and 500G storage. I run OS X v10.8.2 Mountain Lion on both, and have Lightroom 4.3 on both, as well as Snapseed and Flare apps. I have PS CS on the MacBook Pro. Both do very nicely ... all the photo work is located on externally connected drives. Despite the MBA having a nominally lower clock speed and less RAM, it is a faster system when processing photos.

I'm planning to order a new MacBook Air this weekend, I'll go for the 13" stuffed with 8G RAM, the most storage I can get, and the top of the line processor. Since I do nearly all my work on a 27" display rather than on the built in screen, I'd rather have a smaller form factor laptop that's easier to carry for the rare times when I need the mobility.

 

[rayyan]

Re: With the Retina Models you cannot upgrade the ram

For the Retina MacBook Pro's you have to order the amount of ram that want forever. The ram is soldered in and it cannot be upgraded.

For CS6 work there is an advantage to the discrete graphics adapter available on the 15" MacBook Pro with Retina Display. With CS6 Adobe uses the graphics processor to aid the editing process with what Adobe calls their, "Mercury Graphics Engine."

You can read about how Adobe uses the GPU in CS6 here - Adobe Community: FAQ: What features use the GPU and how do I troubleshoot GPU issues?

Links to good articles to read about both the 13" and 15" MacBook Pro Retina Display models...

AnandTech - The next-gen MacBook Pro with Retina Display Review

AnandTech - 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro Review (Late 2012)

MPG - Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch Quad-Core (June 2012) - 2012 MacBook Pro 15-inch

MPG blog - MacBook Pro 13" with Retina Display* ? Analysis versus the 15" Model

Macintosh Performance Guide: News Index

Joe, thank you so much for that valuable information and links provided.

Much appreciated.
Best regards.

 

[rayyan]

I don't know what you mean by "my Macs have given up" or why you feel you are restricted to Snapseed on your mcair now.

I currently have two laptops: a mid-2011 series MacBook Air 13" with 4G RAM and 128G storage, and a late-2010 series MacBook Pro 13" with 8G RAM and 500G storage. I run OS X v10.8.2 Mountain Lion on both, and have Lightroom 4.3 on both, as well as Snapseed and Flare apps. I have PS CS on the MacBook Pro. Both do very nicely ... all the photo work is located on externally connected drives. Despite the MBA having a nominally lower clock speed and less RAM, it is a faster system when processing photos.

I'm planning to order a new MacBook Air this weekend, I'll go for the 13" stuffed with 8G RAM, the most storage I can get, and the top of the line processor. Since I do nearly all my work on a 27" display rather than on the built in screen, I'd rather have a smaller form factor laptop that's easier to carry for the rare times when I need the mobility.

Hi Godfrey.
Thanks for the response.

I am limited on my 11" macair because Snapspeed and Pixelmator is all I want to run on it. It is ( was ) my mobile thing ( along with the iPad ).

Now it has to do all the work!!

' Given up '. Fried. Stopped working. They are old machines. The display on the macbook Pro went bust.

The Mac Pro just stopped working..nothing, zilch. The repair center first said the processor/s were fried. Then the power supply. Then the memory..and on and on. They are unable to repair it. It is different here, then in NA.

So, I have decided to make do with a Macbook Pro, till I have the funds to get a desktop going again.

The 13" Macbook Pro is not ( for me ) a portable thing. The macbookair is. I do not do heavy editing on the road. I do it at home; so there is where I want the
main software to reside; and where I need the max power I can get ( at a cost I can bear ).

I have ordered the 15" Macbook Pro with Retina screen and 16gb/768gb ssd.
They are expected to call me by Monday if they can deliver or they have to order it from Dubai or London.

In the meantime, I shall be posting from my web jpgs saved to an external disk.

Appreciate your experienced input. It takes time to get these products ordered to ones satisfaction here. In time and cost.

Best regards.

 

[Godfrey]

Thanks for the whole picture ...

... I have ordered the 15" Macbook Pro with Retina screen and 16gb/768gb ssd.
They are expected to call me by Monday if they can deliver or they have to order it from Dubai or London. ...

That'll be a fine system. Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about a separate desktop system. Think about a 27" display and a Thunderbolt disk array, a full keyboard and trackpad, for your desktop. Just plug in when you get home, everything is available without having to keep systems synchronized.

Another thought is I use the iPad more and more as my primary mobile system, with Snapseed and PhotoGene for casual photo processing. My personal laptop, the MBP 13" (the MBA belongs to the office), rarely leaves my desk anymore. On that basis, it might be more sensible to just go with a Mac mini as upgrade, rather than upgrading my personal laptop. More power, cost less, but give up the potential mobility. But then I have the other laptop if I really need the mobility ...

Decisions, decisions. ;-)

 

[rayyan]

Thanks Godfrey.

Let's see what they have/can do for me. And at what cost.

Best with your decision too!

Regards.

 

[rayyan]

They got back to me last evening.

Wait 1 to 1 .5 months. Cost about USD 1000 more than stateside.

They have the 15" Retina MacBook Pro with 8 gb and 512gb ssd, the 2.6 i7 quad core machine at about the same price as stateside.

Any experience running cs6/Lightroom connected to a Thunderbolt Display?

Thank you and best regards.

 

[Godfrey]

...
Any experience running cs6/Lightroom connected to a Thunderbolt Display?...

I run LR on my MacBook Air connected to a Thunderbolt Display at the office quite frequently. No problems at all.

 

[rayyan]

I run LR on my MacBook Air connected to a Thunderbolt Display at the office quite frequently. No problems at all.

Godfrey, thanks.

Would you recommend a MBA or a 13" MBP ( Retina or Normal ??) to get, since I shall get a thunderbolt display from here. Carrying it from the States is not on!!

Best.