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Thread: What Macbook?

  1. #1
    Journeyman
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    What Macbook?

    My 2012 15inch Macbook Pro has died and the insurance has paid out on a replacement.

    I dont need such a big screen anymore and before they were discontinued would have just gone for a Macbook.
    Im an architect but for work use a remote desktop to conenct to the office.
    When I bought it initially I used a lot of CAD software and Adobe products but in the kast few years have barely opened them.

    Is it worth getting the air or should i switch up to a 13 inch pro?

    thanks in advance

  2. #2
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
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    I would go with the 13 inch Pro. It's a much better value than the Air and comes in better base configurations. The Apple store is down right now as the iPhones are going to be announced but John Lewis and Currys will give you a good idea of the standard configurations.

  3. #3
    Grand Master Seamaster73's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ummar01 View Post
    My 2012 15inch Macbook Pro has died and the insurance has paid out on a replacement.
    Your insurance paid out for the demise of an eight year old laptop?

  4. #4
    Craftsman jonasy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wileeeeeey View Post
    I would go with the 13 inch Pro. It's a much better value than the Air and comes in better base configurations. The Apple store is down right now as the iPhones are going to be announced but John Lewis and Currys will give you a good idea of the standard configurations.
    Is it? £300 for a faster cpu, Touch Bar and a slightly better display. I’m not sure I agree it’s “much better value”

    Edit. For £100 less I get 512 v 256gb and a slightly slower processor when getting the air. I’d argue most people would see the air as better value, but YMMV.
    Last edited by jonasy; 13th October 2020 at 13:58.

  5. #5
    Grand Master thieuster's Avatar
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    I have a 2016 model 15-inch. Walk away from that. Don't do it. The keyboard has been replaced, the screen has been replaced. The keyboard because of that infamous 'butterfly' spring under the keys. The screen because it's wires run through the hinges. Every time you open /close the MacBook there's a chance that you'll damage one of the wires. Which I did.

    My luck is that my youngest has this holiday/Saturday job at an official Apple repair center. So it's not too expensive for us. But still, a new screen has the price of proper Dell...

    Menno

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by wileeeeeey View Post
    I would go with the 13 inch Pro. It's a much better value than the Air and comes in better base configurations. The Apple store is down right now as the iPhones are going to be announced but John Lewis and Currys will give you a good idea of the standard configurations.
    I would disagree, I went with the new air, it has the same keyboard as the new pro and I went for the faster chip etc. It's a very good machine and 13inch is fine for what I do. Very pleased with it, a massive step up from my old 2012 air.

  7. #7
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jonasy View Post
    Is it? £300 for a faster cpu, Touch Bar and a slightly better display. I’m not sure I agree it’s “much better value”

    Edit. For £100 less I get 512 v 256gb and a slightly slower processor when getting the air. I’d argue most people would see the air as better value, but YMMV.
    Quote Originally Posted by casbar View Post
    I would disagree, I went with the new air, it has the same keyboard as the new pro and I went for the faster chip etc. It's a very good machine and 13inch is fine for what I do. Very pleased with it, a massive step up from my old 2012 air.
    Weight difference isn't worth comparing. It's 110g.

    Touchbar is useless to 99% of people and not a reason to buy. If anything it could be seen as a reason not to buy. I would not pay a penny to have a touch bar Vs not having one.

    MBP has a more colourful display and it's brighter. Brightness matters as Apple no longer offer matte displays on laptops. MBP is 500 nits Vs MBA's 400 nits.

    MBA has overheating issues, a dimmer, slightly less colourful screen, and can't seem to handle long Zoom calls as shown in the YouTube link below.

    That said the MBA with the i5 quad-core processor and 16GB of RAM will be a good laptop. Other variables matter like how long you keep your equipment before upgrading but as the OP had his previous Mac for so long I would be looking at 16GB in either model regardless of current needs as you can never change it later on.

    Might be worth watching this:
    https://youtu.be/NXGyW546Ryg

  8. #8
    Grand Master GraniteQuarry's Avatar
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    I went through all this recently and ended with a 13" Pro with i5 processor and 16GB.

    The i7 is just 7% faster and 16GB RAM is plenty for all current software but go higher if you need the horsepower. This was the recommended best bang for the dollar in the current lineup. And of course just plug it into an external monitor if you need more screen with 23" around £200 iirc (I went a bit mad on a 4k one for a multiple of that, doh!).

    13" Pro retail is around £1,800 but I got from an eBay middleman called Deecies for £100 less shipped direct from Apple, and also managed to sway a £75 eBay code that happened to be live at the time.
    Last edited by GraniteQuarry; 13th October 2020 at 15:30. Reason: Typo on processor name

  9. #9
    If you can wait, I would. It is likely that Apple will release new laptops based on their own silicon later this year. They may make mention of it in their iPhone event this evening.

  10. #10
    Having recently had both the Air and a Pro (+ a MacBook 12" and a 15" Pro), I would recommend the Pro as a more flexible every-day machine. The Air is superb and if you need the portability benefits it's a great machine, but for a little added weight (and cost, granted) the Pro gives you fewer compromises and more performance headroom, largely thanks to it's improved thermal performance.

  11. #11
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    Accidental damage cover as I spilt something on it.
    Quote Originally Posted by Seamaster73 View Post
    Your insurance paid out for the demise of an eight year old laptop?

  12. #12
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    Well watched the video. I have the i7 air and I regularly do all morning zoom meetings and my air has never had an issue, it doesn't get hot and it certainly has never shut down. But maybe my meetings are not interesting enough to work it hard :)

  13. #13
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    The RAM is a good point - it used to be quite straightforward to unscrew the back and install a ram upgrade but Mac’s are pretty much unrepairable now

    Upping the air to 16gb ram and 512gb hard drive puts it upto a point where the cost of either model is comparable
    Quote Originally Posted by wileeeeeey View Post
    Weight difference isn't worth comparing. It's 110g.

    Touchbar is useless to 99% of people and not a reason to buy. If anything it could be seen as a reason not to buy. I would not pay a penny to have a touch bar Vs not having one.

    MBP has a more colourful display and it's brighter. Brightness matters as Apple no longer offer matte displays on laptops. MBP is 500 nits Vs MBA's 400 nits.

    MBA has overheating issues, a dimmer, slightly less colourful screen, and can't seem to handle long Zoom calls as shown in the YouTube link below.

    That said the MBA with the i5 quad-core processor and 16GB of RAM will be a good laptop. Other variables matter like how long you keep your equipment before upgrading but as the OP had his previous Mac for so long I would be looking at 16GB in either model regardless of current needs as you can never change it later on.

    Might be worth watching this:
    https://youtu.be/NXGyW546Ryg

  14. #14
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    Depends whether you need portability (MacBook Pro), or super portability (MacBook Air).

    Whatever you decide, make sure you get 16GB of Memory, or you'll regret it.

    If not a Mac, go for a Dell XPS 13 2020 edition. Absolutely premium.

    Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 is also very good. 3:2 screen is excellent.

    Or for more options, read this article for the best laptops of 2020 - https://www.theverge.com/21250695/best-laptops

    The important thing is to get at least a 16:10 aspect ratio screen, otherwise it will look really narrow.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ontological View Post
    Depends whether you need portability (MacBook Pro), or super portability (MacBook Air).

    Whatever you decide, make sure you get 16GB of Memory, or you'll regret it.

    If not a Mac, go for a Dell XPS 13 2020 edition. Absolutely premium.

    Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 is also very good. 3:2 screen is excellent.

    Or for more options, read this article for the best laptops of 2020 - https://www.theverge.com/21250695/best-laptops

    The important thing is to get at least a 16:10 aspect ratio screen, otherwise it will look really narrow.
    i'm going to look at them in the flesh and see - im leaning towards a Pro from feedback on here and more research. 16gb RAM is the driving factor and by the once that is in the mix the price difference is minimal

  16. #16
    Master jukeboxs's Avatar
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    Can't believe the 13" MBP is £1800 RRP. Wow. I bought my current 2015 13" MBP from the SC when 6 months old for c£400 (but sure it was "only" c£1k RRP then). I won't be buying another at current prices.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Phil Lee View Post
    If you can wait, I would. It is likely that Apple will release new laptops based on their own silicon later this year. They may make mention of it in their iPhone event this evening.
    Agreed. I would be waiting at this point. Rumour is they are due in November and most likely will be laptops that go first.

  18. #18
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    Have narrowed my choice down to a 13inch MBP with 16gb RAM

    Going to hold on for a couple more weeks and see what the anouncement is -my work lapto is doing a fine job at the moment even if the screen is garbage
    Quote Originally Posted by chicaneuk View Post
    Agreed. I would be waiting at this point. Rumour is they are due in November and most likely will be laptops that go first.

  19. #19
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    Funnily enough I was in live chat with Apple just this afternoon on the same subject.

    I have the 2020 Pro 13”/ 16GB (the £1,800 one). It’s fantastic. But expensive.

    My wife has an iMac which is painfully slow, so I was about to order her a MacBook Air which she could then also use anywhere. I knew to go for the 16GB but wasn’t so sure about the processor.

    The Apple agent told me a Pro the same as mine would be best for her. She does mostly design work online (Canva, Squarespace etc). I asked why and he said the processor on the Air wouldn’t have enough oomph, and that although it has boost, it can’t sustain that for long periods. Even on the highest spec option.

    Just a word of warning which you may or may not have spotted- the entry level Pro’s have slower RAM than the MacBook Airs, which was another reason I went for the more expensive version.

    If they bring out an entry level Pro with the faster RAM, it ought to be a winner! I actually really like the Touch Bar too, as an aside.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by IdiotAbroad View Post
    Funnily enough I was in live chat with Apple just this afternoon on the same subject.

    I have the 2020 Pro 13”/ 16GB (the £1,800 one). It’s fantastic. But expensive.

    My wife has an iMac which is painfully slow, so I was about to order her a MacBook Air which she could then also use anywhere. I knew to go for the 16GB but wasn’t so sure about the processor.

    The Apple agent told me a Pro the same as mine would be best for her. She does mostly design work online (Canva, Squarespace etc). I asked why and he said the processor on the Air wouldn’t have enough oomph, and that although it has boost, it can’t sustain that for long periods. Even on the highest spec option.

    Just a word of warning which you may or may not have spotted- the entry level Pro’s have slower RAM than the MacBook Airs, which was another reason I went for the more expensive version.

    If they bring out an entry level Pro with the faster RAM, it ought to be a winner! I actually really like the Touch Bar too, as an aside.
    Economising on PCs and Phones is nearly always a false economy. Buy cheap buy twice and you are using good stuff in the meantime.

  21. #21
    Grand Master number2's Avatar
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    The oracle has spoken.
    "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."

    'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.

  22. #22
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    Having had both the 2020 air and pro the pro is a better machine for anyone who wants to do light editing video or photos. The speakers are better on the pro as well as it handles heat dissipation better as well as having 4 usb c ports.

    For most people the air will be fine.

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by shoppy View Post
    Having had both the 2020 air and pro the pro is a better machine for anyone who wants to do light editing video or photos. The speakers are better on the pro as well as it handles heat dissipation better as well as having 4 usb c ports.

    For most people the air will be fine.
    rumours are the first Apple Silicon will be in a Macbook.....

  24. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by Ummar01 View Post
    rumours are the first Apple Silicon will be in a Macbook.....
    The latest Big Sur beta includes references to 3 unreleased Macs.

  25. #25
    Apple are holding an event on 10th November to announce the new Apple silicon Macs.

  26. #26
    New MacBook Air, Pro and Mac mini models have been announced at the Apple event that just finished. They all use the Arm based M1 processor.

  27. #27
    Was interested in the new mini and just been looking at the specs for the M1 compared to the Intel and it's pity that it isn't available with all the top specs of the Intel.

    Whilst M1 appears to be the faster processor it's only available with 1Gb internet and memory up to 16GB. Maybe a limitation of the chip? Not sure how well it will run Windows under Boot Camp either...

    Hopefully future generations will be more capable.

  28. #28
    It can’t run BootCamp at the moment. It’s a limitation on how Microsoft distributes Windows for ARM and how memory is handled.

    The benchmarks for the new chip look great. The MacBook Air M1 outperforms the most recent top of the line MacBook Pro 16”.

  29. #29
    Master Alansmithee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kingstepper View Post

    Whilst M1 appears to be the faster processor it's only available with 1Gb internet and memory up to 16GB. Maybe a limitation of the chip?
    Yes they have said so - there is no separate ram - it's all integrated - so the end of third party upgrades as well.

  30. #30
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Phil Lee View Post
    It can’t run BootCamp at the moment. It’s a limitation on how Microsoft distributes Windows for ARM and how memory is handled.

    The benchmarks for the new chip look great. The MacBook Air M1 outperforms the most recent top of the line MacBook Pro 16”.
    And that was just the entry level 8GB Air.

    20 hours battery life on top is seriously good.

    Apparently these are locked by cooling meaning the Pro with 1x fan will allow a higher clock speed than the Air which is fanless. The Mac Mini is meant to (in theory at least) have the best speeds due to cooling.

    I'm interested but I think I'll skip the first gen and wait for a 14" instead.

  31. #31
    Quote Originally Posted by wileeeeeey View Post
    Apparently these are locked by cooling meaning the Pro with 1x fan will allow a higher clock speed than the Air which is fanless. The Mac Mini is meant to (in theory at least) have the best speeds due to cooling.
    The M1 is the same CPU speed in all models. The models with fans (Mini and Pro) can sustain that core speed for longer than the Air. This is good for rendering and compiling. The only other difference is the number of GPU cores and RAM. It’s not clear what difference the 1 extra GPU core makes.

  32. #32
    The new Apple chips are very impressive but I will be waiting for next years model

  33. #33
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    Just ordered the new MacBook Air, the performance on these new chips seems unreal. £899 with ‘student’ discount.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  34. #34
    Master Alansmithee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mrsammyp View Post
    Just ordered the new MacBook Air, the performance on these new chips seems unreal. £899 with ‘student’ discount.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    You should be in for a treat - people are starting to get them and the performance seems to be as promised.

  35. #35
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
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    It's tempting to ditch the iPad pro 12.9 I just bought as the new Macs run all iOS apps so I could upgrade my laptop at the same time. Still not keen with a 720p webcam and in 13" when the 14" is inevitable.

  36. #36
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    I’m ordering a iMac Mini with the M1 chip. Then will plug into my old (2014) 27” iMac for its display. Sorted!

  37. #37
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    I've just ordered a new 2020 M1 MacBook Pro this morning from John Lewis as I'm having to give my 2015 MacBook Pro 13" Retina to my wife as a replacement for her HP laptop.

    To be fair you can't close the screen which is taped up with black tape as the hinges have gone. Add to that that it no longer picks up Wifi and has to stay on the ethernet cable. It's taken me about a year to get her to change as she loved the HP.

    Disappointed that all I get out of it is a brand new MacBook. You can guess who is paying of course.

    scooter

  38. #38
    Grand Master thieuster's Avatar
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    My youngest, who has a Saturday/holiday job at a certified Apple repair shop, bought himself a Lenovo laptop last week, despite the facts that he can buy a new MacBook with a huge discount and his ability to repair those laptops himself. Makes you think...

    I'm still an Apple fanboy.

  39. #39
    Craftsman jonasy's Avatar
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    I will treat myself with an iMac once they get the new chip, and hopefully a long overdue redesign.

    Performance seem to be out of this world - and remember this is the budget low energy version ... https://forums.macrumors.com/threads...-chip.2268919/

  40. #40
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    I think my girlfriends 2012 13” Pro died on Sunday however I’ll take it in when I can to get a second opinion. Just doesn’t want to get past the first Apple
    Loading bar/screen.

    Was surprised to see you can get the latest air for £999.

  41. #41
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    Watch the M1 Apple Silicon MacBook Air Blaze Through Opening Every Default App

    https://www.macrumors.com/2020/11/17...y-default-app/

    That is just frightening quick!

  42. #42
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    Just ordered a Mini M1 to replace my ageing (but still running well) Mac Pro. I’ll report back when it arrives.

  43. #43
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    Quote Originally Posted by benny.c View Post
    Just ordered a Mini M1 to replace my ageing (but still running well) Mac Pro. I’ll report back when it arrives.
    I'm thinking about replacing my 2010 iMac with one and just checked the trade in price, they'll help me out by recycling it for free lol.

  44. #44
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    Yeah, mine too. Made me laugh! The Apple Store in Liverpool is fully booked up for collections tomorrow which means they’re sending it to my local “collection point” (wasn’t overly keen on heading to COVID Central anyway). Picking it up from the local Bargain Booze doesn’t seem to quite match the Apple ethos though :-D

    I’ve also ordered the latest version of my CAD software (Vectorworks) so it’ll be interesting to see how it copes.
    Last edited by benny.c; 18th November 2020 at 15:28.

  45. #45
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    Quote Originally Posted by scooter View Post
    I've just ordered a new 2020 M1 MacBook Pro this morning from John Lewis as I'm having to give my 2015 MacBook Pro 13" Retina to my wife as a replacement for her HP laptop.

    To be fair you can't close the screen which is taped up with black tape as the hinges have gone. Add to that that it no longer picks up Wifi and has to stay on the ethernet cable. It's taken me about a year to get her to change as she loved the HP.

    Disappointed that all I get out of it is a brand new MacBook. You can guess who is paying of course.

    scooter
    Picked up my M1 MacBook Pro today and so far so good.

    The touchbar may take a bit of getting used to.

    scooter

  46. #46
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    Set up my new Mac Mini this morning and I’m really happy with it. It’s very nippy generally and runs 2021 Vectorworks (via Rosetta) brilliantly. If these base models are anything to go by then the high end machines are really going to fly.

    I’ve previously always gone for Mac Pros and updated every five years or so but if things continue as they are then I’ll just stick to the base Mac Mini and replace it every few years instead.
    Last edited by benny.c; 24th November 2020 at 18:06.

  47. #47
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
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    The temptation to get a Mac mini is high. I never use my laptop ever but mine is a 2012 8gb 13" MBP and my wife has either a 2011 or 2012 4gb 13" MBA which she also barely uses.

    The 13" Pro is too expensive to upgrade to for no reason but I have a 27" monitor coming for WFH next month and a mini would slot in nicely and keep us up to date for a few years.

  48. #48
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maris View Post
    I'm thinking about replacing my 2010 iMac with one and just checked the trade in price, they'll help me out by recycling it for free lol.
    Yeah they offered me £90 for my MacBook Air which I just sold for 250 quid... sure you could get £50 on GumTree for the iMac at least which is better than nothing!

  49. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by chicaneuk View Post
    Yeah they offered me £90 for my MacBook Air which I just sold for 250 quid... sure you could get £50 on GumTree for the iMac at least which is better than nothing!
    I’ve just cleaned up my hard drive and most importantly got rid of Google Chrome, I can’t believe the difference using Safari instead of Chrome makes, might get another year out of my old iMac I reckon!

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