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Thread: Urgent computer help please!

  1. #1
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Urgent computer help please!

    I currently use an ageing MBP from mid-2012 which is creaking badly now. It's not a bad spec (2.6 Ghz, 16GB DDR3, Quad-Core Intel Core i7, 512GB SATA SSD, NVIDIA GeForce 650M 1GB), but for a while now the graphics card has been giving me issues with regard to artifacts on images that I open natively; I can't upgrade the OS beyond Catalina; and I've had to roll back Photoshop to avoid GPU-related problems (which is annoying as I use the cloud photography subscription specifically to stay up to date).

    Long story short I decided that it's upgrade time and - having thought long and hard - also decided to go all in with this powerhouse. It's a one year old, fully refurbished and warranted Grade A MBP with the best spec I can give it and coming in at £1200 under the equivalent machine from Apple. Oh, and just to add - the £ symbol is an easy shortcut (Option+3) so I'm not worried about that, and whatever I buy I'm going to hit the same issue with regard to existing 32 bit software.



    It'll last me at least a decade, all being well, and given my age of 61 might just be the last computer I need to buy. The only thing that's literally stopping me hitting the buy button is that it's not an M1 chip - they're no doubt due soon on the 16" MBP, but I have no idea when (and if I want to save by buying refurbished then that's an even bigger question, I guess). It's really whether I'd gain anything of substance by waiting for the M1 chip.

    Given the spec of the machine I want to buy, am I worrying about nothing in that performance wise there's likely to be little gain?

    Any thoughts appreciated.
    Last edited by learningtofly; 19th June 2021 at 07:45.

  2. #2
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    I know absolutely nothing about Mac specs and how the things work but my thinking would be, computer technology moves on at a very rapid rate and if your current machine has been ok for you for the last decade (near enough) then surely this newer and much better machine should do the job just fine.

  3. #3
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    Urgent computer help please!

    Personally I would wait for something with the M1 chip.

    I got into Macs at the time they moved from Power PC to Intel. At the time the OS obviously supported both processors but, quite quickly, support for Power PC within OS updates was dropped.

    At the time I perceived this cycle as being quicker that the usual hardware obsolescence from Apple, but may be wrong in that, so it is worth checking.

    At the moment Intel only software will run on the M1 chip using Rosetta but that will quickly change when developers write M1 versions. How quickly they drop Intel versions will depend on hoe sales go I’d guess.
    Last edited by SydR; 19th June 2021 at 07:35.

  4. #4
    Grand Master Saint-Just's Avatar
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    I believe M1 chips are indeed much faster.
    That being said:
    1) your 10 yo computer did most things you needed, bar one modern convenience. The new one will resolve that issue.
    2) unless you know of a future photoshop upgrade that will only work on M1 chip based machine, I am certain that not only will the one you posted do everything you need, but you won’t use it at a fraction of its capabilities 99% of the time.
    3) while the M1’s speed would impress you in a comparative about image processing time, for example, the improvement you will experience with your chosen model over your old one will be just as significant to you.

    In other words, bag your savings and get that one, it will be great and see you through until you decide to retire, or update again for what will be an M3 or 4 by that time.
    'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.

  5. #5
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Thanks for the thoughts, all.

    Quote Originally Posted by Saint-Just View Post
    I believe M1 chips are indeed much faster.
    That being said:
    1) your 10 yo computer did most things you needed, bar one modern convenience. The new one will resolve that issue.
    2) unless you know of a future photoshop upgrade that will only work on M1 chip based machine, I am certain that not only will the one you posted do everything you need, but you won’t use it at a fraction of its capabilities 99% of the time.
    3) while the M1’s speed would impress you in a comparative about image processing time, for example, the improvement you will experience with your chosen model over your old one will be just as significant to you.

    In other words, bag your savings and get that one, it will be great and see you through until you decide to retire, or update again for what will be an M3 or 4 by that time.
    Precisely how I'm thinking at the moment, Marc. I just want to be sure(r) as it's a fair old wedge even with the saving.

  6. #6
    There will be new MacBook Pros using the M1X chip in the next couple of months. If I were you I’d buy a low spec M1 MacBook Air, keep it for a couple of months then sell it when the new Pro models are released to fund the purchase of a new MacBook Pro.

    Intel MacBook Pros are a dead end now. MacOS is being developed with the new M processors in mind. MacOS Monterey has features that are only supported on M1 Macs. I really don’t think you’ll get 10 years out of the MacBook you’re proposing to buy.

  7. #7
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Phil Lee View Post
    There will be new MacBook Pros using the M1X chip in the next couple of months. If I were you I’d buy a low spec M1 MacBook Air, keep it for a couple of months then sell it when the new Pro models are released to fund the purchase of a new MacBook Pro.

    Intel MacBook Pros are a dead end now. MacOS is being developed with the new M processors in mind. MacOS Monterey has features that are only supported on M1 Macs. I really don’t think you’ll get 10 years out of the MacBook you’re proposing to buy.
    Ah, now I was hoping for some input regarding future-proofing, Phil, thank you. That's definitely food for thought, particularly as I can get by with my current machine for a while yet (and so avoid the stepping stone approach).

    It seems like you're saying I really do need to wait, and just accept that substantial discounts will be a while down the line.

  8. #8
    I used a 2012 MBP until quite recently, and currently have a 2015 as well as a 2019 (work provided). The 2019 is a staggering spec.

    However...

    The keyboard is awful. I cannot stand using it. I have to hold my hands in a kind of "about to play a tricky bit on piano" position in order not to mistype or, frequently, somehow erase literally all the text I have just typed instantly. I love using every one of my Apple products (I still use my iPod with the track wheel...) but the scissor keyboard was a tragic mistake. They have fixed it from the 2020 models I believe.

    I strongly urge you to consider a 2020 or later MBP, or indeed, a current M1 (any spec - they are all pretty much faster than any Intel machine, and Adobe software is now native-M1) or hold on just a bit for the M1 MBP.

    Just my view.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by learningtofly View Post
    Ah, now I was hoping for some input regarding future-proofing, Phil. thank you. That's definitely food for thought, particularly as I can get by with my current machine for a while yet (and so avoid the stepping stone approach).

    It seems like you're saying I really do need to wait, and just accept that substantial discounts will be a while down the line.
    The next set of MacBook Pros are so close now that I’d wait. There are refurb models of the M1 MacBook Airs already from Apple selling at £150 off so refurbs come up quickly. If a new M1X MacBook Pro costs £2500 over 10 years that’s not that much more than one costing £2000 over the same period. I’d say it’s a false economy buying a reduced Intel MacBook Pro at this point given how good the M1 is.

    As is also mentioned, the 2015-2019 models had crap keyboards that failed. Apple only covers them for 3 years.
    Last edited by Phil Lee; 19th June 2021 at 07:58.

  10. #10
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    Tony,

    As you know I am a bit of an apple tart; I would personally now wait for an M1 16” pro. I sold my last 16” and purchased the m1 in December. It’s blistering fast has great battery life only problem it does not fully support all my applications.

    Basically everything that you want to use is m1 compatible than I would wait for the new 16” if you can. If not than go for the current 16” refurbished you indicated, you can always buy a keyboard cover with the correct symbols or replace individual keys.

    In my case it's been 6 months now and I was hoping we would be in a better position. June has just passed and I am still having issues mainly with bespoke windows programmes; solution for me was to repurchase a 16” intel macbook again.

    Million times happier as everything works; I have only purchased a refurbished Mac From apple and had no issues had the standard warranty etc. The m1 had been sat in my office draw and been used very little. I forget how good the 16” is and the sound display are with the investments.
    Last edited by shoppy; 19th June 2021 at 07:58.

  11. #11
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tokyo Tokei View Post
    I used a 2012 MBP until quite recently, and currently have a 2015 as well as a 2019 (work provided). The 2019 is a staggering spec.

    However...

    The keyboard is awful. I cannot stand using it. I have to hold my hands in a kind of "about to play a tricky bit on piano" position in order not to mistype or, frequently, somehow erase literally all the text I have just typed instantly. I love using every one of my Apple products (I still use my iPod with the track wheel...) but the scissor keyboard was a tragic mistake. They have fixed it from the 2020 models I believe.

    I strongly urge you to consider a 2020 or later MBP, or indeed, a current M1 (any spec - they are all pretty much faster than any Intel machine, and Adobe software is now native-M1) or hold on just a bit for the M1 MBP.

    Just my view.
    Quote Originally Posted by Phil Lee View Post
    The next set of MacBook Pros are so close now that I’d wait. There are refurb models of the M1 MacBook Airs already from Apple selling at £150 off so refurbs come up quickly. If a new M1X MacBook Pro costs £2500 over 10 years that’s not that much more than one costing £2000 over the same period. I’d say it’s a flare economic buying a reduced Intel MacBook Pro at this point given how good the M1 is.

    As is also mentioned, the 2015-2019 models had crap keyboards that failed. Apple only covers them for 3 years.
    Thanks both - much appreciated and one of the reasons I love TZ. So much knowledge being shared, no matter what the subject.

    Anyway, I'm no longer hovering over the buy button. Any other input would still be very much appreciated, so I can be confident that I come to the right decision.

  12. #12
    Grand Master magirus's Avatar
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    I'm using a 21.5" iMac that I bought from my son Tony. It's a 2010 machine that he bought as a refurb from Apple in 2011. I've had it @ 6yrs since he moved to a MBP. It handles everything I do just fine, including the processing the increased RAW file sizes from my recent camera upgrade in Lightroom. I had it opened up, cleaned and an SSD fitted a year ago by an excellent local outfit. However I'm stuck with the version of IOS I'm on and think it's time for an upgrade, so I'm waiting to see what Apple makes available in the near future re a new iMac with an M1 chip, the models available now aren't too badly priced. That said the £££s for something well specced with an eye on future proofing will no doubt make my eyes water! Even so, given my heavy use, it's still a cheap investment over the long term. Re this perhaps being your last computer, my father in law just turned 90 and uses his, plus iPhone and iPad every day!
    F.T.F.A.

  13. #13
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by magirus View Post
    I'm using a 21.5" iMac that I bought from my son Tony. It's a 2010 machine that he bought as a refurb from Apple in 2011. It handles everything I do just fine, including the processing the increased RAW file sizes from my recent camera upgrade in Lightroom. I had it opened up, cleaned and an SSD fitted a year ago by an excellent local outfit. However I'm stuck with the version of IOS I'm on and think it's time for an upgrade, so I'm waiting to see what Apple makes available in the near future re a new iMac with an M1 chip, the models available now aren't too badly priced. That said the £££s for something well specced with an eye on future proofing will no doubt make my eyes water! Even so, given my heavy use, it's still a cheap investment over the long term. Re this perhaps being your last computer, my father in law just turned 90 and uses his, plus iPhone and iPad every day!
    Hah! And yes, eye-watering is right. I actually quite like the look of the new M1 iMacs, although I suspect they're a bit marmite (and probably aimed at a different demographic)! I'm assuming you've seen them, Bob??

  14. #14
    Grand Master magirus's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by learningtofly View Post
    Hah! And yes, eye-watering is right. I actually quite like the look of the new M1 iMacs, although I suspect they're a bit marmite (and probably aimed at a different demographic)! I'm assuming you've seen them, Bob??

    Indeed I have seen them Tony. The 24" with it's 11.5mm side profile sets my heart a flutter! ;-) The most basic model will be on a whole new level of performance to what I have, but who knows where photo editing software will take us in the future? That's why future proofing is top of my list.
    F.T.F.A.

  15. #15
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    Without understanding the workflow and how much is home based vs field based this might not work but I’ve assumed that this is to primarily support your photography work, rather than the new day job?

    The new m1 minis can be had with 16gb and 10gb Ethernet for £1200 add a screen and keyboard and you’ve a great system for significantly less than the new imac and existing mbp’s. Keeps the old MVP in play for travel and any field work, 10gb is only a £100 upgrade so worthwhile bet on future data transfer especially for backups and media transfer in the future rather that immediately.

    A number of good reviews of there use with creatives on YouTube.

  16. #16
    Wait on an M1X machine. No point in penny pinching, settling for older tech if you are intending keeping it for a decade.

  17. #17
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Captain Morgan View Post
    Without understanding the workflow and how much is home based vs field based this might not work but I’ve assumed that this is to primarily support your photography work, rather than the new day job?

    The new m1 minis can be had with 16gb and 10gb Ethernet for £1200 add a screen and keyboard and you’ve a great system for significantly less than the new imac and existing mbp’s. Keeps the old MVP in play for travel and any field work, 10gb is only a £100 upgrade so worthwhile bet on future data transfer especially for backups and media transfer in the future rather that immediately.

    A number of good reviews of there use with creatives on YouTube.
    That could indeed be an option (and I thought about it momentarily) but I have a strong preference not to have two machines in concurrent use. More importantly, though, if I'm splashing out on an expensive, future proof computer to hopefully suffice for the next decade, then a max of 16GB just doesn't cut it these days. I think that's a glaring error on Apple's part (although I accept that's just my opinion).

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Phil Lee View Post
    There will be new MacBook Pros using the M1X chip in the next couple of months. If I were you I’d buy a low spec M1 MacBook Air, keep it for a couple of months then sell it when the new Pro models are released to fund the purchase of a new MacBook Pro.

    Intel MacBook Pros are a dead end now. MacOS is being developed with the new M processors in mind. MacOS Monterey has features that are only supported on M1 Macs. I really don’t think you’ll get 10 years out of the MacBook you’re proposing to buy.
    This would be my approach. I see no sense whatsoever in buying an Intel Mac for pro use now. Given the residual value of second hand Macs, I’m buying lower spec models and replacing them every few years rather than spending big on top spec models and keeping them running for a decade.
    Last edited by SlipperySam; 19th June 2021 at 09:10.

  19. #19
    My 2c. I would get an M1 based device rather than an intel chip device pre-2020. Unlike in the past, Apple does layout support for hardware and software for its recent devices.

    It is 5 yrs. and 7yrs statutorily in certain jurisdictions.

    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201624

    Your current choice is close to that limit.

    Products are considered vintage when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 5 and less than 7 years ago.

    Do explore sales or Apple refurbished options with a latest chip before committing.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  20. #20
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    The only reason that the M1 chip didn't make the competitors largely redundant at launch is simply that the market neither expected nor was prepared for such a disruptive leap. However, I'm pretty sure that this will be a watershed point in terms of long term use. Anything not using a variant of Apple's architecture, and they all will be pretty soon, will not age at all well.

    Get the M1.

  21. #21
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    I have both a 16” MBP and a custom built M1 air with 16gb ram happy to do any comparisons or benchmarks you would like to test.

    - - - Updated - - -

    I have both a 16” MBP and a custom built M1 air with 16gb ram happy to do any comparisons or benchmarks you would like to test.

  22. #22
    A couple of things to note, yes that is indeed a very nice machine with a very good screen.

    The GPU is not great, would have expected a machine that price to have an Nvidia 2060 or better but i dont know about Apple prices to be honest.
    It just seems incredibly expensive for it to have a GPU that is now sold in low end gaming laptops.

    The CPU while an i9 is already aging at 2 years old, in another couple of years it will be very old in CPU years.

    The 32GB DDR4 is nice and all but DDR5 is comming in the near future and as DDR4 did to DDR3, it made it outdated and undesirable.

  23. #23
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    Wait for The Silicon equivalent with rumored extra ports.

    The battery on my M1 work Macbook Air is phenomenal and ive yet to see a beachball.

  24. #24
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
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    I would wait for the M1X/ME and have a think about the new 14 inch MBP which is inevitable. Unless you're doing motion work I think there is a risk that going 16 inch is a bit overkill for photography unless you just prefer the bigger screen?

    I would see the keyboard as more of an issue than M1 Vs Intel as the machine you're buying is top spec anyway. It's a bit like buying a car that can go 200mph but being worried the new one might go 220mph. Will you notice the difference?

    Butterfly keyboards on MBPs lead to probably 90% of the warranty issues so I personally wouldn't own one from that time period. Best of luck when they say you need a new bottom case for £700 in 5 years because of their dumb keyboard.

    Also if you do go M1X you'll probably save money on spec as you won't feel the need to beef it up so much...

  25. #25
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    I would wait for the an Apple Silicon machine for the sake of future proofing it. But equally important is the screen, we should see mini-LED on the next generation. I have one on the new iPad Pro 12.9” and it’s incredibly good - not far off their Pro XDR monitor in fact. However there is some blooming which might be important for photo retouching, though this is only really relevant when you have eg white text on a black background with the brightness cranked up high. For most purposes photos look amazingly good. Better still when they use the HDR of the screen, though that limits compatibility. The iPad Pro has become my favourite device for fiddling with photos, also because the Apple Pencil is such an intuitive way to do it. Once this screen is introduced on the rest of the range, which should be soon, everything else gradually becomes obsolete. One issue though is that beautiful as Apple-P3 HDR is, particularly with films, you may want to retouch in sRGB - in which case you could argue for using a separate professional monitor that’s designed just for that, and not worrying about what’s on your laptop.

  26. #26
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Once again, thanks everyone.

    Quote Originally Posted by Itsguy View Post
    I would wait for the an Apple Silicon machine for the sake of future proofing it. But equally important is the screen, we should see mini-LED on the next generation. I have one on the new iPad Pro 12.9” and it’s incredibly good - not far off their Pro XDR monitor in fact. However there is some blooming which might be important for photo retouching, though this is only really relevant when you have eg white text on a black background with the brightness cranked up high. For most purposes photos look amazingly good. Better still when they use the HDR of the screen, though that limits compatibility. The iPad Pro has become my favourite device for fiddling with photos, also because the Apple Pencil is such an intuitive way to do it. Once this screen is introduced on the rest of the range, which should be soon, everything else gradually becomes obsolete. One issue though is that beautiful as Apple-P3 HDR is, particularly with films, you may want to retouch in sRGB - in which case you could argue for using a separate professional monitor that’s designed just for that, and not worrying about what’s on your laptop.
    Thanks, and yes - I would always be using a decent monitor for editing. In fact, a new laptop will also mean I need to replace my old Cinema Display for reasons of connectivity. The likely replacement is from the Dell stable, and is well regarded for photo-editing.

  27. #27
    Tony,

    I would say a m1 based mac all the way…

    Just decide what u need - do you need a laptop, or would a desktop machine work ?

    Performance wise all the m1 based machines are pretty
    close to each other - so form factor then plays a big part.

    Also ensure the software you want to use is working on m1 either via rosetta (emulation) or if they have native apps available now.

    There will be loads of youtube vids testing various app on these machines so it should give you a good indication if it will meet your needs…

    cheers

    matt

  28. #28
    The M1 Macs will all be faster for single threaded operations. They may slow down if you try to do lots at once, for example importing photos and generating preview thumbnails whilst editing a photo in Lightroom. If you understand these limitations they are excellent computers. The more expensive M1X Macs, when they come out, will address this with support for more RAM and more processor cores.

  29. #29
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    Hi Tony. I would echo what has been said already. Don’t get an intel based Mac product - the M1 / Mx models are the future for apple - so their architecture will be more future proof. I would wait and get the version you want.

    I have a 27” 2014 iMac which I upgraded the HDD to an SSD myself this year and 16GB ram, quad core intel - it runs like a dream since replacing the HHD - but it is legacy and won’t go passed Catalina now. I need to move it on. I’ll be getting a new M1 iMac soon.

    I got the wife has a new iMac air with M1 chip and improved keyboard (you can tell) - super fast and no fan so no sound at all.

    as regards single threaded and multi threaded operations here is what the blurb says:

    CPU

    The M1 chip includes an 8-core CPU with four high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores.

    The high-performance cores are designed to offer the best performance for power-intensive single-threaded tasks.

    The four high-performance cores can work together to offer impressive multithreaded performance that has allowed the M1 Macs to outshine even the highest-end 16-inch MacBook Pro models.

    For tasks that are less intensive and don't require the same power, such as web browsing, there are four high-efficiency cores that use a tenth of the power to preserve battery life.Apple says these cores offer performance similar to the prior-generation dual-core *MacBook Air*, but at much lower power. These cores can work alone when significant power isn't needed, but for demanding tasks, all eight cores can be engaged at one time.

    Last edited by MartynJC (UK); 19th June 2021 at 20:08.
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  30. #30
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Thanks all - I'm just thanking my lucky stars that I thought to post here prior to dropping the best part of £3k on the Intel jobby. Now I have to resist the urge to buy a stopgap machine - I really do want 32GB and the prospect of some extra ports is also making my knees go weak (so I must be strong).

    Notwithstanding my comment about ports, this will be on my shopping list too.



    Oh, and this is the 4k monitor I've lined up.

    Last edited by learningtofly; 20th June 2021 at 07:17.

  31. #31
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Okay, how about this option? A comparable new pre-M1 16" MBP with the same spec would be £3600, so this is about half that price. I'm thinking it would do for a few years and I'd then (a) get a lot of the cost back and (b) would be able to get a refurbished M1 instead of having to buy new.

    So - a decent halfway house offering good value for money, or is the collective wisdom that this too would be a mistake? It's £800 less than the option I was looking at previously!


  32. #32
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
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    Keyboard would still dictate it for me...

  33. #33
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wileeeeeey View Post
    Keyboard would still dictate it for me...
    As in it being butterfly, or the fact that its US QWERTY?

  34. #34
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
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    Didn't spot that the keyboard was US but I wouldn't buy a Mac with a butterfly keyboard at all. Just not worth it IMO.

  35. #35
    Wait! There will be a 14 inch and 16 inch M1(x) very very soon. You’ll have buyers remorse before you know it.

  36. #36
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  37. #37
    Quote Originally Posted by learningtofly View Post
    I'd then (a) get a lot of the cost back and (b) would be able to get a refurbished M1 instead of having to buy new.


    How would you do A? In a few years time the last of the intel MacBooks won’t be at all desirable, and the values will reflect that.

  38. #38
    That one looks quite similar to mine (mine has 16GB RAM and a hex core i9, not sure how much RAM the one you are looking at has?)

    Simply: the spec doesn't matter. I always choose my 2015 MBP (or even 2014 iMac) even though lower spec, unless I absolutely have to use the 2018/9 for work purposes. The keyboard is THAT bad. It's a misery you resent every single moment, and no amount of CPU horsepower nor specmanship makes up for it. The touch bar is pointless too. These aren't going to be desirable in the future I suspect. I cannot wait to change mine, as soon as it is depreciated at work, it's going.

    Also, don't fret too much about not having 32GB RAM, the speed of Apple's SSDs is so manic it makes even the occasional swap out to "disc" a non-event, plus Apple's memory management is very good, I rarely see page outs even running video editing tools. Only go large on the RAM if you need massive in-memory applications (I am thinking enterprise-level databases, or multiple virtual machines, not creative apps)

    TLDR: Get any M1.

    TT

  39. #39
    The keyboard will fail. Apple’s extended replacement programme only covers it for 3 years from manufacture so this will not be covered. I would walk very fast in the other direction from this.

  40. #40
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by junglebert View Post
    How would you do A? In a few years time the last of the intel MacBooks won’t be at all desirable, and the values will reflect that.
    Okay, that may have been a tad optimistic...

    Quote Originally Posted by Tokyo Tokei View Post
    That one looks quite similar to mine (mine has 16GB RAM and a hex core i9, not sure how much RAM the one you are looking at has?)

    Simply: the spec doesn't matter. I always choose my 2015 MBP (or even 2014 iMac) even though lower spec, unless I absolutely have to use the 2018/9 for work purposes. The keyboard is THAT bad. It's a misery you resent every single moment, and no amount of CPU horsepower nor specmanship makes up for it. The touch bar is pointless too. These aren't going to be desirable in the future I suspect. I cannot wait to change mine, as soon as it is depreciated at work, it's going.

    Also, don't fret too much about not having 32GB RAM, the speed of Apple's SSDs is so manic it makes even the occasional swap out to "disc" a non-event, plus Apple's memory management is very good, I rarely see page outs even running video editing tools. Only go large on the RAM if you need massive in-memory applications (I am thinking enterprise-level databases, or multiple virtual machines, not creative apps)

    TLDR: Get any M1.

    TT
    Thanks for taking the time to post that sage advice, and I hear you!

    Quote Originally Posted by Phil Lee View Post
    The keyboard will fail. Apple’s extended replacement programme only covers it for 3 years from manufacture so this will not be covered. I would walk very fast in the other direction from this.
    Gotcha, and no longer looking.

  41. #41

  42. #42
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by wileeeeeey View Post
    Beside myself!

  43. #43
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Okay, a bit more advice please.

    I'm mentally preparing myself to drop £3.6k on a well-spec'd 14" MBP with M1Max/32GB/2TB. However, I've just seen (on another forum) an immaculate December 2019 Intel MBP with a fantastic spec as follows (particularly loving the 64GB RAM and quality GPU, which is definitely a plus given the use it'll get):

    2.3GHz 8-core 9th-generation Intel Core i9 processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.8GHz
    64GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory
    AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 8GB of GDDR6 memory
    1TB SSD storage
    16-inch Retina display with True Tone
    Four Thunderbolt 3 ports
    Touch Bar and Touch ID
    Backlit Magic Keyboard - British

    Now, it's not selling at £2300 so I'm pretty certain I could pick it up for £2k max. That's a huge difference, so - is it a better buy right now, when discounted M1 MBPs are probably some way away? I'm thinking it should last me a decade, after which I may not be that bothered about replacing it again.
    Last edited by learningtofly; 21st November 2021 at 11:53.

  44. #44
    Grand Master wileeeeeey's Avatar
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    I wouldn’t do it Tony. Stick to M1 and see if there are Black Friday offers outside of Apple. Don’t be swayed by RAM, intel macs need more ram than M1 macs.

  45. #45
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    Agree. Def stick to M1

    The power efficiency and performance on these are immense.

  46. #46
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Okay - just mulling over the options. I haven't seen any Black Friday offers for the new M1s, so if anybody stumbles across one a heads up would be appreciated.

  47. #47
    The newer M1s are way ahead of the intel Macs, it’s not worth buying old tech, if you need it now, then just buy one, you’ll love it. I got a 14 inch MBP the other week and it’s amazing

  48. #48
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by junglebert View Post
    The newer M1s are way ahead of the intel Macs, it’s not worth buying old tech, if you need it now, then just buy one, you’ll love it. I got a 14 inch MBP the other week and it’s amazing
    Noted, thanks. Are you using a dock with yours and - if so - what did you go for?

  49. #49
    Quote Originally Posted by learningtofly View Post
    Noted, thanks. Are you using a dock with yours and - if so - what did you go for?
    No, I’ve got no need for one, with all the ports the new ones have.

  50. #50
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by junglebert View Post
    No, I’ve got no need for one, with all the ports the new ones have.
    Yes, I'm debating whether to go with adapters (for legacy USB) in the native ports or a dock, as I'll have a monitor, a mic and a webcam as a minimum, and I may want an easy way to hook up a second monitor at some point too. I do sometimes go mobile, and I much prefer the idea of a single connection to the laptop for power to worry about whilst leaving everything else plugged into the dock.
    Last edited by learningtofly; 21st November 2021 at 12:12.

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