MacBook Pro 15'' - can it handle my work flow ?

Hi guys,

So my journey with Apple began when I bought an used iPhone 2G some time ago. I liked it so much – I bought an used MacBook Air. The new Air appeared, couldn’t resist and bought it.

So I taught it is time to switch my primary work computer from a pc to a mac like the big guys . I plugged it the Air to my display, problem was that I work with many Adobe programs + 20-30 tabs in chrome opened at any time + safari + firefox + opera opened as well . So obviously, the 2GB ram and dual core processor could not handle a smooth workflow, so I left the air for portable work.

I then bought a OS X licence and tried to install it on a PC ( iMacs are very expensive in Europe – double the price + add some more ). Well, it worked, but it’s kind of unstable, programs load kind of slow, so not the ideal solution.

I have a friend coming from Canada, so I figured I should take the opportunity and get a MB Pro

http://store.apple.com/ca/configure/MC721LL/A?mco=MjEyOTY5MDM

Does anybody own this version ?

My questions -

1. Is it worth it ? Or I should try to get the PC Mac OSX stable more ?

2. Can it handle my work flow ?

3. 128 SSD or Not ?

If you got this far, thank you for reading my lengthy thread .

I bought one as my workstation 2 months ago. I’m extremely happy with it.

Ofcourse SSD is better (if you get the higher capacity ones), but 128gb is too low for me, and I don’t want to shell out a lot for a higher capacity SSD . So I stuck with the 500gs hdd, no qualms also

Sure, but I’ll use my computer for storing photos and movies, so I figure 128 GB will be enough…

Thanks for the reply!

Well, I don’t know much about your workflow but I suspect it’ll do great. These new MBPs are really fast, especially with an SSD . Since you work with Adobe apps, you might consider upgrading the RAM to 8 GB. You can do it cheaper if you don’t buy it from Apple.

I’ll be getting this one with the high-res anti-glare display. Then I’ll order a 240 GB SSD , 8 GB RAM and data doubler from OWC .

From the reviews/videos/info I’ve read on that setup, it’s blazing fast. So yeah, you’ll be good going with the 15” MBP .

jremick said
Well, I don’t know much about your workflow but I suspect it’ll do great. These new MBPs are really fast, especially with an SSD . Since you work with Adobe apps, you might consider upgrading the RAM to 8 GB. You can do it cheaper if you don’t buy it from Apple.

I’ll be getting this one with the high-res anti-glare display. Then I’ll order a 240 GB SSD , 8 GB RAM and data doubler from OWC .

From the reviews/videos/info I’ve read on that setup, it’s blazing fast. So yeah, you’ll be good going with the 15” MBP .

I’m a recent convert to Mac and have a new 15”, and I love it. The hi-res anti-glare mentioned above is well worth it, my eyes thank me for it every day.

cudazi said
I’m a recent convert to Mac and have a new 15”, and I love it. The hi-res anti-glare mentioned above is well worth it, my eyes thank me for it every day.

Good to hear it. I haven’t been all too sure about getting anti-glare or not. I also want to snag a 27” Cinema Display soon but I’m not sure it’s worth it. Any chance you’ve tried / are using it?

Well, the workflow – basically: 30 tabs or more in chrome at all times + adobe apps so pretty ram/cpu intensive

I don’t care much about the display because it will be used only on the 27’’ LED as I have the Air for portable work.

Then I’ll order a 240 GB SSD , 8 GB RAM and data doubler from OWC .

That data doubler is awesome! Didn’t know it is possible. I really don’t need the DVDRW so I’ll look into it too.

jremick said

cudazi said
I’m a recent convert to Mac and have a new 15”, and I love it. The hi-res anti-glare mentioned above is well worth it, my eyes thank me for it every day.

Good to hear it. I haven’t been all too sure about getting anti-glare or not. I also want to snag a 27” Cinema Display soon but I’m not sure it’s worth it. Any chance you’ve tried / are using it?

I haven’t tried the 27”, I’m afraid to…because I’d probably want to buy it then.

My PC (Dell studio 15) has a hi-res glossy screen and movies/photos look amazing on it but it’s hard to read or code for long periods of time. Plus, when the screen goes dark, you’re looking at your own reflection…who needs an extra mirror?

I haven’t noticed much of a speed increase on the 15” mac / i7 but it has been very stable and less frustrating overall. I may drop some more ram in some day as Adobe eats more and more…

cudazi said

jremick said

cudazi said
I’m a recent convert to Mac and have a new 15”, and I love it. The hi-res anti-glare mentioned above is well worth it, my eyes thank me for it every day.

Good to hear it. I haven’t been all too sure about getting anti-glare or not. I also want to snag a 27” Cinema Display soon but I’m not sure it’s worth it. Any chance you’ve tried / are using it?

I haven’t tried the 27”, I’m afraid to…because I’d probably want to buy it then.

So true.

Oh yea, don’t forget to upgrade your RAM like Jremick said. I just remembered, I need to upgrade to 8gb ram also.

So I settled on the 2049CA$ MB

On the final page it wrote – 204CA9$ – Pay Now ?

I payed with my Payoneer Card

Cool, I look at receipt – still 2049CA$

I access the payoneer site ->

Local Currency Amount: [Canada, Dollar: 2376.84] USD Amount to charge: $2485.94

Damn

What botters me is that it showed me 2049CA$ every single step – not the final price ( with included VAT ). Does not seem normal to me, and in Europe you never see something like this happen, it always shows you final price before transaction. Also the difference between CA price and the real amount taken from my card is huge ( 100$ + ) but I guess it’s normal ( CA$ is bigger then US$ + 3% transaction fee payoneer ).

Ok, what’s done is done.. does anybody know if there is any problem that I payed from Europe and filled my details on the Order Details field ? The shipping address is still in Canada.

Thanks!

Conclusion: I should have waited from another friend to come back from the US it would have been way more profitable ( lower Apple prices, no VAT and no payoneer transaction fee )