Advice on macbook pro?
hello im looking to buy a macbook pro for DJing and eventually production as my laptop is on its way out.
I was looking at the 13-inch: 2.6GHz with Retina display was thinking it looks good for me but not 100% does anyone have any better ideas for a laptop I should get ?
are there any other essential items i would need or would benefit me alot.
thanks
I’ve got a late 2011 build 2.4 GHz non retina MBP with 8g ram, so not as highly specced as what you are detailing and it runs everything I need. Even the USB 2 ports rather than USB 3 hasn’t caused me any issues (yet).
I have the 15 inch Mbp retina and its a beast, I usually run traktor and ableton together with no hiccups. I do recommend an external drive for sound libraries etc, otherwise jump in!
not liking the 2 usb ports though
yah that does suck however hubs are cheap and easy to find
Been running a 2013 macbook air for over a year now. No problems and it has a 1.7ghz i7, 8gb ram. I actually prefer it to the Macbook Pro that I used to lug around.
Like another poster, the only issue has been 2 USB ports, but a hub was a great fix… and it actually helped organize things. Way better to have a cable hanging down from my laptop stand than awkwardly trying to find a place for the too short cable of my hard drive.
I have an early 2013 13inch MBP with Retina .. I think its the perfect size for 4 deck mixing in Traktor.
I’m looking at a new Macbook fairly soon too (upgrading from a 2010 MBP)
Anyone else debating between the Pro and the Air?
There’s quite a few threads on this forum about the various macs and appropriate specs. I remember reading through just about all of them when I was looking for my new mac as well. We had a good discussion in my own thread about Air vs Pro:
Everyone’s needs and preferences are different, but my (minimum) recommendations are: Apple refurbished, 8gb RAM, SSD.
Good luck dude!
Also, try looking into refurbished MBP, you can get a model that is only a couple months old but hundreds cheaper. Also if you are a student, don’t forget about the student discount.
I’m completely confident that a well-enough-spec’d air would be perfectly fine. But, I don’t think I could ever bring myself to buy a laptop that thin, even if I prefer the 11" screen.
I read a rumour somewhere that Apple might be coming out with a 12" laptop after WWDC this year. Depending on exactly where it falls, I might have to look into that eventually.
If you look into pricing, an 13" Air with extra memory (to boost the 4GB to 8GB) is only about $250 cheaper (AU) than an off the shelf 13" Pro (that comes with 8GB out of the box). Basically you’re getting an extra 1.2GHz clock speed, retina display, better graphics card, a HDMI port and an extra thunderbolt port for $250 which is value in my books!!
With rumours of a 12" Air, Im gonna try and hold off till Apple makes some announcements. I know whatever I get will be leaps and bounds better than what I have.
They won’t be until WWDC, which IIRC is usually in the middle of the year. And it’ll be a little while after that until they start shipping.
So…if you need a computer, just buy one. There will always be something new around the corner…and it largely doesn’t matter anymore. I use a 2011 MBP, and it’s fine for Traktor and Pro Tools. A new one would be better…but not much, apart from the screen. We’re way past the point of upgrading computers all the time and chasing the next great thing…the changes are too small.
Also, I found another article about the rumored 12" air, and if the predictions are right, it’s a terrible machine for DJs: http://9to5mac.com/2015/01/06/macbook-air-12-inch-redesign/
been said many times before “once you go mac, you’ll never go back” MBP with a SSD, costs extra, but worth it
Also go for the extra space. That’s the only thing I regret. I went 250 gb, when 500 gb would have been perfect for 90% of what I do.
I went back…to linux…for everything except music and netflix.
I wouldnt buy an air to DJ with. Your limited on the USB ports, memory, hard drive space and speed.
I picked up a 2013 non retina 13" MPB. upgraded mem to 16gigs. 1tb ssd drive and its a rock star. I run serato with dicers 3 nights a week. Do work in ableton. Video editing and more its it doesnt miss a beat.
Top of the line air vs top of the line pro, the pro is going to win. Both only have 2 USB ports. The pro can go up to 16 gigs ram and 1tb hd. The air only has 8 gigs and 500 gb max. They both use an i7 dual core processor, the air’s is definitely slower, but with the way Intel’s turbo boost technology works, it’s not as much of an edge as one might think.
I’ve never had a problem with the speed of my air. I like the light weight and battery life.
Go with a 2012 non-retina, and put an SSD in. People think “oh, my MacBook is old, I should upgrade because it’s slow.” I’m rocking a mid-2009 white unibody MacBook with 4GB of RAM and an SSD, and it runs like new. Retina is not necessary unless you’re doing photography or something on the side as well, and it also means you can’t upgrade components down the line. Go refurbed, get an SSD, and enjoy OS X at half the cost.