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The best MacBook for my described needs

  • 2018 MBA 8 Gb

    Votes: 2 12.5%
  • 2018 MBA 16 Gb

    Votes: 2 12.5%
  • 2018 13' tbMBP 8 Gb

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 2018 13' tbMBP 16 Gb

    Votes: 9 56.3%
  • 2019 rMB :)

    Votes: 1 6.3%
  • 2017 ntMBP 8 Gb

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 2017 ntMBP 16 Gb

    Votes: 2 12.5%

  • Total voters
    16

Amorun

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 3, 2016
52
43
Hey guys!
I'm choosing a new MacBook and persist in a quiet a confusion after several days of reading and thinking. :)
I choose between 2018 rMBA and 2018 13' tbMBP. And specific configurations.
The cornerstone of Mac's resources use is that I'm unfortunately forced to use a single (damn!) win-based program - MemoQ in Parallels Desktop - that doesn't exist in any way on Mac OS. My pattern of use: Parallels, and also MS Office, Skype, Acrobat Reader, Mail, Safari on the Mac side simultaneously. Now I'm using 1.1 rMB 2015 base model and sometimes suffer lack of performance like freezes and lags. So I'm facing a purchase. The thing I like the most in rMB is it's dead silence and the fact that it doesn't get extremely hot under any workload when on my laps (and I use it on the laps 90% of time). Portability is a pleasant feature anyway. But today I want somewhat bigger screen and surely stronger performance. Below are the costs of different models in my country as of today considering discounts:

rMBA 8/128: $1275 (to tell the truth, if not for Parallels Desktop that eats up 50 Gigs of my SSD, I would be OK with 128 Gb: now I have 120 Gb of purely free space and 28 Gb of erasable space on my 250 Gb SSD)
rMBA 8/256: $1499
rMBA 16/256: hard-to-impossible to find in my country; it's not relevant to order it from the US due to enormous custom tariffs via mail. I can ask my friend to bring it here for $1550 with a discount, if buy these days, but only at some point of spring'19.
tbMBP 8/256: $1680 - limited discount
tbMBP 16/256: ~$2300; $1980 from the friend, but again, only in the coming spring.

There's also an option of 2018 15' MBP for ~2200 with a limited discount, but I'm really concerned about it's size, weight and footprint using in a couch, on a coffee table and on the go (even considering this win price): I have a 27' 5K iMac, i.e. a really big screen when I need it. Not to mention 15' MPB's performance is perhaps excessive for my needs if it can be viewed as a take off. :)

My concerns about rMBF: performance (I don't edit photo/video, but use VM on everyday basis), fan noise.
My concerns about tbMBP: heat when on the laps, fan noise (I'm absolutely OK with the fan sound of my iMac).

General concerns: is 8 Gb enough, considering VM use and that this MB will be for years to come? But, as u see, these custom 16 Gb version are considerably overpriced in my country. Will there be any battery degradation if my friend buys me a MB now at a discount price and I will first turn in on in some 4-6 months?

As my head is literally spinning now, I will greatly appreciate any advice on what model to buy? or wait, for example, for next year rMB upgrade? maybe on ARM chip (hi!)?

Thank you!!!

UPD: let's throw ntMBP in the mix. But there're concerns about it's cooling system being some sort of outdated compared to tbMBP and rMBA and also 2nd generation bf keyboard. The cost of 16 Gb/256 ntRMP model for me is about
 
Last edited:

AlexJoda

macrumors 6502a
Apr 8, 2015
817
619
The best option is the one you did not mention: The non touchbar 13" MBP with 16 GB/265GB. You should opt for 16GB RAM with Parallels but not with the MBA, because the Y-CPU is too limited for that. The price is nearly the same as for the MBA...(and it is a much better notebook...)
 

Amorun

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 3, 2016
52
43
The best option is the one you did not mention: The non touchbar 13" MBP with 16 GB/265GB. You should opt for 16GB RAM with Parallels but not with the MBA, because the Y-CPU is too limited for that. The price is nearly the same as for the MBA...(and it is a much better notebook...)

Thank you for your opinion! But here's why I didn't mention it: because of slight poorer keyboard and, mostly, because of information found on the web that it has some source of outdated cooling system without asymmetrical fan blades, that runs loud and hot - major disadvantages for me.
 

Ma2k5

macrumors 68030
Dec 21, 2012
2,565
2,541
London
Thank you for your opinion! But here's why I didn't mention it: because of slight poorer keyboard and, mostly, because of information found on the web that it has some source of outdated cooling system without asymmetrical fan blades, that runs loud and hot - major disadvantages for me.

The MacBook Air is more than capable of running MemoQ on a VM - the processor is weaker but it is sufficient for your case. You wouldn't even need 16 GB RAM.
 

Amorun

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 3, 2016
52
43
The MacBook Air is more than capable of running MemoQ on a VM - the processor is weaker but it is sufficient for your case. You wouldn't even need 16 GB RAM.

Thank you! I've just found a private proclamation of a new 2018 rMBA 16/512 for $1700 - although SSD size is excessive for me, this is a fair price, I think. If we compare: 2018 13' tbMBP 8/256 for $1680 or 2018 rMBA 16/512 for $1700: the first is way more powerful, but 8 Gigs and VM for several years.. still a bit bothers me.
 

ascender

macrumors 603
Dec 8, 2005
5,021
2,897
I've got Parallels running on a new Air for exactly the same reason - a single programme i often need to run alongside macos. I used to need to run it a lot more so had a 2018 MBP with 16GB RAM, but it runs just fine on the new Air with 4GB RAM assigned - everything on the Mac side runs well at the same time.
 
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Amorun

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 3, 2016
52
43
I've got Parallels running on a new Air for exactly the same reason - a single programme i often need to run alongside macos. I used to need to run it a lot more so had a 2018 MBP with 16GB RAM, but it runs just fine on the new Air with 4GB RAM assigned - everything on the Mac side runs well at the same time.

I see! What is your experience with 2018 MPB fan sound, heat so far? Any other issues? Thanks!
 

ascender

macrumors 603
Dec 8, 2005
5,021
2,897
I see! What is your experience with 2018 MPB fan sound, heat so far? Any other issues? Thanks!

I've only had the fans ramped up during initial setup - installing loads of different things at once; synching Dropbox and when Windows 10 was installing its raft of updates I'd missed since I'd sold my Macbook Pro 10 days prior.

Not heard them since then.... I've not done any video work though.
 

Amorun

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 3, 2016
52
43
I've only had the fans ramped up during initial setup - installing loads of different things at once; synching Dropbox and when Windows 10 was installing its raft of updates I'd missed since I'd sold my Macbook Pro 10 days prior.

Not heard them since then.... I've not done any video work though.
Wow! Pretty impressive. Yes, I've also heard, that besides video editing and power-consumpting Adobe apps 2018 tbMBP goes mostly quiet.
 
Last edited:

Amorun

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 3, 2016
52
43
A bit of update an prices available for me:

ntMBP i5 2.3GHz/16Gb/256Gb - $ 1720
ntMPB i7 2.5GHz/16Gb/256Gb - $ 1865

So, again very close game against 2018 rMBA i5 1.6GHz/16Gb/512Gb ($1700)
 

Amorun

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 3, 2016
52
43
Below are the benchmarks of my 1.1 rMB 2015, rMBA 2018, i5 ntbMBP, i7 ntMBP and tbBMP 2018:

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[doublepost=1543453014][/doublepost]2018 tbMBP is the absolute beast here. A wolf among sheep.
If not that ridiculous VM, I would by one with 8 Gb RAM not thinking twice.
 
Last edited:

Amorun

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 3, 2016
52
43
Guys, I would like to thank all of you very much for your thoughts and advice. Ordered today a device majority has voted for: tbMBP 13 2018/16 Gb RAM. Thank you!
 
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ZipZap

macrumors 603
Dec 14, 2007
6,112
1,467
I ran a VM on a MacBook 12 with 8gig. I was slow but worked. The VM on the a 16 gig Air is quite fast.
 
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