Need New Laptop, but the cost...

[Talkeettna]

Well from 2006 to 2014 I was fully into the Apple ecosystem and I'm still is to some extent. My last MBP is with daughter and still going strong but because I like gaming, I went with a gaming laptop and I have no regret. It's not true anymore that MS patches breaks or slow it down. They are not at Apple level but they are much better and I've had my laptop for 4 years now with no issue at half of what I would have paid for an Apple laptop with a decent GPU.

Naturally if money was no object, I would have purchased another MBP with the best GPU Apple had to offer and it would have been more than enough but because GPU is a factor for me as it is for you, you may want to look at the other side. It's definitely not as dark as it used to be though be careful not all Windows laptop are built equal, some are cheap as hell and will you miss an Apple but some have created lines of laptop that challenge Apple in quality and looks while being much more affordable.

 

[MRrainer]

A used 2015 15" MBP might also be an option. Though, due to recent events, their prices have probably appreciated...
I'm also not sure if the 2015 15" MBPs were actually easier to repair or just didn't break so easily.

I'd have no problem with the 2018 models, if a b0rked keyboard didn't run 700 USD (or whatever it costs when the warranty has run out). Same for that flexcable to the display.

 

[jeyf]

we all need to come to grips with this and realize windows is the future hardware platform. Maybe with linux

Apple updated the MBP between early 2016 and late 2016:
-buy the early 2016 with the old keyboard
-buy a recently warranty repaired late 2016 or 2017 and take some risk
-The keyboard replacements and or the latest 2018 keyboards are not significantly different.

early or late 2016, the 2017 or 2018 MBP's, likely there are no significant performance differences you can notice right away.


i would go with an early 2016 unit considering cost, performance and safety.

 

[netdudeuk]

My work Lenovo laptop (8GB RAM and a SSD) is nearly four years old and still working fine.

You could buy a new Mac and hope it lasts a long time or maybe get two new Windows laptops over the same period.

 

[MRrainer]

My work Lenovo laptop (8GB RAM and a SSD) is nearly four years old and still working fine.

You could buy a new Mac and hope it lasts a long time or maybe get two new Windows laptops over the same period.

Quality of Lenovo laptops has worsened significantly over the last four years. Even on high-end models.
It's the same as saying "I've got a 2015 MBP, buy a late 2018".

 

[netdudeuk]

I wasn’t proposing Lenovo. This is just my own experience. There are plenty of other brands to choose from if he fancies a Windows computer.

 

[Euroamerican]

I'm doing the refurbished or buy the last of the close-outs route myself and don't really intend to spend more than about 1100 on any future Mac laptop for personal everyday use. I need 8 to 16 go of RAM and am cost sensitive enough to go Mac Mini and iPad only if I am feeling extra thrifty. I would go with only 8 as long as I still have my Mac Mini too.

If I was using my MacBook Pro specifically for work and could expense it, my horizon for spending more could open up a fair amount.

 

[Stephen.R]

we all need to come to grips with this and realize windows is the future hardware platform

Right. Just like cheese is the new bread.

Did you mean generic (i.e. commonly sold with Windows) PCs are the ['future hardware platform']?

I don't agree but if by some chance Apple does completely abandon Mac hardware to the point that I can't use it, I'll become a goat farmer before I work with Windows regularly.

Linux or one of the BSD's will work a lot more reliably for most non-Microsoft-stack developers any day of the week.