What do think about the option of a refurbished 15" Retina MacBook Pro instead of a 2012 Mini Server or 2014 Mini. The laptop has 16GB RAM 256SSD and 2.2 quad core i7 for $1,699.00. There is a difference in price but when you configure the Mini with the same RAM,SSD,keyboard and trackpad,the difference is less and you get a nice retina display. Are there any negatives in using the laptop as a CPU? Thanks
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Refurbished 15" Retina MacBook vs Mini
- Thread starter drpje2000
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
No negatives at all, and you have to factor in the price of a display, keyboard and mouse when considering the mini.
The 15" Retina MacBook Pro is the current 2014 model. It normally sells for $2,000. I saw it on the Apple refurbished site. It seems like a good alternative to the Mini and no need to upgrade RAM or install SSD and comes with the 2.2 i7 quad core processor which only the 2012 Mini has. It seems to be a better buy as you can use it as a laptop or CPU
I think it's a good choice. If you want a larger display then you can always buy a Thunderbolt display later and use it as a docking station with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse.
If (when) my current MBP bites it, I’m not doing another high-er-ish end notebook, I’m going to switch to a Mini.
I already use my notebook at my desk 90% of the time with my nice 24” display, KB and mouse, and those few times I want to work on something in some other part of the house, I could easily use a notebook shared with the wife.
I’m thinking I’ll keep an eye out for a lightly configured 2011/2012 model, and move over my 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD from the MBP.
I already use my notebook at my desk 90% of the time with my nice 24” display, KB and mouse, and those few times I want to work on something in some other part of the house, I could easily use a notebook shared with the wife.
I’m thinking I’ll keep an eye out for a lightly configured 2011/2012 model, and move over my 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD from the MBP.
If (when) my current MBP bites it, Im not doing another high-er-ish end notebook, Im going to switch to a Mini.
I already use my notebook at my desk 90% of the time with my nice 24 display, KB and mouse, and those few times I want to work on something in some other part of the house, I could easily use a notebook shared with the wife.
Im thinking Ill keep an eye out for a lightly configured 2011/2012 model, and move over my 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD from the MBP.
This is kind of what happened to me. Bought a MacBook Pro back in 2009 for about $2500. Most of the time I was using it at my desk. I'm not sitting in front of the TV using it or taking it to exotic places or on trips. I have an iPad for when I need to look something up on a trip and need a larger screen than my phone.
So I waited around to find a refurb'd quad-core mini, which finally showed up at the end of the year, and picked up a Thunderbolt display with it. Bumped up the memory to 16GB and will eventually put an SSD inside it. The main benefits:
- a much larger display (I could have hooked the MacBook Pro up to a Cinema Display if I had purchased one of those, I suppose). It's really nice to have all of that real estate back to work with while debugging things, reading documents, working on documents, etc.
- when it's time to upgrade, I'll just get the next higher-endish Mini and keep the display. I'll be out $500-1000 instead of having to buy everything again and be out $2500-3000.
- Even if I do decide I really need a MacBook in the future, for something like business travel, I'll just buy one and hook it up to the display. As it is, the Mini does quite well.