I feel like with the speed of SSD's now, increasing RAM isn't going to make much of a difference for 99% of users...
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The No Touch Bar 13 Macbook Version
- Thread starter Abaganov
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I feel like with the speed of SSD's now, increasing RAM isn't going to make much of a difference for 99% of users...
I'm looking at purchasing this model and have a question about specs to order. I'm coming from a 1.3/128/8gb mid 2013 13" Macbook Air.
I will use this model as my only machine to replace my MBA. Relatively light use such as email, web browsing, word documents. I also run a Windows Virtual Machine for work & I don't multi-tasking when I run this. I'm set on the 256gb storage because I'm not even at the capacity of my MBA after having it for three years.
How do you like the specs 2.0/256/16gb for my workload?
I think I can work with 8gb of ram as it works fine with my current MBA, however in the name of future proofing leaning towards 16gb of memory.
I will use this model as my only machine to replace my MBA. Relatively light use such as email, web browsing, word documents. I also run a Windows Virtual Machine for work & I don't multi-tasking when I run this. I'm set on the 256gb storage because I'm not even at the capacity of my MBA after having it for three years.
How do you like the specs 2.0/256/16gb for my workload?
I think I can work with 8gb of ram as it works fine with my current MBA, however in the name of future proofing leaning towards 16gb of memory.
I had the base model a week before returning it today. What would you like to know?
Lets shares the info this chat group instead
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Hi Greatguy, why you return it? is it under performance?
I've had mine for 5 days - so not quite a week, but happy to answer any questions. Base 2.0GHz i5, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD.
Running mainly Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote; don't use Outlook), iWork (all 3 apps), Safari, Mail, Citrix Receiver for certain Remote Desktop Windows app at work, Parallels 12 with a Win 10 VM (configured for 4GB RAM), and Adobe Reader, GoodNotes & Preview for PDFs.
I use iCloud Drive and desktop/documents on iCloud Drive, too, shared between my iMac at home and Mac mini at work and I have about 5GB of office documents on OneDrive synced to all three machines as well.
Still have 140GB free space on the SSD. I don't keep full resolution photographs (Apple's Photos) on the laptop as my full library is three times the size of the SSD in the laptop.
Runs great. Realistic 10 hr battery life. Only time I see memory pressure hitting pink & virtual memory swap is when Parallels and multiple other Mac apps are open simultaneously. But still doesn't seem to slow anything down. And the only time I felt the machine warming up was yesterday when I was installing the Anniversary Update for Win 10 on Parallels while charging the laptop plus using other apps at the same time.
Very satisfied.
It performed great. I was very pleased with the speed, sound, form factor etc. I realized I missed having ports on both sides of the Mac (coming from late 2011 MBP. Having the hub connected with various peripherals became awkward to balance and move with, and I didn't like that it was putting a little extra weight on the port.
In addition to the aforementioned, I am a 1Password user and liked seeing that they had updated their app to touch bar. I didn't think I would like the touch bar. However, I find myself using it a more each hour. I bought the touch model 7 hours ago. I am happy with it thus far. And with the extended holiday return, I have even more time to explore and test.
If it weren't for the lack of ports awkwardness etc. there is a good chance I would probably still be using the non touch. I am glad that I made the decision to try the touch bar, as it has shown me (thus far) that I made the right decision. I use my Macs plugged in most of the time so getting 10 hours every time is not a must for me. I will test the battery later on once the machine settles in and I get everything setup like I want.
You don't happen to record PPT presentations? My most intensive use will be PPT and Camtasia. That task crashes Camtasia in my 2009 while using Keynote with Camtasia doesn't. If you can run the VM with 8GB im probably good, but I thought I'd ask.
Hey all!
I am going to be studying Computer Science next year, and I am highly likely to be running some VM's on my computer. Right now I know for sure I want 13'', but I cannot decide Touchbar vs No Touchbar. I personally don't see that much use from it, at best its a convenience, but I am not sure if the two extra ports and better CPU is worth the upgrade. I am also most likely going to be upgrading my RAM to 16gb (due to VM's) and storage to 512gb. Thanks for the help!!
Have a great day
I am going to be studying Computer Science next year, and I am highly likely to be running some VM's on my computer. Right now I know for sure I want 13'', but I cannot decide Touchbar vs No Touchbar. I personally don't see that much use from it, at best its a convenience, but I am not sure if the two extra ports and better CPU is worth the upgrade. I am also most likely going to be upgrading my RAM to 16gb (due to VM's) and storage to 512gb. Thanks for the help!!
Have a great day
I don't, but I can't imagine that there's not enough horsepower to do it easily.
You should really ask your dept with regards to the types of programs that you'll be using.
Any laptop past 2nd generation Intel chip will work for programming. Heck even my old 2009 Black Macbook did fine for basic Java programming (brought it to school just for fun
)I'd get either the 2015 13" rMBP or the one without TB since it's another electrical component that will/can fail. The beauty of TB3/USB C is that you can use a dock(bigger adapter really) to connect everything. I wouldn't recommend coding on the tiny 13" screen and pick up an external monitor ASAP. Lots of USB C equipped monitors coming out.
I currently own the base model and love it. I use it primarily for budgeting on YNAB, iTunes, Photos (iCloud Photo Library), mail and surfing the internet. I am honestly debating on exchanging it for the 16gb model and with touch bar only because I want to "future proof" the computer but at the same time I completely torn because I love this little machine. It does everything I need it to do. I am coming from a 2007 iMac.
I honestly don't think so. Especially how I use the computer. I mean, I've been reading these forums and I feel like I "need" 16gb of RAM or else I'd regret it two years down the line. My 2007 iMac was running originally with 1gb of RAM and I upgraded it to the max of 4gb lol and it was running El Capitan ok. It was choppy and slow but usable. To me, 8gb of RAM is a beast lol.
Well I think lots of that come down to old "PC wisdom" from years ago.
It used to be that any mb of ram you could add made a difference in day to day usage, that any mhz you could squeeze out of a cpu was clearly better.
Whatever you did with a computer, more was always better.
Today it's really a matter of usage. For some specific task more RAM continue to be better. However there are clearly tons of uses that really won't particularly benefits from 16Gb.
Plus, considering the crazy fast SSD, Memory compression and all the way OS X manage memory, it's unlikely you will ever "notice" a difference without going to the activity monitor. (Unless obviously you have a very specific use case for more RAM)
I'm really on the edge. I was planning to get the Macbook Pro non-gimickbar, 13"/512 GB SSD/16 GB Ram/i5 which will cost me around 2.300,- € - which is a lot. Have seen it multiple times in store and ... I don't know... it doesn't click. Besides that I'm eyeing the Surface Pro 4 and I know... Windows. But since I work mostly in Creative Cloud Apps, I'd even benefit from the touchscreen + pen when retouching photos or drawing vectors "on screen". If I want the same on a Mac I gotta shell out for iPad Pro + Apple Pencil as well. I run a small business... hmmm. Decisions decisions...
I haven't had a SP4, but I did have a Surface Book - and it really is nice. Windows 10 post-anniversary update is pretty stable on newer hardware, so don't let that be a concern.
I have the non-TB, and while nice -> if you could benefit from the touchscreen/pen, it isn't going to help you.
I once bought a SP4, because I was convinced it was the perfect machine for my use. Laptop, but tablet when I needed it, and I could draw on it and take notes.
First, the laptop part: you can use it like a laptop but you'll be compromised. The keyboard feels like cardboard and the trackpad was unusable to me. Using it on your lap as a laptop was possible but not for long.
Then, the tablet part: it still was too heavy to use as a tablet, and the on screen keyboard just had a mind of its own. Sometimes it appeared, sometimes it didn't. Apps were not on point, software was not on point.
Most importantly, the pen part: at first I loved the pen, this was the reason I got it in the first place. But honestly, I was sorely disappointed. Pen sensitivity was inaccurate, I could not draw fine lines, I would get jitter lines everywhere and artifact lines I did not draw, and palm rejection wasn't good enough. The apple pencil was night and day when I tested that.
So in the end I returned it and vowed not to get any windows machine in the next couple of years anymore.
Also: constant blue screens, wifi driver not working, extreme screen reflection, too loud fan (seriously jet engine loud, would surprise anyone in a room) which was turned on most of the time, problems with recognizing the keyboard, no way to turn screen off without putting it in sleep mode, bad scaling (most apps were either depicted too small, or were just fuzzy), meaning bad touch experience, basically the whole software package was not optimized for touch, despite microsoft's efforts for the past 4 years.
Just a little update
1) I love this machine <3
2) I have my laptop connected to a DELL 27inch QHD monitor via Display port to USB-C connector And the Aukey USB-C to USB connector on the other port to power the external mouse and Keyboard (via the monitor). I have had the laptop on for 4 hours now and estimated battery is still 4:13 hours estimated. I have safari open with like 10 tabs, mail client synching in back and Spotify open and both displays on. This is amazing batter life considering its powering two displays.
Though I wish I had another USB-C port to charge, i plan to move the monitor on to the HDMI in the Aukey USB-C hub and then use the other port for charging
Anyways, no lag or anything when using the external monitor
1) I love this machine <3
2) I have my laptop connected to a DELL 27inch QHD monitor via Display port to USB-C connector And the Aukey USB-C to USB connector on the other port to power the external mouse and Keyboard (via the monitor). I have had the laptop on for 4 hours now and estimated battery is still 4:13 hours estimated. I have safari open with like 10 tabs, mail client synching in back and Spotify open and both displays on. This is amazing batter life considering its powering two displays.
Though I wish I had another USB-C port to charge, i plan to move the monitor on to the HDMI in the Aukey USB-C hub and then use the other port for charging
Anyways, no lag or anything when using the external monitor
Ordered machine last week from John Lewis as they were offering 3 year guarantee and option to add 3 year accidental damage cover for £80.
Total came to £1530 made up of £1449 + £80 (Apple with Applecare after student discount came to £1420). I felt paying an extra £110 compared to buying from Apple directly was worth it for 3 years accidental damage cover.
Then today I noticed John Lewis selling the same machine for £1304 instead of the usual £1449, albeit at only 2 years warranty. Called them and they price matched.
So all in all, £1414 for 3 years warranty and 3 years accidental damage cover!. Very pleased with that.
Happy with the machine so far. I have got Windows 10 + Ubuntu installed using Parallels and will be using the machine mainly for coding, and also media management as I have an iPhone and too many pictures.
Total came to £1530 made up of £1449 + £80 (Apple with Applecare after student discount came to £1420). I felt paying an extra £110 compared to buying from Apple directly was worth it for 3 years accidental damage cover.
Then today I noticed John Lewis selling the same machine for £1304 instead of the usual £1449, albeit at only 2 years warranty. Called them and they price matched.
So all in all, £1414 for 3 years warranty and 3 years accidental damage cover!. Very pleased with that.
Happy with the machine so far. I have got Windows 10 + Ubuntu installed using Parallels and will be using the machine mainly for coding, and also media management as I have an iPhone and too many pictures.
And here I am dong the exact opposite... Returning my non-TB to Apple, keeping the TB version. If battery life was my top priority, I would keep the non-TB version, but battery life is good enough for me with the TB and I really enjoy Touch ID and the touch bar itself. Not to mention the additional ports which I'm already making good use of.