Macbook Upgrade Options?
Discussion
I currently have a 2014 13" Macbook Air, which I have upgraded to 256gb, and has a 256gb card in the SD card slot.
I really like it, and it's still nippy enough, but I am learning to develop apps and it chugs a bit sometimes trying to compile apps. The only real issue is that I desperately miss a high resolution screen, especially since I use one at work all day. That and with almost 700 charge cycles the battery isn't what it used to be.
I was looking at the 2016/17 13" Pro, probably without the touch bar, second hand for around £1000 for a 256 gb, although i'd like a 512 gb one - as there's no SD slot for a 256 gb card like my Air.
Then I read about the keyboard woes, so considered leaving it a year or so and getting a 2018 Pro (with sealed keys) when they're a bit more affordable second hand, but then read they have not updated the non-touchbar 13" Pro. Now i'm thinking I may as well just get a 2016/17 13" Pro?
I have also found a 12" 2015 Macbook nearby for £450 with only 60 charge cycles on it, but this could have the same keyboard issues as the 2016/17/18 13" Pro model I think? Significantly less money though, is thinner and lighter, still has a good screen, but only one port, 1" smaller screen (but much higher res. than my Air) and perhaps even a little slow vs. my i5 2014 Air?
Any thoughts would be massively appreciated!
I really like it, and it's still nippy enough, but I am learning to develop apps and it chugs a bit sometimes trying to compile apps. The only real issue is that I desperately miss a high resolution screen, especially since I use one at work all day. That and with almost 700 charge cycles the battery isn't what it used to be.
I was looking at the 2016/17 13" Pro, probably without the touch bar, second hand for around £1000 for a 256 gb, although i'd like a 512 gb one - as there's no SD slot for a 256 gb card like my Air.
Then I read about the keyboard woes, so considered leaving it a year or so and getting a 2018 Pro (with sealed keys) when they're a bit more affordable second hand, but then read they have not updated the non-touchbar 13" Pro. Now i'm thinking I may as well just get a 2016/17 13" Pro?
I have also found a 12" 2015 Macbook nearby for £450 with only 60 charge cycles on it, but this could have the same keyboard issues as the 2016/17/18 13" Pro model I think? Significantly less money though, is thinner and lighter, still has a good screen, but only one port, 1" smaller screen (but much higher res. than my Air) and perhaps even a little slow vs. my i5 2014 Air?
Any thoughts would be massively appreciated!
13aines said:
Then I read about the keyboard woes, so considered leaving it a year or so and getting a 2018 Pro (with sealed keys) when they're a bit more affordable second hand, but then read they have not updated the non-touchbar 13" Pro. Now i'm thinking I may as well just get a 2016/17 13" Pro?
I wouldn't worry too much about the keyboard (especially given the non-TB bar 2018 model hasn't been upgraded) as Apple have implemented a 4 year extended warranty on all 2015/16/17 butterfly keyboards. They replace faulty 2016 keyboards with 2017 models which seem to be better (I had my previous MBP done), and you also get a new top case and battery. Still not ideal though, and I wish Apple had made the 2018 keyboard a retrospective replacement for the earlier models.
13aines said:
I have also found a 12" 2015 Macbook nearby for £450 with only 60 charge cycles on it, but this could have the same keyboard issues as the 2016/17/18 13" Pro model I think? Significantly less money though, is thinner and lighter, still has a good screen, but only one port, 1" smaller screen (but much higher res. than my Air) and perhaps even a little slow vs. my i5 2014 Air?
Any thoughts would be massively appreciated!
I should have added to my previous post that given what you are doing I would definitely go for the 13" over the 12"; I have both, and the 13 gives you quite a bit more screen estate (more than the 1.3" would imply), is more powerful (the 12" is great for basic stuff unless you go for the 2017 model). Also, the 2016> MPB screen is really nice; it's better than the 12", brighter with a wider colour gamut.Any thoughts would be massively appreciated!
Thanks Tim, I am leaning towards the 2016 or 2017 Pro. I missed a 2016 on eBay last night that was a great price unfortunately, but really good deals do come up occasionally so I will keep looking. I'm not fussed about the touchbar.
I've done a lot of reading and while some people say the 2015 Core M is sufficient for app development & simulation, but I don't want to be frustrated with it, especially in a year or two. My Air is still really quick give that it's 4 years old too, and i'd like to keep the next Macbook for a similar number of years if not more. The Pro should be much more capable than my 2014 i5 Air, and has an extra USB-C port - so less likely to become frustrated with lack of connectivity compared to the Air. I think I could live with one, but two would be great.
While the 12" MacBook portability would be great, the Pro is about the same weight as my Air, smaller, and thinner at the thickest point - although not as thin at it's thinnest - which still feels ultra portable. Screen real-estate wise the 12" would be much better than my Air, given the massive step up in resolution (and colour reproduction, gamut etc.) but in time I think the extra inch on the Pro and generally better display would be welcome.
Thanks for the heads-up on the keyboard replacement program. Hopefully I can find one for a good price that's eligible for a new battery too in the battery replacement programme.
I've done a lot of reading and while some people say the 2015 Core M is sufficient for app development & simulation, but I don't want to be frustrated with it, especially in a year or two. My Air is still really quick give that it's 4 years old too, and i'd like to keep the next Macbook for a similar number of years if not more. The Pro should be much more capable than my 2014 i5 Air, and has an extra USB-C port - so less likely to become frustrated with lack of connectivity compared to the Air. I think I could live with one, but two would be great.
While the 12" MacBook portability would be great, the Pro is about the same weight as my Air, smaller, and thinner at the thickest point - although not as thin at it's thinnest - which still feels ultra portable. Screen real-estate wise the 12" would be much better than my Air, given the massive step up in resolution (and colour reproduction, gamut etc.) but in time I think the extra inch on the Pro and generally better display would be welcome.
Thanks for the heads-up on the keyboard replacement program. Hopefully I can find one for a good price that's eligible for a new battery too in the battery replacement programme.
Edited by 13aines on Wednesday 22 August 10:14
I have a 2015 MacBook, which I occasionally use for development. However, I wouldn't want one as my main machine, it is great as a secondary device alongside my iMac, but it isn't that powerful and as a main machine I think the one port may be restrictive.
I've had mine three years now and not had any trouble with the keyboard.
I've had mine three years now and not had any trouble with the keyboard.
I'd be waiting until the September event because a proper Macbook Air refresh has been rumoured for ages.
Else if you're really CPU limited, the new MBP with the quad-core 8th gen processors will be a huge boost. If it's going to save you hours of (expensive) time each week then justifying the £1750 needed becomes a bit easier.
Else if you're really CPU limited, the new MBP with the quad-core 8th gen processors will be a huge boost. If it's going to save you hours of (expensive) time each week then justifying the £1750 needed becomes a bit easier.
Craikeybaby said:
I have a 2015 MacBook, which I occasionally use for development. However, I wouldn't want one as my main machine, it is great as a secondary device alongside my iMac, but it isn't that powerful and as a main machine I think the one port may be restrictive.
Seconded - I have a 2015 macbook. Perfect for a machine that I have to take away somewhere, but certainly chugs on even a complex spreadsheet. I think this confirms I should go for the Pro instead, thanks.
Re. time saving, I am a mechanical engineer by trade. Do a bit of programming at work, but on a work Windows laptop. Mac is purely for my spare time. I do normal tasks on it, plus play with Arduino projects, Matlab, and do a little CAD on Fusion 360... but, i'm keen to learn Python (running Anaconda and Spyder) and learn to develop apps with Swift and XCode - all for fun, at least initially... Perhaps if I do some freelance work in my free time the time saving side will have more importance.
Re. time saving, I am a mechanical engineer by trade. Do a bit of programming at work, but on a work Windows laptop. Mac is purely for my spare time. I do normal tasks on it, plus play with Arduino projects, Matlab, and do a little CAD on Fusion 360... but, i'm keen to learn Python (running Anaconda and Spyder) and learn to develop apps with Swift and XCode - all for fun, at least initially... Perhaps if I do some freelance work in my free time the time saving side will have more importance.
Just missed a 15" Touchbar i7 with 512gb SSD and 16gb RAM on eBay for £850. Sold within an hour or so.
Was sorely tempted, but on reflection I think the 13" is more suitable for me... and it smelt a bit funny - very cheap. Plus i'm not fussed about the touchbar, but the processor and RAM was a bit more "future proof" than most of the sub-£1k 13" touchbar models, let alone the non-touchbar models - albeit probably more power hungry, and not so easily charged by a powerbank if the need arises - around 90W vs. 30W!
EDIT: Was right to doubt it, sold twice today, now a negative feedback for scamming.
Was sorely tempted, but on reflection I think the 13" is more suitable for me... and it smelt a bit funny - very cheap. Plus i'm not fussed about the touchbar, but the processor and RAM was a bit more "future proof" than most of the sub-£1k 13" touchbar models, let alone the non-touchbar models - albeit probably more power hungry, and not so easily charged by a powerbank if the need arises - around 90W vs. 30W!
EDIT: Was right to doubt it, sold twice today, now a negative feedback for scamming.
Edited by 13aines on Thursday 23 August 23:09
Ended up buying on eBay a new-in-box space grey 13.3" 2017 Touchbar model - base specs, other than a 512gb SSD.
Read a lot about keyboards - 2017 definitely seems to have been improved slightly. Touchbar model loses a bit of battery life and has a bit more to go wrong, but stays quieter and cooler with an additional fan, and has faster RAM, and a faster processor. It also doesn't throttle back performance as much as the non-TB model apparently, as it cools better.
Should hopefully arrive in the next couple of days!
Read a lot about keyboards - 2017 definitely seems to have been improved slightly. Touchbar model loses a bit of battery life and has a bit more to go wrong, but stays quieter and cooler with an additional fan, and has faster RAM, and a faster processor. It also doesn't throttle back performance as much as the non-TB model apparently, as it cools better.
Should hopefully arrive in the next couple of days!
Phunk said:
Touch Bar also has 4 T3 ports instead of 2 
How could I forget that?! That too... Although 2 would have been enough, 4 is great. Enables charging from either side too - handy indeed I suspect. Paid £1000 with a sleeve. Think it's cheap enough that over the next couple of years I shouldnt lose too much money.
Now just need DPD to get on with it and get it here! Tracking number not doing anything yet...
13aines said:
Phunk said:
Touch Bar also has 4 T3 ports instead of 2
How could I forget that?! That too... Although 2 would have been enough, 4 is great. Enables charging from either side too - handy indeed I suspect. Paid £1000 with a sleeve. Think it's cheap enough that over the next couple of years I shouldnt lose too much money.
TheJimi said:
How the hell did you manage to get that, brand new in box, for a grand?
Second hand ones do go at auction for around a grand occasionally. Was up for £1100, but he accepted my offer of a grand. The description says the item is sealed, but the box is open in the photos but laptop not unwrapped. Description doesn't mention US keyboard, but one of the pictures is a stock photo with a US keyboard so I think the chance of it being a US keyboard is reasonable. I did wonder if it was a 2016 model, but it has to be the 2017 model because the box says 2133MHz RAM.Hopefully it is untouched, with a 0-3 battery cycles, then I will believe it's brand new... Fingers crossed it's all as described.
Unlike others I saw, the guy has good feedback for several valuable items. There are so many zero feedback accounts selling stupid cheap Macbooks several times in one day. Surely PayPal protects the buyer, so the "seller" doesn't gain in the long run? Unless they manage to escape with the money and Paypal have to take the hit and refund the buyer themselves?
Well it arrived, new in box 2017 model with UK keyboard with just 3 battery cycles which is pretty typical for a new one.
Not a mark on it, touch-bar model, and definitely 512gb. Has a verified purchase date. Warranty until May 2019.
Keyboard takes some getting used to. Is quite a bit faster with XCode and has a superb screen. So much more real estate. Not fully set up yet but 90% there after restoring my Air's Time Machine backup, just the JetDrive media to move across and re-link with iTunes.
Pleased indeed! Now I need to sell my Air!
Not a mark on it, touch-bar model, and definitely 512gb. Has a verified purchase date. Warranty until May 2019.
Keyboard takes some getting used to. Is quite a bit faster with XCode and has a superb screen. So much more real estate. Not fully set up yet but 90% there after restoring my Air's Time Machine backup, just the JetDrive media to move across and re-link with iTunes.
Pleased indeed! Now I need to sell my Air!
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