Is it worth buying a Macbook Pro?

[omega3]

I'm considering getting a Macbook Pro, but wanted to know from those who made the switch if it is actually worth it? What are good reasons to get a Macbook Pro 15" instead of a higher end windows multimedia laptop? What are you experiences both good and bad?

One of the reasons i consider to switch is that i also like to use it on a desktop. When I rest my palms on alot of windows models, the laptop wiggles. The macbook pro seems to be a solid block that doesn't wiggle when you rest your palms on it, am i right?

Thanks for all good feedback.

 

[Koing]

I'm considering getting a Macbook Pro, but wanted to know from those who made the switch if it is actually worth it? What are good reasons to get a Macbook Pro 15" instead of a higher end windows multimedia laptop? What are you experiences both good and bad?

One of the reasons i consider to switch is that i also like to use it on a desktop. When I rest my palms on alot of windows models, the laptop wiggles. The macbook pro seems to be a solid block that doesn't wiggle when you rest your palms on it, am i right?

Thanks for all good feedback.

I made the switch from pc to a modest macbook in 2008. I have rMBP 13. It's solid because the whole base of the laptop is milled from one piece of aluminium.

It's only worth going to a mac if you want to use mac os, like and are willing to pay for the build quality (I haven't used a pc laptop in years). The magsafe is an amazing bit of technology that I'm not aware of many laptops use. Hell I'm using the older charger from the 2008 with the updated magsafe2 adapter.

It's the small things that are very nice. The keyboard and the trackpad are very nice as well as the retina screen.

Koing

 

[HiroThreading]

I'm considering getting a Macbook Pro, but wanted to know from those who made the switch if it is actually worth it? What are good reasons to get a Macbook Pro 15" instead of a higher end windows multimedia laptop? What are you experiences both good and bad?

One of the reasons i consider to switch is that i also like to use it on a desktop. When I rest my palms on alot of windows models, the laptop wiggles. The macbook pro seems to be a solid block that doesn't wiggle when you rest your palms on it, am i right?

Thanks for all good feedback.

They're fantastic machines. However, as referenced in your other thread, it's probably a good idea to wait and see until Apple's 2016 WWDC is over to see if any new MBPs are announced.

I have the top spec 15" MBP 2014 model, and it has served me very very well. It has outlasted all my prior non-Apple laptops, and given the way its running (and general slow down of x86 processor development) will probably serve me for many more years to come.

Is it worth it? It really depends on the amount of money you're willing to spend. If you can afford it, then I have no hesitation in recommending the MBP. The build quality is superb: the trackpad is unrivalled (and now has ForceTouch), the battery life is great, the display is calibrated out of the factory (something many OEMs forget), the keys aren't squishy, the performance is good (though, the current MBP is showing its age) and Apple's customer support has no equal. Really, it's the last point that keeps me from going back to Windows. If you ever have a problem, you can easily debug the issue yourself (restricted hardware platform = less variability = easier to find a solution) or you can simply walk into an Apple Store and get them to fix it for you. No shipping the laptop to Taiwan/Korea or talking to some tech support call centre in India etc.

Further, if you really need Windows (for example PC gaming), you can just use BootCamp and create a Windows partition. What you'll find though is that OS X will cover all of your productivity needs and you'll seldom use Windows unless you game a lot.

 

[purbeast0]

i went from a $450 hackintosh to a mid 2015 macbook pro and i would never go back to non-mac hardware. it's just so much better. but if it's THAT much more valuable to you only you can decide.

although, comparable non-apple products are pretty much the same price as macbook pros so you aren't really saving much if you go non-apple.

 

[Tweak155]

I use a Macbook Air as my couch surfer so not a heavy user, but I like the touchpad.

For any real work though, I still prefer attached mouse and a nice big monitor. I think you could be just as productive in either OS (Windows / OSX), just depends what software you prefer.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

About two years ago, in celebration of my "real job", I went from a 2009 13" Macbook to a 2013 15" rMBP.

If you can't afford it, well, you can't. No judgement. I sold plasma to get my old Macbook.

If you CAN afford it... just do it. The screen is incredible, the touchpad is sex, and the quad-i7 is not something you'll find in a lot of other notebooks.

But it gets hot running full-tilt. Very hot. As is "my AC adapter gave up and shut itself off from overcurrent and the keyboard is too hot to touch" hot. If you game and need the laptop to be your primary/only computer, get a Windows gaming laptop and don't look back. Sure, I might look a little sidelong and your 11 pound monster with accent lighting, but that's just because I'm an asshole.

 

[purbeast0]

I use a Macbook Air as my couch surfer so not a heavy user, but I like the touchpad.

For any real work though, I still prefer attached mouse and a nice big monitor. I think you could be just as productive in either OS (Windows / OSX), just depends what software you prefer.

once i got a macbook pro, with the touchpad, it's just so easy to switch desktops, that i'm now as productive with it as i am a desktop, maybe even more so since my hands like never leave the keyboard area. i use 4-5 desktops depending what i'm doing, and it's like having 4-5 monitors but not having to turn my head. the only time i find it's not as productive for me is when i need to be looking at something to compare to something on another desktop, which isn't very often though.

before this though, i would have agreed 200% with you about not being as productive on a laptop as with a desktop, due to touchpad and lack of 2nd monitor. but the macbook pretty much solved both of those issues for me.

 

[Eug]

The MacBook Pro has a nicer trackpad and nicer keyboard than the 12" MacBook. And the 12" MacBook is kinda slow.

The MacBook Pro has a nicer screen than the MacBook Airs.

I'm waiting for the next generation MacBook Pros though, although I will likely wait until 2017 or possibly even 2018 to buy.

Note that CPU performance isn't my main concern, but for a new 2016 machine, the 12" MacBook doesn't feel as speedy as it should be.

 

[Beer4Me]

I'm considering getting a Macbook Pro, but wanted to know from those who made the switch if it is actually worth it? What are good reasons to get a Macbook Pro 15" instead of a higher end windows multimedia laptop? What are you experiences both good and bad?

One of the reasons i consider to switch is that i also like to use it on a desktop. When I rest my palms on alot of windows models, the laptop wiggles. The macbook pro seems to be a solid block that doesn't wiggle when you rest your palms on it, am i right?

Thanks for all good feedback.

I'll leave my succinct response here. If you're going to do a LOT of gaming on the laptop, stick with Windows platform (less headaches). If you're just doing it for casual, multimedia, or business use, then I think it is the superior hardware platform. /just my 0.02.

 

[JasonCoder]

Worth it. In professional, non-enterprisey work environments MBPs are 90% of what I see in use.

For the consumer you can't beat the customer service.

 

[omega3]

Is it true that if the SSD fails on the current gen of Macbook Pro's, that the entire mobo needs to be replaced. Apparently the SSD's are now solded on. How much could such a repair cost?

BTW, when was the latest release of MB Pro 15? Was that Mid 2015 or did they still make an under the hood update end 2015 or even this year?

 

[rugby]

They're not soldered on, it's a chip that connects to the motherboard.

 

[omega3]

They're not soldered on, it's a chip that connects to the motherboard.

But if the SSD is broken, is it true they simply can't put in a new one?
The tech person at my local shop said they need to replace more then just the SSD with the latest MBP gen (not with previous gens). So what needs to be replaced exactly in case of a failing SSD?

Also, which was the latest release of the MBP 15? Mid 2015?

 

[Anubis]

But if the SSD is broken, is it true they simply can't put in a new one?
The tech person at my local shop said they need to replace more then just the SSD with the latest MBP gen (not with previous gens). So what needs to be replaced exactly in case of a failing SSD?

Also, which was the latest release of the MBP 15? Mid 2015?

they replace everything, they just do a mobo swap with included the SSD, RAM and everything else

 

[omega3]

they replace everything, they just do a mobo swap with included the SSD, RAM and everything else

If you have to do this, how much will this roughly cost incl. working hours?

 

[TheStu]

But if the SSD is broken, is it true they simply can't put in a new one?
The tech person at my local shop said they need to replace more then just the SSD with the latest MBP gen (not with previous gens). So what needs to be replaced exactly in case of a failing SSD?

Also, which was the latest release of the MBP 15? Mid 2015?

No, it is not true. The SSD is removable, so therefore if ONLY the SSD fails, then they an replace just the SSD. The tech at your local shop is wrong about the MacBook Pro.

Mid 2015 sounds right. There's been no update in 2016.

they replace everything, they just do a mobo swap with included the SSD, RAM and everything else

I don't know if maybe that happened to you, or if you have insider knowledge about Apple's policies, but there'd be no reason for the to replace the entire logic board if just the SSD failed in the MacBook Pro.

HOWEVER, that statement IS correct for the 12" MacBook (not that this thread was about that, at all), everything is soldered to the logic board in that system. One thing goes, all must be replaced.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

If you have to do this, how much will this roughly cost incl. working hours?

I had a motherboard swap priced for an old-style Unibody 13" MBP and it was $750. D:

Get Applecare.

 

[omega3]

This is getting confusing Anybody know for sure if the SSD is solded on or not on the 2015 Macbook Pro.. I'm not speaking about older models!! Please give accurate info cause everybody is saying something different.

 

[TheStu]

This is getting confusing Anybody know for sure if the SSD is solded on or not on the 2015 Macbook Pro.. I'm not speaking about older models!! Please give accurate info cause everybody is saying something different.

iFixit didn't bother doing a teardown on the 2015 15" rMBP because it barely changed from the 2014 model.

OWC sells replacement SSDs (that, as previously covered, you SHOULDN'T BUY) for the 2015 rMBP.

Therefore, the SSD is REMOVABLE and REPLACEABLE.

ALL OF THAT SAID

Other than potential failure of the drive, which AppleCare would cover, there is NO POINT
in worrying about whether the OEM SSD can be replaced down the road. The aftermarket 480GB SSD from OWC is MORE MONEY* than just getting the 512GB SSD from Apple on day 1. And the same is true about the 1TB option as well.

How much storage do you need?
Do you expect this to be constant?
If you need 400GB of storage, and it's expected to be constant, get a 512 SSD FROM APPLE on day 1. If you think your storage needs are going to grow significantly, and external drives are icky to you, bite the bullet and get the 1TB SSD FROM APPLE.


*You do get to keep the old SSD, obviously, and can use it as an external, but... eh? USB3 thumb drives are smaller, and super cheap.

 

[Eug]

Yeah, in the old days with standard SATA drives, it made sense to use your own aftermarket drives. However, currently with the custom SSD form factors, it makes no sense to cheap out on the SSD storage.

Not only are the OWC ones expensive, they are also less reliable.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Yeah, in the old days with standard SATA drives, it made sense to use your own aftermarket drives. However, currently with the custom SSD form factors, it makes no sense to cheap out on the SSD storage.

Not only are the OWC ones expensive, they are also less reliable.

I don't disagree.

That said, thanks for making me look again - for the longest time, OWC didn't have upgrades for the Late 2013, 2014, and 2015 models available at all. Now I know they do. Just in case.

 

[slackerinabox]

Most of my non-apple laptops just fall apart after a few years, honestly. Macs just seem to be bullet proof, as good as I remember Ibm laptops being back in the day. Still have a 2006 black macbook working just fine, while the lenovo (not "cheap," about $100 less than the equivalent air) I got 2 years ago just won't boot anymore. I had a $2,000 sony ultraportable that was constantly in the shop, and customer service was awful - hold times and slow shipping. Honestly, I'd never buy a windows notebook again - if I want cheap chromebooks are great, if I want a productivity machine the mac's worth the premium

And magsafe is great, I'm a clutz and sometimes trip/yank on chords by mistake which has wrecked more than a few HPs charging ports/pin, never had the problem on a mac. Then there's resale value and outstanding customer service. If you like OS X or dual booting get a mac, the price gulf between a quality windows laptop and a mac is less than you'd think (especially if you go refurb with a mac).

 

[bartsmanj87]

I made the switch purely because of the OS. I grew up using Windows machines and didn't use a Mac until my first design agency job.

Ever since, there's no going back for me. There was a definite month or two learning curve, but once I was past that, it felt weird using a Windows laptop.

 

[HeXen]

Worth it to me. Solid, great battery life, instant on/off sleep. it's fast, feels nice, runs cool less it's a demanding task and super quiet, like super quiet...basically, it does exactly what you would really expect it to. Windows laptops are kind of iffy at times like sometimes they take a minute to go to sleep or resume...they're just not as consistent.
The trackpad alone will spoil you...I cannot use a Windows laptop very well anymore thanks to the fluid gestures this thing has.

That said, I still prefer Windows UI in general and miss the compatibility. Software tends to cost more on mac, there is fewer, good freeware stuff. Windows has tons of great portable apps that are free or open source but mac is a bit limited on that. You also have little control in OS X. Cortana would be cool to have. You could put Windows 10 on a mac but it's not as smoothly consistent and W10 took over a minute to go to sleep after I closed the lid and open it up, often it would never wake up. It also made my mac run a lot warmer than normal.

 

[RossMAN]

I would switch in a heart beat if the RAM and SSD were easily end user upgradeable with any compatible hardware we want. The last model that allowed that was from 2012-ish.

Until a smoking hot deal comes along I'll keep using my Dell XPS 14 (Dell Outlet) for which I paid significantly less than a MBP.

Yes I'm jelly!