Mac Recommendation

Rockshifter

Rockshifter

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Charles
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Hi Tech Guys
Looking to buy a new mac (Need Mac as use in my work and don't want PC) laptop able to handle large files / raw editing, photoshop etc.
Haven't been editing seriously for awhile, but intend to do a lot more shooting and editing in future.
Can anyone offer advice ? Looking for mac that will work for next few years.
Don't want to waste money on power bits I do not need / will not use eg gaming power.
Budget up to £3K in Apple Education Store.
Was looking at MBP with 16GB and 1 TB storage (I'd like to keep pix on drive).
Is 16Mb enough for reasonable multitasking ?
Will 2.6Gh 1.7processor be enough for needs over next few years ?
I'd also like to burn a few music discs to use in my old car system. Do these new laptops still burn discs ?
What add-ons will i need to connect / load files from camera (D810)?
Am I barking up the wrong tree ?
Is there a cheaper option which would be just as good ?
Any input /ideas would be helpful.

Cheers
Charles
 
First rule of Apple computer purchasing is to spec. a machine that's way over what you need now, because there's little that can be upgraded - storage, memory and battery (in Macbooks) are soldered to the motherboard.

Rockshifter said:
Was looking at MBP with 16GB and 1 TB storage (I'd like to keep pix on drive).
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That's enough for conventional image editing but not video, and 1TB will disappear very fast with a D810 so you'll need to plan to add external storage over thunderbolt later.

Rockshifter said:
Is 16Mb enough for reasonable multitasking ?
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And doing what else at the same time? Maybe a bit of surfing, but not anything demanding.

Rockshifter said:
I'd also like to burn a few music discs to use in my old car system. Do these new laptops still burn discs ?
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Macbooks haven't had DVD drives for years, but you can buy a (non-Apple) external drive for about £20.

Rockshifter said:
What add-ons will i need to connect / load files from camera (D810)?
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Either a card reader or a cable to connect your D810 to a thunderbolt port.

Rockshifter said:
Is there a cheaper option which would be just as good ?
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You said you didn't want a PC. Apple's range is very distinct, and a Macbook with the spec you gave will likely be fine for normal image editing with currently available software and image file sizes, although the D810 produces big files. There are lots of guys here that run Macs for image processing - I used to, but do so no longer because when upgrade time came I could not afford to spec a Macbook to meet when I expected to require 3 years after purchase. I bought a Dell XPS that has been easily upgradable instead.

For £3000 you should get a decent spec in the education store, so will likely be fine.
 
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If it need to be a Mac, then the only cheaper option would probably be a used Macbook Pro. Otherwise a new one....

15" versions have far better graphics cards which might be important depending on what you do. 13" versions are much cheaper as a starting point but poorly spec'd.

Personally I think 1tb is in no man's land now. It's not enough to store loads on and be future proof but it still costs a huge amount as an upgrade. 512gb on board and a decent external USB-c drive might make more sense.

16gb RAM probably enough today but maybe not in a a couple of years time. Again though, outrageous upgrade cost but I'd probably rather spend here than on a bigger drive as there are work arounds for the storage.
 
Check out the refurbs too.

Might also be worth considering a Mac mini and a separate non-Apple screen, if you don't need mobile computing.

gad-westy said:
Personally I think 1tb is in no man's land now.
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This definitiely. I went to 2TB recently in my XPS for the storage drive, now running a total of 2.25TB with 694GB free, and looking at a 1TB system drive soon.
 
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Cheers Toni and Graham
Looks like if i go down the mac route then i'll have to fork out to get a spec that works now and fork out really big if I want to get a couple of Tb storage and 32Gb ram.
Will have to give this more serious thought.
Looks like external storage will have to be an option.
With the educational discount, i felt there was not enough of a saving to look at refurb options, however will check this out too.
Thanks again.
Charles
 
If you're going to get a MBP go for one of the older models until they fix the design flaws in their current ones.

Between the keyboard issues and flexgate it seems like a bad idea to buy a current model.
 
Have given this more serious thought and have decided to put this on hold for a bit.
As you say Simon. issues with MBP were something I'd thought about and also of course bang for buck V PC.
Think I'll just plod along until I decide for sure.

Cheers all
Charles
 
I've got the current model MBP and have to side that it's a phenomenal bit of kit, although obviously as it's apple it's well over priced. I've got the 2.9Ghz i7 version with 16GB RAM and SSD and it handles everything I can throw at it, even large D850 files in Lightroom and photoshop.
 
snerkler said:
I've got the current model MBP and have to side that it's a phenomenal bit of kit, although obviously as it's apple it's well over priced. I've got the 2.9Ghz i7 version with 16GB RAM and SSD and it handles everything I can throw at it, even large D850 files in Lightroom and photoshop.
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You're making me feel that I should bite the bullet and just go for the MBP.
 
does it have to be a MacBook ???
you can get a very good Mac mini and a decent monitor for around 2 grand, current models are really nippy and will suffice for photo editing but lack a bit on the video output due to inbuilt graphics.
 
I have the current MBP 15" (2.6 GHz i7, 16Gb, 512K SSD) and it's more than enough. That said, I keep most of my pictures on an external SSD (
SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD 1 TB Up to 550 MB/s Read) which is absolutely tiny physically, and allows me to switch between editing on my MBP and my older 2014 27" 5K iMac, which incidentally is also still more than up to the task.
 
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When thinking about overpricing it is always worth considering that you can buy cameras at different price points and it isn't often that you get advised "ooooh, you could get that much cheaper if you bought this...". Or that people look at your BMW or Audi and say "could of got a Kia" (sic).

It is a peculiar behaviour that surfaces when talking about things like computers or phones.

Buy what you want.
 
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Recently I got a couple of Seagate 1TB SSDs, which are USB3 and USB C - brilliant for editing photos. (Seagate 1 TB Fast SSD Portable External Solid State Drive) Although I have a 1TB SSD in my previous version MBP I need external storage.

I've still got a 17" MPB from 2011, which I put an SSD into. 8 year old machine that still works well. I could type stories of PC laptops a couple of years old that flex, have crap touchpads, bits falling off and generally give a very poor user experience. But that doesn't really add much help to Rockshifter.

Edited to add that my current MBP (Mid 2015) has 16GB (I did go for a top model, as Apple look to push non-power users towards using iClod for storage and consider 256GB not outrageous) I use Capture 1 Pro and 32MB RAW files and don't really notice performance. I'm sure when I upgrade I'll notice a difference.
 
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Pound Coin said:
I've still got a 17" MPB from 2011, which I put an SSD into. 8 year old machine that still works well. I could type stories of PC laptops a couple of years old that flex, have crap touchpads, bits falling off and generally give a very poor user experience. But that doesn't really add much help to Rockshifter.
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I agree it's a good idea to get what you feel is needed.

Just to balance up your perspective, I feel it worth mentioning that I bought a Unibody Macbook Jan 2009*, and at the end of 2013 without upgrades lightroom (5) was almost unusable beyond simple slider adjustments. Adding SSD and taking RAM from 2GB to 4, then 8 (max) made it possible to work on 20MB Sony files, though painfully slowly. The touchpad has been temperamental, the motherboard needed replacing in the first 3 month of life and the USB ports wore rapidly so that after a couple of years connecting external devices because hit and miss.

The only real difference between Apples and PCs outside the OS are a couple of chips on the Mobo to confirm the device is a Mac and the price. Spend a grand on a non-Apple laptop and the chances are it will perform really well. Spend 3 grand and it will have amazing performance. There's nothing wrong with Apple computers in general (although some models had very specific faults in the past through bad design) but at present they are specifically intended to be luxury consumer items, rather than being high performance professional workstations.

*I still have it, but it struggles even browsing a bit, and trying to edit 30MB files from the D610 requires a lot of patience.
 
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If I had your kind of money to spend on a laptop then I'd think about either a Dell Alienware 17 R5 , a Razer or one of these: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/02/14/lenovo_thinkpad_p1/

All of these will easily match Apple build quality - I'd probably pick the Alienware as having the most future-proof performance based on components already built in (32GB RAM, 2 X 1TB SSD, i9 and likely the cooling system to handle it).
 
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I rest my case.
 
Won’t add a lot here, as others already have - but few pointers....

If you don’t need the portability, get an iMac as you’ll get more for your money - but go for the 27” screen, as 21.5” is too small. Also go for SSD or fusion as a minimum - anything else is just too slow.

If you are set on a MBP, make sure you go for a 15” model, with discrete graphics. Sadly you can’t get this in the 13”, as this is the perfect size when paired with an external monitor.

Dependent on how many photos you have, move past the need to have everything stored on your local SSD - it isn’t practical/can get expensive. Invest in a decent external bus powered SSD such as the Samsung T range, as they’re tiny and can travel with you - and you can edit straight off them (although if editing video, your mileage may vary...).

Finally - go for the best spec you can afford. 3k is a great budget, especially within the education store.

These are just my thoughts, as a Mac user since 2009....

For info I used to store and edit my LR library off the internal drive, then moved to a Samsung T SSD, but have recently upgraded to a Drobo 5D3 array - which is as fast if not faster, future proofed, and cheaper per GB whilst offering great redundancy etc....
 
Hi All
Thanks again for all the input / advice.
Since I need a laptop, that is what I'll be going for.
At work I'm using Macs, so feel I'll keep with them and just pay the premium for a system I'm familiar with.
Only thing holding me back is the thought that prices may drop or memory will increase or I miss out on free headphones etc as have happened in the recent past.

Any thoughts on rumours on up-specting etc ?
 
Recently we went through a big change as our 2008 8 core MacPro can only be updated to El Capitan, which can't run the latest version of Photoshop and I wanted a laptop faster than than our 17" 2010 MacBook Pro for handling D850 files and 4k video in the future.

Solution = used 2018 maxed out MacBook Pro, an i9, 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD model around £4400 new but got it for £3k when only 2 months old.

We have kept the 30" Apple Cinema Display for editing purposes and now have a damn good setup that's also mobile, highly recommended!
 
I vote for the MacBook Pro. I got the 2018 version just before Christmas; This is the model with Touch Bar etc. I specified the i7 version with the 512GB etc - I think it worked out around £2600. I tend to buy one every 5 years or so, and to be honest, the one I had before was the slightly older MacBook Pro (before they did the Touch Bar) and it was still absolutely fine and running as fast as originally. Used day in, day out for marketing purposes plus photography and general bits and pieces. Again, go for the best you can afford!
 
I have the 2017 MacBook pro and have used it once.
My 27" 2016 mac is basically the only thing I use. It's not very portable though.
 
I'm editing on a mid tier 15" MBP from 2012 that I've upgraded to 16Gb and a 1Tb SSD. Still good for editing, with Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC running together with Safari and Emails.

Not a Retina display and I have an external monitor when necessary.

I'm thinking of replacing it due to it being a bit battered, but I'm feeling that Apple are ignoring the needs of its users in favour of the hipster crowd. I don't want to carry around USB-C adaptors to use things.
 
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Unlocker said:
Recently we went through a big change as our 2008 8 core MacPro can only be updated to El Capitan, which can't run the latest version of Photoshop and I wanted a laptop faster than than our 17" 2010 MacBook Pro for handling D850 files and 4k video in the future.

Solution = used 2018 maxed out MacBook Pro, an i9, 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD model around £4400 new but got it for £3k when only 2 months old.

We have kept the 30" Apple Cinema Display for editing purposes and now have a damn good setup that's also mobile, highly recommended!
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I get a tingling just reading those specs!!
 
Don't buy a 1TB drive, it's just a waste of money as eventually you will need an external drive anyway.

As for CPU, don't need to upgrade to the max i9 as the thermal throttling will mean getting a regular i7 6 core just as good with no real world differences. Instead, redirect the money and max out the GPU and RAM.
 
andrewc said:
I'm editing on a mid tier 15" MBP from 2012 that I've upgraded to 16Gb and a 1Tb SSD. Still good for editing, with Lightroom CC and Photoshop CC running together with Safari and Emails.

Not a Retina display and I have an external monitor when necessary.

I'm thinking of replacing it due to it being a bit battered, but I'm feeling that Apple are ignoring the needs of its users in favour of the hipster crowd. I don't want to carry around USB-C adaptors to use things.
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I've been using a MacBook with only USB-C for 3 years and it isn't anywhere near as much hassle as I thought it would be. I got a short USB-C cable for my camera and HDD for less than I paid for the dongle and I just use those.
 
Don't over-think it.. 15" 2014 MBP retina here, 16GB, external lightning drive for storage (with the lightroom smart previews on the 500gb SSD so I can edit while not attached). Works perfectly, although the cooling fan does kick in if I've got netflix running with photoshop, lightroom and a second screen.
 
Hmm. I already carry around stuff. My two cameras use three memory card formats - Compact Flash, SD and cFast. My current MBP has a SD slot so the lo-res Images I shoot onto that card I can use in the field (or motor racing paddock) easily. On the 1DX2, I shoot small jpg to the cFast card, so I've got a cFast reader and wire. Occassionally I need the hi-res shots on from the CF cards, so another adaptor. Unless I can replace the cables to the two readers with a USB-C to whatever flavour of USB3, then I'll be carrying around extra cables, and I don't really want to do that -
 
Tdes said:
I get a tingling just reading those specs!!
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Specs are fine, it’s the stupid price people are willing to pay for it that amazes me. Close to 5k is a joke with what comparable computing power that cash can buy you out side of the cosmetic world of apple. :) each to there own though, I understand how a pc laptop simply may not look as cool in Starbucks. :). We are due a couple of new machines in the studio, and it’s back to PC, the iMacs have done a good job, but bang for buck they simply fall very short.
 
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Kieranstandishphoto said:
Specs are fine, it’s the stupid price people are willing to pay for it that amazes me. Close to 5k is a joke with what comparable computing power that cash can buy you out side of the cosmetic world of apple. :) each to there own though, I understand how a pc laptop simply may not look as cool in Starbucks. :). We are due a couple of new machines in the studio, and it’s back to PC, the iMacs have done a good job, but bang for buck they simply fall very short.
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I think post #18 deals with that.
 
Pound Coin said:
I think post #18 deals with that.
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If you would prefer a BMW to a Ferrari (it's a very limited metaphore, but it was your choice) then fine. In the end, clever marketing and a fancy wrapper will never overcome poor design and overpricing.

I'd ducked out of the thread because the OP can surely buy what he wants, and he apparently wants Apple, but you have to at least offer him some better performing options for less than he wanted to spend. The days of spending £1000 and getting a flexy plastic bodied laptop ended 6 or 7 years ago.
 
“The cosmetic world of apple” is hardly “better performing options”

Plus it is opinion, not helpful fact. (as, for that matter, is “poor design and overpricing”)
 
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ancient_mariner said:
If you would prefer a BMW to a Ferrari (it's a very limited metaphore, but it was your choice) then fine. In the end, clever marketing and a fancy wrapper will never overcome poor design and overpricing.

I'd ducked out of the thread because the OP can surely buy what he wants, and he apparently wants Apple, but you have to at least offer him some better performing options for less than he wanted to spend. The days of spending £1000 and getting a flexy plastic bodied laptop ended 6 or 7 years ago.
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I think it’s the usual crap about looking good in Starbucks that gets on people’s nerves. Not from you I might add.
 
Pound Coin said:
Plus it is opinion, not helpful fact. (as, for that matter, is “poor design and overpricing”)
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Specifics on poor design? Like inadequate provision for heat removal in the i9 spec'd macbooks. Like keyboards that stop working due to dust under they keys. Like limiting the number of ports available. Like not providing adequate cooling for graphics chips so that they fail after a couple of years. Complete absence of upgradability. Not opinion, documented fact.

I guess overpricing is a matter of personal perception.
 
ancient_mariner said:
Specifics on poor design?
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Keyboard: https://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/mac/macbook-pro-keyboard-problems-3653458/
'Flexgate':
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfcChCjN6Eg&t=27


I've said this many times before but in my view what defines a good company is not the absence of problems but how they deal with them and Apple's response has mainly been to ignore those issues until either it's too public to ignore or they lose a class action lawsuit and have to provide a 'fix' which often just delays the inevitable.

That makes me nervous about paying a premium for their products when they're happy to keep pushing them with some pretty glaring design flaws.
 
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