HELP/LOST Need a new Mac and have information overload but still stuck

[25Nicole]

So I currently have a MBP 13" 2010. It's still going strong but I know it's time to upgrade. I just don't know to what. I've gotten so much different advice as to what and where to get. The 2 things that I care about the most are speed and editing photos/videos. Just a bit of background info. This is for home only, I don't ever take it anywhere, just from my bed to the couch. I have never edited any photos or videos before so this will be something new for me. However, I am detail oriented so would want something that once my experience is better will be able to keep up. (This will not be at any professional level.) I have the original Sony Action Cam so that's the kind of video I'd be editing if it matters.

The other issue is speed. I tend to research stuff online and when doing so I'll have about 4-5 windows open with 5-10 tabs each all running at once. Right now this is locking up my laptop. Obviously this is an investment so I want to get something for the long term but don't want to get something that is overkill. Also I don't care if it has the touchbar or not and I don't care what ports it has as long as it has one for an SD card. And I have a 4TB external tower.

Is this something that I should never buy on say Ebay or Amazon? What do people think about the refurbished aspect? What's the latest year I should be looking at? I'm totally lost as what to do.

 

[anon(9602380)]

Welcome to iMore!

First I would consider refurbished for sure. This will allow you to get a better machine at a lesser cost. I would go 15" allowing more screen real estate for editing. I edit on a 27" iMac and have the same MBP you currently have and find the 13" can be small when having to work on editing. I would consider an i7 with minimum 512GB SSD and 16GB RAM. This will greatly increase your editing speed and will help as you become better at editing. Where these specs will help the most is when you are rendering videos. You really need a powerhouse for video editing. I do a lot of design work and edit some really large files and even with a top spec iMac it can be slow at times depending on file size. So best to stick with at least these specs.

I would certainly look at something in the [URL="https://forums.imore.com/e?link=https%3A%2F%2Fapple.sjv.io%2Fc%2F221109%2F695041%2F7636%3FsubId1%3DUUimUvbUpU2863303%26subId2%3Dvbim%26u%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.apple.com%252Fca%252Fshop%252Fproduct%252FFJLT2LL%252FA%252Frefurbished-154-inch-macbook-pro-25ghz-quad-core-intel-i7-with-retina-display&token=LAlaEJZq]refurbished area like this 15"[/URL]. It will be a fantastic machine with phenomenal speed and will allow you to grow as it is future proofed. I honestly would not consider anything less. It has the SD slot. As you have a 4TB external drive you really don't need a bigger drive as long as you store your files externally.

You could consider new but you will pay a premium price for it and the one I linked for you will run just as fast as the new ones and give you just as long a life as a new one. The good part is you save money. The refurbs are just as good as new if not better and come with the same warranty as new. Plus you can extend the warranty for another 2 years with Applecare.

Hope this info helps you with your decision.

 

[25Nicole]

I was looking at the MJLT2 new which looks like it's the same description but I'm not sure what's different. But I was told that it's way more than I need as I'm not editing anything near a professional level and if I needed a bigger screen to use my TV.

 

[anon(9602380)]

I was looking at the MJLT2 new which looks like it's the same description but I'm not sure what's different. But I was told that it's way more than I need as I'm not editing anything near a professional level and if I needed a bigger screen to use my TV.

By no means is this overkill for what you will be doing. This is not the type of machine you would use at a pro level. At an advanced level yes. As you become better at editing you will come to appreciate the power of this MBP. In the beginning it will certainly be more than you will need. I was thinking about your skill level at editing and how it will advance. That is when you will come to really appreciate that you got such a machine.

 

[25Nicole]

Oh ok. Sorry a couple more questions. Is there a 13" that would be good? My level will never go past the hobby stage. Also what is your opinion about buying from Ebay or Amazon for this kind of thing?