[WildCatStud333]

My HP I've had for the past 6 years just went out. Looking at this Apple MacBook Pro Intel Core i5 13.3" Display 4GB Memory 500GB Hard Drive Silver MD101LLA - Best Buy. Is it still worth it since it's the 2012 model??? Can afford the high GB Mac. Don't want the low GB Mac. Would like to hear your opinions. If that one is not worth it I'm looking to get a PC laptop. I'm really liking this one Dell Inspiron 15.6" 4K Ultra HD TouchScreen Laptop Intel Core i7 12GB Memory 1TB Hard Drive Silver I7548-7130SLV - Best Buy. Tell me what you think. I'd appreciate it.

[Algus]

Hi,

I do not recommend the pre-retina Macbook. It is very expensive for what you are getting. If you wish to save money on a new (to you) Mac it is better to hunt for a used system than buy this computer at list price.

Your linked Windows laptop will sport a (much) slower but more spacious HDD and will not have very good battery life but overall it is a solid system that will perform work well and be moderately capable for gaming (if that is a thing you are interested in). Keep in mind that it is a very large and heavy computer. I personally do not like laptop computers this large but the 15.6'' form factor is quite popular so if size is a non-issue for you it is a very good system.

What is your budget and what tasks do you expect from your computer?

[Rob Phillips]

My HP I've had for the past 6 years just went out. Looking at this Apple MacBook Pro Intel Core i5 13.3" Display 4GB Memory 500GB Hard Drive Silver MD101LLA - Best Buy. Is it still worth it since it's the 2012 model??? Can afford the high GB Mac. Don't want the low GB Mac. Would like to hear your opinions. If that one is not worth it I'm looking to get a PC laptop. I'm really liking this one Dell Inspiron 15.6" 4K Ultra HD TouchScreen Laptop Intel Core i7 12GB Memory 1TB Hard Drive Silver I7548-7130SLV - Best Buy. Tell me what you think. I'd appreciate it.

Seems a bit steep for an older MacBook. What are you going to be using it for? You might want to check out Apple Certified Refurbished. There are some pretty good deals on some newer models.


Sent from my iPhone 6s Plus using Tapatalk

[WildCatStud333]

Hi,

I do not recommend the pre-retina Macbook. It is very expensive for what you are getting. If you wish to save money on a new (to you) Mac it is better to hunt for a used system than buy this computer at list price.

Your linked Windows laptop will sport a (much) slower but more spacious HDD and will not have very good battery life but overall it is a solid system that will perform work well and be moderately capable for gaming (if that is a thing you are interested in). Keep in mind that it is a very large and heavy computer. I personally do not like laptop computers this large but the 15.6'' form factor is quite popular so if size is a non-issue for you it is a very good system.

What is your budget and what tasks do you expect from your computer?

$1000. No gaming. Pretty much browsing the web backing my phone up. I was gonna get one of the new Macs in my price range but it only has 128GB of storage that is definitely not enough.

[Rob Phillips]

$1000. No gaming. Pretty much browsing the web backing my phone up. I was gonna get one of the new Macs in my price range but it only has 128GB of storage that is definitely not enough.

If you're looking for something to back your phone up and play games you shouldn't need all that much storage capacity. Go with a 256GB SSD. You'll notice a huge difference in performance compared to a traditional HDD.


Sent from my iPhone 6s Plus using Tapatalk

[WildCatStud333]

If you're looking for something to back your phone up and play games you shouldn't need all that much storage capacity. Go with a 256GB SSD. You'll notice a huge difference in performance compared to a traditional HDD.


Sent from my iPhone 6s Plus using Tapatalk

I'd like to but it's out of price range.

[WildCatStud333]

I'm thinking about just getting this one for real. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-15-6-...&skuId=4221600

[Algus]

If you just need a web browser and something to use as a backup, that basic HP will do the trick. If you want to get a Macbook for sure, a basic Air is fairly cheap on the refurb store.

RE: Your concerns about 128 GB storage not being enough. I would look into something external. OWC Mercury On The Go is a nice basic shell that is going to be good for travel. USB 3 gives quite good data transfer performance.

The reason to take these low capacity flash storage drives over that HP's 1 TB drive is that the performance gains are ~significant~ You could also do your own swap on the HP and install a flash drive down the road but IMO it is less of a nuisance to have the external shell because then you can easily swap it from computer to computer and since the shell takes a drive of your own choosing, you can upgrade what you are using easily as well.

[donnation]

I would take a look at Apple's refurbished stock of Macbook Airs. When you buy a refurbished model from them its just like buying a brand new one as the outer shell has been replaced if there was damage and it comes with the same warranty you'd get if you bought a new one from Apple with the ability to add AppleCare on it just like a new one. You can find them here: Refurbished MacBook Air 13" - Apple Certified Refurbished Notebook Computers - Apple

[robertk328]

The reason to take these low capacity flash storage drives over that HP's 1 TB drive is that the performance gains are ~significant~ You could also do your own swap on the HP and install a flash drive down the road but IMO it is less of a nuisance to have the external shell because then you can easily swap it from computer to computer and since the shell takes a drive of your own choosing, you can upgrade what you are using easily as well.

I updated the hard drive in my Mac Mini to SSD and the speed change was dramatic. Was looking to replace it (it's a 2011) but now I get a few more years out of it as it feels new.