MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina? Forum

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wilt

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by wilt » Mon May 09, 2016 6:48 pm

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Last edited by wilt on Tue Jun 21, 2016 5:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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RZ5646

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by RZ5646 » Mon May 09, 2016 7:30 pm

twokings wrote:Considering how heavy law books are, why has nobody suggested the Macbook Air? I was expecting to have a desktop at home and use the Air for notes in class. Am I on the wrong plan?
The Air is great except for the display. The battery life is incredible. Even after years of use, mine would last all day on a single charge; never needing to search for an outlet on campus—or even to pack my charger—was convenient. If you have cash to spare and don't mind a low-quality screen, it would be a good choice.

However, if you just want something for notes and exams, why not get a small, lightweight Windows laptop? You could get essentially the same functionality for 50-80% less money. Of course, it won't be as powerful or as attractive, but if it's not your primary machine, who cares?

ETA Regarding waiting for an update in the summer:

The MBP updates will probably be limited to minor things like slightly faster / more efficient processors. At most, they might add USB type C ports, and honestly I'd be surprised if even that happened. Having the latest and greatest is great, but for many people, snagging the outgoing models on sale at Best Buy will be a better deal. If you instead wait and buy a new model after WWDC, you'll most likely pay up to $400 more for imperceptible advantages.

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by dabigchina » Mon May 09, 2016 7:40 pm

RZ5646 wrote:
twokings wrote:Considering how heavy law books are, why has nobody suggested the Macbook Air? I was expecting to have a desktop at home and use the Air for notes in class. Am I on the wrong plan?
The Air is great except for the display. The battery life is incredible. Even after years of use, mine would last all day on a single charge; never needing to search for an outlet on campus—or even to pack my charger—was convenient. If you have cash to spare and don't mind a low-quality screen, it would be a good choice.

However, if you just want something for notes and exams, why not get a small, lightweight Windows laptop? You could get essentially the same functionality for 50-80% less money. Of course, it won't be as powerful or as attractive, but if it's not your primary machine, who cares?
As much as I love windows, be aware that some test software do not play nice with windows. People have issues with Softest and ExamSoft.

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by haus » Mon May 09, 2016 7:43 pm

dabigchina wrote:
RZ5646 wrote:
twokings wrote:Considering how heavy law books are, why has nobody suggested the Macbook Air? I was expecting to have a desktop at home and use the Air for notes in class. Am I on the wrong plan?
The Air is great except for the display. The battery life is incredible. Even after years of use, mine would last all day on a single charge; never needing to search for an outlet on campus—or even to pack my charger—was convenient. If you have cash to spare and don't mind a low-quality screen, it would be a good choice.

However, if you just want something for notes and exams, why not get a small, lightweight Windows laptop? You could get essentially the same functionality for 50-80% less money. Of course, it won't be as powerful or as attractive, but if it's not your primary machine, who cares?
As much as I love windows, be aware that some test software do not play nice with windows. People have issues with Softest and ExamSoft.
Well to be fair, everyone occasionally has issue with this this software because it is crap.

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by dabigchina » Mon May 09, 2016 10:57 pm

haus wrote:
dabigchina wrote:
RZ5646 wrote:
twokings wrote:Considering how heavy law books are, why has nobody suggested the Macbook Air? I was expecting to have a desktop at home and use the Air for notes in class. Am I on the wrong plan?
The Air is great except for the display. The battery life is incredible. Even after years of use, mine would last all day on a single charge; never needing to search for an outlet on campus—or even to pack my charger—was convenient. If you have cash to spare and don't mind a low-quality screen, it would be a good choice.

However, if you just want something for notes and exams, why not get a small, lightweight Windows laptop? You could get essentially the same functionality for 50-80% less money. Of course, it won't be as powerful or as attractive, but if it's not your primary machine, who cares?
As much as I love windows, be aware that some test software do not play nice with windows. People have issues with Softest and ExamSoft.
Well to be fair, everyone occasionally has issue with this this software because it is crap.
Yeah but the people I see with issues are almost always people with Windows Laptops. Don't get me wrong, I hate using a Mac. The peace of mind is just 100% worth it.

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by bearsfan23 » Tue May 10, 2016 12:50 am

dabigchina wrote:
RZ5646 wrote:
twokings wrote:Considering how heavy law books are, why has nobody suggested the Macbook Air? I was expecting to have a desktop at home and use the Air for notes in class. Am I on the wrong plan?
The Air is great except for the display. The battery life is incredible. Even after years of use, mine would last all day on a single charge; never needing to search for an outlet on campus—or even to pack my charger—was convenient. If you have cash to spare and don't mind a low-quality screen, it would be a good choice.

However, if you just want something for notes and exams, why not get a small, lightweight Windows laptop? You could get essentially the same functionality for 50-80% less money. Of course, it won't be as powerful or as attractive, but if it's not your primary machine, who cares?
As much as I love windows, be aware that some test software do not play nice with windows. People have issues with Softest and ExamSoft.
This is ridiculous. There are no Examsoft issues that are unique to Windows. I had a Windows computer for law school and had zero exam issues with it.

I'm guessing this was just a weird pro-Mac troll, but its really not helpful.

Don't let some "test software" (all of which is obviously designed for both OS) lie influence your choice OP

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RZ5646

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by RZ5646 » Tue May 10, 2016 9:21 am

I have no experience with exam software, but I'm confident that it would be usable on Windows. Windows is still very popular among students. (In fact, Windows seems to be gaining on OS X now that Microsoft sells the Surface and indisputably rules the laptop/tablet combo world with Windows 10.)

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by haus » Tue May 10, 2016 9:28 am

RZ5646 wrote: (In fact, Windows seems to be gaining on OS X now that Microsoft sells the Surface and indisputably rules the laptop/tablet combo world with Windows 10.)
This is slightly better than Blackberry ruling the market for phones with physical keyboards.

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by dabigchina » Tue May 10, 2016 9:40 am

bearsfan23 wrote:
dabigchina wrote:
RZ5646 wrote:
twokings wrote:Considering how heavy law books are, why has nobody suggested the Macbook Air? I was expecting to have a desktop at home and use the Air for notes in class. Am I on the wrong plan?
The Air is great except for the display. The battery life is incredible. Even after years of use, mine would last all day on a single charge; never needing to search for an outlet on campus—or even to pack my charger—was convenient. If you have cash to spare and don't mind a low-quality screen, it would be a good choice.

However, if you just want something for notes and exams, why not get a small, lightweight Windows laptop? You could get essentially the same functionality for 50-80% less money. Of course, it won't be as powerful or as attractive, but if it's not your primary machine, who cares?
As much as I love windows, be aware that some test software do not play nice with windows. People have issues with Softest and ExamSoft.
This is ridiculous. There are no Examsoft issues that are unique to Windows. I had a Windows computer for law school and had zero exam issues with it.

I'm guessing this was just a weird pro-Mac troll, but its really not helpful.

Don't let some "test software" (all of which is obviously designed for both OS) lie influence your choice OP
Lol ok. I guess the multiple people who I know personally who bought macs after having issues with test software were just pro Mac trolls.

Also strong reading comp bro. Real strong.

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by dabigchina » Tue May 10, 2016 9:42 am

RZ5646 wrote:I have no experience with exam software

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by RZ5646 » Tue May 10, 2016 10:11 am

dabigchina wrote:
RZ5646 wrote:I have no experience with exam software
It just seems very unlikely to me that a school would require software that 25-70% of its students can't use. Windows users aren't outliers.

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by dabigchina » Tue May 10, 2016 3:09 pm

RZ5646 wrote:
dabigchina wrote:
RZ5646 wrote:I have no experience with exam software
It just seems very unlikely to me that a school would require software that 25-70% of its students can't use. Windows users aren't outliers.
Oh they can use it, but there's a non-zero chance that it fucks up halfway through your exam or has trouble loading. Sure you get compensatory time, but it's distracting as fuck to try to finish your exam when the class is all milling after they've finished theirs.

Ask yourself if you want to deal with that level of stress on your first exam of 1L year.

ETA I'm personally going to get a PC for day to day use next year because I can't fucking stand Apple's walled garden approach to computing. However, you can bet your ass I'm keeping my Macbook Pro around for exams.

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by mvp99 » Tue May 10, 2016 3:41 pm

I feel like I would have a seizure if I had to stare at something that's not a high resolution display. Totally worth it.

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by Danny Mothers » Tue May 10, 2016 4:09 pm

dabigchina wrote:
Lol ok. I guess the multiple people who I know personally who bought macs after having issues with test software were just pro Mac trolls.

Also strong reading comp bro. Real strong.
How does this contradict anything. All you have is anecdotal evidence of people who are making the same mistake that you are currently making.

I know plenty of mac users over my three years at law school who had problems with examsoft. I used an old PC laptop for all three years and never had an issue. Examsoft is not perfect and it will continue not to be so regardless of the brand you buy.

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by Loney M. Setnick » Mon May 16, 2016 1:48 am

Just get the MacBook Air. As someone previously mentioned, the battery life is amazing and they're so durable. Mine is 4 years old, but it works like new. I expect to have it for another few years before replacing it. Also, it can handle the processing very well. I use Adobe suite with no problem. I guess the bigger concern is if you need tons of memory. Besides school work and some programs (Microsoft and Adobe suite for ex), I barely store anything. One important thing to consider is the weight of your laptop. I carry my laptop around every day as well as books; I couldn't imagine doing that if I didn't have a Macbook Air. I tried to carry around a MacBook Pro + books for a week and it led to cramped, tense shoulders and back pain. Other laptops generally don't feel heavy on their own, but the weight difference is noticeable once you're carrying everything else you need.

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by RZ5646 » Mon May 16, 2016 1:24 pm

The only problem with the Air is the screen, which is abysmal by 2016 standards. I just upgraded from an Air to a rMBP and the improvement is undeniable. Reading long documents feels so much better.

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by Mikey » Mon May 16, 2016 4:40 pm

I've always debated with myself on whether to get a MBP or an air. The air's battery is better but from the ones that I have checked out, its specs aren't as good as the MBP, which is important to me.

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by politibro44 » Thu May 25, 2017 7:31 pm

I have a MacBook Pro w/ Retina and had SofTest freeze on me multiple times during my last exam period. I am contemplating getting a PC b/c they seem to have fewer problems. Even more confused to hear people having the opposite impression.

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by galadriel3019 » Fri May 26, 2017 8:32 pm

I would say Applecare or similar insurance for any PC is a must. I tend to be skeptical of those types of things... But you will be doing so much important work on your computer that I would say it's a must buy. Always seems like when the biggest deadline is looming something goes wrong with your computer, and you'll be glad you have the support. Happened to me and they were excellent, would have been in a ton of trouble otherwise. I would say it's worth it for the peace of mind alone.

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by conker » Tue Jun 27, 2017 10:53 am

politibro44 wrote:I have a MacBook Pro w/ Retina and had SofTest freeze on me multiple times during my last exam period. I am contemplating getting a PC b/c they seem to have fewer problems. Even more confused to hear people having the opposite impression.
Why don't you just run Windows on your MBP for like $100?
Last edited by conker on Fri Jul 14, 2017 10:38 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Rednala

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by Rednala » Tue Jun 27, 2017 11:06 am

Make sure you go to the store and test drive both before you make a decision. I bought the MacBook online to find out I hate the keyboard. I'm actually very nervous about eventually taking it to law school because I already find it hard to work on it. I've read online that it just takes time to get used to it, but I've had it for 7 months now. Something else to consider is that you can't charge your MacBook and use a USB drive at the same time.

tl;dr - I regret not spending the extra money on the MacBook Pro.

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by 34iplaw » Tue Jun 27, 2017 8:47 pm

Rednala wrote:Make sure you go to the store and test drive both before you make a decision. I bought the MacBook online to find out I hate the keyboard. I'm actually very nervous about eventually taking it to law school because I already find it hard to work on it. I've read online that it just takes time to get used to it, but I've had it for 7 months now. Something else to consider is that you can't charge your MacBook and use a USB drive at the same time.

tl;dr - I regret not spending the extra money on the MacBook Pro.
Macbook Pro has the same keyboard I think. That said, I think they've made improvements. I'm planning to buy a late model high end Macbook Pro pre-butterfly keyboard. It's nonsense made for people who grew up typing on touch screens or something I think... far too little key travel. I find them very difficult to type on.

That said, your ability to type on the keyboard is probably the single most important item for a laptop. SSD is fairly nice. Retina is mostly a marketing gimmick.

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by haus » Tue Jun 27, 2017 9:02 pm

As a MacBook Air user, I will say that working on the low res screen is not that much of a hardship, but after sitting at my 5K desktop screen and then switching back, it does feel odd for a bit.

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by conker » Fri Jul 14, 2017 10:36 am

34iplaw wrote:
Rednala wrote:Make sure you go to the store and test drive both before you make a decision. I bought the MacBook online to find out I hate the keyboard. I'm actually very nervous about eventually taking it to law school because I already find it hard to work on it. I've read online that it just takes time to get used to it, but I've had it for 7 months now. Something else to consider is that you can't charge your MacBook and use a USB drive at the same time.

tl;dr - I regret not spending the extra money on the MacBook Pro.
Macbook Pro has the same keyboard I think. That said, I think they've made improvements. I'm planning to buy a late model high end Macbook Pro pre-butterfly keyboard. It's nonsense made for people who grew up typing on touch screens or something I think... far too little key travel. I find them very difficult to type on.

That said, your ability to type on the keyboard is probably the single most important item for a laptop. SSD is fairly nice. Retina is mostly a marketing gimmick.
The 2017 MacBook has a 2nd generation butterfly keyboard that has more key travel. Check it out.

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Re: MacBook Vs MacBook Pro w/ Retina?

Post by conker » Fri Jul 14, 2017 10:37 am

Rednala wrote:Make sure you go to the store and test drive both before you make a decision. I bought the MacBook online to find out I hate the keyboard. I'm actually very nervous about eventually taking it to law school because I already find it hard to work on it. I've read online that it just takes time to get used to it, but I've had it for 7 months now. Something else to consider is that you can't charge your MacBook and use a USB drive at the same time.

tl;dr - I regret not spending the extra money on the MacBook Pro.
Which MacBook Pro? The 2015 MBPs are looking and feeling like dinosaurs. The 2016+ ones are great.

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