Help me choose a MacBook
I’m not very computer literate, at all. And these are questions that I can’t find definitive answers for on google, it seems everyone has a different opinion on how much longer 8gb ram will be good and such.
But anyways, my Mac will be used mostly for basic internet things (YouTube, google, word, etc.) I also do filmmaking on the side for fun, as well as photography. I plan on getting into music production and a little bit of graphic design as well once I get the computer. Since I do this stuff as more of a hobby I don’t need a super beefy rig, just something that will get the job done with no struggles.
My questions are, what is the bare minimum CPU I could get? I read that you need at least a 2.3ghz but I also read the the MacBook Air 2018 can run the same softwares, just can’t be pushed as hard. Will it be worthwhile to get a 2016/2017 Mac just for the dedicated graphics card? I know I could get a 2015 with 16gb ram and 256gb storage but I don’t have the money for those specs on the newer ones so I have to make some sacrifices. And finally, is 8gb ram going to be a really bad idea in 2-3 years, because that’s how long I’ll be holding onto this machine for sure. My budget is $1400, but that’s because I’ve been looking at the Apple Refurbished products.
Thank you in advance for any support.
Posted Apr 5, 2019, 3:48 PM UTC
You should look into either a 2018 MacBook Air or a 2017 MacBook Pro non-touch bar model.
These two are at the top of my list actually. I’ve been looking at them on the apple refurbished site. Do you think a 2018 Air would be powerful enough for my needs, and will 8gb ram be good for another 2-3 years?
The Air's UHD 617 GPU is 40-80% slower than the Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 GPU in the 2017 13" MacBook Pro, and the CPU is 10-15% slower. The MacBook Pro display is also 200 nits brighter.
8GB of RAM should be fine, but you're going to want the Pro if you're doing any serious video or photo editing.
Also at that point, would a 2016pro ntb be just as good? It’s the same price as a Air but with a better screen, graphics card and CPU but with a worse keyboard, right?
The 2018 Air has a better keyboard than that 2016 ntb Pro. But yes, the ntb Pro does have the superior display. It does have a better processor as well, however both of them are still dual core.
Out of the two I’d probably get the Air so I don’t have to worry about the keyboard as much and the Touch ID, as well as the T2 chip. Is the Air covered under the 4 year keyboard warranty though?
Sorry I’m just hitting you with a bunch more questions, but thank you for your advice.
In my opinion I think you should go with the Air as well. And yes, the 2018 models will likely be added onto Apple’s 4 year keyboard warranty program along with the other 2016 and 2017 models.
Don't worry about the keyboard, the 3rd generation seems to be just as failure prone as the second generation was.
Well before I get into that, how often would you be video editing? Would you be using Final Cut? Also, do you plan to edit mainly 1080p or 4K footage?
Video editing would actually be done the least out of photo editing and music production. All footage would be shot in 1080 and one of the biggest reasons I want a Mac is for Final Cut and Logic both.
That’d definitely be doable with a 2018 Air I’d say.
I wouldn’t recommend anyone a Mac with the butterfly keyboard. Better just hold off and see what’s in store for 2019