Choosing the Right MacBook For You

With the new MacBook Air the MacBook line is stable for the next few months, making this a good time to buy a new MacBook. But which one is right for you? The MacBook is the lightest, the MacBook Air is the least expensive and good middle-ground, and the MacBook Pro is the most powerful with several major options. There are several factors that can help you decide. You should always make a trip to a store to compare them for yourself as there is no substitute for hands-on experience.

Comments: 11 Responses to “Choosing the Right MacBook For You”

    Dave Hall
    6 years ago

    RAW photo editing- you did not mention this. My 2015 iMac with 8GB of RAM struggles with my 12 MP RAW photo files, especially if I am playing with HDR images. These days not many cameras have much less than 20MP files sizes, so some advice on the best devices would be helpful.

    6 years ago

    Dave: Well, I do say that pro graphics work will benefit from a good GPU, even mentioning images. And processing RAW photos certainly falls under that. It sounds like a good reason to choose a MacBook Pro if working with RAW images is what you do. Most users would not be working with RAW images so it wouldn't be a good reason to spend more money/carry more weight.

    Mac Carter
    6 years ago

    Good review, Gary. One aspect that I think is important to consider that you did not mention is the new keyboard and trackpad on new Macbook Air and Macbook Pro. The keyboard in particular is quite controversial -- it has different key spacing and feels quite different to use. Some people like it and some hate it.

    mark zborowski
    6 years ago

    Hi Gary- Great video as usual. I have been going back and forth between a MBP15 and the new Mac-Mini. I do photography (raw) and web design. Hoping you can weigh in as the MBP15 has a good GPU and the Mac-Mini does not. Looking at plug-in GPUs for the Mini, they are in the $1k range, so negates the price differential.

    Thanks Mark z

    6 years ago

    Mark: The difference between a Mac mini and a MacBook Pro is very fundamental: One sits on your desk and the other can come with you (travel, meetings, coffee, living room, etc). That's a huge deal. But if you NEVER need to take it with you, then I guess you can compare it to the Mac mini. But add the price of a good UHD display that matches the 15-inch MBP too. I would go into the Apple store with a few of your raw photos (maybe on your iPhone to AirDrop) and try working with them on each.

    Daniel
    6 years ago

    Hi Gary, I have a 2017 13" MacBook Pro with two thunderbolt ports. These are not enough for me. I bought a Char Jen Pro hub to add more ports. But this hub hangs down from one of the MB thunderbolt ports and occasionally loses contact with the MBt. It is a hassle when it disconnects external hard drives, for instance. Wonder if you can recommend a better hub. Thanks for this useful video.

    6 years ago

    Daniel: Sorry, I don't have a recommendation since I don't use one. I rarely plug anything into my MacBook Pro other than power. Just read reviews and take a chance with another one.

    Lee
    6 years ago

    I’m replacing a MacBook Pro 13 from 2011 because it won’t take Mojave. How long can I expect a new MacBook to last before it can no longer upgrade the OS?

    6 years ago

    Lee: Well, there's no way to tell for sure, of course. But if you look at the requirements for Mojave, they are all 2012 machines. So that's 6 years. But High Sierra worked on 2009 and 2010 machines, so that was 7-8 years. So using that to guess, it would be between 6-8 years. Of course you can still use a Mac well beyond that, and Apple still provides security updates for one or two versions back of macOS. A 2008 iMac and MacBook Pro still get regular use in my house.

    Signe
    6 years ago

    Can the MacBook Pro With the GPU of 640 be upgraded to the 655 and what is the difference?

    6 years ago

    Signe: If you look on Apple's site, you can see the configurations of the MacBook Pro. One model comes with the 655.

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