Hey everyone! I'm looking at upgrading my 2013 MacBook Pro and getting a newer one. I'll be using it mostly for Logos 8 and with Apple Pages. I'd like to keep the cost around $1500, give or take a little. I'd love any suggestions! Thanks!
I have a few pieces of advice:
1) Try to get a 2018 model. The keyboards on the 2015-17 MacBooks can be prone to problems. The 18's have that fixed.
2) Try to get at least 512 GB SSD. You seem like you like to keep your MacBooks a long time, so this will help with future-proofing.
3) Use the Apple Refurbished Store. You get the same one-year warranty as a new one, and a couple hundred off the price. Most of my macs have been from the Apple Refurbished Store...never regretted it. https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished
4) This is the one that I would get within the constraints of your budget ($200 over). I am not happy with the 8 GB RAM, but to go to 16 would be way over budget. You would save $300 off from new.
I have a few pieces of advice: 3) Use the Apple Refurbished Store. You get the same one-year warranty as a new one, and a couple hundred off the price. Most of my macs have been from the Apple Refurbished Store...never regretted it. https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished
I can't recommend Apple refurbished computers enough. They come in a white box, but they look brand new. It is definitely the way to go.
Thanks Levi and Bill! I appreciate it. Long story short, since it's exclusively for my church study, I found out my budget is a little higher (very thankful!). What would you say about this one? Refurbished-154-inch-MacBook-Pro-22GHz-6-core-Intel-Core-i7-with-Retina-display-Space-Gray
If you are confident that the SSD is big enough, that's a fine choice. I have a 2016 15" MacBook Pro, and I really like the extra screen space.
If your 2013 MacBook Pro has a SSD that is still big enough for you, then I don't see a need for an upgrade. When I upgraded from my 2013 MacBook Pro to the 2017 model, I did not notice that big a performance improvement for Logos.
Armin
Thanks, Armin, I did think the same thing, but it's annoying that my battery is weak and I can't use it very long without a power cord. Also, I heard going from 8GB RAM to 16GB RAM and moving to a 8-core i7 with dedicated graphics will make things much faster. Logos 8 runs fine on my 2013 MBP, but it does lag a little. I also figure now is a good time to sell my 2013 MBP since the battery does hold a little charge. But I don't totally disagree with you!
Hi Shane,
Sure, things will be faster. But probably not as much as you hope. I expected a more noticeable increase of speed. If this was not also my work computer (i.e, work paid for it), I would have regretted having spent so much money for an insignificant increase in speed.
Having said this: If you have battery problems, this certainly is a big argument.
Thanks Armin. Good point. I will lower my expectations for speed! And if I do upgrade, I'll miss the magsafe power cord and the USB ports. It's not a totally easy decision! I guess what sways me is the fact that right now since my 2013 MBP is running strong (minus a bad battery), I can sell it for a decent price. This might not be the case in 8 or 12 months. It's sort of a game I suppose! Thanks for comments - I do listen!
