Which MacBook Pro should I get?

Report · Jul 10, 2023

I've been given permission to upgrade my laptop (moving away from a Dell laptop that isn't powerful enough to run Adobe) at work so my boss wants to know which computer I'd like. I've used a MacBook Pro 13 in the past and was please with how well it handled the Adobe programs. Is this still the best option? Is there anything specific I need to make sure it has? I run a lot of InDesign, some photoshop, and dabble in Illustrator.

Report · Jul 10, 2023

Pick up a MacBook with 16GB Ram and you should be fine as per my experience. If you can purchase a M1 instead of an Intel then it would be great.

-Manan

Report · Jul 10, 2023

Having a Dell computer, or simpler, a Windows PC - is not a bad thing, they are far cheaper than Macs.

But it comes down to Specs of the laptop - it's likely the Dell was under spec'd.

For Macs - it comes down to how much they're will to spend - guess that goes for Windows PC laptops too.

For me a 13 inch screen is too small - so I'd be aiming for the 16inch.

For Mac - you're locked into everything you buy - there are no upgrade paths for the SSD or the RAM.

So it's down to how much willing to spend.

16gb is a minimum these days, I'd be aiming for 32gb for longevity - (as said earlier you can't upgrade RAM in the a Mac).

And at least a 1TB drive.

But these additional things drive the price of the Mac up exponentially.

(Even the new 15inch MacBook air only allows you up to 24gb - why???)
If I do these things it brings the price up to €2,569.00

And this PC comes in at €1785
Intel® Core™ i9 14 Core Processor 13900H (5.4GHz Turbo)
32GB PCS PRO SODIMM DDR5 4800MHz (1 x 32GB)
NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 4050 - 6.0GB GDDR6 Video RAM - DirectX® 12.1
1TB SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2, PCIe NVMe (up to 3500MB/R, 3300MB/W)

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I'm in no way telling you which computer to get Mac or PC.

If you want to get the Mac - the price is going to be probably €2,500+ for something that equals longevity.

Nothing wrong with that.

And it also comes down to what software you use - if you're already on Windows you might have Windows specific software that you already use, or maybe connectivity to a Windows server is preferred (Mac compliance over Windows servers can be tricky).

Either way - you can get a Windows PC just as powerful for a lot less money (I feel) and more upgradeable options over time.

Or you can get a Mac that will be absolutely fine - but you'll pay more for the same things - but gives you better longevity.