For college used macbook or new pc laptop

[krisis32]

Hello there,
I can't decide which computer to buy. I will use it to write documents, photoshop, ios/android/web development
I need it for college. Options:

USED - MacBook Pro 13" Mid 2012
i5 2.5ghz
256gb ssd
8g ram

NEW - Lenovo IdeaPad G50-80
i5-5200U 2.2ghz
1tb hdd
8gb ram

The used macbook is from my friend and she has used it really carefully. No scratches, battery health: Original max - 5770mah Current max - 5416mah Cycles 603

Or I should invest in new mac, but I will only use it in class. In room I use my main computer.
I really like osx and ios how easy to use it is.

In Europe apple is not so popular, but I really enjoy my iphone and ipad. They are really easy to use products and that's what I expect from macbook.

Thanks in advance!

 

[TechyInAZ]

If all you do is just email, type stuff up, and web browse then the MacBook is still good for that.

 

[krisis32]

If all you do is just email, type stuff up, and web browse then the MacBook is still good for that.

Thanks for reply.
I am just scared if the macbook will be able to handle sublime text editor, chrome with few tabs open and spotify at the same time.

I just checked Macbook Air latest model brand new 13 inch retina display, but will I be able to upgrade to 8gb of ram on my own? Also will it be able to handle light photoshop usage?

 

[TechyInAZ]

Doubtful but I'm not sure 100%. The Air models are really thin and thin laptops rarely have upgradability.

 

[0x1eef]

Macbook Pro, of course.
I can do development (Xcode, Atom + 2 Vagrant machines) with Chrome running, Skype, Twitter & small stuff without hiccups on a 5yo MBP. It's still in one piece and it's 2x weaker on CPU & SSD than the new 12in Macbook.

To reply to your second post: a) there's no retina Air. You're talking about either retina Pro 13 or Air 13, and b) Macbooks from 2013 and later aren't upgradable (RAM for sure).

 

[krisis32]

Macbook Pro, of course.
I can do development (Xcode, Atom + 2 Vagrant machines) with Chrome running, Skype, Twitter & small stuff without hiccups on a 5yo MBP. It's still in one piece and it's 2x weaker on CPU & SSD than the new 12in Macbook.

To reply to your second post: a) there's no retina Air. You're talking about either retina Pro 13 or Air 13, and b) Macbooks from 2013 and later aren't upgradable (RAM for sure).

Thanks! That's really helpful!
I have never owned a mac so it's going to be interesting to get used to.

Can anyone tell me about the battery on the used mac? Is 603 cycles a lot? I am not sure if it will last me four more years.
I could buy 2014 macbook air (MJVE2), but I'm not sure if it will handle light photoshop usage and coding. Also why I am thinking about a new one is because of resale value. As I have seen Apple products don't lose their value over time compared to pc laptops.

Thanks to everyone who have replied, super helpful!!
p.s. Sorry for my english

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Text editors and web browsers are not that intense.

 

[0x1eef]

Text editors and web browsers are not that intense.

Text editors - yes (though Atom on HDD was hard to bear), browsers - not so much, depends on the website.

 

[0x1eef]

Thanks! That's really helpful!
I have never owned a mac so it's going to be interesting to get used to.

Can anyone tell me about the battery on the used mac? Is 603 cycles a lot? I am not sure if it will last me four more years.
I could buy 2014 macbook air (MJVE2), but I'm not sure if it will handle light photoshop usage and coding. Also why I am thinking about a new one is because of resale value. As I have seen Apple products don't lose their value over time compared to pc laptops.

Thanks to everyone who have replied, super helpful!!
p.s. Sorry for my english

1. 600 cycles is a lot. I'm confident that my MBP would survive 1000 cycles (it's past 900 now) but don't expect stellar battery life. I'd wager 3-4 hours.
2. Air will handle coding, however I'd recommend Air only if you need long battery life and don't have a budget for 13" retina MBPro because Pro has great screen (Photoshop) and great battery life.

Also, you'd better ensure 2 things when buying Air/Pro: 1) 8GB of RAM min and 2) Enough storage (I'd recommend 256GB)

Can you post the specs of that 2014 Air? Because I haven't been able to determine the exact config from MJVE2 number.

 

[krisis32]

Thanks! That's really helpful!
I have never owned a mac so it's going to be interesting to get used to.

Can anyone tell me about the battery on the used mac? Is 603 cycles a lot? I am not sure if it will last me four more years.
I could buy 2014 macbook air (MJVE2), but I'm not sure if it will handle light photoshop usage and coding. Also why I am thinking about a new one is because of resale value. As I have seen Apple products don't lose their value over time compared to pc laptops.

Thanks to everyone who have replied, super helpful!!
p.s. Sorry for my english

1. 600 cycles is a lot. I'm confident that my MBP would survive 1000 cycles (it's past 900 now) but don't expect stellar battery life. I'd wager 3-4 hours.
2. Air will handle coding, however I'd recommend Air only if you need long battery life and don't have a budget for 13" retina MBPro because Pro has great screen (Photoshop) and great battery life.

Also, you'd better ensure 2 things when buying Air/Pro: 1) 8GB of RAM min and 2) Enough storage (I'd recommend 256GB)

Can you post the specs of that 2014 Air? Because I haven't been able to determine the exact config from MJVE2 number.

Battery life is important to me, because I will have to be in classes all day and I need it to last. I will not live in dorms, so I won't have a near place to charge it.

I was looking at MBP, but it is out of my budget range.
I checked the website, and the Air model is on apples website 13" version. It does not have 4gb of ram, but can it be upgraded later by apple service or it can only be chosen when purchasing the model?

 

[0x1eef]

RAM is soldered on new Macbooks, Airs included. You can't upgrade later. Choose right amount when buying.

 

[krisis32]

RAM is soldered on new Macbooks, Airs included. You can't upgrade later. Choose right amount when buying.

I will see if they have it in stock here. I would go for MBP, but it's out of my price range as college is expensive and I don't have that much money left to spend.

I stumbled across Dell XP13 non touch and it seems to have a good battery. It's also a bit cheaper.
Is it any good? I don't know if it's price after a year or two will be good enough to sell and buy something else. Because pc laptops tend to lose their value over time.

 

[0x1eef]

I stumbled across Dell XP13 non touch and it seems to have a good battery. It's also a bit cheaper.
Is it any good? I don't know if it's price after a year or two will be good enough to sell and buy something else. Because pc laptops tend to lose their value over time.

Researched it heavily for a couple of month - very problematic. Multiple threads on Dell forum & Reddit about bad touchpad drivers, fan noise, wi-fi problems, sometimes even display flickers. Won't recommend.

 

[krisis32]

I stumbled across Dell XP13 non touch and it seems to have a good battery. It's also a bit cheaper.
Is it any good? I don't know if it's price after a year or two will be good enough to sell and buy something else. Because pc laptops tend to lose their value over time.

Researched it heavily for a couple of month - very problematic. Multiple threads on Dell forum & Reddit about bad touchpad drivers, fan noise, wi-fi problems, sometimes even display flickers. Won't recommend.

Okay, thanks for such fast reply! I hope that I will be able to get 8gb air version, but is it still worth buying 4gb version if they don't have it? I hope 4gb will be anough for coding,writing,spotify,web browsing with three or four tabs open.

 

[0x1eef]

Okay, thanks for such fast reply! I hope that I will be able to get 8gb air version, but is it still worth buying 4gb version if they don't have it? I hope 4gb will be enough for coding,writing, spotify,web browsing with three or four tabs open.

IMO, 4GB isn't enough nowadays. The moment you start some IDE (especially written in Java, which means most of them) or want to fire up VM, you're going to regret it.

 

[krisis32]

Okay, thanks for such fast reply! I hope that I will be able to get 8gb air version, but is it still worth buying 4gb version if they don't have it? I hope 4gb will be enough for coding,writing, spotify,web browsing with three or four tabs open.

IMO, 4GB isn't enough nowadays. The moment you start some IDE (especially written in Java, which means most of them) or want to fire up VM, you're going to regret it.

I know it's not enough, but should I still get it if they don't have 8gb option or look for used macbook with 8gb ram?

 

[0x1eef]

I know it's not enough, but should I still get it if they don't have 8gb option or look for used macbook with 8gb ram?

I think you'll be able to find 8GB Air. But if not, then whether to buy used or not is up ti you. I just advice against 4GB models.

 

[krisis32]

I know it's not enough, but should I still get it if they don't have 8gb option or look for used macbook with 8gb ram?

I think you'll be able to find 8GB Air. But if not, then whether to buy used or not is up ti you. I just advice against 4GB models.

Alright! Huge thanks for helping me!