Extra storage for MacBook Pro

Hello,

I am sorry if this is in the wrong thread, but I am still trying to decide which device to go with, so I thought I would post it here.

I am thinking about getting a 2015 rMBP 13" i5/8GB/128GB. I would like to know if you all can offer me advice or suggestions about extra storage. Can I use the SD card slot for "temporary" storage? I want to keep something like a 256GB card in there at all times to store stuff I don't want to store on the SSD.

I figured what I would be using the device for I could go this route. I will be mostly streaming movies, TV shows (although some will be played on the device itself) and games from my main rig via Steam In-Home Streaming and PS4 Remote Play. I will occasionally run Photoshop, Illustrator and Dreamweaver when I am away from my main rig.

On a side note, how is the battery life for this type of usage. I actually trying t compare it to a Surface Pro 3 i7/8GB/256GB.

Thank you in advance for all responses.

 

@testudoaubreii you can put 256GB SD card for $100, though it will be slow compared to SSD. You can also upgrade SSD from OWC, but the prices are very drastic - as expected for Apple stuff. Given your usage scenario, I strongly recommend a tablet - it will be much more comfortable to use.

 

Thank you. What do you think about a Surface pro 3?

 

@testudoaubreii I think it's a great device. (=

 

I actually have the i7 version. I was thinking about getting a 13" MacBook Pro because of battery life and it runs very hot...but at least the heat isn't on my lap lol.

 

@testudoaubreii on Macbook there's no touchscreen, being a notebook watching movies will be far less comfortable, and if you ever read something e.g. books or comics - that'd be a disaster. I'd recommend a Toshiba Portege Z20t because it has fantastic battery life while being very light and overall well-built machine - but it has Core M CPU, i.e. slower than your SP3 and rMBP13. I suggest you fill in the usual form - unless you're 100% sure you want that MBP13.

 

I have a friend who went from an Air to a Surface Book. He is pretty happy about the change.

If you go for a mac, I'd say get the RAM and storage you need/want from the get go or you'll be paying a lot for the SSD and be SOL for the RAM.

 

While the Toshiba Portege Z20t is a nice unit I don't believe the Core m is suitable to run Photoshop, Illustrator and Dreamweaver...

On the SD card side, I would pay the extra $200 on the rMBP 13" to get the 256GB SSD instead. I have a fast 128GB SD in in my rMBP 15 and I rarely use it because the speed is unbearable.

If touch screen is not a deal breaker then the rMPB 13" is something that could fit your needs. It is slightly faster than your Surface Pro 3 and has excellent battery life. If you get a refurbished you could get the 256GB SSD model for less than the cost of the regular priced 128GB SDD model. The refurbished i5 2.9, 8GB, 512GB is like $30 more than the i5 2.7,8GB, 256GB...

 

I know it seems like I am all over the place, but what about a 2014 15" MacBook Pro with i7/16GB/512GB w/750m GPU. What I mean is, how much of a difference is a 2014 model from the 2015 model?

 

Besides the video card (750M in 2014 vs R9 M370X in 2015) and the force touch trackpad there is not much different. You may want to wait as Apple is set to release skylake based rMBP 15 in the near future