Will a Macbook 2015 suit my needs?

Hello everyone,

lately I am looking to get a new ultraportable laptop and I have my eye on the new macbook 12' 2015.

I have to admit that I really like it, but the M processor is something that makes me think if it will cover my needs or in the long run it will frustrate me with slow loading times and speed.

The thing is that I don't intend to do any heavy work on it.

What I need:

• A lot of writing (blogging and office stuff)
• Heavy internet browsing (15-20 tabs open at the same time)(this will be my main task)
• Light image editing for blog posts with photoshop and some editing on photos from my mobile. (nothing professional or RAW photo sizes)
• Movie streaming 1080p
• Watching some online classes (videos & interactive exercises)
• Maybe some coding (nothing fancy - still learning)
• Need as good battery life as possible (would love 6-7+ hours )
• lightweight and ultraportable, as I will be carrying it every day from and to work and from and to my gf's house

I won't be doing any of the following:

• gaming
• 4k streaming
• video editing
• heavy image editing (RAW files, etc.)
• graphic design

At the moment I have a Surface Pro 3 which is more than powerful enough to cover all my needs BUT the batterry life on that is not enough for me and honestly the hinge is not the best for lap use at least for me.

Furthermore I was thinking of witching to Mac OS since the main thing I want it for is blogging, writing, and heavy internet browsing. I don't game so windows is not a necessity.

What do you guys thing?

Should I get one? Will it be ok for what I need it?

Anyone else with similar needs with me that owns a macbook?

thank you in advance.

 

While the new MacBook would be OK for what you intend to do, a refurbished 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display would be a much better investment. Refurbs purchased from Apple carry the same warranty as new models, and they are also eligible for AppleCare.

 

The thing is that I like the weight and the smaller form factor of the 12' macbook. The 13,3 mbp will be heavier and larger. Furthermore I live in Greece. The apple resellers here don't sale refurbished items unfortunately.

I haven't even found any official online store in Europe that sells refurbished Apple items. I am not sure about the UK store and the EU customs policy. UK is weird in these matters

If only the air had a retina screen; I can't go by with 768p I just can't, otherwise a macbook air would be the best solution for me. Oh please Apple why don't you upgrade air with a retina screen....

 

I'd really try to avoid the 12inch MacBook's as much as possible. The 13 inch Retina screen laptops are really not that heavy and they're fantastic laptops.

While the 12 inch MacBook would probably work for what you want it for, I always recommend buying something a little more powerful then what you think you're going to use it for. If you're paying that much for a laptop you might as well buy something that's going to last.

 

I guess you're right. I'll then try to look for a great condition used MBP because I can't find refurbished here and the new MBP with a decent configuration is somewhat outside my budget.

thank you

 

Glad I could help!

That is one of the downsides of Apple Products, they hold their resale value much longer then other computers (Phones also), so it's hard to find a good deal on an older one.

Do you have a craigslist/eBay option in your country? Any type of online classifieds you could maybe find one locally and avoid any extra shipping/tax fees?

 

Would also recommending avoiding the Macbook. Compared to the Retina Pro it is awful. And the battery is not much better than on the Surface Pro.

 

There are so many other notebooks that can suit your needs for like half the price but if battery life is your thing and you like osx then a mbp 13 is for you.

 

better battery life found in other units as well.

 

I have a coworker with the MacBook 12 inch and he loves it and it's replaced a lot of his other systems - he said that he finds that he's using his Mac Pros and MacBook Pros less and less. He does development, writing and web-surfing though I think that that your requirements (particularly the number of tabs that you're running) indicate a Retina MacBook Pro.

I used to use an 8-pound MacBook Pro from 2008 and this was my daily driver. I've moved to a 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro at about 4.5 pounds and it's a lot lighter and thinner than my previous model. These things really don't weigh that much in a backpack and your body gets used to more or less weight.