macbook pro help

beachBOYken · 11 Jul 2015 at 15:01

hi

I was interested in getting a imac 21" to replace my ageing windows desktop but I have no idea when a refresh is due.

I have thought about getting a macbook pro instead, they cost a lot but It may suit me better as I can move around with it, even though it will stay in one place most of the time.

Just need to ask a few things.

Does the macbook pro have connectivity for usb printers and wired internet?

Also is it possible to add a keyboard/mice so its easier when sitting at a desk?

Also out of both the 15" macbooks with retina display is there a big difference was thinking maybe the cheaper one with the intel iris graphics but with 512gb flash storage or should I just pay the extra which has 512gb storage and a better gpu?

many thanks

Biz.Kid09 · 11 Jul 2015 at 17:00

Yes, Yes and there is a difference if you require the extra graphics power to play more demanding games. If not then don't worry about it.

momo56 · 11 Jul 2015 at 17:07

You would need a thunderbolt to ethernet adapter for wired internet. It's £25 on the the apple site.

The better GPU option is about £80 more. There's also an app where you can switch between the iris and the amd gpu.

beachBOYken · 11 Jul 2015 at 17:11

I think I will just get the cheaper 15" maybe as I won't play games on it. I probably won't make much use of the pro performance really but I want the bigger screen and a laptop that will give me longevity.

Thanks for the heads up on the adapter.

MagicBoy · 12 Jul 2015 at 15:08

All modern macs have onboard Bluetooth and that's my preferred option for input devices. Proprietary USB wireless dongles do my nut in!

As above the Apple Thunderbolt Ethernet adaptor works well. There are slightly cheaper USB options but the drivers are not built in to OS X for most.

The_Abyss · 12 Jul 2015 at 23:19

I can't think why you want to replace a desktop with a laptop, especially when you really wanted a desktop and when, in this case, the base price of the desktop (21.5 iMac) starts at £899 compared to the 15 MacBook Pro at £700 more than that.

Are you really expecting that much of a jump in performance / specification for the next generation of iMacs?

beachBOYken · 13 Jul 2015 at 09:39

The_Abyss said:
I can't think why you want to replace a desktop with a laptop, especially when you really wanted a desktop and when, in this case, the base price of the desktop (21.5 iMac) starts at £899 compared to the 15 MacBook Pro at £700 more than that.

Are you really expecting that much of a jump in performance / specification for the next generation of iMacs?

Hi

Yeah I was just taking it into consideration but on more thought maybe a laptop is a bit of a dumb idea when I don't need the portability.
I'm just going to hold out as I keep reading rumours of possible refreshes on the 21.5 soon.

What I really want is a retina display, which is why I thought of the rmbp and the 27" 5k is a bit big.

I hope the 21.5 gets a retina display, I'm not expecting any other huge jumps in performance but if I bought a 21.5 now and a month later a retina version was announced I would be a bit annoyed.

So I've decided to wait a bit longer!

thepominlaw · 13 Jul 2015 at 12:48

beachBOYken said:
I think I will just get the cheaper 15" maybe as I won't play games on it. I probably won't make much use of the pro performance really but I want the bigger screen and a laptop that will give me longevity.

Thanks for the heads up on the adapter.

I went for the base 15" retina, best decision i ever made.