Getting a machine with a Spinning Disk is an easy upgrade to SSD for less than the apple price difference. On Wed, Nov 29, 2017 at 11:49 PM, David Schwartz wrote: > I’ve been using Macs regularly since I got a 27” iMac back in 2006. > > I’ve had a few Mac Minis, and both them and the old white iMacs could be > opened up (with a little effort) and upgraded. > > Newer stuff is much harder to crack open, although I’m told MBPs can be > upgraded without much trouble by removing their bottom (with the right > screwdriver). > > Personally, I like to buy equipment that’s slightly behind the leading > edge, preferably refurbished, or “nearly new”. > > All MBPs seem tocome now with: quad-core i7, 16GB RAM, and SSDs. > > The variations are: CPU speed, SSD size, and GPU. > > Here’s a tip: you’re going to find the best deals on Apple stuff between > Christmas and around the 5th or so of January on eBay. > > College kids who’ve gotten something the previous semester on a student > discount suddenly have to leave school, or they need to sell their machine > to help pay for school, or something. > > Look for a machine with a “bottom-end” (today) CPU (eg., 2.6GHz i7), 1TB > SSD, and a “bottom-end” GPU, with AppleCare. > > The MSRP on MBPs like this online or at the Apple Store will be around > $3400. If you’re patient, it’s extremly likely you’ll be able to find one > on eBay during this time for $2k give or take a couple hundred, because > these folks just want to pay off the balance they owe after a semester of > use. > > You can also keep your eye on the Apple Refurbished store online. > > https://www.apple.com/shop/browse/home/specialdeals/mac > > > In this case, get a machine that was released 12-18 months ago. You get a > full warranty, you can buy AppleCare, and it’s 15-25% off the original > price. > > Just because someone doesn’t think they need a laptop for its portability > is no reason to avoid them. I keep my 15” MBP sitting on my desk closed > most of the time. I have it connected to a 55” 4k monitor, and I use an > Apple keyboard, Apple trackpad, and a Logitech USB mouse with it. > > Even if money were no object, I’d be hardpressed to think of a better > setup. Maybe a Mac Pro. But I like being able to unplug my MBP and take it > with me any time I might want it. > > BTW, regarding Mac hardware, the biggest two factors in price when it > comes to their machines is: SSD size and CPU speed. > > On the refurb store, 13” MBPs start at $829 with a spinning HD, and those > with SSDs start at $1100. The top-of-the-line 15” is $3569. So there’s a > model for almost any budget! > > -David Schwartz > > > > > On Nov 29, 2017, at 8:43 PM, Mark Phillips > wrote: > > It is time to upgrade my daughter's 2009 Macbook Pro. She does not need > the portability of a laptop as she uses her iPad for that. He home use is > not that demanding, except that she loves to edit her diving and vacation > movies. She could use a Mac mini, as she has a 23" monitor, apple keyboard, > and apple mouse. However, I am not sure there is enough RAM and horsepower > in a Mac mini, so I have been looking at iMacs as well. > > My assumptions are she needs at least 16 GB of RAM and a quad core i7 for > serious video editing (around an hour of 1080p 60 Hz. video when rendered). > Which puts us up around $1400+. Are my assumptions correct, or off base? > What should we be looking at? > > She was a Linux user when she was younger, but then they grow up, go to > college, get a job, get married, and think they know everything....;) (she > ditched Linux in college) > > Thanks! > > Mark > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > > > > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > -- A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button. Stephen