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Help from Apple users spec’ing new laptop
Sep 7, 2019 09:37:37 #
Suggest you review Topaz AI products (Gigapixel, etc). They all require and run better with high memory graphics cards. I think AI is the trending processing software. My 2015 MacBook Pro barely has 2GB graphics and is almost obsolete. I love macs but my next machine for photography will probably be windows desktop that is upgradeable.
Sep 7, 2019 09:44:53 #
Picture Taker
Loc: Michigan Thumb
When I travel I use a small 1/2"X 1TB and/or 1 1/2 TB drive (Size about 1/2"X2"X3"). I Have 8TB drives that stay home.
Sep 7, 2019 11:24:55 #
I have a 2014 Macbook Pro running Mojave. I do a lot of editing in both PS and LR and it handles it like a champ. When I’m not traveling, I have it hooked up to a 24” Dell monitor and a separate keyboard and mouse (hate the trackpad). No ‘dock’ needed. I just keep the laptop on a separate shelf, open a little bit, and it works just like a desktop model.
Sep 7, 2019 11:32:59 #
david vt
Loc: Vermont
Ufauxreal wrote:
I have a 2014 Macbook Pro running Mojave. I do a lot of editing in both PS and LR and it handles it like a champ.....
H@Ufauxreal. Thanks. If it can handle LR/PS, it can handle ON1. Can I ask what processor and how much RAM (dram amp vRAM) you have in your 2014 machine?
Sep 7, 2019 11:40:35 #
Don’t do anything yet. New MacBook may be announced next Week (Mo or Tu). Possibly a 16” model.
Sep 7, 2019 12:10:02 #
kiterwv
Loc: Hagerstown, MD
I would suggest going to a certified Apple dealer, tell them what you want to do, and have them fit the computer to your needs. I use a Mac desktop for working on my photos and a MacBook air to carry into the field. The Macbook Air does not have enough power to use as a primary photo laptop. I bought my granddaughters MacBook Pro's with adequate memory and storage after talking to the dealer. They both do graphics work, and the new Macbook Pro's are really cool and light.
Sep 7, 2019 12:22:28 #
I have used the Mac laptops for years for my photo editing needs. Love them.
I went through 2 generation 17" monitor mac's and was disappointed when I went to get my 3rd one and they only had 15" as the largest. Such is life.
The one I currently have is going on 3 years old. I configured it with the 3.1 ghz core i7 processor, 16 gb memory and a 1 TB SS HD.
The biggest issues I had was the USB-C connection. I bought a bunch of adapters on Amazon but some of them are cheap and eventually come loose and maybe come apart. I ended up buying a PureFix adapter that has two usb-c plugs to go into either side of the Mac and has 2 USB ports, HDMI port and 2 USB-C ports. This has been working well.
I use a WD 8 TB drive mired in a RAID1 configuration to back up everything on the Mac with Carbon Copy cloner software which backs the entire drive. I also use a LaCie 2TB portable drive to back up to for off site storage in in case of fire or disaster.
Since mine is now 3 years old, I'm sure they had more power built in now As the saying goes, get as much RAM as you can afford.
I highly recommend the Apple care program. I jarred my monitor and it needs replaced at a cost of $795.
I went through 2 generation 17" monitor mac's and was disappointed when I went to get my 3rd one and they only had 15" as the largest. Such is life.
The one I currently have is going on 3 years old. I configured it with the 3.1 ghz core i7 processor, 16 gb memory and a 1 TB SS HD.
The biggest issues I had was the USB-C connection. I bought a bunch of adapters on Amazon but some of them are cheap and eventually come loose and maybe come apart. I ended up buying a PureFix adapter that has two usb-c plugs to go into either side of the Mac and has 2 USB ports, HDMI port and 2 USB-C ports. This has been working well.
I use a WD 8 TB drive mired in a RAID1 configuration to back up everything on the Mac with Carbon Copy cloner software which backs the entire drive. I also use a LaCie 2TB portable drive to back up to for off site storage in in case of fire or disaster.
Since mine is now 3 years old, I'm sure they had more power built in now As the saying goes, get as much RAM as you can afford.
I highly recommend the Apple care program. I jarred my monitor and it needs replaced at a cost of $795.
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Sep 7, 2019 12:35:28 #
Leo_B
Loc: Houston suburb
I'm not an Apple guy but things like this always get me curious. I put together the max spec Air and it came to $1899 with 1.6G i5, 16gb and 1tb ssd. No graphics upgrade option available that I saw.
A maxed out 13" Pro with 2.8G i7, 16gb, 1tb ssd and again no graphics option is $2699.
A maxed out 15" Pro with 2.4G i9, 32gb, 1tb ssd and optional Radeon Pro Vega 20 4gb graphics is $3949.
Light, fast, (relatively) inexpensive. Pick two at most it seems.
A maxed out 13" Pro with 2.8G i7, 16gb, 1tb ssd and again no graphics option is $2699.
A maxed out 15" Pro with 2.4G i9, 32gb, 1tb ssd and optional Radeon Pro Vega 20 4gb graphics is $3949.
Light, fast, (relatively) inexpensive. Pick two at most it seems.
Sep 7, 2019 12:50:09 #
david vt wrote:
Hi all. br br Looking for help from some of th... (show quote)
Sure, this is easy. Any of the two 13" MacBook Pro models will work. However, I would get the one with these specs:
256GB Storage (Upgrade it to 512GB on the Apple Store, if possible)
Touch Bar and Touch ID
2.4GHz quad-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor
Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 (Will support two 4K external monitors)
8GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 memory (Upgrade this to 16GB on the Apple Store, if possible)
Retina display with True Touch Bar and Touch ID
Four Thunderbolt 3 ports
$1,799.00 plus upgrades mentioned.
Unless you really need video editing power for 4K productions, the 15" models are probably overkill for what you want to do. Even my twins' Mid-2012 MacBook Pros, upgraded with 2TB SSDs and 16GB RAM, are plenty for Lightroom, Photoshop, MS Office, and even Final Cut Pro video at 1080P.
I highly recommend you peruse the Other World Computing site for peripherals. They are Mac specialists with over 30 years of experience serving the Mac community with tough, high quality, reliable tools. You might want to look at their SSDs, RAID solutions, drives, and especially the various docks and dual monitor adapters.
https://eshop.macsales.com is the URL for OWC.
My experience is that SSDs are so fast, they make the biggest difference in computer performance. You never realize how long you've waited on slow hard drives until you replace them with SSDs. Next comes memory.
Sep 7, 2019 13:10:38 #
burkphoto wrote:
Sure, this is easy. Any of the two 13" MacBoo... (show quote)
Btw Bill, I checked OWC for memory or internal SSD upgrades and didn’t see any for 2019 MacBooks (I always recommend buying the minimum DRAM from Apple and upgrading from OWC if possible), but they do have a nice selection of external drives. Question: wouldn’t you pay $200 extra for a 4 core I7, especially, if you were going to keep it awhile?
Sep 7, 2019 14:29:19 #
Long time Mac user here...If you’re going to edit or catalog photos on the laptop...only the MacBook Pro will suffice. The 15 is more powerful but heavier and larger...that’s what I have. The problem is that when you get back and want to move the images to the external drives...at least in LR you need to let LR move them and it takes awhile...the alternative is to move manually and then resend the LR database. ON1 is likely similar.
If you just want to dump the cards manually for file security...any of them will do...but the lighter and cheaper you go the less the performance.
I’ve considered getting a 13 MBP if/when I upgrade from my 2015 era model 15 inch MBP... it not sure the smaller screen size won’t be an issue...my guess is that it will and I will end up with another 15.
Personally...if I was traveling short term with just the laptop...I would just get big cards for the camera and have multiple cards...copy the images to the laptop for safety and skip processing on the road. We travel in our RV full time so I process on the laptop but the images go straight to a network file share.
If you just want to dump the cards manually for file security...any of them will do...but the lighter and cheaper you go the less the performance.
I’ve considered getting a 13 MBP if/when I upgrade from my 2015 era model 15 inch MBP... it not sure the smaller screen size won’t be an issue...my guess is that it will and I will end up with another 15.
Personally...if I was traveling short term with just the laptop...I would just get big cards for the camera and have multiple cards...copy the images to the laptop for safety and skip processing on the road. We travel in our RV full time so I process on the laptop but the images go straight to a network file share.
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Sep 7, 2019 14:30:01 #
Sep 7, 2019 15:02:26 #
Bottom line is - make sure you get enough hard drive memory space and RAM or that your Mac is upgradable. I have a 15 inch laptop with 256 SSD and it is not enough and it is not upgradable. I use portable hard drives to store and back up my photos. I would much prefer to store my photos on the laptop and back up on portable hard drive.
I also have a 27 inch Apple desk top with 1 TB of hard storage and 16 G Ram. This computer is upgradable to 32 G Ram and 2 or 3 TB of hard storage. The hard drive fills up fast and I am pretty discriminatory about what images I keep and what gets tossed.
Both computers run well with no issues at all.
I also have a 27 inch Apple desk top with 1 TB of hard storage and 16 G Ram. This computer is upgradable to 32 G Ram and 2 or 3 TB of hard storage. The hard drive fills up fast and I am pretty discriminatory about what images I keep and what gets tossed.
Both computers run well with no issues at all.
Sep 7, 2019 15:26:07 #
I have a MacBook Pro 15" with the Retina display, 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD and a quad core CPU. I would though recommend the 13" model for travelling with the same specs for RAM, SSD & screen. They do though only have dual core CPU's. My wife has this model and its just as good for photography as my quad core 15"
I would also suggest used or refurbished mid 2014 to 2017 as still having USB3.0 ports. I believe the new MacBooks have Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports.
I would also suggest used or refurbished mid 2014 to 2017 as still having USB3.0 ports. I believe the new MacBooks have Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports.
Sep 7, 2019 16:32:01 #
TriX wrote:
Btw Bill, I checked OWC for memory or internal SSD upgrades and didn’t see any for 2019 MacBooks (I always recommend buying the minimum DRAM from Apple and upgrading from OWC if possible), but they do have a nice selection of external drives. Question: wouldn’t you pay $200 extra for a 4 core I7, especially, if you were going to keep it awhile?
The i7 tests better with multi-threaded apps. The i5 tests better with single-thread apps.
My 2013 iMac with i5, upgrades to 2TB SSD and 16GB RAM has plenty of kick in it for everything but high data rate 4K video editing. But I can record in 4K and edit it to 1080P with no playback stuttering (dropped frames).
Max Yuryev did some very interesting tests of the two 13” models and has a couple of video reviews on his YouTube channels that the OP should watch.
https://youtu.be/XtTL1UVikzI
https://youtu.be/FtSC1ocRbvA
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