I have the same Air. I really want a new Pro, this makes me want to plunge before the new year.
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Mac Hardware and Software |OT| - All things Macintosh
- Thread starter 3N16MA
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I'm going to be getting a Macbook Pro for web development and general use in the near future (within the next month) and I've got a bunch of questions considering I've only ever used Windows machines up to now. I'm currently eyeing a 13" without the touch bar, upgraded to 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, but this is a big outlay for me so I have some questions.
Questions:
1. How would you spec it? I'm fairly certain that having a 128GB SSD would suck and I could live with 256 gigs, but is 8GB of RAM workable for my use case?
2. Should I be eyeing refurbs? The idea of getting a 15" 2015 (quad-core, ports, screen size) in basically new condition for a similar price is also appealing.
3. What's the best way to handle the ports/dongle issue if I need HDMI/USB-A and would also like an SD card reader? Are any of the USB-C all-in-one hubs good, or should I get individual cables/adapters?
4. Where's the best place to purchase it? I live in Florida so I think Apple will charge sales tax, would it be better getting it somewhere like B&H/Adorama?
Questions:
1. How would you spec it? I'm fairly certain that having a 128GB SSD would suck and I could live with 256 gigs, but is 8GB of RAM workable for my use case?
2. Should I be eyeing refurbs? The idea of getting a 15" 2015 (quad-core, ports, screen size) in basically new condition for a similar price is also appealing.
3. What's the best way to handle the ports/dongle issue if I need HDMI/USB-A and would also like an SD card reader? Are any of the USB-C all-in-one hubs good, or should I get individual cables/adapters?
4. Where's the best place to purchase it? I live in Florida so I think Apple will charge sales tax, would it be better getting it somewhere like B&H/Adorama?
The Real Abed
Perma-Junior
Definitely get more RAM if you can. If the SSD is enough that's fine, but I'd still go with 16GB RAM if you can get it.
Refurbs from Apple are just as good as new machines. I'm pretty sure you can still get full AppleCare on them too if you want. My iMac is a refurb. Literally all you don't get is the shiny box. You also can't choose specs with a refurb of course, so obviously find one with the specs you want.
Refurbs from Apple are just as good as new machines. I'm pretty sure you can still get full AppleCare on them too if you want. My iMac is a refurb. Literally all you don't get is the shiny box. You also can't choose specs with a refurb of course, so obviously find one with the specs you want.
eyeball_kid
Member
Really depends on what you plan to use it for specifically. Any kind of professional work like Photoshop, music, coding? Or just web browsing, writing, light tasks, etc.? The latter you can get away with the 13", but personally I'd only do the former with the 15. With all the toolbars of work apps you don't get much usable space with the 13 unless you plan to hook up an external monitor. 13 is great if you do a lot of traveling though.
web development professionally, music production as a hobby (i'm really curious about how good logic is)
eyeball_kid
Member
Logic is fantastic. And a great value considering we've already had a few years of free updates. I think 13 would probably be tough with Logic though; you really need some room for the tracks, mixer, channel strip, etc. I guess you could use Spaces (virtual screen switching) to mitigate that a bit, but I'd go for 15 on that.
Question: during macOS updates, my Mac screen turns white/bright grey for like 10 seconds mid-install and sometimes the apple logo has "tearing" for a few seconds, after the screen turns black and goes back to the apple logo with the installation bar under it.
the update always goes through and everything works tho! But it happened today with the new 10.13 update.
but still I am uneasy because in 12 years as an apple user I've never seen that with one of my Macs. So if this can be normal, please tell me lol.
MBP 2017, i5, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM. Hardware test does not find anything
the update always goes through and everything works tho! But it happened today with the new 10.13 update.
but still I am uneasy because in 12 years as an apple user I've never seen that with one of my Macs. So if this can be normal, please tell me lol.
MBP 2017, i5, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM. Hardware test does not find anything
iRAWRasaurus
Banned
Sorry for the terrible picture. I cant get a good picture of this. Anyways I notice there is a odd bright spot on my MBP I recently bought. It doesnt show up when I restarted but after awhile, it appears. I tired my best to get a screenshot but if I take it on my MBP, it doesnt show up. So I used my iphone. Any suggestions? Should I get it fix since I am still in the warranty?
so, it's clearly not on the screen but appears after a while?
does it appear only in specific software? like only in iTunes or safari? if not..get it to an apple store o.o
edit: oh you can also not screenshot it? I'd take it to an apple store
Zeyphersan
Banned
Get it taken care of while in warranty, yes. Thats a display issue
iRAWRasaurus
Banned
i can't take a picture using the Mac screenshot. And it's always there once it appears.
Yeah that's what I was planning to do. Paranoid since it's pretty damn expensive
I had a few pressure marks on my first rMBP display that looked similar to that (little white dots).
esmith08734
Member
Wow, awesome. I should have read the manual some more, lol. Thank you.
you can also get bettertouchtool. it makes the Touch Bar customisable and is "pay what you want".
Mailenstein
Member
I was wondering, can I use 3D touch to preview links in Safari like I can in iOS Safari? I swear it worked for a while before Sierra dropped. Is my mind playing tricks with me? Because atm it doesn't work. Same for Quickview on files. All it does is letting me rename the file.
Yes, bring it in.
This so much. Couldn't live without it anymore.
Still works for me on High Sierra (and also did on Sierra) on my MB 12 🤔
I think it can be disabled in settings but not sure where exactly, maybe it got switched off by accident.
Mailenstein
Member
I'm on a late 2016 MBP 13" with Touch Bar. 🤔
jabintendo
Neo Member
Safari is really annoying me. it keeps on showing frequently used websites that i use on mozilla. is there any way to stop this?
I like to keep my work shortcuts on a separate browser.
I like to keep my work shortcuts on a separate browser.
esmith08734
Member
What do you guys use to clean your Mac? I always used a slightly damp microfiber cloth but I wasn't sure if that was the best practice. I actually have some sight OCD with a clean trackpad and clean keys. It weirds me out if I see a ton of prints on either. I am not sure why and it shouldn't bother me because I am coding on the thing all of the time so I can going to be interacting with it on a regular basis, lol.
I use 90% alcohol and microfiber cloths.
Zeyphersan
Banned
You can use alcohol on the aluminum, but definitely dont clean the screen with anything but water. Youll harm the coating
microfibre with a little warm water.
iRAWRasaurus
Banned
Updated: I just left the Mac store. They mention it was a issue with the hardware and just sent it in to get repair. Should take about ~3-5 days before I get it back. Thanks for the advice.
cjp
Junior Member
Apple policy is products are classed as vintage/obsolete after 5 years from manufacture, right?
So the mid-2012 non-Retina 13 that they only stopped selling late last year should be hardware supported until late 2021?
I dont think Ill be keeping it that long, Ive already had it since the beginning of 2013, but Im not feeling an upgrade with the UK prices. I wouldnt want another 13 but the base 15 Touch Bar model at £2300? Crazy.
I stuck 16GB RAM and a 1TB SSD in it last year so performance is actually still really good. Id like some of the newer features: QoL stuff like AW unlocking and the bigger stuff like h.265 decode as well the ability to push 4K out of the TB3 ports to the TV. I just cant really swallow the £2300 price tag. Thats a crazy amount of money for me.
I guess Ill re-evaluate further down the line. I might just go back to a Windows laptop or build a desktop (could get rid of the PS4 Pro then I guess)...but at the same time I also feel too stuck in the ecosystem now. Arghh.
So the mid-2012 non-Retina 13 that they only stopped selling late last year should be hardware supported until late 2021?
I dont think Ill be keeping it that long, Ive already had it since the beginning of 2013, but Im not feeling an upgrade with the UK prices. I wouldnt want another 13 but the base 15 Touch Bar model at £2300? Crazy.
I stuck 16GB RAM and a 1TB SSD in it last year so performance is actually still really good. Id like some of the newer features: QoL stuff like AW unlocking and the bigger stuff like h.265 decode as well the ability to push 4K out of the TB3 ports to the TV. I just cant really swallow the £2300 price tag. Thats a crazy amount of money for me.
I guess Ill re-evaluate further down the line. I might just go back to a Windows laptop or build a desktop (could get rid of the PS4 Pro then I guess)...but at the same time I also feel too stuck in the ecosystem now. Arghh.
Zeyphersan
Banned
Yes, 5 years from the end of manufacturing, except for California (and I think Turkey?) where its 7 years
I moved my iTunes library to my NAS. I'm getting a bunch of (!) tracks as a result. They plainly have the files in their folder still and are fine when I repoint manually. However this is a huge timesink for me to do and I can't see anyway of making iTunes (Mac) rescan the library to link up the (!) files.
Does anyone know of anything I can use to do this for me?
Does anyone know of anything I can use to do this for me?
Make it rescan the whole library by deleting the library files and doing it again.
Splash Wave
Member
I recently got a new work laptop, which has Sierra installed, and I've immediately noticed a certain blurriness with its text rendering (holding my old and new laptops side-by-side, the difference is obvious). Whether LCD smoothing is turned off or on, it looks weird. Any ideas?
killertofu
Member
Umm I'm an idiot and accidently downloaded a file with that shitty Mac Keeper on it.
I thought I got rid of it but intermittedly my Chrome browser opens up this empty page
Help? I guess I can roll back on Time Machine but i'd rather not...
I thought I got rid of it but intermittedly my Chrome browser opens up this empty page
Help? I guess I can roll back on Time Machine but i'd rather not...
Zeyphersan
Banned
What resolution is it running at? Text is redered as a vector, so it should scale pretty cleanly
Download and run Malwarebytes Antimalware
eyeball_kid
Member
I tried doing the same thing (library on a NAS) a few years ago and...iTunes just isn't great with external libraries. What I ended up doing is setting up an old Mac tower I had and using that as an iTunes shared hub for my house that other devices/Macs could play from.
Never had any issues with DAS external libraries (my iTunes has been on another hard drive for years at this point) but I can see how a network volume could cause issues.
I'm almost done replacing the HDD of my Mac mini. Unfortunately, one of the torx bits broke, and it's stuck inside the head of one of the last screws. Can't get it out. Dammit.
edit:
Goddammit, I just can't get it out.
edit 2: It doesn't move at all. I don't think this is ever gonna fall out, so I ignored it.
The Mac's at least turning on, so that's good. Restoring my TM backup fails, however, because of reasons. That's what it says. "An error occured." Thanks for the fucking useless error message, Apple.
edit 3: I found a forum post saying that one possible fix is to first install OS X, and then restore from the TM backup, instead of restoring right away. That's what I was gonna try next anyway.
edit 4: Jesus. It's installing Mountain Lion.
edit 5: Done. Everything's back to normal. Nonetheless, I'm gonna do a clean install as soon as I have time.
edit:
Goddammit, I just can't get it out.
edit 2: It doesn't move at all. I don't think this is ever gonna fall out, so I ignored it.
The Mac's at least turning on, so that's good. Restoring my TM backup fails, however, because of reasons. That's what it says. "An error occured." Thanks for the fucking useless error message, Apple.
edit 3: I found a forum post saying that one possible fix is to first install OS X, and then restore from the TM backup, instead of restoring right away. That's what I was gonna try next anyway.
edit 4: Jesus. It's installing Mountain Lion.
edit 5: Done. Everything's back to normal. Nonetheless, I'm gonna do a clean install as soon as I have time.
The Real Abed
Perma-Junior
I wish my Mac mini still worked. I think something wrong with it. Last time I tried to boot it up it continually gave me a missing system error, even when I tried booting from another disk. It wouldn't even let me into the Restore partition. So I can't tell what's wrong with it. It's a 2010 model so it's not even worth taking to a store to get it looked at.
I'd love to hook it to my TV just for the hell of it. Even though my TV almost literally does everything I can possibly think of it doing. Even has a version of Chromium built in in case I want to browse the internet on my TV. (If StreamToMe ever put out either a native Smart TV app version of their video streaming app or a web-based version like Plex has, then my TV would literally do everything.)
I'd love to hook it to my TV just for the hell of it. Even though my TV almost literally does everything I can possibly think of it doing. Even has a version of Chromium built in in case I want to browse the internet on my TV. (If StreamToMe ever put out either a native Smart TV app version of their video streaming app or a web-based version like Plex has, then my TV would literally do everything.)
Installing an SSD on an Mac Mini 2011 was an adventure... took me forever to go through the proper steps and removing the original HD. Then took me forever to mount the SSD properly. Then I forgot I had to reformat the SSD before putting my time machine back up on it... whew. Glad that is over with. Good news is the Mini has new life into it because of the SSD. So thanks macSales/OWC for a nice 500GB SSD. =p
Splash Wave
Member
It's at 2560x1440, which is "default for display."
It drives me insane that Preview doesn't remember my settings. Every time I open a pdf and go full screen, it defaults to two pages. I just want my one page continuous scrolling unless otherwise instructed, thank you very much.
Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any mods or workarounds available or I didn't find them. Anyone got an idea?
Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any mods or workarounds available or I didn't find them. Anyone got an idea?
Skel1ingt0n
I can't *believe* these lazy developers keep making file sizes so damn large. Btw, how does technology work?
Grabbed lunch. Stopped in Apple Store. They had AirPods in stock.
Welp, let's see what all the fuss is about. First impressions (from someone who has had 20+ BT headphones, and hasn't bothered with wired music on his phone in ~5 years): syncing is super easy. Case feels great in the hand. Actual airpods themselves stay put, but they *feel* like they're gonna fall out... they don't... but htey're not what I'd call "comfortable."
Sound quality is about as average as I expected. Nothing better here than a quality pair of ~$25-$35 earbuds.
It's gonna be all about how easy these things are to keep instantly sync'd between my iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad Pro, and MBP. That's gonna be the make it or break it, for me at least...
Welp, let's see what all the fuss is about. First impressions (from someone who has had 20+ BT headphones, and hasn't bothered with wired music on his phone in ~5 years): syncing is super easy. Case feels great in the hand. Actual airpods themselves stay put, but they *feel* like they're gonna fall out... they don't... but htey're not what I'd call "comfortable."
Sound quality is about as average as I expected. Nothing better here than a quality pair of ~$25-$35 earbuds.
It's gonna be all about how easy these things are to keep instantly sync'd between my iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad Pro, and MBP. That's gonna be the make it or break it, for me at least...
esmith08734
Member
I was actually thinking of getting Air Pods myself. I am tired of wired headphones. I was going to ask here actually, do they sync to all devices via Bluetooth? As long as I have them on, they should seamlessly connect to my iPhone, Apple Watch, and MacBook Pro/Air? Also, how is the battery life on these things? I felt the Beats I had were awful when it came to battery life.
Crazymoogle
Member
Battery life on all of the W1 Bluetooth headphones / in ear stuff has been pretty stellar - my PowerBeats 3 easily gets a lot more per charge than previous gems - but the EarPods have the extra advantage of the charging case.
esmith08734
Member
Okay, does anyone have a good recommendation for an external display for my MacBook Pro. I am a developer so I really prefer a big screen so I am using an external monitor for my programming. The Asus I am using now is 1080p and makes my Retina display pretty useless, lol.
Skel1ingt0n
I can't *believe* these lazy developers keep making file sizes so damn large. Btw, how does technology work?
It's gotten a lot of hate and it's expensive with less-than-stellar build quality; but for *work,* I think the LG 5K is the one to go for. I'm so mad I didn't buy one when it was on "sale" for a $1,000 right after the all USB-C MBP was released.
this was my main beef with them when i tried my friend's pair. will keep using my bowers & wilkins p3s in the interim.
Got the Shakes
Member
This seems to be really dependent on ear shape. Ive never had a problem with AirPods falling out or feeling like they would, but I know a bunch of people who have.
The Real Abed
Perma-Junior
Seems to be working fine for me. I did it to one of my 8TB external HDDs.
Do you have to reformat?
The Real Abed
Perma-Junior
They were new drives for me so I was reformatting anyway.
But Google says you can:
https://www.quora.com/How-can-I-convert-an-external-HDD-to-APFS-without-erasing-its-contents-on-Mac
There's an option to convert in Disk Utility if the drive is HFS+.