SO i recently invested in a brand new MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015).... was using my good ol' Cubase 5 which I had received with my E-MU creative AI.

Being a PC guy, it was a PITA to get all my stuff out and then format my [x4 2TB external HDDs] to HFS+....
Now i just downloaded a copy of Logic Pro X to get my journey started. Loved it so far...

Now the worries started!! I'm using my MBP for both Audio and Video editing purposes, in-studio and out on tours too, or as i supposed i wanted to, but my Big Brother suggests that i should stop using my MBP for my studio purposes because it will wear out the battery and i'll end up having to replace my battery very soon enough..!!

Since i'm a Mac noob, i'm stuck...!!! i tried to get my head around to building a Hackintosh but it looks like rocket science to me and also it ain't CHEAPP.!!!! so i kindly ask any Mac gurus to guide me out of this darkened valley and recommend me the right solution because i don't want to run a PC in the studio and then head out the doors with a OSX in my arms..!! or is it the preferred solution to avoid ending up spending $$$ on my MBP..!!

P.S. the last option i think i had after counting the costs was to build myself a PC from scratch..!! whaddya guys think..!??

 

I have used my hp laptop and installed yosemite on it ad everything works great, I dont have wifi and bluetooth but I connect usb thetering on android device for internet when I need it.
It is not so difficult to install osx on the hp laptop if you have the right model.
You can go to "https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/guide-to-install-yosemite-on-hp-laptops-with-clover-uefi.143675/"

On "www.tonymacx86.com" you have current hardware recommendations to build the latest mac if you want a PC not laptop.
I was complete noob myself and still am but I followed instruction and did it.
If you don't manage to install osx on the new pc you can always install windows.

 

if the macbook is sufficent for your tasks just use it - even wallplugged. your battery life wont suffer from this use. its good you take it on tour so its not 100% plugged to the wall but has the opportunity to charge completely once in a while.

 

if its on power , it will charge but not task the battery , so don't worry

 

i tried tony's site but simply counting the costs involved for building a new Hackintosh, i simply gave up the idea..!! 1300$ is still too much 'cause the parts ain't cheap here in India..!!

 

As long as you keep the charger always connected and let's say you don't get your macbook out of your studio, you could very well have just on cycle in your battery after one year so it's really no reason to worry.

As for building a hackintosh, take a look on tony forums, there are people building all kind of hackintoshes, from i5 to xeon processors.

 

Buying an Apple Mac will be much more expensive

 

thanks for the heads up.... i was unplugging the charger everytime the battery fully charged..!! thankfully only 37 cycle have passed up...!

 

I don't think it's worth it to get a second computer if your only concern is the battery. I have been using my 2013 MBP pretty much everyday both in my studio (connected to my external monitor, audio interface, control surface, midi controller and two external hard drives) and on the go for almost 3 years and the battery is still in good condition. I can spend 150-200 any time to replace the battery if it's necessary. The cost of having a second computer is much higher than that plus having 2 computers sometimes is not efficient since you have to transfer your files all the time between two computers. My 2013 MPB is powerful enough for fairly large audio sessions with a lot of plug-ins and instruments as well as video editing. I would stay away from buying a new computer unless it's absolutely necessary.

Cheers

 

just buy the required screwdrivers and a good new battery, its easy to do, its great

The best laptop ever made that thing

Code:

https://de.ifixit.com/Store/Mac/MacBook-Pro-15-Inch-Retina-Mid-2015-Battery/IF117-048-4

 

not when buying a minimac, $500 and you have one

https://www.apple.com/mac-mini/

 

I run diagnostics on MBP's all day at work and I've seen battery cycles counts go up into the thousands on stock AND newertech batteries.

If you're really concerned about wearing out the battery, take it out and plug in the magsafe. It powers on without the battery inside.

 

Really ? a 1,4 GHz dual core cpu ?

I would rather need, but that still only a dual core:

 

Last edited: Sep 11, 2017

don't worry, the batteries last, as well as the book itself.
anyway studio use wont wear your battery at all.
just keep an eye on dust accumulation, service it every 2 years at least.

mine is from 2011 and after my last gig i noticed i forgot to connect the charger, no problem ;)

do not get a mac mini, hasn't been updated since 2014, so upgrade should be immanent if they keep the line, what i believe they do. and probably quadcores or more by then.

stay away from hackintosh for now at least, the hardware needed is old and not worth the effort, and anyway this will need a lot of time and work, to me its the worst of both worlds mac/pc xD

iMac pro gonna be available soon and the new modular mac pro coming hopefully next year.
this will lead to a flood of trashcan mac pros on the second hand market at a good bang for the buck.
they are really great for music, literally everything is replaceable/upgradeable on them, silent...

and hackintoshes can use new stuff by then!

tomorrow is a big apple event but thats naturally focused on the new iPhones, a small chance for a new mac mini is always there ;)

https://www.apple.com/apple-events/september-2017/

 

Last edited by a moderator: Sep 12, 2017

I was surprised when Apple started to release inferior Minis but honestly, for audio, today I'd prefer a fast DualCore CPU over a slower QuadCore.

spacetime is right, the Mid 2015 is indeed the best machine as of today.
That's why Apple still offer it - who wants a bad keyboard and missing connectivity?
No touch bar and no stylish case could ever compensate for that.

 

um old hardware:

https://www.tonymacx86.com/buyersguide/september/2017/#CustoMac_Pro

 

which dual-core ?
This one -> ac mini "Core i7" 3.0 (Late 2014)3.0 GHz Core i7 (I7-4578U) ?
it is the latest listed Mac mini here:
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_mini/index-macmini.html

Even an ancient i7-4770k is faster single core wise than the I7-4578U



not to mention modern CPUs ...

the best apple maybe

Looks like your info is out of date.
Anything is working properly even with Custom Mac's if you choose the parts which are supported by macOS out of the box.

I'd rather have 2 x 1TB SSD (or more) in my case than a cute touch bar


But hey... anything good, peace


I am excited to see Apple upcoming modular MacPro.
If they let us use our own GPU, SSD, RAM , and offer it with a realistic price, I will buy an Applen Mac again.

But if they continue charging insane prices and do not let us the choice (I want an SSD not an fusion drive and not a high-power super duper high priced PCI SSD) I stay where I am

 

Last edited: Sep 12, 2017

if you show me a better laptop, not only in your imagination from advertisements and tech specs but from real world use

then let me know, im likely gonna buy it


Dell and Razor have horrible coil whine, also who wants to get forced updates down their throats.
If you are working with it you wont tolerate the OS being high maintenance for dubious reasons. As downtime costs you money

As for Sam Mathews question:

Your brother simply does not have a clue about MBP battery life. Yes it will get used up, but it is made to be used and can be replaced in a few minutes with some care and freely available instructions

 

I would in any case buy an Apple laptop (I have no overview about recent PC notebooks tho), but the actual situation is quite disturbing. Actually I have an MBP 2008 but I can't run the latest Software on it since it doesn't support Sierra.


this?

Looks less fun

 

actually a lot since its the most sold Laptop ever. And the connectivity is the best, not the worst.

this is old Hardware and not worth the effort since we are in the middle of a giant step forward in terms of computing power.