pg94 Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 So its come time for me to get a new laptop. I don't know if I should get a 13" or 15", retina or no retina, maxed out specs or not. Heres what I aspire to use it for. Programming ( Java, C++, Swift, ect..) I plan on working in the security field, network and mobile. I want to be able to run programs and such to create algorithms for cryptology. Occasionally run VM's If I was to get a 13" I would also get an external monitor to use as well. Since I am in college I tend to travel a lot between Georgia and Tennessee. So portability around campus and travel is important. I only mention this because if anyone could tell me if there is a big difference in the 13" and 15" retina weight! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbi3 Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 I was debating if I should get a the 13" or 15" macbook pro, I ended up getting the 13" and im definitely happy with it its the best laptop I have owned so far and I usually get a different laptop every year. I don't think a 15" would be what you want the screen size doesn't make that much of a difference to me shockingly (and I use 4 heads on my development machine). Go with the 13" you wont regret it. However, I'd wait about a month or 2 because apple should be releasing their updated line of macs soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooper Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 (edited) Looking at what you're planning to do with it I'd focus just slightly more on getting a lot of RAM than on getting a kick-ass CPU. Given your plan to go into the network and mobile security, I'm expecting you to want to run a VM a little more often than just 'occasionally' and a number of tools used can benefit greatly from having a lot of RAM at their disposal. Programming aswell, particularly Java, tends to benefit more from having lots of RAM around than the latest, greatest CPU and I wouldn't be surprised if your algorithms for cryptology can be a little more rough around the edges when you have a lot of RAM to play with. The main differences between an i5 and an i7 is that an i7 has more on-board cache and slightly higher clocks. The i7 drawbacks are that it costs considerably more and tends to use a lot more power. I'd recommend the i5 for your usage scenario. Spend the saved money on an SSD. Edited October 14, 2014 by Cooper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ftb Posted October 14, 2014 Share Posted October 14, 2014 Also, be sure to consider the video adapter if you plan on doing any hashing. An NVIDIA card may be a smart option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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