MacBook Pro 16- inch or better alternative?

saor said:
Are you just gonna end up running Windows on the mac anyway? All the CAD software etc.
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Graphisoft Archicad and the Teamwork works fluently between Mac and Windows without issues. I use Affinity on Windows which is actually better on Apple. So most of the software I want to use when not in office is already compatible for Mac.

That is why I am open to both Mac or Windows device.
 
saor said:
Edit: I see you mention Archicad. What about everything else and all the other random ups you end up using.
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AS I said above. All the software I use also have Mac versions. And those who don't is not an issue as I will only need to use them on my PC , like rendering software etc.
 
I’d hit the Mac simply for the experience of having done so and seeing the other side especially since at this level it’s quite comparable performance wise.

At the very least if you don’t like it the resale will be far superior to everything else even many years down the line.

Having fiddled a bit with the 16-inch it is a thing of beauty.

I would also say consider running some storage externally when you need to. There are a lot of USB-C NVME options out there that are quite sleek with the form factor.

Also on that topic you are much more likely to find Macbook accessories and things third party than the other brands.

We’ve rolled out quite a few 16-inchers in the last few months and so far apart from a user induced water failure they’ve been bulletproof.

Just ordered a couple of million rands worth for 2021.
 
SauRoNZA said:
I’d hit the Mac simply for the experience of having done so and seeing the other side especially since at this level it’s quite comparable performance wise.

At the very least if you don’t like it the resale will be far superior to everything else even many years down the line.

Having fiddled a bit with the 16-inch it is a thing of beauty.

I would also say consider running some storage externally when you need to. There are a lot of USB-C NVME options out there that are quite sleek with the form factor.

Also on that topic you are much more likely to find Macbook accessories and things third party than the other brands.

We’ve rolled out quite a few 16-inchers in the last few months and so far apart from a user induced water failure they’ve been bulletproof.

Just ordered a couple of million rands worth for 2021.
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Great input!


What are the chances you can install a demo/Trial of Archicad 23 or 24 and run a test model to see how it performs ? :D

graphisoft.com

Downloads

Archicad Download the latest Archicad version BIMx Go to download BIMcloud Go to download DDScad Viewer Go to download Extensions for Archicad Add-ons BIM Content Library Rhino – Grasshopper – Archicad Toolset Archicad plugin for Autodesk Revit More Add-ons Classification packages...
graphisoft.com graphisoft.com

Otherwise I will see if I can find someone nearby with the Mac 16-inch to do a test run.

I will most probably have to get something like this over 24-months or see if I can put down a big deposit or something.
 
RedViking said:
Great input!


What are the chances you can install a demo/Trial of Archicad 23 or 24 and run a test model to see how it performs ? :D

graphisoft.com

Downloads

Archicad Download the latest Archicad version BIMx Go to download BIMcloud Go to download DDScad Viewer Go to download Extensions for Archicad Add-ons BIM Content Library Rhino – Grasshopper – Archicad Toolset Archicad plugin for Autodesk Revit More Add-ons Classification packages...
graphisoft.com graphisoft.com

Otherwise I will see if I can find someone nearby with the Mac 16-inch to do a test run.

I will most probably have to get something like this over 24-months or see if I can put down a big deposit or something.
Click to expand...

I only have a 13-inch at my disposal and with remote working access to a 16-inch is problematic.

But it’s best you do it yourself anyway. Digicape would like be quite happy to do such a demo for you on a store machine but unlikely to have the special order spec.

They do offer three your rent-to-buy options with warranty etc which is worth a look.
 
SauRoNZA said:
I only have a 13-inch at my disposal and with remote working access to a 16-inch is problematic.

But it’s best you do it yourself anyway. Digicape would like be quite happy to do such a demo for you on a store machine but unlikely to have the special order spec.

They do offer three your rent-to-buy options with warranty etc which is worth a look.
Click to expand...
Ok cool, I'll check it out.

I am still thinking if I need to consider something a bit smaller seeing that I want portable. But I think 13inch might be a bit of a stretch if I have a lot of tools open or do presentations. Either way it sounds like the best would be to go test it out myself somehow.
 
RedViking said:
Ok cool, I'll check it out.

I am still thinking if I need to consider something a bit smaller seeing that I want portable. But I think 13inch might be a bit of a stretch if I have a lot of tools open or do presentations. Either way it sounds like the best would be to go test it out myself somehow.
Click to expand...

With the Retina display scaling you can technically fit a 17-inch into a 13-inch when you need to but in reality the 16-inch isn’t a problem for portable. They are quite slim and compact.

Best to actually go into a store and feel it in your hands.

I seem to recall you are in Cape Town? If so then hit up Digicape and skip the iStore.

Otherwise there is one in Johannesburg too in Rivonia somewhere.
 
SauRoNZA said:
With the Retina display scaling you can technically fit a 17-inch into a 13-inch when you need to but in reality the 16-inch isn’t a problem for portable. They are quite slim and compact.

Best to actually go into a store and feel it in your hands.

I seem to recall you are in Cape Town? If so then hit up Digicape and skip the iStore.

Otherwise there is one in Johannesburg too in Rivonia somewhere.
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Zululand. :thumbsdown:
 
RedViking said:
Ok cool, I'll check it out.

I am still thinking if I need to consider something a bit smaller seeing that I want portable. But I think 13inch might be a bit of a stretch if I have a lot of tools open or do presentations. Either way it sounds like the best would be to go test it out myself somehow.
Click to expand...

The XPS 13 2-in-1 is a really great little machine and feels plenty fast, but I think the i7 1065G7 is about Sandy Bridge i7 2600K level performance if I'm not mistaken. The MBP 13 probably has similar options, and also no discrete GPU?
I would gladly use it for work if I didn't have very CPU or GPU intensive stuff to run. At 1080p, the 13" monitor is also good enough for me.
It is really tiny. As in, smaller than an A4 exam pad, if you feel you need that kind of portability?

My old 2016 15" Dell Precision 5510 is definitely small and light enough to travel with, and I think for the extra performance the larger size is worth it.
 
SlinkyMike said:
It's a bad time to buy an Intel Mac though...
Click to expand...

Was about to upgrade to the 16", but then thought, maybe squeeze the last bit out of my 2014 MBP and wait for Apple silicon. Should be good.

Edit:
I do however have this strange feeling that Apple silicon will at first only be released on Macbook Air.
Like they've been manufacturing it on their small devices (ipad, iphone, watch) for many years, but using that on laptops are still new to them, so perhaps, makes sense to introduce it on their low end laptops first.

www.macrumors.com

Should I Buy an Intel Mac Today or Wait to Buy an Arm-Based Mac?

Apple at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference announced its intention to transition away from Intel processors to Macs powered by its own Apple Silicon chips starting in late 2020. Apple says that by using its own Arm-based processors, it will be able to build better Macs that will boast...
www.macrumors.com www.macrumors.com

Will wait and see what happens! :)
 
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SlinkyMike said:
The 16" Mac is made for folks like you and others have hailed it as a return to form for Apple.

It's a bad time to buy an Intel Mac though...
Click to expand...

ronald911 said:
Was about to upgrade to the 16", but then thought, maybe squeeze the last bit out of my 2014 MBP and wait for Apple silicon. Should be good.

Edit:
I do however have this strange feeling that Apple silicon will at first only be released on Macbook Air.
Like they've been manufacturing it on their small devices (ipad, iphone, watch) to many years, but using that on laptops are still new to them, so perhaps, makes sense to introduce it on their low end laptops first.

www.macrumors.com

Should I Buy an Intel Mac Today or Wait to Buy an Arm-Based Mac?

Apple at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference announced its intention to transition away from Intel processors to Macs powered by its own Apple Silicon chips starting in late 2020. Apple says that by using its own Arm-based processors, it will be able to build better Macs that will boast...
www.macrumors.com www.macrumors.com

Will wait and see what happens! :)
Click to expand...

Good point. I think this will either kill the resale value in a couple of years, or if the Apple CPU sucks make its value skyrocket.
 
What do you guys think of this Notebook at R35 000?

It seems to check all of the boxes except for the warranty.

Zenbook Pro 15 (UX535)​




- Intel Core i7-10870H 2.20GHz (16MB SmartCache)
- Up to 5.00GHz Boost Clock
- 8 Cores, 16 Threads
- 15.6" UHD (3840x2160) Touch IPS-Level Display
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti 4GB GDDR6 Graphics
- 16GB (On-Board) DDR4-2133MHz
- 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD
- 1x USB 3.2 Type-A Gen 1, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
- 1x HDMI 2.0, 2 in1 Card Reader SD/MMC, 1x Combo Audio Jack
- Backlit Chiclet Keyboard with Num-Key
- Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax
- Bluetooth 5.0
- Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
- 1 Year Warranty


www.asus.com

ASUS ZenBook Pro

Unleash your creative power Zenbook series gives you the tools to unleash true creativity. Combining ultrafast performance with precision-crafted elegance, Zenbook enables you to maximize your creative potential with no bounds.
www.asus.com www.asus.com

1628674182625.png
 
MSI recently launched the Z16 and Asus also has a M16 which looks very good but not sure about availability in SA. The Zenbook doesn't look bad but for R35k I would want a decent GPU not the 1650ti
 
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RedViking said:
What do you guys think of this Notebook at R35 000?

It seems to check all of the boxes except for the warranty.

Zenbook Pro 15 (UX535)​




- Intel Core i7-10870H 2.20GHz (16MB SmartCache)
- Up to 5.00GHz Boost Clock
- 8 Cores, 16 Threads
- 15.6" UHD (3840x2160) Touch IPS-Level Display
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti 4GB GDDR6 Graphics
- 16GB (On-Board) DDR4-2133MHz
- 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD
- 1x USB 3.2 Type-A Gen 1, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
- 1x HDMI 2.0, 2 in1 Card Reader SD/MMC, 1x Combo Audio Jack
- Backlit Chiclet Keyboard with Num-Key
- Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax
- Bluetooth 5.0
- Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
- 1 Year Warranty


www.asus.com

ASUS ZenBook Pro

Unleash your creative power Zenbook series gives you the tools to unleash true creativity. Combining ultrafast performance with precision-crafted elegance, Zenbook enables you to maximize your creative potential with no bounds.
www.asus.com www.asus.com

View attachment 1124222
Click to expand...

Compared to a similarly specced Dell XPS 15, that's a steal!
 
RedViking said:
What do you guys think of this Notebook at R35 000?

It seems to check all of the boxes except for the warranty.

Zenbook Pro 15 (UX535)​




- Intel Core i7-10870H 2.20GHz (16MB SmartCache)
- Up to 5.00GHz Boost Clock
- 8 Cores, 16 Threads
- 15.6" UHD (3840x2160) Touch IPS-Level Display
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti 4GB GDDR6 Graphics
- 16GB (On-Board) DDR4-2133MHz
- 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD
- 1x USB 3.2 Type-A Gen 1, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
- 1x HDMI 2.0, 2 in1 Card Reader SD/MMC, 1x Combo Audio Jack
- Backlit Chiclet Keyboard with Num-Key
- Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax
- Bluetooth 5.0
- Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
- 1 Year Warranty


www.asus.com

ASUS ZenBook Pro

Unleash your creative power Zenbook series gives you the tools to unleash true creativity. Combining ultrafast performance with precision-crafted elegance, Zenbook enables you to maximize your creative potential with no bounds.
www.asus.com www.asus.com

View attachment 1124222
Click to expand...
If you're not getting a 3000 series GPU you might as well go for the M1 MacBook Pro. Especially at those kind of prices. Unless your eyesight is really poor you can adapt to 13" screen. I haven't seen the 16" version anywhere
 
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