Mac buyer’s guide
When it comes to buying a Mac, we’ve got the lowdown on each model to help you make a decision. Roman Loyola reports
If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re thinking about buying a new Mac and may be in need of a little guidance. Fortunately, we’re quite familiar with Apple’s Macs, and we’re happy to help you choose the right Mac for you. This buying guide provides an overview of all the Mac models available, and what each model is best suited for.
MacBook Air
The MacBook Air is Apple’s affordable line of laptops. Three 13in models are currently available.
It’s ideal for the budget conscious, or for anyone who is always on the go, doesn’t want to be bogged down by a regular-size laptop, and needs a computer that’s more versatile than an iPad.
Specifications
Two of the Air models have the same 1.6GHz dualcore Core i5 (eighth-generation) processor and 8GB of RAM. All MacBook Air models come with integrated Intel UHD Graphics 617 technology. Apple claims 12 hours of battery life for both wireless web and 13 hours iTunes movie playback.
The main difference between the laptops is storage. The £1,199 option (available from fave. co/2QyLHAS) has 128GB of flash storage, while the £1,399 model (available from fave.co/2VFxRiQ) has 256GB.
The £949 Air (available from fave.co/2SFSzyg) has a 1.8GHz dual-core Core i5 (fifth-generation) processor, 8GB of RAM, and integrated Intel HD Graphics 6000. Apple claims 12 hours of battery life for both wireless web and iTunes movie playback.
Connectivity
The MacBook Air has built-in Wi-Fi for connecting to a network. It also provides built-in Bluetooth for wirelessly connecting a mouse or other peripheral. If you want to connect to an ethernet network, you’ll need an adaptor.
The £1,199 and £1,399 models have only a pair of Thunderbolt 3/USB-C connectors. If you want to connect USB-A devices, you need either a USB-C
to USB adaptor, like Apple’s £19 one (available from fave.co/2LsHOf9), or a USB-C hub that has USB-A ports.
On the £949 MacBook Air, Thunderbolt 2 is the MacBook Air’s high-speed connector. This laptop also has a pair of USB 3.0 ports, which can work with devices that use USB 2.0. If you have a FireWire 800 drive, you’ll need to buy a Thunderbolt-to-FireWire Adaptor (£29 from fave.co/2tT0RIc).
Performance
The MacBook Air is quite capable of handling everyday tasks, such as sending and receiving
email, browsing the web, and using office applications. You can even use it for editing short videos, or for working with Jpegs from your iPhone or point-and-shoot camera.
Macworld’s buying advice
The MacBook Air is a great affordable laptop for someone who does general-purpose work and moves around a lot, such as a student or a self-employed person. You can’t easily upgrade the storage after purchase though, so you should buy the model with the largest amount of storage you can afford.
MacBook
The MacBook is Apple’s entry in the ultra-portable laptop market. It’s lighter and smaller than the 13in Air, making it perfect for users who prioritize mobility over everything else, including features and performance.
Specifications
It comes in only one size: a 12in model available in space grey, gold or silver.
There are two versions of the MacBook. The £1,249 model (available from fave.co/2sZW1Lc) has a 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Core m3 (Kaby Lake) processor and 256GB of flash storage. The £1,549 model (available from fave.co/2tJhLs4) has a 1.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 (Kaby Lake) processor and 512GB of flash storage. Both models include 8GB of memory and an integrated Intel HD Graphics 615 processor.
It has a Retina display, which means it has an ultra-high resolution screen that’s capable of showing crisper images than on the Air, which has a standard display. The MacBook has a native resolution of 2,304x1,440 and offers
scaled resolutions of 1,024x640, 1,280x800, and 1,440x900.
Connectivity
The MacBook has Wi-Fi for connecting to a network and Bluetooth for your devices. There’s only one USB-C port for connecting storage devices, printers, external displays, power adaptors, or anything else. If you have older USB peripherals, you’ll need to get a USB-C to USB Adaptor (£19 at fave.co/2pMnmgu) that will allow you to connect USB 3 and USB 2 devices to the MacBook. If you want to connect to ethernet, you’ll need the USB-C to USB Adaptor and the USB ethernet Adaptor (£29 at fave.co/2t33Hw6). If you want to connect an HDMI display and USB devices, you’ll have to get the USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adaptor (£69 at fave.co/2t32gOg). Finally, to connect to a VGA display, you’ll need the USB-C VGA Multiport
Adaptor (£75 at fave.co/2t3hnr6).
Performance
The processors in the MacBook are made to be efficient and cool. They’re not top-performing processors, though in
our tests we found that the MacBook outpaces the Air. Compared to previous generations, the current version provides a much-needed performance boost. That said, it can handle everything your typical user does on a daily basis. It can even handle some high-end, professional production tasks. It just won’t be the fastest to the finish line.
Macworld’s buying advice
The MacBook is for anyone who’s constantly on the go and seldom needs to connect devices, though be prepared to carry a bunch of adaptors if you have to make connections.
MacBook Pro
The MacBook Pro has a high-density display with so many pixels that images and text look especially smooth and clean. At normal viewing distances, you can’t discern individual pixels. It’s aimed at the user who wants a portable computer that has enough power for more demanding tasks.
Specifications
The MacBook Pro is available in screen sizes of 13and 15 inches.
There are four 13in models:
• £1,249 model (from fave.co/2t3gPS7): 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 (Kaby Lake) processor, 8GB of memory, 128GB of flash storage, Intel Iris Graphics 640 integrated graphics, and no Touch Bar.
• £1,449 model (from fave.co/2t3eUNg): 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 (Kaby Lake) processor, 8GB of memory, 246GB of flash storage, Intel Iris Graphics 640 integrated graphics, and no Touch Bar.
• £1,749 model (from fave.co/2sPiYwE): 3.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 (Kaby Lake) processor , 8GB of memory, 256GB of flash storage, Intel Iris Graphics 650 integrated graphics, and the Touch Bar.
• £1,949 model (from fave.co/2sOTLlQ): 3.1GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 (Kaby Lake) processor, 8GB of memory, 512GB of flash storage, Intel Iris Graphics 650 integrated graphics, and the Touch Bar.
Apple has two 15in MacBook Pros:
• £2,349 model (from fave.co/2tJybAw): 2.8GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 (Kaby Lake) processor, 16GB of memory, 256GB of flash storage, Intel HD Graphics 630 integrated graphics, 2GB Radeon Pro 555 discrete graphics, and the Touch Bar.
• £2,699 model (from fave.co/2tJWXjO): 2.9GHz quad-core Core i7 processor, 16GB of memory, 512GB flash storage, Intel HD Graphics 630 integrated graphics, 4GB Radeon Pro 560 discrete graphics, and the Touch Bar.
The 13in Retina display has a native resolution of 2,560x1,600, and macOS offers a scaled
resolution up to 1,680x1,050. The 15in Retina display has a native resolution of 2,880x1,800, and macOS’s highest scaled resolution on those laptops is 1,920x1,200. These high-scale resolutions can accommodate the workspace of a larger-screen standard Mac laptop on a 13in Retina model if you can tolerate the smaller icons, text, and other graphics on the screen. You can set the Retina screen to use resolutions higher than the scaled settings macOS offers, including the native resolution, if you use a third-party app such as QuickRes.
The MacBook Pro does not have a SuperDrive, so if you need one, you’ll have to buy an external USB optical drive (£79 at fave.co/2IxEDAU).
The Touch Bar
This sits above the keyboard, and is a narrow touchscreen. The button and controls change depending on the software you are using. It’s not available on the £1,249 and £1,449 13in MacBook Pros, which have traditional function keys instead.
Connectivity
No need to worry about wireless connectivity: the MacBook Pro has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It’s the wired connectivity you need to be concerned with. The MacBook Pro has only Thunderbolt 3 ports, which are compatible with USB-C. The £1,249 and £1,449 13in models have two ports, while every other MacBook model has four.
If you have a Thunderbolt 3 device, you can plug it in directly. The same goes for any USB-C device, though if you have wired devices that aren’t USB-C or Thunderbolt 3, you’ll need an adaptor.
Performance
The MacBook Pro models are, to no surprise, the fastest laptops Apple has ever released. If it’s processing power you seek, then these are the laptops you want.
Macworld’s buying advice
For the most demanding mobile Mac user – someone whose work requires a lot of processing power – the MacBook Pro is perfect. If you’re looking at a 13in model, the £1,749 Retina model hits a sweet spot for price and performance. The money that separates the two 15in versions is a hefty chunk of change; the £2,699 MacBook Pro is the top-of-the-line Mac laptop, offering the strongest performance. If your work mostly involves Internet access and other productivity tasks, however, you should go for an Air.
Apple has refurbished MacBook Pro models available in its Refurbished and Clearance Store. Refurbs offer a modest savings over new models, though the inventory for 2019 refurbs runs out quickly. You may find only older models, so check back at a later date to see if there are any 2019 laptops available. Apple tests and certifies all products in the Refurbished store. Supply is limited, so Apple could run out of refurb stock, and you’ll have to check back if you missed your opportunity to buy. But once Apple receives your payment, the company guarantees your purchase. It’s also worth noting that refurb products come with a one-year warranty.
Mac mini
The Mac mini is Apple’s smallest desktop computer, and is a nice combination of speed and affordability. It’s not only fast enough for general-purpose use but its multi-core speed is good, too – if you use a professional app such as a video editor, 3D software, or developer tools, then this can handle it, no problem.
Because of its price and performance, the mini is a great Mac for just about anybody. It makes for an ideal primary computer for a home or small office. Professionals on a budget will also be satisfied with it. If you’re switching from a PC, you can use your PC’s keyboard and mouse with the mini. Apple’s diminutive computer is also ideal as a secondary Mac in your home, and it can integrate into your home entertainment centre.
Specifications
Apple sells two Mac mini models. The £799 option (available from fave.co/2OwhSzH) has a 3.6GHz quad-core Core i3 (eighth generation) CPU, a 128GB SSD, 8GB of memory and an integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 GPU. The £1,099 model (available from fave.co/2HlfJqM) includes a 3GHz 6-core Core i5 (eighth generation) CPU, a 256GB SSD, 8GB of memory, and integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 GPU.
The Mac mini does not include a display, keyboard, or mouse, so you’ll have to provide your own – or you can customize your order to include these devices as extra-cost options.
Since it lacks an optical drive, you’ll also need to buy an external USB optical drive if you want to read or burn CDs and DVDs.
Connectivity
Like Apple’s other Macs, the mini has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It also has four Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI 2.0 port, and a headphone jack. It also has a gigabit ethernet port, in case you want to connect to a wired network. To connect a display, you can use the HDMI port or a Thunderbolt 3/USB-C port. You might have to buy an adaptor if your display doesn’t have either HDMI or a port that can connect to Thunderbolt 3/USB-C.
Performance
The Mac mini is surprisingly fast. In single-core performance (what most general consumers are concerned with, using the web, mail, productivity apps, and so on), it’s about as fast as Apple’s
current 21.5in iMac line-up, which uses a 2017 processor. The mini is also impressive when it comes to multi-core performance, which involves using professional-level software. Though it isn’t quite as fast as a 21.5in iMac, it comes close, and you can’t beat the performance you get for the price.
Macworld’s buying advice
The mini is an excellent machine for most Mac users – new or experienced, professional or general consumer. Whether you’re on a budget or not, it’s a great choice.
iMac
Apple has three versions of its iMac. We’ll look at the standard model first, followed by the iMac with Retina Display, then the comparatively new iMac Pro. The iMac is Apple’s iconic all-in-one computer. Made of aluminium, it has a built-in display and looks stylish as it sits on a desk. It also offers top-notch performance.
It’s great for both novices and demanding users, and can handle general-purpose and heavy-duty tasks equally well. It’s ideal for someone who needs to buy a complete computer setup (keyboard, mouse or trackpad, and display) and wants to maximize workspace efficiency.
Specifications
One standard iMac model is currently available with a 21.5in 1,920x1,080-resolution screen. It has a 1TB hard drive. (Apple doesn’t make a 27in iMac with a standard display – more on that later).
The entry-level iMac (£1,049 at fave.co/2sPpkfr) has a 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor and Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 integrated graphics. The hard drive in the 21.5in iMac models is a 5,400rpm model.
You can’t upgrade the 21.5in iMac yourself after you buy it, so it’s worth paying an extra £180 at the outset for a memory upgrade to 16GB as you’ll need to bring the iMac in to an Apple store if you want to add more RAM later. The 21.5in iMac also offers a Fusion Drive or a flash storage upgrade. It comes with Apple’s Magic Keyboard and Magic
Mouse 2. If you order online from the Apple Store, however, you can switch the keyboard to a version with a numeric keypad. The iMac doesn’t have an optical drive, so you’ll need to buy an external drive (£79 from fave.co/2IxEDAU) if you want to read or burn CDs.
Connectivity
All iMacs have four USB 3.0 ports, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a gigabit ethernet socket, and an SDXC card slot. If you want to connect a FireWire device, you’ll need to use a Thunderbolt-to-FireWire Adaptor (£29 from fave.co/2t32ULC). USB 2.0 devices can connect to the iMac’s USB 3.0 ports. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built in.
Performance
The iMacs are among Apple’s fastest computers – unsurprisingly the £1,049 model is Apple’s slowest option. Also, if the iMac has a standard hard drive, it’s a performance bottleneck, so if you can upgrade to a Fusion Drive or flash storage, you’ll gain a significant performance boost. The entry-level model has an attractive price, but you make huge sacrifices in performance.
Macworld’s buying advice
For new Mac owners, the £1,049 iMac is a good alternative to the Mac mini, providing a nice performance increase. If performance is your top priority, then we recommend you consider a Fusion Drive upgrade. On a 21.5in iMac, the 8GB of RAM should be fine, but buying the RAM upgrade at the point of purchase could help you avoid some hassle in the future.
iMac with Retina Display
The iMac with Retina Display is like Apple’s standard iMac, but with an ultra high-resolution display. It’s designed for professionals who work with high-resolution videos, photos, or images. It’s also ideal for the demanding user who wants the best image quality for everyday use.
Specifications
Apple has two 21.5in iMac with Retina 4K display – both have a 4,096x2,304 resolution screen. The £1,249 model (from fave.co/2sPn6wE) has a 3GHz
quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 1TB 5,400rpm hard drive, and 2GB Radeon Pro 555 graphics. The £1,449 model (from fave.co/2t3csqa) has a 3.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 1TB Fusion Drive, and 4GB Radeon Pro 560 graphics.
The 27in 5K Retina Display iMacs come with a 5,120x2,880 pixel Retina display. Apple has three models for you to choose from. The £1,749 version (from fave.co/2t3ejvb) has a 3.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, a 1TB Fusion Drive, and 4GB Radeon Pro 570 graphics. The £1,949 edition (from fave.co/2t3raxh) has a 3.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, a 1TB Fusion Drive and 4GB Radeon Pro 575 graphics. The £2,249 option (from fave.co/2sP565x) has a 3.8GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, a 2TB Fusion Drive, and 8GB Radeon Pro 580 graphics.
One thing to note is that users can easily upgrade the RAM on the 27in iMac themselves. The machine has four RAM slots, accessible through the back. Apple installs the standard 8GB as a pair of 4GB memory modules, so you can add more RAM after you buy the system. Or if you prefer, you can upgrade the RAM at the point of purchase to 16GB (£180), 32GB (£540), or 64GB (£1,260).
Connectivity
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built in. All Retina iMacs have four USB 3.0 ports, two Thunderbolt 3 sockets, a gigabit ethernet port, and an SDXC card slot. If you want to connect a FireWire device, you’ll
need to use a Thunderbolt-to-FireWire adaptor (£29 from fave.co/2t32ULC). USB 2.0 devices can connect to the iMac’s USB 3.0 ports.
Performance
The Retina iMacs are among Apple’s fastest computers when it comes to single-core performance. When it comes to multi-core speed, the Mac Pros with more than four cores are faster machines. You can improve the multicore performance by opting for the 4.2GHz Core i7 upgrade in the £1,949 and £2,249 in the 27in models, or the 3.6GHz Core i7 upgrade in the 21.5in
model – you’ll pay more, but it may be worth it to your for the performance boost.
Macworld’s buying advice
The allure of the Retina display is strong; you’ll love the way it looks. You may not love the way the price looks, however. If you are hesitant about the price, it won’t take long to get over it, once you’ve used the Retina iMac for a couple of weeks.
iMac Pro
The iMac Pro is an all-in-one computer that contains workstation-class components for handling heavy-duty, complex computations. It’s designed for people with the most demanding tasks. It’s targeted at creative professionals, scientists, and software developers.
Specifications
The iMac Pro uses
workstation-class
Intel Xeon W
processors. These
are available with
8, 10, 14, or 18
cores. It comes
with 32GB of
2,666MHz
DDR4 ECC
memory,
but you can
configure it
to 64- or 128GB. The RAM is not user upgradeable, though; if you want to add more RAM later, you’ll need to bring the iMac Pro to a service provider.
The storage device is a 1TB SSD, with options for 2- or 4TB. The graphics card is a Radeon Pro Vega 56 graphics processor with 8GB of HBM2 memory, with upgrades available.
Prices starts at £4,999 from fave.co/2Bhr9Zz for the 8-core model with 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and 8GB Radeon Pro Vega 56 graphics. The Pro comes in an aluminium space grey case. It also has matching space grey Magic Keyboard with a numeric keypad and Magic Mouse 2.
Connectivity
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are included for wireless connectivity. The back of the iMac Pro has four USB 3 ports, four Thunderbolt 3 ports, a 10-gigabit ethernet jack, and an SDXC card slot.
Performance
The machine is a multi-processing beast, designed to work with pro-level apps that demand multiple processing cores. Apple has issued different configurations of the iMac Pro to select users, including mechanical and aerospace engineer Craig A. Hunter, director and photographer Vincent Laforet, and YouTubers Marques Brownlee and Jonathan Morrison, and all of them say the speed is very impressive.
In our review of the iMac Pro, we confirmed that the Mac is at its best with software that can
take advantage of processors with multiple cores. Unsurprisingly, the graphics performance is spectacular, thanks to the Radeon Pro Vega.
If you use software that’s geared for singlecore performance (which includes many general consumer apps), you won’t see a marked increase. In fact, we found that the iMac Pro is similar in single-core performance to a 2014 Core i7 5K iMac. You’re better off with a new 5K iMac in this case.
Macworld’s buying advice
This is the fastest available Mac in Apple’s line-up, if you use multi-core software. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple is considering a preview of the new Mac Pro at WWDC 2019, so you may want to hold off until June to see what’s announced. If you can’t wait till then, this is still a great Mac.
Mac Pro
The Mac Pro is Apple’s workstation, and is designed for professionals who need a powerful and flexible machine. It’s perfect for anyone who works with applications that use as many processing cores as possible – video-editing applications, image-editing software, 3D applications, and the like.
Specifications
There are two standard-configuration models. The £2,999 Mac Pro (from fave.co/2t3dKRO) has a 3.5GHz 6-core Xeon E5 processor, 16GB of memory, and dual AMD FirePro D500 graphics processors with 3GB of video memory each. The
£3,899 version (from fave.co/2pKGETq) provides a 3GHz 8-core Xeon E5 processor, 16GB of memory, and dual AMD FirePro D700 graphics processors with 6GB of video memory each. Both models come with 256GB of flash storage as standard.
The Mac Pro offers buyers some appealing build-to-order options. You can, for example, add up to 64GB of memory, upgrade to 512GB or 1TB of flash storage, upgrade the graphics, or upgrade the processor (to a 12-core CPU).
Connectivity
Unlike the previous Mac Pro, this version has no internal options for connecting PCI expansion cards or internal storage drives. Instead, it relies on its six external Thunderbolt 2 ports for add-ons. If you have an old Mac Pro tower and PCI cards and/or drives that you want to use, you’ll need to buy a Thunderbolt expansion chassis for the cards and external cases for the drives.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth come built in on the new Mac Pro. The machine has four USB 3 ports, dual gigabit ethernet jacks, and
HDMI. Audio professionals should note that the Mac Pro has a combined optical digital audio input and analogue\output minijack. The computer doesn’t have FireWire connections.
Performance
Apple says that the Mac Pro is a “video editing powerhouse” capable of handling 4K video editing, that 3D applications will see “ultrafast rendering”, and on and on. And our tests reflect that. If you use Final Cut Pro X, you’ll see huge performance gains. If you use applications that can take advantage of as many processing cores as are available, then the Mac Pro really shines. However, if you’re more of a ‘prosumer’ than a professional – someone who is an expert Mac user, but doesn’t use highend apps – then you’re not going to see a big jump in performance. You’ll be better off with an iMac, especially if you use the iLife apps a lot.
iLife actually performs better with the processors in the iMac than those in the Mac Pro.
Macworld’s buying advice
In April 2017, Apple provided some much-needed insight into the Mac Pro. Originally released in 2013, the Mac Pro hasn’t received a serious upgrade since then. The current models were originally offered as build-to-order options for the models released about six years ago. So the current Mac Pro still sports old technology.
Apple admitted that the Mac Pro’s design severely limits what the company can do with
the machine in terms of upgrades, and that, as Apple VP Phil Schiller puts it, they are “completely rethinking” the Mac Pro.
The next Mac Pro, which Apple says will be released in 2019, will be better able to support the latest CPU and GPU technologies. But you’ll have to wait for the new, redesigned Mac Pro to make its appearance. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple is considering a preview of the new Mac Pro at WWDC 2019.
In the meantime, should you buy the Mac Pro that’s currently available? If you are doing professional work and require extreme multiprocessing capability, and you’re using an old pre-2013 Mac Pro or an older iMac, you’ll definitely see a performance boost.
But if you already have the 2013 Mac Pro, there’s no reason to buy what Apple is selling now, unless you are making a significant jump in the number of processing cores (say, from a four-to a 12-core CPU). We recommend you hold out until June to see whether Apple makes an announcement.