An Ode To Macbook Pro

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Disclaimer: I am not a tech geek whatsoever and everything is written based on my personal use and understanding

In my 5 Items I'm Lusting After, I got a lot of comments from my blogger friends who have been wanting a MacBook Pro so I thought I would do a review of this laptop to talk about some of the things you need to know about it and my overall opinion about this piece of device

Here's a backstory of how I came to own this laptop:
Back in early 2012 (I was 17), I wanted a MBP so much that whenever I went to Apple stores I always played around with this laptop and hoped that my dad would buy one for me. In September 2012, my dad ordered this laptop for himself. Yes, for himself. He knew how much I wanted this but he bought one not for me. I was like 😑 and 😒 and he told me that if I wanted it, I should save my own money. 💔
He mainly used this MBP to surf the net, read the news, and watch YouTube videos so when he wasn't using it, the MBP was with me most of the time because I hated my laptop at that time and the shiny new piece of Mac was the laptop of my dream. Who could resist, right

So in December 2012, we went to Big Bad Wolf book sale at the MIECC because I wanted to purchase some books. After that, we went to The Mines and my dad wanted to purchase an Earpods (which he ended up forgetting he had so the Earpods I'm using now is his haha) so I played around with MacBooks, as per usual. And I kind of made that voice — you know that annoying voice you make to your dad when you want something so that your dad couldn't resist his daughter's request so he had to buy it? Yeah, I did that and it worked

I thought my dad wouldn't let me buy a MBPro so I opted for a cheaper option which was the 11-inch MacBook Air. I believe it was RM3099 at that time, just RM600 shy from the MBP. My dad said he bought it as my SPM gift (I just finished SPM) and also because he got tired of me always using his MBP. Hah. 😐
Fast forward April 2013, I was going to register for university in May so my dad said we should exchange our Macs since I probably be needing a larger laptop for school. He took my Air and I took his Pro but my dad was never a fan of Mac so right now, the Air went to my sister

How much does it cost?Laptop + softwareMy laptop is the mid-2012 non-retina MacBook Pro which is the last version of the standard non-retina Pro. It was sold for RM3699, before the downfall of our currency and the implementation of GST. It's much more expensive now. You have to buy Microsoft Office separately as it does not come pre-installed, I think that costs about RM569

AccessoriesYou can buy their wireless Magic Mouse 2 for RM379. I have the original Magic Mouse and it costed around RM229 at the time it was bought. You can also buy its casing, roughly around RM99-RM150. I got mine from Speck for RM99

Total in the year 2012 (laptop + Microsoft Office + Mouse + casing) = RM4596
It will be a lot more expensive today because the latest price of the laptop is already RM4599

ReviewProsIt doesn't have the classic antivirus program (Kaspersky etc..) that you have to upgrade every single goddamned time and I have never gotten any viruses on my laptop even though I use Torrent a lot so I don't have to worry about accidentally clicking on a malware (I don't even know the terms tbh)
Pretty. 100% aesthetic value. Instagram/blog worthy

I prefer macOS than Windows just 'cause it's easier and more straightforward

You can buy a lot of pretty casings and skins for it. Marble casing/skin? Got 'ya covered, boo

PhotoBooth. 'Cause FILTERS

ConsBloody expensive

The specs does not worth the price tag

Have to use a separate adapter to connect to projector

The power cord is as poor quality as the iPhone's USB cable. I broke mine August last year and mind you that the power cord retails at RM299 😭
Why didn't you buy the Retina MacBook Pro?I purchased this in 2012, a year before the retina MacBook Pro was introduced. I was tempted to own a retina MBP but I have two issues with it:
1. It doesn't have a CD drive. It's not a deal breaker for some but for me it is because for my TESL course, we have video assignments that need to be burned in CDs. I also like to know that I have CD drive so I can play DVD on my laptop, just in case. CD drive is not important, but I do prefer my laptop to have one

2. My cousin brother told me that he has a friend who works as a graphic designer who uses a retina MacBook Pro. He has perfect vision but after using the rMBP for a few months for work, he had to get prescription glasses because the screen ruined his vision. I already have terrible vision and I spend a lot of time with my laptop. I don't need to ruin my eyes more so I can have a crystal clear laptop screen

But to each their own, though. rMBP is lighter and faster than the one I have. It's also more expensive with a small storage. My MBP comes with 512GB flash storage while the entry level retina MBP comes with 128GB storage. You can always use an external hard drive so I don't think that's going to be a problem

As a bloggerI gotta be honest here — being a blogger with a MacBook will make you look cool just 'cause it's a MacBook

It's a pleasure to type on and blogs look amazing and smooth on screen although it is not a retina MacBook

It loads Adobe Photoshop CS6 okay. It also has an SD/SDXC card slot so I can transfer photos from my camera to laptop without having to use a usb cable

The pictures I took with my camera are high resolution and I have hundreds of them so I got an external hard drive to backup everything on my laptop. It helps with the speed, too

As a studentThe battery lasts for 5 to 6 hours so I can get away with using my laptop for 2-hour lecture class twice a day. I usually bring my power cord with me just in case

I have a bit of a problem when doing presentation in class because this laptop doesn't have the port that connects it to the projector but you can buy the adapter separately. It's not a major issue for me because my other friend usually brings her laptop for presentation day

If you're using this laptop for school, it is better to buy the Microsoft Office for doing school work

It is quite a heavy laptop so I bring a large tote bag or a bag pack to school

OverallWhat can I say other than I love it so much. I have owned it for about 4 years and I never had any major issues with it other than lagging during the third year mark but that's understandable as it happens to every gadget

I didn't touch about specs all that much because it is a 4-year-ago model and I'm not a tech geek. However, I do know that you can upgrade the RAM yourself unlike retina MBP so that's a plus. I'm thinking of upgrading to 8GB RAM in the future. Currently, it came with a standard 4GB RAM and that's all I know, specs wise

I wanted a MacBook purely because it's a MacBook. If I wanted something powerful, I might as well buy an Alienware laptop or any other powerful laptops out there but I'm a blogger and a TESL student who types a lot of essays NOT a gamer or engineering student who needs AUTOCAD software for their course that requires a heck lot more powerful laptop

It fits my needs as a blogger and student and also for my aesthetic pleasure and to be honest that's all I care about.

I hope you found this post helpful if you're thinking of buying this laptop. I really hope Apple doesn't discontinue this model just because it's the only Apple laptop that still has a CD drive. You might not need it always, but you will need it one day.

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