A MacBook Pro is an essential tool of my trade. When I buy one I have usually done an incredible amount of research and bought the top of the line brand new model on the first day of availability, with a plan to keep it for five years, or the top specified refurbished model on the day the new model came out, again with a long term ownership plan knowing that Apple MacBook Pro computers hold a lot of residual value. But that changed with the USB-C Macbooks and what to me was a distinct lower level of reliability. I had numerous of these newer models with logic board and other failures. The keyboard problems were well reported although to be fair I did not experience them, I just didnt like the lower travel in the keys.
I recently needed a new MacBook but what to buy? I need something with bulletproof reliability, that had a wide range of connectivity, and importantly that can run the latest versions of macOS and its developer tools. This means reasonably modern, a fast processor, loads of storage and plenty of memory.
If you can do without USB-C / Thunderbolts 3 then the Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch Retina Early 2015 with a Core i7 processor is the perfect MacBook for this workload. Which means its pretty much ideal for everything else you might want to do with it like video conferencing, writing, music, and content creation.
To find it you need to use model number A1502 with the 'MacBookPro12,1' model identifier, or use the information below.
Contents
Introduced in March 2015, and not discontinued until July 2017 it remains the perfect choice for all workloads except perhaps hardcore gaming, but then thats not really MacBook Pro core competence anyway. A number of possible specifications existed at the time with i5 and i7 processors and 8GB or 16GB ram and 128, 256, 512 GB or 1 TB flash storage. In the refurbished computer market I would urge seeking out the best specification you can. In this case that is 3.1GHz i7, with 16GB RAM, and at least 512 GB and preferably 1TB flash storage. The hardware in these MacBook Pro computers can't be upgraded so getting one which was maxed out at the outset now for a very small difference in cost will pay dividends when you dont run out of space and the MacBook lasts you much longer.
Pros - (Core i7 3.1GHz model)
- 13in Retina Display. The 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology is a masterpiece and too bulked out like its bigger 15-inch relative. It supports 2560-by-1600 (Retina) resolution.
- 60w MagSafe 2 Power. This magnetic power connector has saved countless MacBook Pro computers from being inadvertently smashed as they are dragged off desks by cables. It is a hell of an innovation to throw out with the bathwater and after years of dreadful USB-C models finally Apple saw sense and brought back MagSafe power to its latest MacBook Pros.
- Intel Core i7 5557U ("Broadwell") 3.1 GHz. This is a fifth generation Intel processor which Intel claimed would provide a 30 percent improvement in power use over previous generation. It is a 64 bit 2 core processor. It can get a little warm if you have too many tabs open in your browser but it is very capable and fast.
- 16 GB memory. Memory is soldered and can't be upgraded so choose a 16GB model with PC3-14900 (1866 MHz) DDR3L on-board memory.
- 512GB or 1TB Flash storage. This is PCIe-based flash storage faster than the previous model - stay away from the smaller 126GB and 256GB models if you can because they will fill up quickly with music and data.
- Intel Iris Graphics 6100. This is an integrated graphics card. It can't be upgraded either.
- Non removable battery. Some batteries were covered by a recall program so it should have been done by now or not be one of those affected. Battery capability on second user MacBooks are pot luck depending on number of power cycles. Mines very good indeed. When new capacity was marketed to be 10 hours. New batteries require an expensive trip to an authorised service agent so do check they hold charge before buying!
- HDMI. This Mac can directly connect to an HDMI port including 4K on your TV or monitor.
- USB. Standard USB ports, one on each side of the case.
- Thunderbolt 2 . There are two ports for External displays using Thunderbolt (and some DisplayPort monitors for example the LED from Apple). Thunderbolt 2 devices can be chained so more than two devices can be used. Maximum two displays one HDMI one Thunderbolt or two Thunderbolt at one time.
- Force Touch trackpad. No moving parts. Haptic feedback instead.
- SDXC card slot. You can transfer photos directly from camera memory cards.
- Backlit scissor keys keyboard. Doesn't suffer from the issues affecting the next models butterfly mechanism keys.
- Camera. 720p Facetime HD camera.
- Audio. 3.5-mm digital/analog in/out socket. You can use a digital or analog audio cable.
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4
Cons
- No AppleCare. Buy it from Computer Exchange for a two year warranty or from Amazon Renewed with a one year warranty.
- Not the current model. If you really need the shiniest then this is not it.
- Intel inside. Apple don't make Intel based Mac computers anymore
- No USB-C/Thunderbolt 3. Most devices come with USB 3.0 cables as well as USB-C. Careful about displays though!
- No Ethernet port. You can buy an Apple Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter (Affiliate Link) or just use Wi-Fi
- No FireWire. You can buy an Apple Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter (Affiliate Link) or just use USB or Thunderbolt devices.
- No CD/DVD. No Apple computers have them any more. Use an Apple Superdrive (Affiliate Link) or a Third party External drive
This particular MacBook Pro model is the gold standard. It is the best unibody MacBook Pro Apple have ever made. It is sought after by developers and power users but realistically priced these days and a bargain compared to new MacBooks from Apple. It does not require a bag full of Apple £25 connectors to add peripherals and has a camera and phone memory card slot.
