Should I buy MacBook Pro now or wait? ("power" ;-) user)

Snags

Network Attached Storage.

At its simplest, a hard drive with an ethernet interface. Generally, however, you'd use a housing that takes multiple drives and allows for different flavours of RAID, either to provide an increased total storage area, or redundancy in the event of disk failure, or both.

You can roll your own with any old chassis and a copy of FreeNAS (based on Open BSD I think), or you can purchase enclosures that are ready to go, most of them with an embedded OS that's based on a cut-down *nix of some variety. Available from hordes of manufacturers, and everyone has their own prejudices/preferences. The better ones can do much more than just be file storage, and can in effect work as a mini-server providing all sorts of additional network services (which I'll gloss over in case it descends into acronym soup and total geek mode).

My preference as stated above is for Synology, not least because they have some neat little functions to enable backup/replication between different units, even over the web, without having to dick about with firewalls, which is good for the average bear. Also, all of their enclosures run the same OS, so have the same functionality - the differences are in performance, number of drive bays, expansion etc.  But other brands are available (QNAP, Dobro, Netgear* etc.)

*Personally I think the Netgear ReadyNAS range are bloody horrible - quirky UI, weird operation modes, generally hard work to work out HTF to do WTF you want to if you are knowledgeable. Possibly quite good for people who DHAFC** and just need network storage without thought, but they give me hives. Other people love them, though. You say Fender, I say Gibson etc.

**Don't Have A Clue

RaymondLin

pmbomb said:

thanks all, good info.

what was the last model before they went to touchbar/clacky keyboard etc? s/h might do for a stop gap.

@snags please enlighten me on 'NAS'. Network something Storage?

2016 was when they changed so either an early 2016 or late 2015 model.

You want the one with the backlight on the Apple logo on the lid basically.  It will have the SD card, Magsafe, full size display. USB-A and thunderbolt 2.

RaymondLin

I have a Drobo and a Netgear. NAS  Netgear is cheap and cheerful, does the job but it is quite fiddly to set up.  I bought it at the same time with my friend who works in IT and basically I just copied his settings.  It is currently 95% full so will probably need one soon.

My next one will be a Synology.

octatonic

I have a Synology NAS.
They are for backup, not for live data.

If you use your NAS for live data you are asking for trouble, unless you wish to backup the NAS to another format (cloud, tape etc).

I attach a RAID array to my main DAW via TB3.
Everything gets backed up to the NAS.
I’ve never lost data since I started doing this.

Snags

Nah, they're fine for live data. I use them for small clients who are too tight/budget constricted to shell out for proper domain controllers and the like. As long as you configure sensible RAID (at least 5+hot spare) and you have a good backup strategy in place, it's not a problem.

They're also handy as an iSCSI source for a small office that does have a Windows DC but doesn't want to pony up for mega-posh storage.

However ... for use in a work context I have a minimum spec, which essentially means it must be at least a 4-bay "+" model, as those are somewhat superior to the entry level/SoHo ones.

{EDIT}
Clarification - I wouldn't use them as the source for e.g. video editing, but frankly you'd never want to do that over the LAN anyway unless you had 10Gb iSCSI mounts or similar. For odds and sods, they're no better or worse than a conventional file server. Because they kind of are a conventional file server.

pmbomb

sounds alright for offloading my iTunes and photos.

TimmyO

pmbomb said:

thanks all, good info.

what was the last model before they went to touchbar/clacky keyboard etc? s/h might do for a stop gap.

@snags please enlighten me on 'NAS'. Network something Storage?

imho the best model was the 2015 MacBook Pro Retina - all the connectors, proper keyboard, magsafe 2. I'm clinging on to mine as long as possible 

guitarcookie1

TimmyO said:

pmbomb said:

thanks all, good info.

what was the last model before they went to touchbar/clacky keyboard etc? s/h might do for a stop gap.

@snags please enlighten me on 'NAS'. Network something Storage?

imho the best model was the 2015 MacBook Pro Retina - all the connectors, proper keyboard, magsafe 2. I'm clinging on to mine as long as possible 

Same here. New screen under warranty and still going strong as a daily work machine.

Danny1969

guitarcookie1 said:

TimmyO said:

pmbomb said:

thanks all, good info.

what was the last model before they went to touchbar/clacky keyboard etc? s/h might do for a stop gap.

@snags please enlighten me on 'NAS'. Network something Storage?

imho the best model was the 2015 MacBook Pro Retina - all the connectors, proper keyboard, magsafe 2. I'm clinging on to mine as long as possible 

Same here. New screen under warranty and still going strong as a daily work machine.

Yeah that was probably the best Macbook Pro in terms of servicing, built exceptionally well and even had circuit diagrams available for it. If you want it to last keep the fans clean. Like any laptop there will eventually be a buildup of fluff, like tumble dryer fluff between the heat exchangers and the fans which cause overheating. Cleaning these out once a year will prevent any problems. Map the screws when removing the bottom cover, they aren't all the same

I'm still using the very first Macbook Pro from 2006, ibasically built into the old G4 chassis. If looked after they can last 10 years or more. 

pmbomb

I'm very persuaded on getting a 2nd 2015 one - is there a recommended dealer or is it pot luck on ebay?

RaymondLin

I have a 15” 2015 MBP from work, it is great, however if I want something that have the longest life span I would get a new one.  It’s just have so much more power to get you through the best 5, 6 or even 10 years.  Everything is also going USB-C too so might as well embrace it.

JezWynd

pmbomb said:

I'm very persuaded on getting a 2nd 2015 one - is there a recommended dealer or is it pot luck on ebay?

eBay have a 15% off offer on computers today (until 8pm)
https://pages.ebay.co.uk/coupons/play15.html/

monquixote

RaymondLin said:

I have a 15” 2015 MBP from work, it is great, however if I want something that have the longest life span I would get a new one.  It’s just have so much more power to get you through the best 5, 6 or even 10 years.  Everything is also going USB-C too so might as well embrace it.

Indeed my 2014 MBP is getting a bit janky now. Considering how much money it's worth I wouldn't buy a SH one unless it was NOS.

djspecialist

Apple used to sell refurb models - that's what I bought in 2013.  IIRC it was 15% off the list price.

Schnozz

Get a Chillblast - Someone recommended them to me on here and now my family have them too.

They're rubbish on discounts however and you have to sit on their Facebook page for a bit; however, they're very good.

I always speak to a guy there called Ben Miles and I think he's the Director.

Buy British .

octatonic

djspecialist said:

Apple used to sell refurb models - that's what I bought in 2013.  IIRC it was 15% off the list price.

For 15% you could try to find a student who can buy it for you.
Same discount and it will be a brand new model.

djspecialist

octatonic said:

djspecialist said:

Apple used to sell refurb models - that's what I bought in 2013.  IIRC it was 15% off the list price.

For 15% you could try to find a student who can buy it for you.
Same discount and it will be a brand new model.

Sure, although in that case the warranty won't be in your name.

monquixote

You can usually get a discount on black Friday although that's a long way off.

octatonic

edit, already mentioned.

RaymondLin

octatonic said:

djspecialist said:

Apple used to sell refurb models - that's what I bought in 2013.  IIRC it was 15% off the list price.

For 15% you could try to find a student who can buy it for you.
Same discount and it will be a brand new model.

I am sure it's 10% off now, it used to be 14%.

I  did it 6 months ago.