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13" rMBP as desktop replacement?

K

keith29292

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 17, 2010
3
0
Hi all,

I'm thinking of getting the 2.6/16/512 13" rMBP as my only and primary device
I do word processing, occasionally iMovie editing and light gaming, and may be parallels windows
And I need to carry it with me everywhere.

My only concern is if the dual core and iGPU will not be future proof enough,
But the 15" seems too big to fit in places where I study sometimes.

Would love to know if anyone also uses the 13" rMBP as their only device (no desktop)? What is your experience with it?


If only the 13" has quad core and iris pro....
 
vpro

vpro

macrumors 65816
Jun 8, 2012
1,195
65
Yes this generation of 13" rMBP with 16GB and 1TB is especially suited for desktop replacement. It is a lean mean crazy machine, I'll get one though IF and whenever they should ship with a Quadcore equivalent ?
 
P

PDFierro

macrumors 68040
Sep 8, 2009
3,932
111
Yeah, I bought a maxed-out 13" rMBP to use as my only machine. It's definitely do-able. I don't find 13" to be small at all.

The 15" is definitely crazy powerful, but the 13 is good enough.
 
thekev

thekev

macrumors 604
Aug 5, 2010
7,005
3,343
The cpu difference is minimal between them. I would probably not waste anything on cpu configuration costs. If cpu power is a big factor, move to 15" for 4 cores. That difference is far greater than a couple points of clock speed.
 
S

stract

macrumors member
Sep 13, 2013
72
2
2.6/512/16 is exactly the config I went for on mine. Sounds like we have similar use patterns. Definitely like the portability of the 13", but at the same time the screen is a nice size; I don't feel constrained. I'm planning to get a Thunderbolt display (hoping a refreshed version is released with the new Mac Pro) for home use.
 
AllergyDoc

AllergyDoc

macrumors 68000
Mar 17, 2013
1,985
8,961
Utah, USA
I have the rMBP 2.6/16/516 and a 27" iMac. The 13" screen is not a replacement for the iMac screen. It's okay to work on, but the screen is cramped.
 
MacModMachine

MacModMachine

macrumors 68020
Apr 3, 2009
2,476
392
Canada
i have the '12 retina 13" with 8g ram and 480g hdd (owc upgrade) and the machine has been my sole machine for a year now and i have had no issues , soon as the henge dock comes out it will be the ultimate desktop replacement.
 
I

isthmus

macrumors newbie
Jun 12, 2012
5
0
Hi Keith,

I've been using a 13" Pro as my primary device for almost three years and it has been great. The portability is it's main feature, I've taken it to work every day on the train and even backpacked for a few months in Europe with it!

With the specs you are eying up, your laptop is easily future-proofed.
 
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