MBP 13.3" usage.. Input, please.

[Amerabian]

I'll make this short

I've ordered my first MacBook Pro last night, it should arrive on wednesday and I'm really already too excited!

I chose the 13.3" baseline model as my TOP priorit was portability. My lifestyle obligates me to carry a massenger bag with plenty of things that already make it heavy. (iPhone, wallet, charger, notebook, swissarmy knife, etc..)

I chose to buy a MBP because I'm a computer science major and sick and tired of dual booting windows and Ubuntu (for compiling and commandline).

Also, I want to enjoy the good graphic design software to complement my photography hobby and web design. "Also", I wanted to enjoy the sound and video editing software. (Adobe Soundbooth, etc..)

I mainly use computers for browsing and programming, second comes the design and music part.

The 15" is def. too heavy/big for me to carry around ALL day.. (I mean, ALL DAY)..

Would I be at a disadvantage when it comes to the processing power different of the CPU and GPU of the 13.3" compared to the 15" ?

My last laptop was a Dell Inspiron 6000 (bought is like 6 years ago!)..

Tell me I'll be doing fine with it.. (won't be disappointed if it's a big difference).

 

[bozz2006]

You'll be fine.

 

[Rhyalus]

I am happy with mine... I am not familiar with the apps you are using, but you can always add RAM and a faster HDD if you have issues.

R

 

[zwodubber]

You're good, I went with a new 13" for portability

 

[Criticalmass]

I'll make this short

I've ordered my first MacBook Pro last night, it should arrive on wednesday and I'm really already too excited!

I chose the 13.3" baseline model as my TOP priorit was portability. My lifestyle obligates me to carry a massenger bag with plenty of things that already make it heavy. (iPhone, wallet, charger, notebook, swissarmy knife, etc..)

I chose to buy a MBP because I'm a computer science major and sick and tired of dual booting windows and Ubuntu (for compiling and commandline).

Also, I want to enjoy the good graphic design software to complement my photography hobby and web design. "Also", I wanted to enjoy the sound and video editing software. (Adobe Soundbooth, etc..)

I mainly use computers for browsing and programming, second comes the design and music part.

The 15" is def. too heavy/big for me to carry around ALL day.. (I mean, ALL DAY)..

Would I be at a disadvantage when it comes to the processing power different of the CPU and GPU of the 13.3" compared to the 15" ?

My last laptop was a Dell Inspiron 6000 (bought is like 6 years ago!)..

Tell me I'll be doing fine with it.. (won't be disappointed if it's a big difference).

Yes there will be a disadvantage, but in most cases we're talking minutes here.

Example: I ran the handbrake test on both the MBP and my Dell XPS 15 today, I knew the Dell would win, but I wanted to see by how much. We're talking 3 minutes of difference. It took the dell about 8 minutes to transcode the video, and the MBP about 11 minutes. Both systems got up to 85C towards the end of the transcoding.

The Dell has a 2.66 Ghz I5 processor with turbo boost capable of up to 3.06 Ghz. The MBP has a 2.3 Ghz processor.

The Dell has a 7200 RPM drive, the MBP a 5400 RPM Drive.

The Dell has 8 gigabytes of ram, the MBP has 4 gigabytes of ram.

I can probably knock off between 30 seconds and a minute by upgrading the HDD on the MBP to a 7200 rpm drive. (More ram won't really make a difference for this).

So yes, there is a disadvantage, but you can calculate it in terms of minutes.

Your graphic design will take a bigger hit because of the low resolution of the screen. For graphic design and editing of raw images, more screen real estate is better. Though admittedly this would still be a slight issue even with the 15 inch, as it's resolution does not reach 1080p standards, though it comes close. The quad core processors in the 15inch will mean lower transcode and encoding times, but unless you are encoding huge video files, again, we're talking about minutes of productivity lost.

 

[kobyh15]

It will be great. You'll love it.

 

[Amerabian]

Yes there will be a disadvantage...
It took the dell about 8 minutes to transcode the video, and the MBP about 11 minutes...
The Dell has a 7200 RPM drive, the MBP a 5400 RPM Drive.
The Dell has 8 gigabytes of ram, the MBP has 4 gigabytes of ram...

Your graphic design will take a bigger hit because of the low resolution of the screen.

Thank you so much for the detailed response!

I can understand the differences more now and everything is clear.

I guess I chose the right MBP then!

My graphic design is very minimal, PSD and gimp editing.. No 3D modeling or anything of that sort. Mostly, it'll be editing photos which, from what you said, should be fine. All my video editing is simple stuff, advertising for businesses with bits and pieces of iPhone videos + text and sound dubbing.

Sound Editing: It might take a few more minutes which is fine by me.

Coming from a 6 year old laptop to a MBP would still be like upgrading a steam engine to an anti-gravity propulsion spaceship!

I might consider buying an Apple desktop if I actually start getting requests from businesses and individuals and work piles up. The few minutes difference would mean much in that case.

Again, thank you very much for taking the time to write.

And thanks to everyone for the comforting responses!

 

[NickZac]

If mobility is a big want, the 13 is MUCH better than the 15. Most people do not realize how much the extra pound and size makes a difference. The 13 is plenty capable BTW...while it isn't quad core, it is still a Sandy Bridge CPU so it is state of the art technology.

 

[acedickson]

If mobility is a big want, the 13 is MUCH better than the 15. Most people do not realize how much the extra pound and size makes a difference. The 13 is plenty capable BTW...while it isn't quad core, it is still a Sandy Bridge CPU so it is state of the art technology.

I agree, but tend to lean more towards the added size as the biggest qualm. The 15" takes up so much more room in a bag.

 

[Resqu2]

I have a 21" IMac, latest model out and just got a 2011 13" MBP and it's faster than my IMac, guess the processor has more to do with it than I realized. My IMac sees even less use now, i think you will love your new Mac.

 

[NickZac]

I agree, but tend to lean more towards the added size as the biggest qualm. The 15" takes up so much more room in a bag.

I agree that is the biggest challenge the 15 presents. The bags needed to safely carry the 15 are somewhat larger and consequently, generally heavier as well...and it adds up for people who carry them a lot when walking/biking/etc.

 

[Al Coholic]

These, "Buy-first, ask questions later" threads always crack me up.

The Apple marketing staff are frickin' geniuses.

 

[NickZac]

These, "Buy-first, ask questions later" threads always crack me up.

The Apple marketing staff are frickin' geniuses.

It's the impulse plunge...they blend style, credibility, and functionality to market desirableness, resulting in more sales. It just turns out that their products, or least the MBP, is a system that pleases most people who bought it and hence it gets favorable consumer reviews.