13" Macbook Pro worth it strictly for personal use?

[jmn231]

Greetings all,

I'm currently using a 17" HP Pavilion that I purchased back in 2006. I'm very comfortable with Windows and will be purchasing an Ultra-slim PC for when I begin business school this upcoming fall (it will be strictly dedicated to school). That said, I've tired of some of the issues with PC's and am considering a MBP for personal use.

I primarily will use this for music, movies, and internet, and am looking for bang for my buck. I don't really play games (and the ones I do play are more "strategy" than action). Right now my dilemma is between the 13" MBP and the 15". I don't think the upgrade from 2.4 GHz to 2.66 GHz is worth the added price at all. I'm pretty sold on the 13", as it is cheap (relatively, plus I get a student discount) and is lightweight for easy travel (plus increased battery). My primary concerns are the resolution of the 13" vs. 15" screen, and just general functionality. I've never had a laptop screen smaller than 15", but don't know that I really need it, given how I will use it. Does anyone care to opine on the 13" vs. 15" debate?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[mikeo007]

Bang for your buck and Mac don't fit well in the same sentence. Get the Mac because it offers something that other computers don't. If you think OSX and well designed chassis is worth paying a premium, then get a Mac. It sounds like you'd benefit from OSX since you're upset about some problems with Windows, but don't expect to get any conventional "bang for your buck", especially concerning hardware specs when buying a mac.

 

[showkati]

The 13" inch seems to be the computer for you. The resolution is pretty standard for that size so you should not have any problems there.

The 15" packs the extra punch in terms of power with the i processors. The resolution on the other other hand (unless you cough up the extra 100$ for the hi-res screen) is a bit lower than the standard

In terms of portability the 13" and 15" are both the same (in my experience). Being a college student i found both sizes to be lightweight and portable.

Hope that helps a bit

 

[jmn231]

Thanks for your help (both of you ). I prefer both the aesthetics and the OSX of the Mac over the PC, though I admit it will take a little getting used to after using PCs for so long.

Just getting sick of the blue screens, crashes, etc...where I have to go through getting everything back in working order and/or shipping the unit off. Also like the speed and smoothness of the mac.

 

[peapody]

I have a 15" MBP for personal use. Couldn't imagine life without it. I have it to accompany a 13" thinkpad x301 actually. It is just more fun to use and a great media machine.

 

[c6789]

I have a 2 year old 15" ThinkPad that I was required to buy for school - weighs about 7 lbs to carry around and gets about an hour of battery life with the screen dimmed and few programs running. Picked up one of the new 13" MBP (base model) and am really happy with it. The small decrease in resolution hasn't been an issue. The weight and battery life are great, and I've started carrying this one to school instead whenever possible. I'm still able to use all the Office programs I need for school - except OneNote, which is the one thing that still has me turning on my ThinkPad. Otherwise, I've essentially turned it into a desktop. This is my first mac, and the transition from PC was a lot easier than expected.