Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

13" screen on the MB... too small?

robo456

robo456

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 3, 2008
378
49
New Jersey
Hey guys... I know I have to go look at the MB myself to actually see the screen, but I'm stuck at work and figured I'd get some feedback as to what others thought.

I'm pretty set as far as PCs for work/gaming/etc. I have a Mini that I tinker around with, nothing major. I just quit WoW (/whew), so now gaming isn't that big of a deal. I was thinking about picking up a MB and maybe start doing more work on the road. My current PC laptop is pretty old and only get about 40 minutes of battery life, so for 'mobile' computing, it's pretty useless. I heard rumors of the MB's lasting 3-4 hours which sounded pretty slick.

My biggest concern is the screen size. I'm pretty used to 1024x768 on a 15.4 widescreen. 13" just sounds SOOOO small. I'm not into running 8437x7434 resolutions or whatever (call me old skool, but i still like the 1024x768 sizing), do you have to strain to see the MB's screen at all?

Thanks for any insight!

--rob
 
I've had my blackbook for four months now and the screen size is not an issue. This is after upgrading from a POS PC laptop with 15.4" screen. Battery life has been surprisingly good. I easily get three plus hours of wireless net surfing. That's with the monitor at about 3/4 brightness.

The only thing I'd like on it is a backlit keyboard.

Bryan
 
The concern for me is more the text being too small. And considering that the MacBook Pro has the same size text anyway, I went with the MacBook. The physical dimensions don't matter much unless you're into editing all of the time.
 
I have MacBook and its too small for me. I mean its OK for checking mail and some other casual use but if you gonna use it as your main machine, get yourself a second screen. I also use 15 MBP and still had to hook it up to external screen. Its a pain if you need to have few documents open simultaneously.
 
I suppose it all depends on what you're used to. I've had similar sized screens on laptops since I got my first one, so the mb screen size is normal for me. I remember I was amazed at the size of the 15" pro screen before I returned it. So from where I sit, the screen's big enough for me. I wouldn't want it any bigger either, due to portability issues.
 
Yeah, the 13" does make portability and battery life definate pluses. As for use... not quite sure yet. Prob just web surfing and some document editing (just typing in pages or something) while away from home.

I'm assuming if I ever get around to video editing, I'd want to pop that on my 24" screen on my desk at home. I guess the MB would be more of a expensive 'toy' than anything else at this point.

Thanks for your opinions!

Also, I'm assuming Applecare is almost a 'must' for laptops nowadays? (i bought it for my mini back in the day, but never ended up using it, still sitting in it's sealed box; I think it's too late to activate it anyway) Does it cover 'accidental' damage as well as hardware failures?

--rob
 
Running 1024x768 is quite a waste if your screen was actually a wide screen.

The macbook although small has a resolution of 1280x800 on a widescreen display so you'll have more space to work with and it looks a lot better.

You will have to go check it out for yourself because some may not be comfortable with the small size.

I own both a MB and a MBP and I much more prefer the 15" screen and 1440x900 resolution of the Macbook Pro.
 
bigrell486 said:
Running 1024x768 is quite a waste if your screen was actually a wide screen.

The macbook although small has a resolution of 1280x800 on a widescreen display so you'll have more space to work with and it looks a lot better.

You will have to go check it out for yourself because some may not be comfortable with the small size.

I own both a MB and a MBP and I much more prefer the 15" screen and 1440x900 resolution of the Macbook Pro.
Click to expand...

Agreed 100% here.

Go take a look for yourself. Personally, I could not deal with 1024x768, those days are long gone haha. 1440x900 is a wonderful thing :D
 
Mjmar said:
The concern for me is more the text being too small. And considering that the MacBook Pro has the same size text anyway, I went with the MacBook. The physical dimensions don't matter much unless you're into editing all of the time.
Click to expand...

It is so easy to change the font size at ANY time that this is NOT an issue. This comes from someone that has poor eyesight and that would be me!--))))

I love my macBook and just to reiterate Font size is a non-issue. In fact it's one of the things I really enjoy on the Mac. I have found that reading on my Macs are so much more enjoyable than on my PC's.

If you get use of a Mac try holding the command key down and hitting the + key to change text size and see what ya think then. I have added to many of my Mac programs a button to my tool bar that does the same. This works for me easier then holding down 2 keys at the same time as I can just do a single click with my mouse.

Hope this helps ya out! If you get a Mac, let us know what you think about font size and readability. Best to ya! ;)
 
If you're used to a 1024px screen, the 13" Macbook's resolution of 1280 would be nice, but it might be a little harder on the eyes being physically smaller.

All goes down to what you're doing I guess. 1280 serves the basic purposes of watching shows and web-surfing pretty decently, but I'd suggest getting an external monitor if you'd like more real estate when photoshopping or video editing.

I'm actually using PS Lightroom on mine without an external monitor.
 
Personally I think the 13" Mb resolution is just right; I have another laptop that's 12" with a 1440x1050 and that's just crazy. My eyes after that.
 
I was afraid it would be too small (came from a desktop PC), but I find that Spaces eliminates those worries because you can still be as productive as if you had a 24" monitor (although I'm not really doing any photo or video editing).
 
I moved from a 14inch ibook to the macbook and it felt small for all of 10 minutes. I think its pretty much perfectly sized (for me at least.)

It just seems to be a natural size when you have it on your lap.. the ibook seems much too big now. I love the widescreen and I doesn't feel small at all.

You should try one out, go to a shop or borrow a friends, I don't think anyone can tell you if it will be right for you... good luck!:apple:
 
i'm using my black mb right now, and the screen is not an issue. In the last day i have burned five dvds in iDvd, made a keynote presentation, played half-life 2, checked email and websurfed. the text is maybe a bit smaller, but it seems to me that text on computers stays fairly standard sized. i moved to the mb from a 20" imac, and it wasn't hard at all.

i wouldn't worry about it, the mb is such a great machine, you'll love it.
 
For me, the 1280x800 resolution on an 13-inch screen is about perfect. Not too big and not too small. If I need screen estate, I could just work on my iMac. :)
 
windowpain said:
I moved from a 14inch ibook to the macbook and it felt small for all of 10 minutes. I think its pretty much perfectly sized (for me at least.)

It just seems to be a natural size when you have it on your lap.. the ibook seems much too big now. I love the widescreen and I doesn't feel small at all.

You should try one out, go to a shop or borrow a friends, I don't think anyone can tell you if it will be right for you... good luck!:apple:
Click to expand...

exactly what I was going to say...your eyes adjust to it after a while, or else, switching from one screen to another would be impossible:p
 
Thanks for all the great responses guys! I'm going to head over to an Apple store probably tomorrow to mess around with one until they kick me off it :) and see how it goes. I'll keep you all posted!!
 
If you're used to something larger it might seem a little small at first. I've been using mine for about 18 months now and it is fine. Although, when I'm at home I connect it to a 20" ViewSonic LCD monitor and use an Apple wireless keyboard and mouse.

IMO the increased portability and battery life make up for any deficit in screen size, but I'm assuming you're not planning on using it for graphic design. ;)
 
NO, you don't notice how small it is when you are using it, only when you compare it to another laptop. It is very vibrant and vivid. It is the best kind of screen, discreetly small without sacrificing clarity and colour.
 
muldul said:
NO, you don't notice how small it is when you are using it, only when you compare it to another laptop. It is very vibrant and vivid. It is the best kind of screen, discreetly small without sacrificing clarity and colour.
Click to expand...

Are you using "David's profile"?
 
When I first got my macbook all I did was internet browsing (d'oh) and I wasn't into multitasking at all. If you start doing a few things at once you might start to feel a bit cramped, but spend a night reorganizing and you should be able to find a decent setup. Here's mind for example, the adium chat window is always on top and that gap on the left side is reserved for disks and my contact list.
20080727-k522d1qpmitpi4gbyr62bfeg85.png
 
I went from a 30" Apple Cinema Display down to a Macbook without any trouble. In fact I think this screen size is perfect. I carry the thing with me everywhere I go, and I have no trouble reading text. I also have a medical eye condition (keratoconis) and have no strain using the macbook.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back