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Resolved 13 to 15, regrets?

XoFu

XoFu

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 8, 2013
127
7
I drive a mba 13 from 2013 but I'm looking into buying a new mbp and need 16 G of ram for data crunching. With that configuration the 13 and the base 15 mbp are not hughly different in price with edu discounts.
Did someone regret going from 13 to 15? This will be my only mac and will be attached to an external display in the office but not at home or when I travel.
Portability, display, power and durability are my main concerns as this will be my only chance to buy in the foreseeble future.
Please help me decide wih your personal experience
Thanks
X
 
XoFu said:
I drive a mba 13 from 2013 but I'm looking into buying a new mbp and need 16 G of ram for data crunching. With that configuration the 13 and the base 15 mbp are not hughly different in price with edu discounts.
Did someone regret going from 13 to 15? This will be my only mac and will be attached to an external display in the office but not at home or when I travel.
Portability, display, power and durability are my main concerns as this will be my only chance to buy in the foreseeble future.
Please help me decide wih your personal experience
Thanks
X
Click to expand...

I had the Macbook Pro 15", and my girlfriend also has a 13" Macbook Pro.

Since you said you need to crunch the 4 core processor will be welcoming in the 15". So if you need the power, get the 15".

The only thing is that the 15" is a bit heavier, but other than that both are wonderful machines. Like you said: Portability, display, power and durability are important factors. You get all of those with the Macbook Pro's, but maybe a little less portability with the 15".

David
 
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I went from being a long time 15" laptop user (predating the MBP), to getting a 13" MBP, to then going back to a 15" MBP, I can easily say that I've had no regrets. I really do prefer the larger screen real estate and the faster more powerful CPU/GPUs.

I do have a SP3 for when my needs require more portability but generally my old eyes prefer the larger display :)
 
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maflynn said:
..... my old eyes prefer the larger display :)
Click to expand...

Exactly my problem, I have the feeling that my old eyes are demanding a larger display as well, :(. Up until now I've been really happy with the 13 inch display in my 2010 MBW and MBA but I may have to compromise some portabilty for the larger display.... Oh well, age!

Thanks for your input guys
Cheers
X
 
Yeah, old age kind of sucks but then it beats the alternative :p

Tbh, I found that the increased screen real estate of the 15" MBP to be a huge benefit. I use PS and Lightroom and feel that they work much better on the 15" MBP over the 13"
 
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XoFu said:
Exactly my problem, I have the feeling that my old eyes are demanding a larger display as well, :(. Up until now I've been really happy with the 13 inch display in my 2010 MBW and MBA but I may have to compromise some portabilty for the larger display.... Oh well, age!

Thanks for your input guys
Cheers
X
Click to expand...

I went down from 2013 15" retina to 2015 13" retina and couldn't be happier. While the screen is indeed smaller, I still use it at 1680x1050 equivalent ("More space"). The overall portability gain for me is very noticeable and power is plenty (again, for me). If the MBA does the job for you now, you will for sure be happy with retina 13.
 
I went from 13 MBA to 15 MBP.
No regrets - very happy.
I removed a pound or two of stuff from my laptop bag so lugging around the same weight.
 
At first I thought 15 inches rMBP would be perfect for me. Since 2013 I have carry rMBP with me to everywhere and I realized it is bit heavy. My shoulder is starting to feel tired. I wish I should have got a 13" MBA instead. But then I realized my 15" rMBP is more powerful over 13" MBA and have a retina display..good for me to work on photography and video editing.
 
Other way around for me.

I went from 15 > 13.

Bought a 2013 15" base model rMBP (8GB/256GB), liked it, but after a while it didn't feel portable, so I sold it for 2014 13" Air, (at the time I had a PC, so having PC + Air combination seemed ideal), then Apple released upgraded models with Broadwell, so I sold my Air for 2015 13" rMBP, but now that I've given up on Windows and sold my PC, I found 15" appealing again. Sticking with my 13" rMBP though, it has the power and portability I need, and if I need extra screen estate, I'll just connect it to a monitor.

Maybe I'll reconsider if/when Apple releases redesigned models, but I'll be keeping my Mac until there's a year left on AppleCare (mine came with 3 years) then I'll consider selling it.

The best thing about Macs is that they keep their value well, more so with the discounts you can get, if you're lucky, you can sell your Mac for the same amount you bought it for, managed to do this couple of times.
 
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maflynn said:
Yeah, old age kind of sucks but then it beats the alternative :p

Tbh, I found that the increased screen real estate of the 15" MBP to be a huge benefit. I use PS and Lightroom and feel that they work much better on the 15" MBP over the 13"
Click to expand...
Actually, I've felt this same way --- years before I crossed the "halfway mark".
 
maflynn said:
Same here, but as I get older I'm finding more motivation for larger displays.
Click to expand...

Exactly, I think 15 it is.
On the plus side even the base model 15 mbp is a mean powerfull beast.

Thank you all for your insight
X
 
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Sold my late 2013 13" and bought a mid 2014 15" and don't regret it. Needed the extra power and the extra screen real estate is very nice to have. I don't mind the size and weight difference.
 
LOL, I'm going from a 17" MBP to a 15" rMBP so for me it will seem like a tiny portable powerhouse. My plane lands wednesday night (spending a year in Taipei) and I will be waiting for the store to open Thursday morning :)
 
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My first MBP was 15'' before the unibody construction and then it was stolen. I was in college and broke at the time and got the old school white plastic 13''. I had that for a couple years till I graduated and got a job. I tried to cheap out and got an HP..6 months later I got a 2009 MBP 15'' and never looked back. I just got a new 15'' macbook pro. The initial cost sucks sure but you won't second guess yourself and the screen resolution options are stellar on the retina! Add in the quadcore and a discrete graphics card and you have well the best laptop in the world as far as I am concerned.
 
I've used 15" laptops for the past 8 years, but next time around I'm either getting a 13" MacBook Pro or the 12" MB. Why? When I'm at home, my computer is docked to large displays with a keyboard and mouse. If it's not docked, that means I wanted to use it around the house or on the go where a smaller size and weight would be greatly appreciated.

If I was working without my external gear like I used to I would get 15" every time.
 
I have bought 4 MBP's and returned 3 of them of the course of a month in the search of the perfect unit for me. One of them was the 13in and the reset were 15's. The 13in was a very nice machine. Fairly light weight, decent size and very portable. But when I went to the 15in I was glad a returned it. The screen size was just some much better. The 4 core CPU it has compared to the 13's 2 core was noticeably faster. It just felt like an over all better computer to me. Don't get me wrong the 13in is a solid machine, but if you have the money the 15in is a dream.
 
The 13 is nice.
BUT
Too many people get caught up on the "portability" issue. It's maybe two more lbs for twice the power. Seems like a no brainier to go with the 15 if you are able to $$$wise
 
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Fthree said:
The 13 is nice.

Too many people get caught up on the "portability" issue. It's maybe two more lbs for twice the power. Seems like a no brainier to go with the 15 if you are able to $$$wise
Click to expand...
Actually, the 15" rMBP only weighs 1lb more than the 13".
 
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Thank you all for chipping in.
I'm set on the 15. After all it is the same weight than my 2010 white, which I carry sometimes instead of the mba.
Now to calmly look for a godd deal or even a refurbished from last year.

Cheers
X
 
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