13" vs. 15" - portability

[Macalway]

my eyes aren't the best anymore from all the computer work over the last 25 years.

Baldrake is right. You probably need reading glasses. It happens around 40. Same thing for most everyone. You have difficulty until you surrender to this fact. Point is; avoid the difficulty altogether and go to a supermarket and try on some low power ones. It will improve your user experience

 

[kis]

Baldrake is right. You probably need reading glasses. It happens around 40. Same thing for most everyone. You have difficulty until you surrender to this fact. Point is; avoid the difficulty altogether and go to a supermarket and try on some low power ones. It will improve your user experience

Apple should bundle those with the 13" MBPs for anyone who's over 40

 

[xraydoc]

I've just returned my 13" tbMBP for a 15" tbMBP... for me the 15" is still portable, but the added screen size just makes it that much less of a strain on my eyes.

I originally was sure the 13" was perfect, so it's best to try both and make you decision.

I did the exact same thing. Bought a 13" nTB base model. Loved it actually. Performance was more than sufficient for what I do.

But, then I realized that I'm almost always going to just take my 12.9" iPad Pro to work with me, which for what I need a personal device at work, it can do virtually all.

I usually don't need the MBP at work since I have two desktop machines at work (a triple head Xeon workstation that would make any nerd like me jealous) and a 3.0GHz i7 Mac mini I bought 18 months ago for myself also connected to one of the Xeon's displays to handle any Apple-centric stuff.

The 12.9" iPP and the 13" MBP have virtually the same screen size & resolution. And I can actually do a bit more work-related stuff on the iPad (complete/sign documents with the Apple Pencil is a big one, and iOS devices can connect directly to my enterprise's Outlook email server where as personal laptops have to go through Citrix).

So, since the laptop wasn't coming with me on any kind of regular basis, did I need the svelte 13" MBP or could I go for the big, gorgeous screen on the 15"? Besides, for eye comfort I was running the 13" usually at 1280x800 hiDPI (with occasional 1440x900) whereas I can run the 15" at 1440x900 hiDPI for more space at the same comfortable text size and flip to 1680x1050 when needed and still not strain too much.

Even though I have a decent desktop at home (a 2013 i7 27" iMac at 3.5GHz), I prefer to work on the laptop from the kitchen table so I can have conversation with my wife instead of being hidden away in the home office downstairs.

So ultimately I exchanged the 13" nTB for a 15". And the new 15", being just 4 pounds, is only 8 ounces heaver than the 2013 13" rMBP I had before.

I still think the 13" nTB is a fantastic machine, and I'd keep both if my wife would let me... but alas...

 

[paaj]

In my opinion, the current 15" is perfectly portable and certainly worth it for screen space. If it fits in your bag, the reduced thickness will make it easier to carry with books/papers etc.

And it's easy, if 13 is too small you'll have to get 15...

 

[chriscrowlee]

old habits die hard I often post on a mobile phone forum where they scoff at anyone who quotes too much text, that's where this is coming from

I know I was just giving you a hard time. ;-)

 

[graffixnyc]

I really don't know what to do. haha I keep thinking of returning my 13 with 16gb and 512 ssd and the 2.9ghz i5. At first I was thinking of getting the i7 13 with the same ram and ssd but the base 15 with a 512 ssd instead of 256 is less than $100 more than the 13 with the i7 with 512 and 16gb.

It would be dumb not to spend the not even $100 more and get about 50% more multi-core performance with a quad core vs dual core (plus dedicated graphics although I don't game or do anything graphic intensive). I'm just afraid the 15 will be too big and cumbersome to carry around from home, to work, from work to school, from school to home all on the NYC subway. The extra screen real estate is nice for sure but I also love the compactness of the 13.

I use my machine strictly as a dev machine. Xcode, Android Studio, VS Code, MY SQL, MomgoDb etc.. Plus I run a LAMP Stack locally for debugging. I might just stick with the 2.9ghz 13 I have. I'm so confused. lol

 

[Zigman]

My only annoyance is the size of the power brick!!! Why is it so big. Good thing I've been getting 10 hours out of my 15" so wont need to carry the power brick around.

I was a bit surprised at the power brick myself, but it is half the size and a good amount less weight of comparable 15" powerful laptops.

 

[bcaslis]

To me it's not just portability. It's how you use it. The majority of the time I like to use the MBP on my lap. For this reason the 13" is just way better. If I used it primarily on a desk, then the 15 would have an advantage. I'd really like to move to the 15" for the screen size but for "laptop" use the 13" is way better.

 

[skids929]

I have the 13" Touchbar. It's a a nice laptop beyond any doubt. However, I'm about to turn 40 and my eyes aren't the best anymore from all the computer work over the last 25 years. I believe a 15" monitor would be fantastic. However, I work as a teacher and I have to carry my laptop around all day. How's the portability of the 15"? On paper, 1.8kg isn't very heavy and not much more than my old 13" rMBP that carried every day for years - but how is it in real life? How about the dimensions?

Anyone with a 15" carrying it all day?

I am a smidge older than you..Let me give you piece of advice...GET GLASSES! you're likely in denial and don't want them! I just did and this 13 inch looks great!!


Oh yeah and the portability is fantastic!

 

[Scott G.]

I really don't know what to do. haha I keep thinking of returning my 13 with 16gb and 512 ssd and the 2.9ghz i5. At first I was thinking of getting the i7 13 with the same ram and ssd but the base 15 with a 512 ssd instead of 256 is less than $100 more than the 13 with the i7 with 512 and 16gb.

It would be dumb not to spend the not even $100 more and get about 50% more multi-core performance with a quad core vs dual core (plus dedicated graphics although I don't game or do anything graphic intensive). I'm just afraid the 15 will be too big and cumbersome to carry around from home, to work, from work to school, from school to home all on the NYC subway. The extra screen real estate is nice for sure but I also love the compactness of the 13.

I use my machine strictly as a dev machine. Xcode, Android Studio, VS Code, MY SQL, MomgoDb etc.. Plus I run a LAMP Stack locally for debugging. I might just stick with the 2.9ghz 13 I have. I'm so confused. lol

I had the 15 inch w/455 and just returned it for the maxed out 13 inch. I did it for the typing experience on the 13 inch. The 15 felt like I would never get used to it, with the trackpad and front "chin" being so big. I haven't opened the 13 inch yet because I'm now thinking King of going back to the 15 inch. Ugh. I can never make a decision. I know that the 13 inch would probably be fine for what I need it for, however, I do want to run some VMs and the screen real estate on the 15 inch is just awesome. I'm just afraid that, by next semester, I'm going to regret not sticking with the 15 inch.

As for your situation, the 15 inch felt like the lightest laptop I've ever carried around. I really could not even tell it was in my bag. I also had the brand new Razer Blade and I was able to notice the weight of it. The 15 inch Macbook Pro, fits in the Razer Blade Sleeve btw. Hope that helps you out a little with your decision. =)

 

[Cremerhm]

I've received my 15" yesterday, the 13" is waiting to be picked up by UPS tomorrow.

Like mentioned in a other post, I really got neck and shoulder pain due to the smaller form factor of the new 13" compared to the previous models (worked with 13" for about 5 years, so I wasn't new to it).

First impressions are: WHY did it not do this sooner ...
This thing is 15" of portability...sure, it's bigger than the 13" but it is still small.. I love it!

 

[drxcm]

41 here and 13".
No question the 15" is too big for portability IMO, though I'd love the screen size.
The 13" is perfect for my needs.

 

[Acronyc]

I went from a 2012 rMBP 15" to a 2016 13" ntMBP. No regrets so far. It's not the weight but the form factor for me that is much nicer. It's so much easier to move around and use in small spaces, which there are a lot of where I live. I hear you about the eyes, though. I'm almost at 40 and have noticed it being a little harder to see things when I use a scaled resolution.

 

[Antairez]

I have the 13" Touchbar. It's a a nice laptop beyond any doubt. However, I'm about to turn 40 and my eyes aren't the best anymore from all the computer work over the last 25 years. I believe a 15" monitor would be fantastic. However, I work as a teacher and I have to carry my laptop around all day. How's the portability of the 15"? On paper, 1.8kg isn't very heavy and not much more than my old 13" rMBP that carried every day for years - but how is it in real life? How about the dimensions?

Anyone with a 15" carrying it all day?

Depends on personal preferences, I personally think that the weight of the MacBook Air is the maximum weight I'm gonna cope with. So when they released the pro in the weight of an air, I immediately placed my order. I'm a programmer who moves around in the office with my laptop frequently.

 

[Heart Break Kid]

Ive upgraded from a 13" to the 15" for the first time this year. The new 15" is incredibly light and portable. I've taken it to work everyday without issue. Portability is incredibly important to me.

As a physician I often carry it around to multiple hospitals but more impressive than that, I've been able to use it as my primary method of charting carrying it between rooms during afternoon clinics rather than rely on the clunky old Dells in the patient rooms.

The extra screen real estate with decreased weight and smaller footprint than prior years models made this the ideal computer for me.

 

[motime]

Actually bought both 13 and 15 from last years models refurbished. 15 inch mbp is way more enjoyable to use, I returned the 13 the next day. I am a student so I take the 15 inch variant to school. It is pretty light and have had no issues using it at campus. The battery life for such a powerful machine is awesome, 9 hours plus so I always leave the charger plugged at home.

 

[Timmy D]

I've just returned my 13" tbMBP for a 15" tbMBP... for me the 15" is still portable, but the added screen size just makes it that much less of a strain on my eyes.

I originally was sure the 13" was perfect, so it's best to try both and make you decision.

I did something similar. I purchased the $2799 15" first and I could never get passed the price tag lol. returned it, it started with the graphic issues, for a maxed out 13" for $2499. That machine was really cool and great. Even though I really liked it I returned it yesterday for the entry level 15" for $2399. So, I saved $100 and got a better MacBook Pro. All the MacBook Pros with touch bar are pretty great, IMO. The 15" MacBook Pro w/TB is pretty portable IMO.

 

[graffixnyc]

I had the 15 inch w/455 and just returned it for the maxed out 13 inch. I did it for the typing experience on the 13 inch. The 15 felt like I would never get used to it, with the trackpad and front "chin" being so big. I haven't opened the 13 inch yet because I'm now thinking King of going back to the 15 inch. Ugh. I can never make a decision. I know that the 13 inch would probably be fine for what I need it for, however, I do want to run some VMs and the screen real estate on the 15 inch is just awesome. I'm just afraid that, by next semester, I'm going to regret not sticking with the 15 inch.

As for your situation, the 15 inch felt like the lightest laptop I've ever carried around. I really could not even tell it was in my bag. I also had the brand new Razer Blade and I was able to notice the weight of it. The 15 inch Macbook Pro, fits in the Razer Blade Sleeve btw. Hope that helps you out a little with your decision. =)

Sounds like you and I are in similar situations about not knowing what to do except you've had the 15 to play with. I haven't yet. haha I'm just afraid I'll regret the size of the thing. Like right now, I'm laying down and have my laptop on my chest and I'm able to use the 13 comfortably like this. I couldn't imagine using the 15 like this. hahah I mean if I do return the 2.9ghz 13 then it would be pretty dumb not to spend less than $100 more to get a much more powerful machine.

With my student discount the Base 2.6Ghz 15 inch with the 512GB SSD upgrade is $2644.57 with tax. The i7, 16gb and 512GB 13 inch is $2557.47 with tax so for $87.10 more I get a quad core instead of dual core, dedicated graphics (Although I do not game or do any video editing or anything so that doesn't matter much to me) and the larger screen which I look at as a plus and a minus. Plus because of the extra screen real estate, minus because of it's weight and size compared to a more portable 13 inch.

 

[graffixnyc]

Ok.. I have decided.. the 2.9Ghz 13 is going back and I'm going to get the base 15 with upgraded SSD to 512. With my student discount the base 15 with the upgraded SSD comes to $2644.57. If I went with the i7 13 with 16gb and 512 SSD it would be $2557.47. So for $87.10 more I think I'd rather have the quad core and get almost double the multi-core performance than pay $87.10 less and only have a dual core. If I feel the 15 is too big for my liking then I'll just return it and rebuy the 13

 

[Murgatroyd314]

The new 15" is eminently portable by my standards. Of course, this is coming from a guy who's been hauling 15" laptops around since the Powerbook days.

Fun fact: Apple's 15" laptops have been getting wider with each generation for over a decade, but that just reversed. The new MBP has almost exactly the same footprint as the aluminum Powerbook, and is about as thick as the screen on that computer.

 

[solideliquid]

Ive upgraded from a 13" to the 15" for the first time this year. The new 15" is incredibly light and portable. I've taken it to work everyday without issue. Portability is incredibly important to me.

As a physician I often carry it around to multiple hospitals but more impressive than that, I've been able to use it as my primary method of charting carrying it between rooms during afternoon clinics rather than rely on the clunky old Dells in the patient rooms.

The extra screen real estate with decreased weight and smaller footprint than prior years models made this the ideal computer for me.

I can't imagine it's easy to round with the 15" even though it's lighter than last years model. I would think that the 13", or even an iPad Pro with Apple Keyboard would be the device I'd use.

I love my 15" tbMBP but I can't see myself rounding on say 8+ patients lugging the thing around like that. I'd also be worried about getting all those germs on the machine. Better to use those clunky Dells, at least those get wiped down by the RN/staff a few times a week. My baby is staying home where it's safe!

 

[steve-p]

I've been using unibody 17" MBPs for the last seven years until only a couple of weeks ago, and they have been round the world several times over and probably 50,000 miles just commuting to the office. It makes me smile when people claim the 15" somehow isn't portable enough. Of course it is!

 

[EndlessBuffoonery]

I've been using unibody 17" MBPs for the last seven years until only a couple of weeks ago, and they have been round the world several times over and probably 50,000 miles just commuting to the office. It makes me smile when people claim the 15" somehow isn't portable enough. Of course it is!

I have a 15" because I need the quad core CPU but I came off a 13" MacBook Air before it. It makes me smile when people claim the 15" is portable enough but are just ignorant of how fantastically convenient something like the 13" tMBP form factor is.

 

[Marshall73]

I went from a 2012 non retina 15" to the 2016 15" touch bar model. When I got it I sat it on top of my wife's 13" 2011 model and it was barely any larger and it is about half the thickness. Pretty impressive considering the larger display size.

I couldn't go to a 13" model, just too small and I'm in the same boat as you with my vision. I do find that even though the new MacBook is at a higher resolution than the 2012 model, the Retina display makes the text much clearer for me to read and has gained screen space.

The new 15" model really is ultra portable compared to the old retina models and even more so the 2012 non retina models. It's smaller, thinner and lighter, really not an issue to carry around plus it has bags of power compared to the smaller models so I can run my windows 10 VM alongside my mac apps without it breaking a sweat.

 

[ibizarocks]

I've had a 15" MBP since before the unibody days but in recent years I've got incredibly annoyed with lugging a 15" around. This time I opted for the 13" and I LOVE it. Super portable and easy to whip out on a plane or train (...or automobile).

I work as a product designer doing mostly front-end work and using a lot of the CC suite. I haven't had the performance issues I'd expected in dropping to a dual core and no dedicated graphics so big thumbs up there. The screen resolution is actually the same as my 2014 MBP 15" so that's an added bonus and made the transition even easier.

I can't see me going back to 15" unless for some reason my career takes on a different path.