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14-Inch vs. 16-Inch MacBook Pro Buyer's Guide 2024
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Wow these are heavy. Looks like Apple is designing by committee now with little interest in aesthetics. Works for me … they are beasts…but hope soon it’s not just a aluminum generic Samsung computer.
Are you a student? I’m debating between 14” or 16”
On the one hand I love the portability of my current 13” but would love a big display. I carry all my textbooks with me so I’m not sure if I want to add more weight
There is a great deal to like about these new laptops, however I am a bit disappointed with the pricing on the 14". I figured it would jump up to $1999 but I also assumed according to the rumors that would be the 10/16 CPU/GPU version. So not only would that add $300 to what I had figured it would be but also makes it a custom configuration which means it won't be discounted at 3rd party retailers to the same degree.
I think it’s great. Shows that Apple is finally taking specs more serious than making the device as thin as possible.
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There is no RAM ... there is however a unified - on chip - memory pool... so yes it's soldered. This memory is shared with CPU and GPU... so technically it functions as RAM + VRAM.
same scenario here, and I prefer the 14, even inside home, portability is a plus, I prefer carry a more light machine and use it beside a 27 or 32 monitor, also the 14 cost less money.
But that have targeted those users in the past with the Mac Mini so it was reasonable to think they would have added a version in this update cycle.
I still have a 2014 MacBook Pro, so it’s definitely time to upgrade. First I waited for Apple to fix their keyboards, then I waited for the M1, and then for the redesign. And now the M1 Pro and Max are here, I realise I don’t need such a fast machine. But I do like the new displays, camera, MagSafe, and other features.
so, I’m now on the fence: buy the cheap M1, go all out on the M1 Pro I don’t really need, or wait another year for all the features to trickle down to the basic models.
so, I’m now on the fence: buy the cheap M1, go all out on the M1 Pro I don’t really need, or wait another year for all the features to trickle down to the basic models.
Does anyone have any charts or compassions of the various CPU/GPU configurations for the 14” that could give insight into how the performance may be different, quantified and or qualified for use cases? I know we don’t have much for these ACTUAL CPU/GPU’s other than a couple datapoints from Geekbench pre-release units most likely. but is there ANY info that would help guide users toward various BTO configs with a bit more informational clarity?
We run Win11 in Parallels on M1 laptops now. You can get Win11 for ARM if you sign up for the Windows Insider program (free). It's very stable and very fast.
And no guarantee Microsoft won’t shut off support. Can’t live with that risk in my work computer
Similar boat as you. Opted for the 16". Since it'll be an at home machine. If i need portable computing i'll just use the iPad Pro.
On the price difference from base 14 to 16, once you normalize the 14 “binned” processor to the base 16 ($300 difference), the actual price difference is not reallly $200 as stated, but $160. The 16 comes with a 140 watt adapter, which is $40 more then the 67 watt one, real difference with only screen size is better seen as only $160 difference for the bigger screen. Tough decision, I want the bigger screen, but don’t really need the $300 processor forced upgrade on 16.
Well speaking for me, I like to lounge in the recliner sometimes and it wouldn't be very comfortable to use an iMac there.
With a MacBook I can dock it at the desk and then use it as a portable in the recliner.
Coming from a 2013 15" and I can't make a decision. Biggest hangup is screen size vs. weight/portability. Even after years of use, I'm still not thrilled to lug this thing around, and the new 16" is even heavier.
Wanna place the order so badly, but I know I basically have to see them side by side in a store.
Wanna place the order so badly, but I know I basically have to see them side by side in a store.
Mostly for flexibility to move between parts of the house. Plus i don't like the iMac's bezels.
Just make a pros and cons list. Physically and visually seeing the pros and cons will help out a lot. Also add prices to help out.
This is good to hear (obviously!). But you can't install/boot Windows 11 (even an ARM edition) natively on an M1 type Mac because it lacks the trusted platform module (TPM) that's included on all modern Windows PCs.
That means you're always stuck running it through Parallels, which is currently charging you $80 a year for a subscription to legally use their software. And really all because they emulate the TPM chip in their software.
All of this takes me back to my original statement; I think it makes sense to buy and use one of these new Macbook Pros for native OS X stuff, and do the rest on a Windows PC in most cases. If Parallels and Windows 11 solves a need for you, great! I'm just finding that for me, these days, the only time I really need Windows other than gaming scenarios is the occasional small app or utility that's designed just to interface with a specific item. (EG. I had some software that only works in Windows that's made for my old Radio Shack police scanner, so I can update its database of frequencies it scans through. Another Windows-only app I used to use was some performance tuning software for a car I used to own.) With some of these tasks, you're almost better off just using an older "beater" laptop that you buy used for $75 or so off Craigslist or eBay.
Actually, real value difference is only $160. The base 14 comes with cheaper 67 watt vs 140 power adapter ($40 more then 67 watt), so difference is price for size is not a major decision area. Just portabability and if you need the non-binned M1 Pro 10core cpu, 16 gpu vs the base 14 8 core cpu, 14 gpu.
I have been torturing myself over which one to get. I prefer the screen size of the 16 inch, but really like the portability of the 14 inch. However when I owned 13 inch Macbook Pros in the past, for internet and general productivity the system was great, but when I got into video and photo editing, the difference between the 13 and 16 was night and day, and I really enjoy the 16 inch MacBook Pro screen size. So I ordered the 16 M1 Max (32) with 32GB RAM and 2TB SSD. I'm trading in my 2019 16 inch i9 with similar specs. Makes the price not so bad at all. I know the 14 has a bigger screen than the 13 by 1 inch, but I still think I'll prefer the bigger screen. It's a heavy beast relative to modern systems, but I usually don't take my laptop on long winded walks or hikes. If I need ultimate portability I tend to use my 12.9 inch iPad which lets me do a lot coupled with a Gnarbox SSD. Then it's even more portable than the 14 inch. But I still go back and forth. We'll see how heavy this new generation is. If it's too heavy than I can always return and exchange for the 14.