14 inch vs 16 inch which is more ideal?

[Mega ST]

I came from a MBP15 and am now on a MBP14 M4 MAX and never missed that inch. However I still very much like the 16 for the screen estate and the battery. It is just too big and heavy to carry around and use on the road. I practically tested/felt/compared the weight and lifted it in my next Apple Store before I decided.

Having said that, to just carry it around the apartment it might be perfect if it is not a very big chateau.

 

[playtech1]

I feel this debate broadly breaks down as:

- Often take your laptop with you: 14 inch
- Mainly using at a fixed desk: 16 inch

Of course some folks will have needs that mean they have to pick one over the other notwithstanding portability concerns, but I think the differences in battery life and performance between the two models can be overstated: they have enough endurance and power to carry out essentially the same tasks, with very little compromise/uplift from going 14/16 inch.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

Having still my 15" 2009 versus my current 16" M2 MBP I feel unqualified to make a statement of 14" vs 16" for daily use, travelling, home bound. I can however say that both feel equal in terms of size and weight, that also in my case (mainly tethered), I'm very glad of the extra screen real estate comparing the two.

After the M2 in 2023 the 15" Air was announced and I did have a brief period of "wish I had waited" remorse but I'm very glad that for my use, I ended up with the better set up that the larger screen also has to offer. In a nutshell...lots of travel I would have bought the IPP. For more pro photog use it would have been the 14" MBP + external monitor.

For my use the 16" M2 has been perfect thus far but everyone's needs, preferences, and expectations are just so different.

 

[jpf293]

Just changed from a 14" to 16" after my M1 14" got a vertical line down the display & the screen replacement would have been pretty much what the laptop is worth.

No regrets, and one thing I didn't expect is that the 16" is actually easier to use on my lap, the extra width makes it more comfortable. Felt too big at first but as with anything you adapt to it, now I don't think I could go back to a 14'.

 

[Basic75]

I feel this debate broadly breaks down as:

- Often take your laptop with you: 14 inch
- Mainly using at a fixed desk: 16 inch

Hm, my take is

• Often take your laptop with you: 16 inch (you'll probably be using it without an external display more often)
• Mainly using it at fixed desk: 16 inch (doesn't make much difference on a desk and it might run cooler)

And as for the often bemoaned weight, even the 16 inch is much lighter than some old 3Kg laptops.

 

[Mega ST]

Train or aircraft (economy seat) are typical mobile environments for me. Typing this on my MBP M4 MAX 14. A 16 would be too big to be used there.

 

[playtech1]

Hm, my take is

• Often take your laptop with you: 16 inch (you'll probably be using it without an external display more often)
• Mainly using it at fixed desk: 16 inch (doesn't make much difference on a desk and it might run cooler)

And as for the often bemoaned weight, even the 16 inch is much lighter than some old 3Kg laptops.

If you are lugging your laptop around a lot then personally I would sacrifice the screen size for portability, but I appreciate views may differ.

I found those old 3kg laptops too big to comfortably lug - my first laptop was a PowerBook 5300c which at 2.8kg I loathed having to carry it up the hill to my university library (along with the power brick because battery life back then was more theoretical than practical).