A couple of related questions for an upcoming purchase of a MacBook Pro I'm planning on making.
PRIMARY ISSUE: 15" vs. 13"?
I've had 15" MBPs since 2003. I'm probably going to need to buy a new one when the next gen comes out if not sooner since my current 15" is giving me all sorts of issues from many different areas right now, which I think is a sign it needs to be retired. However, looking at the price differential between the lowest end 15" and the highest end 13", it looks like I'd wind up with almost the same (if not better) internal specs for significantly less money.
I realize the internal specs may change when the next bump comes out, but let's concentrate in this hypothetical on the current specs a) to avoid getting bogged down in speculation and b) in case this thing croaks on me before the new ones come out.
I would be hooking it up when I'm at home to a 27" external Samsung TV/monitor (1920x1080 max resolution) and a set of HK soundsticks (the sound on the Samsung is crap, but the picture is beautiful), but I'm still a little concerned about switching to a significantly smaller display when I'm on the road.
Has anyone here switched from using a 15" for a long time to a 13"? Is it just a matter of just sucking it up and getting used to command-tabbing around a lot more often? And am I correct in my interpretation that the internal specs on the 15" and the 17" are roughly the same, with the exception of marginally crappier graphics on the 13"?
A bit of information about my use of the machine - When I'm on the road where the smaller screen would be an issue, I'll mostly be coding and writing as well as your basic surf/email type stuff, probably not doing much big-time image manipulation or video editing. I do pretty much no gaming, so that's not an issue. I do occasionally have to run Windows via Parallels, but my recollection is that's more of a RAM/Processor issue than a graphics issue.
SECONDARY ISSUE: BEST ANTI-GLARE FILM FOR EITHER 13" OR 15"?
So if I do wind up going to a 13", that means losing the option for an antiglare screen, which stinks because the reflections off the glass are maddeningly distracting. However, since antiglare is now a flipping $150 option on the 15" (you get hi-res thrown in, but I don't need more resolution, I need less glare), I'd probably be looking at the same anti-glare film solution I'm considering for the 13" even if I do break down and buy the bigger screen.
Anyone have good recommendations for anti-glare film besides the aforelinked brand? I feel like $150 is not a reasonable price to pay for the difference even if I do decide I need the bigger screen on the 15", but I'd love recommendations for anti-glare film from people's experience.
Any advice on either issue would be of great assistance. Thank you!
PRIMARY ISSUE: 15" vs. 13"?
I've had 15" MBPs since 2003. I'm probably going to need to buy a new one when the next gen comes out if not sooner since my current 15" is giving me all sorts of issues from many different areas right now, which I think is a sign it needs to be retired. However, looking at the price differential between the lowest end 15" and the highest end 13", it looks like I'd wind up with almost the same (if not better) internal specs for significantly less money.
I realize the internal specs may change when the next bump comes out, but let's concentrate in this hypothetical on the current specs a) to avoid getting bogged down in speculation and b) in case this thing croaks on me before the new ones come out.
I would be hooking it up when I'm at home to a 27" external Samsung TV/monitor (1920x1080 max resolution) and a set of HK soundsticks (the sound on the Samsung is crap, but the picture is beautiful), but I'm still a little concerned about switching to a significantly smaller display when I'm on the road.
Has anyone here switched from using a 15" for a long time to a 13"? Is it just a matter of just sucking it up and getting used to command-tabbing around a lot more often? And am I correct in my interpretation that the internal specs on the 15" and the 17" are roughly the same, with the exception of marginally crappier graphics on the 13"?
A bit of information about my use of the machine - When I'm on the road where the smaller screen would be an issue, I'll mostly be coding and writing as well as your basic surf/email type stuff, probably not doing much big-time image manipulation or video editing. I do pretty much no gaming, so that's not an issue. I do occasionally have to run Windows via Parallels, but my recollection is that's more of a RAM/Processor issue than a graphics issue.
SECONDARY ISSUE: BEST ANTI-GLARE FILM FOR EITHER 13" OR 15"?
So if I do wind up going to a 13", that means losing the option for an antiglare screen, which stinks because the reflections off the glass are maddeningly distracting. However, since antiglare is now a flipping $150 option on the 15" (you get hi-res thrown in, but I don't need more resolution, I need less glare), I'd probably be looking at the same anti-glare film solution I'm considering for the 13" even if I do break down and buy the bigger screen.
Anyone have good recommendations for anti-glare film besides the aforelinked brand? I feel like $150 is not a reasonable price to pay for the difference even if I do decide I need the bigger screen on the 15", but I'd love recommendations for anti-glare film from people's experience.
Any advice on either issue would be of great assistance. Thank you!
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