2011 to 2017 mbp

[vixster1901]

Greetings!

Has anyone done the leap from 15" mbp 2011 to the current NEW 15" touch bar mbp 2017? Do you find it a worthy upgrade.

I have upgraded my 2011 with ssd and ram. my trackpad is going as well as my graphics card.

thoughts?

Thanks!!!

 

[kohlson]

I went from a 2011 to a 2014 15-MBP. It was nice - screen, overall size/weight, performance. Last year I bought my daughter a 13-tbMBP. I would consider this when it comes time to replace mine. Nice size/screen. I would want to check performance on a few things. But the 15-MBP should be that much better.

 

[davidg4781]

I'd say it really depends what you're doing with it. I went from a 2006 CoreDuo MB to a 2010 C2D MBP back in 2012 I think. The MB wasn't able to keep up with the demands of the internet but everything else worked fine.

The MBP went to my mom and it's still on the current version of macOS and running great. An SSD may help but no real need, especially for what she does with it.

If you're doing intensive work on it then it may be worth the upgrade. If you're just watching YouTube and browsing Facebook maybe not so much.

I have a 2011 mini. I'd love something fancy and newer (and more portable!) but I'm willing to wait until it's worth the upgrade. While the MBPtb is nice, one of the factors that kept me from it is Lightning... and I'll go off on a bit of a tangent.

Apple dropped the headphone jack and is packing in Lightning headphones. Great. I don't have an issue with that. But why is there a headphone jack on the new MBP? Why not a Lightning port, just for ease of charging iPhones and using the headphones? There's not consistency and I need that with my devices. I don't want to use an adaptor to charge iPhone (USB-A to USB-C). So I'm hoping they just switch to USB-C on the new iPhones, pack in USB-C headphones, and we can all just move into the future together. I'd be ok with them keeping the headphone jack on the MBP, especially if it has digital output since some may need that.

 

[vixster1901]

Like I mention, I have upgrade to SSD 1TB... SSD is stupid expensive on the new machines.
I carry this bugger around all day. The trackpad clicker is gone.. I think if I can find a reasonable hub with FW/audio mini jack, usb, that works! I'm going to bite the bullet.

 

[Falhófnir]

Skipping an entire design cycle you'll definitely notice a difference! The only thing I can think of that you should potentially be wary of is the endemic keyboard unreliability. For you, as you keep your machines so long, definitely worth going for the latest model to maximise OS support.

Apple dropped the headphone jack and is packing in Lightning headphones. Great. I don't have an issue with that. But why is there a headphone jack on the new MBP? Why not a Lightning port, just for ease of charging iPhones and using the headphones? There's not consistency and I need that with my devices. I don't want to use an adaptor to charge iPhone (USB-A to USB-C). So I'm hoping they just switch to USB-C on the new iPhones, pack in USB-C headphones, and we can all just move into the future together. I'd be ok with them keeping the headphone jack on the MBP, especially if it has digital output since some may need that.

I guess the reason the Headphone jack is still there on iPad and Mac is that there's not the same space constraints as exist with the much smaller iPhone... but I get what you're saying with the inconsistency across the lines. I think they might go lightning on the 12" MB as the HP jack is now the limiting factor on going any thinner, but the MBP there's plenty of space for both if they wanted, and considering they don't include a set of EarPods with a MacBook they probably don't want the hassle/ complaints of 'I can't plug my headphones in' from customers. Obviously with iPad you can use either no sweat which is pretty convenient.

 

[Fishrrman]

Going from a 2011 to a 2017 is a "good enough jump" to make it worthwhile.

HOWEVER -- I wouldn't spend the extra money for a 1tb SSD in the MacBook. Not worth it. 512gb is about "the max" that I'd consider justified.
But that's just me.

I -would- take the SSD OUT OF the old MacBook Pro, and put it into a USB3 external enclosure, and use that for additional storage capacity. An enclosure costs only about $20.

 

[rhodesy22]

I bought a maxed out 2016 MBP with touch bar to upgrade from a 2012 MBP.

I'm currently working from my maxed out 2012 MBP...

Here's some notes that may help you in making a decision:

The performance of the 2012 MBP after upgrading to High Sierra is very similar to the performance of the 2016 MBP on the original Sierra. Geekbench showed around 400 points difference between the two (which is nothing really).

If you're looking to play games then there's no comparison - the newer MacBook Pros graphics cards are much better.

I miss having Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports. I have many USB-C cables and accessories now as well as an external graphics card. I don't miss having MagSafe even though I thought I would. It's quite nice to not have the power disconnect without me realising. Having a single cable to my monitor is also pretty great.

I also miss Touch ID but while I tried, the Touch Bar itself was only really used for media scrubbing...it's just not a natural user interface.

I ended up using and preferring the 3D/Force touch trackpad more than I expected. I much prefer its size in the 2016 MBP too.

The 2016 MBP speakers are a lot better but I use external speakers and headphones anyway. It's also enough lighter that it's definitely noticeable on your back. It's quieter too.

If you copy a lot of files to/from the MBP then the newer SSD's can make a significant difference.

I've found that I don't miss the extra colours in the newer screen, nor the extra brightness of the display.

They 2016 and 2017 keyboards feel pretty similar - I personally prefer the shallower keys of the Magic Keyboard they sell separately but there

The 2016 MBP just doesn't handle high-cpu usage very well and it seems the same applies to the 2017. Keys become sticky at different temperatures, some keys become harder to press depending on the temperature and it's even warped the screen a bit (I'll be on my third 2016 MBP soon). Press hard enough on the return key and it will interfere with the fans underneath...that's how little space there is. You can also literally bend the laptop enough that different keys will be harder to press depending on how you bend it (without much pressure applied). There's times where I'll lean either side of the trackpad while it's on one new (like in bed) and it ends up causing issues with the keys.

The 2012 MBP certainly doesn't last as long in terms of battery, largely because the battery is so old.

From the above you may expect me to recommend the 2016 over the 2012 but ultimately I regret buying the new laptop - it's not worth the money to upgrade. Thousands of dollars for what comes down to a larger trackpad, Touch ID and slightly better battery life. The issue with the keys has been a deal breaker for me.

 

[vixster1901]

I bought a maxed out 2016 MBP with touch bar to upgrade from a 2012 MBP.

I'm currently working from my maxed out 2012 MBP...

Here's some notes that may help you in making a decision:

The performance of the 2012 MBP after upgrading to High Sierra is very similar to the performance of the 2016 MBP on the original Sierra. Geekbench showed around 400 points difference between the two (which is nothing really).

If you're looking to play games then there's no comparison - the newer MacBook Pros graphics cards are much better.

I miss having Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports. I have many USB-C cables and accessories now as well as an external graphics card. I don't miss having MagSafe even though I thought I would. It's quite nice to not have the power disconnect without me realising. Having a single cable to my monitor is also pretty great.

I also miss Touch ID but while I tried, the Touch Bar itself was only really used for media scrubbing...it's just not a natural user interface.

I ended up using and preferring the 3D/Force touch trackpad more than I expected. I much prefer its size in the 2016 MBP too.

The 2016 MBP speakers are a lot better but I use external speakers and headphones anyway. It's also enough lighter that it's definitely noticeable on your back. It's quieter too.

If you copy a lot of files to/from the MBP then the newer SSD's can make a significant difference.

I've found that I don't miss the extra colours in the newer screen, nor the extra brightness of the display.

They 2016 and 2017 keyboards feel pretty similar - I personally prefer the shallower keys of the Magic Keyboard they sell separately but there


The 2016 MBP just doesn't handle high-cpu usage very well and it seems the same applies to the 2017. Keys become sticky at different temperatures, some keys become harder to press depending on the temperature and it's even warped the screen a bit (I'll be on my third 2016 MBP soon). Press hard enough on the return key and it will interfere with the fans underneath...that's how little space there is. You can also literally bend the laptop enough that different keys will be harder to press depending on how you bend it (without much pressure applied). There's times where I'll lean either side of the trackpad while it's on one new (like in bed) and it ends up causing issues with the keys.

The 2012 MBP certainly doesn't last as long in terms of battery, largely because the battery is so old.

From the above you may expect me to recommend the 2016 over the 2012 but ultimately I regret buying the new laptop - it's not worth the money to upgrade. Thousands of dollars for what comes down to a larger trackpad, Touch ID and slightly better battery life. The issue with the keys has been a deal breaker for me.

Thanks for this thoughtful response!