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2016 Macbook Pro or 2017 Macbook?

C

creepynut

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 27, 2013
5
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Im looking at the refurb store right now, can get a 2GHz i5 2016 MBP for $1569 or an m3 2017 Macbook for $1459 (both Canadian dollars).

Portability is one of my primary concerns, both meet my requirements of "as light or lighter than my 2013 13" Macbook Air".

The real debate is whether or not the Macbook Pro is actually a good deal more powerful. According to Geekbench the pro scores 7146, and the Macbook scores 6724. Both more than my MacBook Air (1.3GHz) at 4904.

My MacBook Air meets my requirements quite sufficiently however if I can pay only $110 more for a year-old Pro and get significantly more performance I may do so. How realistic are the benchmarks?
 
Had the same dilemma as you, I went with Macbook 12". Upgraded from base model Pro retina 2012 and this thing is faster.

I do UX/UI design, front-end development, and editing photos with Lightroom and Photoshop. Everything work flawlessly with slight animation hiccups (not a problem. it's on all retina devices. Fixed on High Sierra that release tomorrow.). One thing I notice is, with the same workflow compared to previous device, MB12 produce less heat and no fan! That glorious silence and form factor sold it for me.

IMHO if you need portability, go for MB12". If you need all that power and are a pro user, you won't even end up here. You'll get 15" instead of the 13".
 
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Hello - I'm in a similar scenario Still deciding between 2017 MacBook or 2017 13inch MacBook Pro. I need to hurry up before the educational offer runs out. The only thing which makes me think the Pro is because I think it will have a longer shelf life than the MacBook. Is it not realistic to assume that in say 5 years time the MacBook performance will be severely hampered compared to the Pro? Is the MacBook more of a throw away devise after a couple of years compared to the Pro which will last a lot longer?

Cheers
 
The MacBook Pro is better with sustained performance, graphics, has a marginally better screen, faster RAM and SSD (both of which are negligible for most real-world usage), has Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.1 gen 2 and has better speakers. The MacBook has what I would argue to be a better keyboard that is more consistent with a lower chance of problems, is significantly more portable, has what I have observed to be noticeably better battery life, has cheaper AC+/third party insurance, and only has legacy USB. Both have an outstanding display, outstanding speakers, and an outstanding trackpad, and both use NVMe SSDs that are stupidly fast. With most real-world usage, thermal throttling is not a significant issue - with some very heavy workloads, the MBP nTB is favored (with the MBP touchbar model favored over the MBP nTB, and the MBP 15 favored over the MBP 13.) If an Air meets your needs, the 2017 MacBook will as well. I went from a '16 nTB to a rMB and I am very happy with my decision. If you go with the MBP, saving a little more so you can get the 2017 model with at least a 256 GB SSD may be advisable.
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Phil22 said:
Hello - I'm in a similar scenario Still deciding between 2017 MacBook or 2017 13inch MacBook Pro. I need to hurry up before the educational offer runs out. The only thing which makes me think the Pro is because I think it will have a longer shelf life than the MacBook. Is it not realistic to assume that in say 5 years time the MacBook performance will be severely hampered compared to the Pro? Is the MacBook more of a throw away devise after a couple of years compared to the Pro which will last a lot longer?

Cheers
Click to expand...

Both are a calculated gamble IMO (as are any electronics, as all have design weak points - with this new design, the keyboard appears to be the MBP's weak point, although I believe the 2017 design has made significant improvements over the 2016 based on how few 2017s we are checking in with keyboard issues.) I would not purchase either with the expectation of a certain service life. Both should serve you well and improve your productivity for years to come.
 
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The MacBook Pro is a nicer machine in terms of screen and keyboard and trackpad and sustained performance and ports.

The 2017 MacBook is a nicer machine in terms of portability, and it has Kaby Lake media support.

I went with the 2017 MacBook because I value portability very much, and I value the Kaby Lake media support, but your needs are undoubtedly different than mine.
 
I JUST bought a refurbished 2017 MacBook yesterday. I'm looking forward to receiving it. The biggest factors for me were 1) portability and 2) that it could still do what I needed it to do while being portable (it can).

I do have a 2014 MBP that works great and that I'm keeping. But since I carry my laptop around every day portability was the main factor for me (as long as it still worked for my needs, of course).
 
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EugW said:
The MacBook Pro is a nicer machine in terms of screen and keyboard and trackpad and sustained performance and ports.

The 2017 MacBook is a nicer machine in terms of portability, and it has Kaby Lake media support.

I went with the 2017 MacBook because I value portability very much, and I value the Kaby Lake media support, but your needs are undoubtedly different than mine.
Click to expand...

What do you mean by “Kaby Lake media support”?
 
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