Hi, I'm going to start my first semester of college this Monday (which will be all online) and I'm trying to decide which MacBook will be best for me. I have the early 2016 Core m3 12 inch MacBook which I got on release, which I've really enjoyed over the past few years, but people keep telling me that it isn't going to hold up for what I'll be using it for now. I just picked up a 2018 MPB with the quad-core i5 while I had the opportunity to pick it up for $250 off, and I have 30 days to return it. I wanted to get your opinions on which one I should use.
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2016 rMB or 2018 MBP?
- Thread starter CarolinaFoxGT
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What are you planning on doing with it? I have a 2013 13" macbook pro, and sometimes I wish it was just a bit smaller in some classrooms because of the small amount of area. Usually my work for class doesn't involve something super intense either, so the 12" macbook would be my choice. It's not at all bad though with the 13", and the extra power is definitely going to be noticeable.
I'm mainly going to be using it for all of my classes, and since I won't be in a physical classroom and don't think size will be a huge factor, unless I want to leave the house with it. I do play some light games on it, but nothing crazy.
Best Buy had it for $100 off, and I had a coupon for a student deal which was $150 off.
I guess it depends on what your usage will be.
I know when I was a student that I would have loved a larger screen (multitasking - means I can watch a show on one side and do some work on the other side) so a 12 inch laptop probably wouldn't have been great for me then.
Possibly also depends on what sort of programmes you're intending to run on your computer - whether you're going to need some intensive CPU usage or if normal day to day usage?
I know when I was a student that I would have loved a larger screen (multitasking - means I can watch a show on one side and do some work on the other side) so a 12 inch laptop probably wouldn't have been great for me then.
Possibly also depends on what sort of programmes you're intending to run on your computer - whether you're going to need some intensive CPU usage or if normal day to day usage?
For school I would only use a rMB if I wasn't heavy into video editing or 3D. For pure academics, I would keep the 12 inch MacBook. It is the only true portable laptop on the market.
Unless you have a substantial well-defined reason to upgrade, keep the 12" rMB. That's going to be just fine for most academic stuff barring heavy-duty stuff -- which you'd likely not even get to for the first year or two outside certain specific academic disciplines.
Get a USBC dock with power pass-thru and hook it up to a 24" 1080p monitor. You'll have plenty of screen real estate. I use a little tripp-lite HDMI/USBA/Ethernet/Power-passthru dock with my 2015 rMB12.
Keep going until such a time as you prove to yourself you need something different.
Get a USBC dock with power pass-thru and hook it up to a 24" 1080p monitor. You'll have plenty of screen real estate. I use a little tripp-lite HDMI/USBA/Ethernet/Power-passthru dock with my 2015 rMB12.
Keep going until such a time as you prove to yourself you need something different.
Thanks guys, I've decided that I'll return the Pro this week and stick the with the 12". While the Pro is an awesome machine, after using them side by side I've found that there's really not much of a performance gap for my needs, with the rMB loading apps only a couple of seconds slower while under load.
My 2016 rMB got me through pharmacy school and it's still running strong. Granted, I only did the basics: word processing, web browsing, research, YouTube, etc., but the device was perfect for those tasks. Was extremely portable for wielding around too; basically the size and weight of a tablet.
Unless you're planning to do extensive photo/video editing or if your school requires it, I would keep the Macbook. I also recommend getting a monitor for when you need some screen estate at home.
Unless you're planning to do extensive photo/video editing or if your school requires it, I would keep the Macbook. I also recommend getting a monitor for when you need some screen estate at home.