Hello guys,
So I just sold my 2016 non touchbar MacBook Pro because (1) I did not trust it w/o Apple Care (missed the 1y mark to buy the extended plan) and (2) I felt like I could get more with a little bit more money (I had the 16gb + 256 ssd which originally retailed for $1699 + tax).
While the performance wasn't bad at all, I felt like my workflow could use just a tiny bit of extra power. That said, I really loved the portability of the 13" model. I was surprised to see that I could use my old MacBook Air 11" sleeve due to the new thinner bezels. It was always in my bag, and the weight was unnoticeable. I like being mobile, specially since I’m about to graduate and I don’t where I’ll be in the next year. I’m trying to stay as light as possible, ready to go at all times.
My work includes lots of Safari/Chrome use (multiple tabs), moderate (not heavy, not light) Final Cut Pro X use, Office Suite, some programming (just as a hobby, nothing professional or too demanding yet) and very occasionally I like to play some Kerbal Space Program and Microsoft Flight Simulator. These last 2 require Windows (KSP is available for Mac but it runs a lot better under Windows). The thing that concerns me is that Flight Simulator at least, while not crazy demanding, will tax the cpu/gpu for a long time and continuously (Sometimes I do long haul flights that take 9+ hours). My 13" MBP would get really hot and the fans would stay on for a while. Performance wasn’t all that bad (mid-low settings) but I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I would like a little bit more.
So my question is, is the 2017 15” MacBook Pro the computer I’m looking for? I’m scared of the size, as the last laptop of that screen size I owned (granted, the chassis was a lot bigger than that of a MacBook) was a Lenovo Y something gaming laptop and was just way too big.
Other options include waiting for the lineup refresh to see what the 13” bring to the table (I’m assuming better performing quad cores? Vega APU by any chance?) - but if the 15” is the way to go, then I think waiting perhaps wouldn’t be as necessary since from my understanding these won’t see that big of an upgrade (perhaps six cores? But would that be noticeably better?)
Or, additionally, I could look into other brands. I am however a little skeptical since my experience with that terrible Lenovo. I also had the Dell XPS 13 and had a bad time as well (would get hot, coil whine, horrendous trackpad, and terrible customer service). With that said, I’m also not a huge fan of Apple’s ecosystem. While I do happen to have an iPhone + Watch now, I am not necessarily in love with either and I’ve been contemplating switching to a Pixel phone. I’m also not very interested in iTunes, Apple Music, Apple TV / AirPlay / HomePod because I find Spotify and the Cast system to be more convenient. None of my smart home gadgets work with HomeKit, and apart from Apple Pay (which is quite nice on supported terminals and websites) I don’t use any Apple Service either.
So that sums it all up. Sorry for the long read. If you made it here, I’d love to hear your opinion.
Thanks!
[doublepost=1519851813][/doublepost]PS: I’m reading around and it looks like all butterfly MacBooks are having keyboard issues... so I am not sure of anything anymore lol
So I just sold my 2016 non touchbar MacBook Pro because (1) I did not trust it w/o Apple Care (missed the 1y mark to buy the extended plan) and (2) I felt like I could get more with a little bit more money (I had the 16gb + 256 ssd which originally retailed for $1699 + tax).
While the performance wasn't bad at all, I felt like my workflow could use just a tiny bit of extra power. That said, I really loved the portability of the 13" model. I was surprised to see that I could use my old MacBook Air 11" sleeve due to the new thinner bezels. It was always in my bag, and the weight was unnoticeable. I like being mobile, specially since I’m about to graduate and I don’t where I’ll be in the next year. I’m trying to stay as light as possible, ready to go at all times.
My work includes lots of Safari/Chrome use (multiple tabs), moderate (not heavy, not light) Final Cut Pro X use, Office Suite, some programming (just as a hobby, nothing professional or too demanding yet) and very occasionally I like to play some Kerbal Space Program and Microsoft Flight Simulator. These last 2 require Windows (KSP is available for Mac but it runs a lot better under Windows). The thing that concerns me is that Flight Simulator at least, while not crazy demanding, will tax the cpu/gpu for a long time and continuously (Sometimes I do long haul flights that take 9+ hours). My 13" MBP would get really hot and the fans would stay on for a while. Performance wasn’t all that bad (mid-low settings) but I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I would like a little bit more.
So my question is, is the 2017 15” MacBook Pro the computer I’m looking for? I’m scared of the size, as the last laptop of that screen size I owned (granted, the chassis was a lot bigger than that of a MacBook) was a Lenovo Y something gaming laptop and was just way too big.
Other options include waiting for the lineup refresh to see what the 13” bring to the table (I’m assuming better performing quad cores? Vega APU by any chance?) - but if the 15” is the way to go, then I think waiting perhaps wouldn’t be as necessary since from my understanding these won’t see that big of an upgrade (perhaps six cores? But would that be noticeably better?)
Or, additionally, I could look into other brands. I am however a little skeptical since my experience with that terrible Lenovo. I also had the Dell XPS 13 and had a bad time as well (would get hot, coil whine, horrendous trackpad, and terrible customer service). With that said, I’m also not a huge fan of Apple’s ecosystem. While I do happen to have an iPhone + Watch now, I am not necessarily in love with either and I’ve been contemplating switching to a Pixel phone. I’m also not very interested in iTunes, Apple Music, Apple TV / AirPlay / HomePod because I find Spotify and the Cast system to be more convenient. None of my smart home gadgets work with HomeKit, and apart from Apple Pay (which is quite nice on supported terminals and websites) I don’t use any Apple Service either.
So that sums it all up. Sorry for the long read. If you made it here, I’d love to hear your opinion.
Thanks!
[doublepost=1519851813][/doublepost]PS: I’m reading around and it looks like all butterfly MacBooks are having keyboard issues... so I am not sure of anything anymore lol