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2017 Macbook Pro vs 2018 Macbook Pro
- Thread starter tim1000
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Its really two different laptops, so its hard to make an either or decision on which is better.
The 15" is larger, has a dGPU, but its using the older keyboard technology. The 13" is popular among many folks who are students, or travel/commute a lot and I can't knock that either.
My personal preference is the 15" form factor, but I'd avoid the 2016/2017 models due to the keyboard. Why not wait for refurbs to hit the apple site, or check out B&H. That will give you a 15" model for less money.
Neither. Not enough SSD space for my needs.
Which is really kind of the thing you need to figure out yourself since others can't really tell you whether you prefer the larger screen or smaller computer, or whether you need 16GB ram or if 8GB would be sufficient.
the screen size varies for me depending on what I am doing. I have always thought 13 inch was too small but I thought maybe I should try again since its so popular.
are you using virtual desktops much? for me discovering that and start implementing that into my work flow made the 13" smaller screen size to be a none issue (unless your work flow really demand having 2 apps on the same screen at the same time)
Does anyone have a comparison of 2018 vs 2017 15 inch MacBook Pro, i.e. battery life and performance comparisons?
Just about every Mac focused blog and website did comparison when the 2018's were announced.
Start here: https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/macbook-pro/
and here: https://www.macrumors.com/2018/07/15/2018-macbook-pro-geekbench-benchmark-scores/
Maybe not a direct comparison but if you check laptop mag's reviews of the 2017 and 2018 MBP they have pretty standardized tests for battery life and heat that allow a comparison between the 2. My impression based on this is that the 2017 is slightly better in both battery life and heat generation (but the difference isn't large).
Both have their potential issues with regards to design/hardware. Plenty of owners of 2018 MacBooks on these forums and elsewhere reporting the issues re the keyboard are not fully resolved with the new membrane and that keys are still becoming unresponsive.
Also the T2 kernel panic errors are still happening sparodically despite patches being applied. With Day to day tasks there will be little to differentiate between them. When I was in the store I had a 2017/2018 13” touchbar side-by-side - same specs other than 2018 with quad core processor and did some rather rudimentary multi-tasking tests by opening as many windows of multiple applications at the same time. I couldn’t see a discernible difference in speed at all.
I’m sure with particular tasks the quad core will come into its own, namely video editing/music production etc, but as I don’t do those things for a living I can live with waiting a little longer to compile a project.
Plus I would have some concerns with regards to the longevity of components with the increase in thermals that quad and above processors may be bring. Look at all the issues Razer had with thermals in similar specced/CNC unibody cases. People are already advocating the use of third party software to throttle the cpu to bring thermal temps down on 2018 macbook pros.
I went with a 2017 base spec with 512gb drive as my MacBook Air 2013 512gb gave up the will to live the other day. I wasn’t prepared to compromise on native storage space and couldn’t justify the extra expense of a 2018 model.
Having read the various issues with the 2018 so far I don’t think I’m missing out on much other than a potential headache, save for the keyboard-at least there is an extended warranty for that.
Also the T2 kernel panic errors are still happening sparodically despite patches being applied. With Day to day tasks there will be little to differentiate between them. When I was in the store I had a 2017/2018 13” touchbar side-by-side - same specs other than 2018 with quad core processor and did some rather rudimentary multi-tasking tests by opening as many windows of multiple applications at the same time. I couldn’t see a discernible difference in speed at all.
I’m sure with particular tasks the quad core will come into its own, namely video editing/music production etc, but as I don’t do those things for a living I can live with waiting a little longer to compile a project.
Plus I would have some concerns with regards to the longevity of components with the increase in thermals that quad and above processors may be bring. Look at all the issues Razer had with thermals in similar specced/CNC unibody cases. People are already advocating the use of third party software to throttle the cpu to bring thermal temps down on 2018 macbook pros.
I went with a 2017 base spec with 512gb drive as my MacBook Air 2013 512gb gave up the will to live the other day. I wasn’t prepared to compromise on native storage space and couldn’t justify the extra expense of a 2018 model.
Having read the various issues with the 2018 so far I don’t think I’m missing out on much other than a potential headache, save for the keyboard-at least there is an extended warranty for that.
For me the choice would be do I want a keyboard or not. After three keyboard replacements on my 2017 MBPro, I would never own another. Finally got a full refund but it took my attorney’s help!
So far. Not had a single keyboard glitch. Could not be more happy to be back on a MBPro.
They weren't solved on the last one I returned, though I didn't have a problem with the first one. One of the issues that forced my hand in making a return, was several keys not always registering on the first key press, the S,R and U (if I recall, was the third one) and the 8 key would occasionally stick. In addition to a couple of other issues I was having, I wasn't convinced that the addition of the silicone barrier has truly fixed the issues with the keyboard.
Perhaps I just had a bad keyboard in the sample, but I wasn't willing to take the risk, particularly in addition to other issues between the original and exchanged/swapped ones.
That's not good. Do you have any other people within your circle that have had keyboard issues w/ 2018 models?
I don't really have that big a circle. However, there was at least one in this thread and perhaps a couple more. That said, hopefully, an exception to the rule and just a couple bad samples.
Obviously, I believe the biggest issue seemed to be from dust/crumbs ingress and the silicone barrier helps this some I guess, though iFixit and I believe others have shown it only does the job partially. But mine was only 2 weeks old, my home isn't dusty and I don't eat near it, so hard to say what the issue was. I just wasn't comfortable keeping it long term, but the keyboard wasn't the only issue.
After some use. Ironically I had contacted Apple on day 10 about extending the return window to 30 days. I was having some other issues, but they had just released the High Sierra Supplemental Update and wanted to see if that would resolve it.
First time it happened, I thought maybe it was just me, but it happened a couple of times after that I ended up returning it to the store on Day 14, rather than shipping it back inside the 30 with the labels they provided.
Can you think of something that might have caused it to break? The author of BetterTouchTool that had keyboard issues said he likes to use his laptop on a balcony and maybe dust there got inside...
No, honestly I can’t. It was used in the exact same spot since it was first set up. I don’t eat near it, the house isn’t dusty, it was only 10 days old when it first happened.
Using your laptop on a balcony being the cause of keyboard failure? If that is all it takes then everyone with a butterfly keyboard is screwed
My previous MBP’s I would take out on the balcony or back deck all the time. Packed them in the car, packed them in my motorcycle panniers, used them on a picnic table at a campsite with a fire going a few feet away. Used them at benches at parks, botanic gardens, downtown, etc. That’s a serious problem if a little dust or pollen from outside is going to cause the new ones to start failing.
But no, this one was on the same desk, in the same room and never outside.
Ya it makes no sense that you can't use a laptop on a balcony. It defeats the whole purpose of using a laptop in the first place. I just can't trust the keyboards on 2018 models either, he ain't the first one who's had issues w/ 2018. I've seen a few others here and several more at reddit.
Right? I realize they aren't Panasonic Toughbooks and aren't designed for extreme environments, but sitting out on a balcony shouldn't be beyond the realm of reasonable expectation for a laptop. Many (most?) of us buy them to have a little mobility and freedom from the desk/office.
https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/97817e/my_brand_new_2018_13_mbp_is_being_replaced_by/
https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/995jx4/anybody_experiencing_keyboardissues_with_2018/
https://www.reddit.com/r/macbookpro...g_weird_issues_with_my_2018_13_mbps_keyboard/
https://www.reddit.com/r/macbookpro...e_new_macbook_pro_2018_are_they_reliable_now/
https://www.reddit.com/r/macbookpro/comments/9cv4yf/am_i_unlucky_keyboard_issues/
https://www.reddit.com/r/macbookpro/comments/97n63j/new_2018_macbook_pro_13_i5_stuck_key_issue/
I think I've seen a few more here and there but I'm sure you can do a search.