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Adapting from a 17" to a 13.4" screen?

antster94

antster94

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 2, 2010
545
1
London, UK
Hey,

Just want to hear if anyone has any experience of this. I currently have a 17" Vaio laptop and am getting my first Mac very soon. My budget suits getting a 2.4Ghz 13" better than getting the 15", however I am worried that I will never be able to get used to this size and will always feel a bit let down with my purchase.

Thanks a lot,
Anthony
 
Well, I was used to using a 24" iMac, then I got my 13" MacBook Pro. I found that if you not need to have tons of things open side-by-side the screen size doesn't make a huge difference. The only downsides of the 13" screen is games and having windows side-by-side.

So what are you going ta be using this machine for anyway?
 
Most 17" laptops have terrible resolution so the 13" wouldn't feel so small. I would go to Apple store and take a look at it. IMO 13" is the best size
 
I will be using it everyday at school and in the evenings on a desk. I will occasionally be playing games on it, but not heavily as I have a PS3 with a 40" screen downstairs lol. However, I will be using photoshop sometimes on it.

I don't really ever have windows open side by side as I prefer using the whole screen for browsing the internet and typing essays etc. I am also worried that the 15.4" will be too big to carry around and just a burden really.

I have been to an Apple store and used both, the 15" did feel gorgeous to use, but that might just have been as i'm used to a bigger screen and so found it temporarily better.
 
antster94 said:
I will be using it everyday at school and in the evenings on a desk. I will occasionally be playing games on it, but not heavily as I have a PS3 with a 40" screen downstairs lol. However, I will be using photoshop sometimes on it.

I don't really ever have windows open side by side as I prefer using the whole screen for browsing the internet and typing essays etc. I am also worried that the 15.4" will be too big to carry around and just a burden really.

I have been to an Apple store and used both, the 15" did feel gorgeous to use, but that might just have been as i'm used to a bigger screen and so found it temporarily better.
Click to expand...

Get an external display and you'll be fine. Full HD ~24" is less than 200$ and it'll give you more screen estate than hi res 15"
 
Hmm but I am not too keen on the idea of an external display, don't like the idea of having the laptop open in front of you and the screen aside. However, is there a way you can put the lid down on the computer and keep it running? So that it is sort of like a Mac Mini if you get me?
 
If you need a big screen sometimes, get a 24" external display. I'm going to get one for my 13" MBP sometime. By the way, the 13" MBP is the most popular Mac at the moment. And no wonder, its a great little machine:D
 
Yeah, think I will get one if I can put the lid down and keep it running, get a wireless keyboard and a magic mouse and a 24" display.
 
I have a 20" iMac along with my 13" MacBook Pro and adjusting between them isn't a big deal at all. when you're focusing on one program it's not bad at all actually due to the fact that you can zoom in on things SO easily!
 
Ah ok thanks for that :)

Looks like I'll be getting a 13" MBP 2.4Ghz 320gb with a 25" HP Display, unless anyone else has any other advice on what to get.
 
Yeah I know that, my current computer doesn't have one so I won't want one really. And sorry that's what I meant :apple:
 
like everything else, you gotta adapt to it. so you'll get used to your 13" mbp eventually. no worries!
 
I use a 17" MBP, and frankly, I don't see how I could use the 13" MBP with its resolution. Can't you wait and save up for at least the 15" MBP?
 
I used to have a 17 MBP for a year until Sony Vaio Z11 (13.1in 1920x1080)came out in March. I tell myself I could able to adapt the change with this little beast. However, i failed becase the fonts are too small to read and too small for me to play WoW. I ordered MBP 15inch high res. last week and sell the Z to one of my buddy.
 
I went from using a 17" unibody sometimes paired with a 30" ACD and went straight to a 13" macbookpro and though it was an adjustment but i felt the 13" offered the best portable solution, the screen size and the fact it was truly portable..the 17" was a nice resolution and not bad portability wise but i sometimes pair the 13" with an iMac 27" if need be. but generally its just an extension of the iMac for portable work.


Id say get the 13" and youll completely happy with it, and get an external display; my recommendation is the 28" Hanns-Spree or Hanns-G (i believe the same) 1920x1200 they run for under 379$ most of the time.
 
I bought this LCD for my MacBook Air. Very nice and good value.
 
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Yeah I appreciate the comments saying that the screen will be too small sometimes, but when I am out at school it will be fine. And the 15" is too big to carry around easily and without hassle in my opinion.

Cheers for the monitor recommendations, keep them coming!

Also, a tad un-related but is it possible to hook up a PS3 to these monitors? Cheers
 
Ok thanks, also, a tad unrelated, but how do the last generation of macbook pros (9400m C2D) compare with the 13" current 2.4ghz? Will they be slower or faster?
 
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