looking at my budget tolerance I'm torn between either the base 15" with 256 go or the 13" with 512. I do light video editing and Photoshop and Illustrator. Any thoughts on which is the better compromise?
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Base 15" with 256 or 13" with 512?
- Thread starter vapourtrails
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They are both important. I have 256 right now and I'm constantly offloading video files which is a pain at the same time I like the larger 15" screen as it's less cramped.
256gb is a fair amount. I ordered the 256gb model and intend to use an SSD USB drive to off load things I don't really need to access regularly. It's very easy and I like to keep my laptops light on data anyway.
I'd rather have the big real estate and faster graphics and CPU than stick to the 13 inch. It's personal preference...
I think that's the route I'm going to go. External ssd is only going to get cheaper and I would guess we will see USB-C thumb drives soon.
Second on the base 15 > 13 with 512gb sad
For roughly 350$ if edu is on play you get
- Bigger screen
- Quad Core cpu
- DGPU
- 16gb ram
- its only 1 lb heavier and the size itself is 20% smaller then old 15 inch
- The 2 TB ports on the right won't be gimped like the 13 TB model
- Stronger battery life
USB-C thumb drives are around 20-30$ in places like Best Buy and etc.
For roughly 350$ if edu is on play you get
- Bigger screen
- Quad Core cpu
- DGPU
- 16gb ram
- its only 1 lb heavier and the size itself is 20% smaller then old 15 inch
- The 2 TB ports on the right won't be gimped like the 13 TB model
- Stronger battery life
USB-C thumb drives are around 20-30$ in places like Best Buy and etc.
256gb is nowhere near enough. There - I said it. If this is your only computer, prepare to constantly use external drives etc.
I also did this for similar reasons. I'm coming from an older 15" and I'm concerned enough about the long term viability of the dGPU and the heat, that I was willing to make the trade off on screen size. I have no software that makes use of the quad core and I don't do any gaming or extensive video editing so for my use the top spec 13" will be just as fast as the 15" I would have purchased. And, regardless of weight, the footprint of the 15" feels huge to me. When put my new 13" in front of my old 15" the screen size didn't appear that much different relative to the actual footprint of the computers. So far, it's been perfect for my use. We'll see how it goes as time goes on.
If the size and weight aren't an issue, these are pretty compelling reasons to go with the 15.
For me my laptop is my only computer, I can't even begin to imagine only having 256. I have had 512, and that has been tight at times, especially before iCloud started syncing desktop and documents and removing old one from the local drive, but even with those changes when I just got my new MBP, I decided which ever screen size I ended up with 1 TB upgrade was a must for me, that way I know I have room to grow for many years as I expect this machine to last many years.
No. The new MacBooks RAM and SSD are not (or maybe just not easily, I could be mistaken) upgradable.
So max out RAM and get as much SSD as you think you will need before upgrading processor since that is not as important.
So max out RAM and get as much SSD as you think you will need before upgrading processor since that is not as important.
I don't think my needs have expanded for size since 2008 or so - my 2011 had a 250-300 GB HDD and then my 2012 had a 256... I don't think I went over 100 GB or so. Given the rising availability of fast external storage, I don't see the need to have a massive main hard drive anymore - better to keep it lean and mean and keep the junk elsewhere IMHO
I got an excellent deal on a 13" Pro last week with 512 Gb. However I ended up returning it for the 15". I can't imagine the pound and a half difference really being a justification to go smaller. Its a pound and a half. The SSD is a bigger concern, but it's just going to force me to keep my system free of clutter and lean. Combined with something like this:
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsun...pe-c-flash-drive-blue/5936105.p?skuId=5936105
I should be good. Hopefully. We will see. There is just to many benefits to going with the 15" to be swayed by that one benefit, that could possibly be mitigated with a little work. While its possible to move stuff to external storage, you can't ever make the processor faster, or get more ram, or add a discrete GPU. Get the 15"
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsun...pe-c-flash-drive-blue/5936105.p?skuId=5936105
I should be good. Hopefully. We will see. There is just to many benefits to going with the 15" to be swayed by that one benefit, that could possibly be mitigated with a little work. While its possible to move stuff to external storage, you can't ever make the processor faster, or get more ram, or add a discrete GPU. Get the 15"
I originally had the 13 inch 2017 MBP with touchbar, 8gb RAM and 256gb SSD. I figured for a few hundred more, I could have the lager screen, dGPU, and faster processor. I don't need any more than the 256 gigs of storage since I have historically not stored nearly that much on my computer, and the fact that I have external drives and cloud storage I can use if I need it.
For me the weight increase alone isn't really much of an issue, it's the weight combined with the increased footprint. I used a 2012 15 rMBP for over four years and the footprint plus weight combination was just annoying enough to look for something else. Granted the new models are smaller now, but last year I decided to move to the 2016 nTB MBP (512GB this time) and haven't missed the extra screen size and don't need a quad core processor. The 15" is definitely more powerful, but if you don't need that power the 13" is a lot more portable and easier to use when traveling.
I mean we are talking inches. Is your workspace really too small the you can't afford 2 more inches on your desk? To each there own I guess.
When you carry it every day and use it on airplanes and in field locations, every little inch/cm does matter.
To you maybe. The new MacBook Pro is so svelte I can't see it making a difference to me, or a majority of people that can afford it.
Accidental double post.
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Well why don't you give it a try, if you haven't already. The new 15" is indeed slim and light but the 13" is even slimmer and lighter. When you are in a cramped airplane, bus, train, field location, or traveling a lot the smaller size makes a big difference for me and a lot of others. I can easily afford the 15" but I've had both and prefer the 13" form factor. I'm sure I'm not alone, otherwise there would be no need for the 13". Good thing Apple makes different sizes for different needs.
I have. I bought a 2016 13" 512 SSD, thinking I would save some money and have room with that SSD to grow. I returned it after a week. I just felt like I was skimping. Like I wasn't using a machine that could be my main. I have the base 2017 15" configuration now, and although I'll have to get creative with my storage management I'm confident I made the right choice.
There is of course a need for the 13", to fill out the price points of the range. If the smaller size is the primary concern for someone, that need is addressed. It's called the MacBook.