Better MBP for my needs: 2015 15" 16/256 or 2017 13" 16/256

[oldtime]

Torn between these two computers.

I do all the general internet things people do, plus I'm now studying full stack web development and may be doing design as well in the future.

I want whatever I buy to comfortably last for 5+ years. This is the one thing that gives me pause about the 2015 -- it's already 2.5 years old and I wonder about it's lasting power going into the next decade. That said, 4 cores and extra screen real estate are super tempting.

Quite frankly if the 2017 weren't so handicapped by the port issues and weaker keyboard I'd probably just go ahead and buy that one and be happy with the better display and newer tech. But I'm not sure how willing I am to live the dongle life. Is this something people get used to, or is it an ongoing pain?
[doublepost=1514573670][/doublepost]Forgot to mention that I intend to run several VMs as well with VirtualBox (Win10 and Linux Mint). Will the 2015 do this appreciably better than the 2017?

 

[Fishrrman]

When the 2016 MBPro's came out, I demo'd a 2015 (13") and 2016 (13") side-by-side. First thing I noticed was the keyboard -- I didn't like it (and this was before the keyboard problems became apparent).

I also liked the fact that the 2015 design actually had a full complement of ports that I could use with all the stuff I already owned.

I bought the 2015, and still have no regrets for having done so.

 

[kohlson]

I think there's a reasonable likelihood that a new 2015 model will last 5 years.

I don't think the dongle thing is that big of an issue. My daughter has a 2016 model. A couple of USBc to USBa adapters (less than $10 for both) and I haven't heard another word about it.

IMHO keyboard "feel" is a personal choice. So if you've tried it and don't like it, that should be a pretty big factor in your decision. In my daughter's 13-MBP, a key went bad, which necessitated replacement of the entire top case. Very pricey if not covered by warranty or Apple Care.

You mentioned lots of VMs. This usually means the more RAM the better.

 

[oldtime]

Quite honestly I would go for the 2015 if it wasn't so pricey. Even in the refurb store, it's $1700. I suppose I could try CL or eBay but I'm a little wary about that.

$1700 seems a little nuts for a 2.5 year old laptop, especially with the possibility of a quad core 13" pro coming out this summer. Coffee Lake being on the horizon makes me wish I could wait until June. Unfortunately I can't wait until then to buy. I suppose I could get the current 13" now and if the 2018 has an improved keyboard and Coffee Lake, sell it and take a small loss and upgrade to the 2018.

I don't know. I want the extra cores and screen real estate of the 15. Especially for xcode. But the 2017 has the appeal of being new and likely holding better resale value 5 years down the line and eventually I know I'll be happy to have usb-c. Plus it is of course more portable and has a noticeably nicer display than the 2015. I think maybe I'll roll the dice on the 2017 hoping that Tim was serious about bringing back/updating the Mini. A MM workhorse connected to a nice display with a mech keyboard would make a great primary machine, and then the 2017 would gain a lot of a luster as a secondary, mobile performer.

Ugh, decisions. I both love and hate upgrading for these reasons. Hard not to overthink everything.

 

[TekAdvice]

I would most definitely recommend the 2015 Mac. It is so nice to have all of the USB ports and the like. Also, how can you say no to a quad-core? Cheers.