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Can't decide between 13" and 15" MBP. Would appreciate your advice.

K

katja725

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 8, 2010
3
0
Simplified, for those who didn't want to read the whole thing:

Looking at:
13" 2.66GHz 4 GB RAM 500GB 5400 rpm HDD
15" 2.53GHz 4 GB RAM 500GB 7200 rpm HDD

Factors:
-switching from a 15" PC laptop, this is my first Mac
-college student wanting to buy during iTouch rebate
-like the portability, battery life, GHz, weight, and price of the 13"
-worried about the older C2D and can only configure the HDD up to 5400 HDD in the 13" customization
-like the bigger screen, i5 processor (with Hyper Threading and Turbo Boost), hi res and anti glare options in the 15"
-do not like the weight (even though it's a pound difference), price, and slightly lower battery life of the 15"
-will be using it for word processing, iTunes, Safari, Firefox, instant messaging, watching movies and TV, casual photo editing in Photoshop (although I suppose I could use iPhoto now.)
-worried about overheating and freezing, especially in the 15"

I am accustomed to, and am hoping to keep this laptop for 5-7 years. I don't want to regret this major purchase in two years because the C2Ds are practically "extinct" and the i5s are still going strong with great reviews and happy customers.

Which should I get?

And should I be worrying about the issues I mentioned? Surely I should not let them stop me from purchasing a MBP...?

Kudos and thank you for those of you who happen to stop by this thread, and an extra thank you for those of you who leave your two cents.

**Edited because it was wayy too long.
 
personaly i like the 13" and just bought it.
after trying to read your post the only reason i would say to get 15" is the eyesight problem. (posably lower ress = posable fix)
I dont think c2d is much far behind i5. I would just get the 13" for less money and because it is Portable.
 
That "test" (opening applications) you did is 90% HDD intensive and basically has nothing to do with the processor. If you're an impatient man and want Applications to open up as fast as they can than you have no option but to opt for an SSD, simple as that. Also, the 2.66GHz C2D is NOT noticeably faster than the 2.4 and totally not worth the money (Same could be said of the 2.4 i5 and the 2.66 i7).
 
DesmoPilot said:
That "test" (opening applications) you did is 90% HDD intensive and basically has nothing to do with the processor. If you're an impatient man and want Applications to open up as fast as they can than you have no option but to opt for an SSD, simple as that. Also, the 2.66GHz C2D is NOT noticeably faster than the 2.4 and totally not worth the money (Same could be said of the 2.4 i5 and the 2.66 i7).
Click to expand...

Hmm... looks like I don't know nearly all I think I do. :p More to read about.

Would you recommend the 15" 2.53GHz i5 with an SSD then?
 
katja725 said:
Hmm... looks like I don't know nearly all I think I do. :p More to read about.

Would you recommend the 15" 2.53GHz i5 with an SSD then?
Click to expand...

I would say go for the base 15" and then swap out the HDD urself with a SSD you can find on sale. I read that you are uncomfortable with it, but I would highly advise against getting the stock Apple SSD solely because of the price premium. But for your purposes, you really only need the 13"
 
form reading your post it seems like you have sold your self on the 13" you gave so many pros and so few for the 15" i have a older 13" macbook with a slower processor and much slower ram and a slower hard drive and i have owned it for 4 years, and do everything you do with an iphoto library of 15k + and itunes library of 4250, and i do some fairly major HD movie editing, and it does everything very well, now mid you if you upgraded mine to run as fast as the new ones haha would be so NICE lol i am eyeing the 15" but i am not moving it around nearly as much as you would be,

i suggest the 13"

the c2d is a time tested and proven processor
 
katja725 said:
Yeah, sorry about the big block of text... looks like a lot of people are satisfied with the 13". Every time I think I've made up my mind, someone convinces me otherwise. :)
Click to expand...

I had the last version of 13", very nice machine and this newer generation is about the same save for the enhanced mini displayport and longer battery. I recently sold my 13" and bought the new 15" with antiglare and couldn't be happier, it's the perfect balance of power and portability. The 13" lacks power against the 15", the 17" lacks portability against the 15" so that's why I love this machine.
You can get the base model 15 2.4Ghz", no need to waste money on the 2.53Ghz. In terms of longevity the 15" will be a better value over the 13" since it has the Core i5 processor with hyperthreading and turbo boost. The 15" also has separate ports for the audio-in and audio-out with both digital and analog support. The 13" only allows for digital output and it's a combo port. Hated that.
If you're going to spend the money on upgrades for the 15", spend it on the higher resolution or both the Hi-Res and the Antiglare, that's something you can't get on the 13". Also, I was really happy to get dedicated graphics on the 15" with the option to use integrated to save on battery life, something you can't get on the 13".
So, for me, in it's current design, the 13" is treated more as a glorified white Macbook.
 
katja725 said:
Simplified, for those who didn't want to read the whole thing:

Looking at:
13" 2.66GHz 4 GB RAM 500GB 5400 rpm HDD
15" 2.53GHz 4 GB RAM 500GB 7200 rpm HDD

Factors:
-switching from a 15" PC laptop, this is my first Mac
-college student wanting to buy during iTouch rebate
-like the portability, battery life, GHz, weight, and price of the 13"
-worried about the older C2D and can only configure the HDD up to 5400 HDD in the 13" customization
-like the bigger screen, i5 processor (with Hyper Threading and Turbo Boost), hi res and anti glare options in the 15"
-do not like the weight (even though it's a pound difference), price, and slightly lower battery life of the 15"
-will be using it for word processing, iTunes, Safari, Firefox, instant messaging, watching movies and TV, casual photo editing in Photoshop (although I suppose I could use iPhoto now.)
-worried about overheating and freezing, especially in the 15"

I am accustomed to, and am hoping to keep this laptop for 5-7 years. I don't want to regret this major purchase in two years because the C2Ds are practically "extinct" and the i5s are still going strong with great reviews and happy customers.

Which should I get?

And should I be worrying about the issues I mentioned? Surely I should not let them stop me from purchasing a MBP...?

Kudos and thank you for those of you who happen to stop by this thread, and an extra thank you for those of you who leave your two cents.

**Edited because it was wayy too long.
Click to expand...

Bolded is a rip off and not worth the money.
Either consider the base 13" MBP or base 15" MBP. The processor upgrades are not worth it. If you need a more powerful computer buy an iMac or Mac Pro + a MB or 13" MBP.
 
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