Considering ditching both iPad Air 2 and classic 15" MBP

[puma1552]

I have a mid-2010 2.66 GHz Arrandale i7 Macbook Pro. I also have an iPad Air 2.

I don't use my computer much these days, I have it docked on my desk with a 24" LED Cinema Display circa 2008. That said I still love the slab sided 15" form factor (would obviously prefer a retina version). Screen real estate is nice, but not crucial since I have the ACD. I do still need a computer though, easier to pay bills, update my resume, etc. A computer still has a place, and it's nice to sit at a desk sometimes since I have a home office.

I use my iPad all the time, but find it can often be uncomfortable to use when laying around, holding it up laying in bed, etc. I often find myself thinking it would be easier to just have a small laptop instead.

I'm still considering keeping a 9.7" iPad and at some point going all out on another 15" retina MBP (skylake or better, and hopefully a vaporware retina external display if Apple ever makes one), but I was also thinking about consolidating my devices, spending substantially less, and ditching both the 15" MBP and the iPad Air and getting a base Macbook (will never need more than 256 GB storage, I have a 128 GB SSD in my 15" now and it's got lots of empty space still).

That said, I will not go down in performance, but a tiny computer 6 years newer than my old turd might have new enough technology to outperform even my top of the line 15".

So, how does the M3 compare to my old 2.66 Arrandale i7, performance-wise? Assuming it's better, then the only thing I am stuck on is deciding what to do with my ACD, either get rid of it and live with just the 12" Macbook, or do the expensive and not clean solution to get it to work with the Macbook (saw a solution online last night that costs about $120 in various adapters).

 

[ShionoyaTamaki]

I have a mid-2010 2.66 GHz Arrandale i7 Macbook Pro. I also have an iPad Air 2.

So, how does the M3 compare to my old 2.66 Arrandale i7, performance-wise? Assuming it's better, then the only thing I am stuck on is deciding what to do with my ACD, either get rid of it and live with just the 12" Macbook, or do the expensive and not clean solution to get it to work with the Macbook (saw a solution online last night that costs about $120 in various adapters).

An 2016 m3 would be like 8-10% faster than your old 2010 MBP. An m7 would be 48% faster.

The macbook 12" is for ultra portability and travel etc. It can easily replace an iPad in that regards.

 

[toddzrx]

I would submit that it's not just the processor that's a significant upgrade, but the PCIe SSD in the MacBook is significantly faster than the SATA drive in your MBP. That speed difference is just as significant (maybe more than) as the processor difference.

IMHO: you're much better served with a new MacBook. It's nearly as small and light as the iPad, and you also won't be paying for capability you don't need in a new MBP. You can always get a newer 4K monitor if you need a large screen size.

 

[HardBall]

I'm still considering keeping a 9.7" iPad and at some point going all out on another 15" retina MBP (skylake or better, and hopefully a vaporware retina external display if Apple ever makes one), but I was also thinking about consolidating my devices, spending substantially less, and ditching both the 15" MBP and the iPad Air and getting a base Macbook (will never need more than 256 GB storage, I have a 128 GB SSD in my 15" now and it's got lots of empty space still).

That said, I will not go down in performance, but a tiny computer 6 years newer than my old turd might have new enough technology to outperform even my top of the line 15".

For your usage case, if portability is important, then I think it is a no brainer to move to a single 12" MB. The rMB is only marginally less portable than a 10" ipad (they are pretty much the same if you figure in a keyboard). An iPad Pro 12.9 is actually significantly heavier and larger in dimensions than the rMB. And the amount of work you can get done on a tablet is not even in the same ballpark as the Macbook. A 15" MBP is just way to large and heavy to travel around, even a 13" MBP is stretching the limit of a portable computer.

Especially if you do a lot of remote work that would be a very good setup to have a single 12" MB. For example, I'm a computer engineer, and work in HW systems and FinTech. I spend most of my time either writing microarchitectural and system-architecture simulators in c++ or develop python based tools for IT department of a financial company. As long as I have a remote machine that can run the compiled code or largely finished version of tools with full data-sets, then the rMB can handle all the rest. I can do 95% of the dev work while debugging or running small test data sets with little issue. In financials, you would have to run real data-sets with client data on servers that are hosted in specific data-center locations anyways, so for the most part, that isn't much of a restriction at all.

Your mileage might vary depending on what exactly you are planning on doing. But for 95% of the people out there, rMB is basically the perfect choice to get stuff done on the move.

 

[PayForYourGas]

Sounds like a rMB would suite your needs just fine, however I would advise visiting an Apple Store and playing with one for awhile. The keyboard really does take some getting used to, and I can't say that I'll ever completely like it. It has plenty of power for your needs. I would suggest checking out eBay, there's a lot of sellers out there selling new 2015 models for ~$900. $400 savings is worth it over the marginal real world use power increase in the 2016 model.