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Does Anyone Regret Getting the 14” MacBook Pro Instead of the 16”?

Yebubbleman said:
I would never get a 14" with a Max chip. I would think that absolutely every use case for which a Max chip makes the most sense would be a no brainer on a larger laptop, let alone a Mac Studio.
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If you want more than 48GB of RAM, you need to get a Max.
Running VMs is a use case for that, that is purely memory bound.


My 14" max is fine. a 16" would make no sense as I carry it in a backpack every day, and frequently move from desk to desk/desk to meeting room when in the office.

Fine, you can't see a use case, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. Some people need a lot of RAM and portability.
 
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I have the 16” MBP maxed out and most of the time I wish it was the 14” version. In fact when the next OLED MBP ultra or whatever they call it comes out, I plan to buy the 14”. I bought a 13” MBA for travel and use the MBP only when I really need the extra power on the road. But for most client meetings and etc, I just am better off with the MBA. The MBP 16” is too heavy. It’s beautiful but heavy. I really think a MacBook Ultra that is just about as thick as the MBA but with the solid SoCs and tiny fans would be awesome. I want more memory and more SSD space than MBAs offer.
 
H_D said:
The thing is… you have the 14 and wish for the thermal envelope of the 16.
You have the 16 and wish for the mobility of the 14.
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this is very real. In 5 years or so when I update, I will go with a 15in Air and a Studio just so that I can remote into the Studio for power and do lighter tasks on a lighter computer. Although I will definitely miss 120hz, maybe it will come to the Air by then
 
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yummysapple said:
Just saw the MacBook Pro 14” and 16” side by side again at the Apple Store and honestly… the 14” literally looks like an iPad with a keyboard beside the 16” 💀

The 14” looks so much more compact, dense, minimalist and “Apple-like” somehow. The proportions are super clean.

Meanwhile the 16” starts looking more like a traditional workstation laptop:

  • huge palm rests
  • massive keyboard deck
  • wider chassis
  • more “desktop replacement” vibes
Ironically I use a Pro Max iPhone, but for MacBooks I feel the smaller 14” just looks aesthetically nicer.

Anyone currently using the 14” and regret not getting the 16”? Or did you eventually realize the portability + proportions of the 14” is the sweet spot?
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No, I have the 14", on purpose. Because of what you wrote.
 
Price ultimately kept me away from the 16 inch. I only wanted the base m5. when I was looking at them they didn't seem too bad for weight and size in the store. maybe its a different story once you are living with the 16 inch day to day. it would be nice to have that big screen though
 
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I find the size and weight of the 16 the same as the 15 mbp's I had before it and when you place it on top the size is very marginal.
 
In my company one of my colleagues upgraded his 16" at some point.
I had the chance of replacing my 14" to 16" of exact same specs.

I ended up keeping my 14".

I had the two computers for few days.
The good:
- Bigger screen
- Longer battery

The bad:
- Worse for my back(pack).
- Much heavier to hold with one hand.
- Less mobile for working on a sofa / moving too much.

For people using the machine on a desk even when traveling. the 16" is better choice.
But it's far inferior in terms of portability / you feel it being carried much more than the 14".

Another side note, for my work I need Windows machine, so sometimes I take an extra 1kg ultra portable Windows machine so the extra weight for 16 is even worse for that scenario.
 
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yummysapple said:
Just saw the MacBook Pro 14” and 16” side by side again at the Apple Store and honestly… the 14” literally looks like an iPad with a keyboard beside the 16” 💀

The 14” looks so much more compact, dense, minimalist and “Apple-like” somehow. The proportions are super clean.

Meanwhile the 16” starts looking more like a traditional workstation laptop:

  • huge palm rests
  • massive keyboard deck
  • wider chassis
  • more “desktop replacement” vibes
Ironically I use a Pro Max iPhone, but for MacBooks I feel the smaller 14” just looks aesthetically nicer.

Anyone currently using the 14” and regret not getting the 16”? Or did you eventually realize the portability + proportions of the 14” is the sweet spot?
Click to expand...
Nope, I had a 16" before, perfectly fine with my 14" MBP. When I need the extra screen space I use my iPad Air in sidecar.
 
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No regrets here. I have a 16" Uperfect 4K portable monitor if I need more screen real estate. It's 120% sRGB and 95% as good as the MacBook pro screen. Goes up to 1200 nits too, bought it solely for this reason. Sold my previous portable monitors that were 16" too but only 2500K and only 500 nits.
 
I somewhat regret it. When I first bought the 14" I was mostly on foot and carrying it around in my tote so the decreased weight was almost required for my back/shoulder. However recently I am mostly now in the car commuting, and I would really love back that real estate. It's really all personal use. I also work in a lot of design programs and the added screen space would really help me for pallets. But then again I fly a lot and the 16" is pretty unwieldy on a tray table unless you're in first class. Just things to consider. I'll probably go larger screen with my next one, but I would instantly regret that if I had to carry it around on a daily basis for a long period of time.
 
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We are so spoiled these days. My first laptop was a Tandy 1400FD with 2-INCH bezels and weighed 11lbs (about 2 1/2 16” MBPs and about 3X as thick). But it did have a built-in handle to carry it like a briefcase or get a few curl reps in between classes lol. One thing is that the keyboard is still better than modern laptop keyboards imo… full sized keys with some light clacking, basically felt very close to the legendary IBM Model M keyboards (for those who like mechanical keyboards). Still have it in the garage and still works… fired it up for some Battle Chess on DOS 3.2 last summer. Edit: Also has a user replaceable battery.

I don’t need to work in transit on a bus or plane or while on a couch, so I went 16” MBP even though I really like the 14” size/weight. When I do need to take it with me, it’s usually at a table or desk at my destination and I appreciate the larger screen. I do concede that it isn’t very practical for use during travels unless you are in First/Business Class.

IMG_0477.jpeg


01_1400.jpg


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I have a 14" M4 MacBook Pro that my work bought me. I wish that Apple sold the base M5 MBP with a 16" screen. I don't need the horsepower of the M5 Pro (or M4 Pro at time of purchase) but I do think I'd enjoy the 16" screen more.

I don't dislike the 14" at all, though! I tend to be more of a "put the laptop on a desk and use it" instead of having a big monitor and keyboard/mouse setup. I can't find a reasonably priced monitor that matches the brightness and color accuracy of the MBP, so I just tend to use the screen of the laptop. I may go back to using my 24" 4K monitor, but it's just not as color accurate/sharp, and the 120hz feels great on my eyes/matches my phone.
 
If anyone wants a 16” at this point, I’d save up one million dollars to be able to afford the MacBook Ultra whenever it finally releases. Pricing joke aside, a significantly thinner redesign should also mean significantly less weight I hope.
 
MuckrakerJG said:
If anyone wants a 16” at this point, I’d save up one million dollars to be able to afford the MacBook Ultra whenever it finally releases. Pricing joke aside, a significantly thinner redesign should also mean significantly less weight I hope.
Click to expand...
you can only make a 16inch laptop so light....the 2019 MBP 16 felt very portable ( dimensions and weight).... that was like 4.3 lbs vs 4.7 lbs (current ). With the other stuff in my bookbag...the weight difference is not significant to me. LG gram pro 17 is larger in all dimensions but weighs less at 3.02 lbs , but Apple build quality is quite different.
 
throAU said:
If you want more than 48GB of RAM, you need to get a Max.
Running VMs is a use case for that, that is purely memory bound.


My 14" max is fine. a 16" would make no sense as I carry it in a backpack every day, and frequently move from desk to desk/desk to meeting room when in the office.

Fine, you can't see a use case, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. Some people need a lot of RAM and portability.
Click to expand...
The 14" M5 Pro 18-core can configure with 64GB. If you want more than that, then M5 Max is the choice.
 
Black_Mage said:
I had a 14" M1 Pro and currently have a 14" M5 Pro. I am happy with that size. I also think it's a bit ridiculous how much more Apple charges for just 2 more inches.
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Just 2 more inches, just 16 more GB, just 1 more TB, just 8 more cores… upgrades can be well over half the price of the starting config price these days, especially if you max out memory or storage and this was before AI mania.
 
I went from a 12" to a 13" Pro to a 14" M1 Pro to my current 16" M4. Although each is heavier than the last, the screen size makes up for it for me. I use my MacBook most at home, so travel is not really a factor. I also have a 27" iMac Pro which is aging. I'm happy with 16" and I don't really mind the weight. (For comparison, many of the PowerBooks I used in the past weighed more than twice as much and I did carry those around for years.)
 
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i got a 14" and immediately return for 16" because my design software was basically all toolbars, leaving the preview space very small. I tried messing with the DPI/ resolution or whatever but I couldn't get a usable canvas for my workflow on 14". The 16" is much more useful and worth the additional weight for me as I don't need an external monitor as often.
 
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Initially i picked up the 14" but with the fans getting so loud during normal work i decided to pick the 16"
while not as 'portable' i rarely take the MBP out and serves nicely for a desktop replacement [pc] and the battery life is just as good. [although i will pick up a mac studio eventually once i get around to it] hopefully M6 Max?
 
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I have both, and I find 2" makes a lot of difference 😅

The 14" is very portable, but I wouldn't want to use it for intensive desktop replacement stuff.

The 16" is great for intensive desktop replacement stuff, but I wouldn't want to lug it around on the daily.

Thermals is a bit of a complicated one. Some combinations lead to loud fans under load, some stay silent:

- 14" M1 Pro, very quiet even when gaming
- 14" M5 Pro, gets loud very quickly when gaming
- 16" M3 Pro, effectively silent even when playing Cyberpunk for hours

I really wouldn't want to own just one of these machines. There's so much value in having both. The 14" is work provided and I lug it around for my job. The 16" is my personal computer.

Even though they are effectively the same computer, I see them as serving completely different use cases. The 16" allowed me to get rid of my desktop computer as well, so my total number of devices hasn't gone up.
 
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