Early 2015 rMPB 13'' or Current 15'' ?

[8tm]

Hi ! This is my first post

My MBP 13'' Mid-2012 just died & after reading a LOT of topics in here i'm still quite not sure which Laptop i really need.

I make music for a living with Ableton & Logic. Lots of VST's/Effects on each tracks.

I'm used to the 13 inch screen, i like the portability. I'm carying it a lot to the studio back & forth from my home. But most of the time it sits on my desktop.

Always felt my Mid-2012 was limited & was quite suffering with Logic. Ableton was pretty fine tho. Even with the load of plugins etc.. I was able to produce anyway.

Since the updated 13'' retina models just came out i figured out it would be a nice easy buy. (2,9ghz 16go 500SSD)

But i'm also appealed with the Quad Cores from the 15'' & the screen estate, but definitly not with the bulky size & the fact that Broadwell/Skylake/Trackpad are still on hold. Like i couldn't resell it as easily as the 13''.

Is it "smart" to buy a 15"" right now ? Can i use scaled resolutions on the 13" w/o much performance drops while in Ableton/Logic ?

Any Advice ?

Thank you for reading !

 

[dexterbell]

Get the 15. There are great deals to be had. I got a pretty much brand new one (2.2GHz) off Craigslist for $1500. You said most the time it sits on your desktop, so the "bulky" size shouldn't bother you much.

 

[ZBoater]

Get the 13. You don't need that extra bulk. When it starts to take up all that space on your desk or your lap you'll be sorry you got the 15".

 

[xtracripsy]

13" all the way. I just got one and Ableton 9.1.6 with retina support is amazing. I'm using the scaled resolutions to increase real estate, and it really is incredible having so much room to work with in Ableton on such a small device. The 13" is the perfect sized notebook computer in my opinion.

 

[8tm]

13" all the way. I just got one and Ableton 9.1.6 with retina support is amazing. I'm using the scaled resolutions to increase real estate, and it really is incredible having so much room to work with in Ableton on such a small device. The 13" is the perfect sized notebook computer in my opinion.

Thanks for the reply ! Any lags with the scaled resolution with ableton tho ?

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Get the 13. You don't need that extra bulk. When it starts to take up all that space on your desk or your lap you'll be sorry you got the 15".

Yep i'm afraid of this. Very much. my desktop is already overcrowded with midi keyboards & gear.

 

[xtracripsy]

Thanks for the reply ! Any lags with the scaled resolution with ableton tho ?

Nope, not at all. Runs like a dream.

 

[8tm]

Nope, not at all. Runs like a dream.

Greatt

 

[xtracripsy]

Also, here is what Live 9.1.6 looks like with scaled resolution. You can go even higher, but I don't really think it's necessary

 

[Naimfan]

Another vote for the 15". 16 GB RAM, quad core, and extra screen real estate.

And easier to resell down the road.

 

[8tm]

Another vote for the 15". 16 GB RAM, quad core, and extra screen real estate.

And easier to resell down the road.

Down the road w/o the new Track Pad & the expected performance jump on the new 15'' update to come, there will be a solid gap between the models.

Not the kind of gap we've currently got between Late-2013/2014 15" etc.. Therefore a lot of people will perceive it as "outdated". The way i already perceive it (pretty stupid i know)

I think this brand new 13" will sell muchhhh easier tho.

my 2cents.

 

[Naimfan]

Down the road w/o the new Track Pad & the expected performance jump on the new 15'' update to come, there will be a solid gap between the models.

Not the kind of gap we've currently got between Late-2013/2014 15" etc.. Therefore a lot of people will perceive it as "outdated". The way i already perceive it (pretty stupid i know)

I think this brand new 13" will sell muchhhh easier tho.

my 2cents.

Depends on what you mean by "solid gap." If you look back across the 13" and 15" retina lines, the 15" models hold more of their value longer than do the 13" models. There's not much difference price-wise from a Early to Late 2013 15" base retina, even though there was an architecture change. And while 13" models may seem easier to sell, a large part of that is that they are less expensive and thus have a much larger pool of potential buyers.

Note as well the lackluster performance jump from the Late 2014 to the Early 2015 - based on Intel's information, there's no reason to suggest the 15" refresh will offer a significantly different performance improvement.

Further, the 13" models are relatively indistinguishable on the used market - there's little price spread from a Late 2012 through the Mid-2014 models (assuming RAM and storage equivalence). I'd be very surprised to see the Early 2015 models break that trend - there's just not enough difference.

But it's your money and your decision - but if you've already decided on the 13", why bother asking the question?

 

[8tm]

Depends on what you mean by "solid gap." If you look back across the 13" and 15" retina lines, the 15" models hold more of their value longer than do the 13" models. There's not much difference price-wise from a Early to Late 2013 15" base retina, even though there was an architecture change. And while 13" models may seem easier to sell, a large part of that is that they are less expensive and thus have a much larger pool of potential buyers.

Note as well the lackluster performance jump from the Late 2014 to the Early 2015 - based on Intel's information, there's no reason to suggest the 15" refresh will offer a significantly different performance improvement.

Further, the 13" models are relatively indistinguishable on the used market - there's little price spread from a Late 2012 through the Mid-2014 models (assuming RAM and storage equivalence). I'd be very surprised to see the Early 2015 models break that trend - there's just not enough difference.

But it's your money and your decision - but if you've already decided on the 13", why bother asking the question?

Allright. i personnaly think the new track pad will make a difference in reselling value, justified or not. I maybe wrong tho !

I'm almost decided, just wanted to discuss this resell factor, Thanks for your insight

 

[madflava54]

I switched from 13'' to 15''. I do miss the Force trackpad. I didn't really use it and I think all the new software is going to be for drawing and cost a lot. If the 15'' had the Force trackpad, I would have made the switch sooner and not have any reluctance.

 

[totten76]

Y'all talk about the 15" being bulky.....have you used a Windows laptop that's the same size? The MacBook is infinitely more portable, and you will benefit from the screen real estate. The 15" is the way to go, whether or not you wait for the new update