for anyone who are thinking to upgrade to rMBP

[aleni]

this post is for those who are thinking about replacing their macbook to the new 2016 rMbp not becuase you need the power but because you just to have a the new shiny thing.

JUST DONT!

i got the core m5 and i got a powerful PC for adobe illustrator work and photoshop, and i was thinking maybe i should just sell both and get myself the macbook pro 13" non touch bar. so all in one powerful package. and the new mbp is much lighter than the previous generation. after thinking this for couple of days, i bought the 13" mbp and i regretted it now! here is why:

1. the 13" is light for a pro device, but once you're spoiled with the macbook compact and weight, the 13" new rmbp feels like a brick. a brick that i can hold with three fingers easily but it's still a brick compared to my lovely macbook. the 400 gram difference feels little in paper but believe me it's hugeeee..

2. the power i got from the rmbp still not as good as my PC and i rather work the illustrator and photoshop in my PC. the core m5 still does the job too when on travel and it's no slouch. i rather sacrifice a bit performance for the really lightweight macbook for travel. i feel the power of the new 2.0ghz is not worth the price.

3. the dimension of the new 13" rmbp is still big, even though it's smaller than the 13" air, it's still big. the 12" is much compact. and it's joy to use.

4. the 1.3 kg rmbp is stil not enjoyable notebook to put on your lap, it still feels heavy compared to the macbook which i almost can't feel any weight on my lap for long use.

so, this is my experience for you to know to those who have a powerful imac or PC and a macbook and thinking about selling those just to get the new pricey all in one package in new 13" macbook pro. just dont.

 

[Eggtastic]

So, will you be returning it?

I was going to wait to get an in-person experience with the touch bar. For my needs, I def. don't need it. I am seeking a refurbished m5 space gray to pop up in the store.

That touch bar has to be pretty cool though...

 

[aleni]

mine is not the touch bar version, while i think it's cool especially useful for fast forwarding video in youtube but i cant justify the price..

yes i'll keep the macbook. it spoils me to have a machine so compact and light.

 

[evec]

just in case.
Definitely upgrade from MB12 to MBPr is not a must answer, it depending on how you use and how many equipment you have.
If need extra power and withstand for desktop replacement and only have one machine i will choose MBPr.
nTB MBPr 13 is not high performance machine, it should withstand on MBA level.

If i don't need so much power and compact is must and totally silent, i will choose MB12.

 

[aleni]

yes but a lot of people will think to replace their desktop and macbook with all in one computer, from my experience, the 13" mbp is not powerful enough for 2016 and you will miss the ultra portability of the macbook even though the new mbp is now lighter than the previous gen, but it's still not as enjoyable as macbook.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Interesting post! Although I have the 2016 m3 MB, it does struggle after a while with heavy iMovie editing. I should be doing video editing on my 2013 Mac Pro, but sometimes I just get started on the MB and don't stop.

I definitely get tempted by the new MBP thinking it can replace both machines. But I shouldn't kid myself: video editing or doing anything that taxes the MB is something I run into 5% of the time. The rest of the time it's just on my lap while surfing.

 

[Sensamic]

So basically you just like the macbook because it's light..... You repeated it 2 times.

That's ok, but it doesn't mean the macbook is better. It's better for you. This thread was kind of useless, since we all know the macbook is lighter!

 

[KPOM]

So basically you just like the macbook because it's light..... You repeated it 2 times.

That's ok, but it doesn't mean the macbook is better. It's better for you. This thread was kind of useless, since we all know the macbook is lighter!

I'm interested in the Touch Bar and wonder if it will eventually make its way to the 12" model (perhaps even a 12" MacBook Pro). The 12" MacBook is the right size for me.

To the OP, how was the keyboard on the 13" rMBP?

 

[aleni]

Interesting post! Although I have the 2016 m3 MB, it does struggle after a while with heavy iMovie editing. I should be doing video editing on my 2013 Mac Pro, but sometimes I just get started on the MB and don't stop.

I definitely get tempted by the new MBP thinking it can replace both machines. But I shouldn't kid myself: video editing or doing anything that taxes the MB is something I run into 5% of the time. The rest of the time it's just on my lap while surfing.

this! you dont sacrifice the lightness of the device with 5% of time doing imovie.
[doublepost=1479294919][/doublepost]

So basically you just like the macbook because it's light..... You repeated it 2 times.

That's ok, but it doesn't mean the macbook is better. It's better for you. This thread was kind of useless, since we all know the macbook is lighter!

well, my suggestion is for people who have both macbook and a powerful PC or iMac for real work that are thinking about replacing both machines with the not-so-powerful 2016 rmbp.

you sacrifice 2 things: the power of your powerful PC or iMac, and the compact and light macbook. with mbp, you're working with a not so powerful device that is not as light as the macbook. adobe photoshop cc and illustrator cc feel sluggish on the new mbp.

 

[David58117]

Lol all of your negatives are about the size/weight.

I have the non-TB 2016 MBP, while my wife has the 12" rMP. I don't think there's that much of a difference in size, I mean, my 12" iPad Pro is bigger than both of them.

I think the better keyboard/CPU are definitely worth the difference. I do audio recording, and my 15" rMBP hasn't been touched since the 13" came along.

 

[kwandrews]

I'll chime in with my experience owning both! I have the '16 m5 and '16 non-touch MBP (which I can still return). I've loved my m5 except I'd like to have 2 USB-C (min) and wanted a bit more power for photo/video (some 4k) editing. Thus, the MBP is with me right now on a business trip. The last trip, it was the m5...I'll comment on this down the post.

Performance: Both seems to run Photos smoothly. Both seem to be a bit stuttery with Lightroom (surprised by the MBP on that one!). I haven't done 4k editing on either except a quick test with a 2 minute clip. Both handled it fine, the MBP finished exporting in 2:45 and the MBr in 3:12....not a huge boost. I'm sure it would be more with a larger clip...and the more powerful MBP's would do better.

Screen: I love the extra space of 1680x1050 on the 13". I find it genuinely useful. As for the P3 screen on the MBP...beautiful, but so is the 12"! I can see a difference side by side. But in actual use, not next to each other, they are equally great to me. Both are better than the 2015 MBP's in my opinion.

Battery: They are about the same, getting around 8-10 hours from each.

Travel: When I took my 12" on a business trip in August, it was the best experience I've ever had. Other than wishing for a bit larger screen, I couldn't have asked for more. I loved it! It was effortless to carry, never a burden. The bag never felt heavy at anytime. This week, I have the 13" with me. I feel it a lot more in the bag. It's not bad, but I've thought several times how I wish I bought the 12" with me. Both have done what I need and, as noted, the batteries are top notch.

Overall: Yes, I can be a bit more productive on the 13" with the larger screen and more space to multi-task. I use split screen on it a lot more and really like it. With the 12", I use more full screen and multiple desktops. If I had to choose one for travel, it's the 12" no doubt. If I choose one for power for what I do, right now it's a tie! The 12" is a surprise here...with the m5 or m7. It's for this reason I'm seriously thinking I'll either return the 13" and call it a day (stick with the 12") OR may just go with one laptop and upgrade to a higher end 13" or 15"....but that little 12" will call me.

 

[evec]

this! you dont sacrifice the lightness of the device with 5% of time doing imovie.
[doublepost=1479294919][/doublepost]

well, my suggestion is for people who have both macbook and a powerful PC or iMac for real work that are thinking about replacing both machines with the not-so-powerful 2016 rmbp.

you sacrifice 2 things: the power of your powerful PC or iMac, and the compact and light macbook. with mbp, you're working with a not so powerful device that is not as light as the macbook. adobe photoshop cc and illustrator cc feel sluggish on the new mbp.

Even MB12 base model is enough for most people that worked for their only one computer, especially only use OSX.

 

[macintoshmac]

Even MB12 base model is enough for most people that worked for their only one computer, especially only use OSX.

Not anymore, because they will most likely have upgraded iPhones, and might be shooting 4k just for the heck of it, and then will find the computer lacking. So, processing power and efficiency both cannot be undermined.

 

[Zazoh]

Even MB12 base model is enough for most people that worked for their only one computer, especially only use OSX.

I'm doing that experiment now. The difference between the MBP without the TouchBar and rMB were not great enough for me. I transfer data with Airdrop to and from phone iPad and to a HD attached to my Airport Extreme so ports not a big deal. LOVE portability of the 12, almost like carrying an iPad around. I'm on a computer for 6-8 hours a day ... so far so good.