From 15 mbp to 13 mpb

[mathewr]

hi.

I have a 2012 retina 15 mbp it started to get really slow when using safari last weekend so I’m looking into getting a new mbp. I’m leaning towards 13 because of the portability. I live in nyc so i would be carrying it around not just putting into a car. I wouldn’t be carrying it around everyday but knowing that it would be fairly easy to toss in a bag would be nice.

I use the 15 for general work/personal stuff. At times I need to log into my work pc using GoToMyPC. I do minimal illustrator work.

Does anyone regret the downsize from 15 to 13 and miss the screen size?

Thanks

 

[Cosmo M3]

sounds like the weight and size will benefit you over the overall size of the screen. I think the 13" will be perfect for your needs.

 

[GoldfishRT]

I would go hold a new MacBook Pro in comparison to your old one though. The new 15" will still be svelte compared to your 2012 retina.

I go back and forth whether I'd actually be okay with the 13" size. I think I would be but I'd miss the added working space of the 15" because I use the classic scaling (hate crunching over my laptops and eyes aren't great) so I'd be running 1280x800 on the smaller one which is a bit cramped.

Ultimately both sizes are mainstream and totally fine for most things. I will say I really appreciate the GPU and better speakers of the larger model. I also think the keyboard feels slightly different and better but that could just be all in my head.

For my part, the current weights are more than light enough (4lbs vs 3lbs) so really it would be more about using it on public transport. If you're planning on that then I'd highly advise the 13" simply because the 15" can be a bit cumbersome if you're actually using it on the move. If you're just going to throw it in a bag to use at on office, coffee shop, or anywhere else then I'd stick with the larger size.

 

[leman]

The new 15” is much more portable than the old 15” and the new 13” is comparable to older MBA. That said, the 13” would probably serve you very well. And nowadays it’s faster than a 2012 15”. Is wait a bit though - 10gen CPUs are around the corner and we might see a refresh in autumn.

 

[maflynn]

I use the 15 for general work/personal stuff. At times I need to log into my work pc using GoToMyPC. I do minimal illustrator work.

Does anyone regret the downsize from 15 to 13 and miss the screen size?

I did, the loss of screen real estate was particularly troublesome. Like you I use gotomypc and I found the display size, resolution/scaling to be such that I found using gotomypc for extended periods to be difficult.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

How full is your hard drive?

 

[mathewr]

OP:

How full is your hard drive?

Somehow very full but I dont know how. Im going to get 16gb ram and 51gb storage.

 

[Fishrrman]

If the internal drive is full (or very close to it), THAT'S probably the reason for "the slowdown".

Clean some of the crud off, and get your "free space" around 8-10gb.

Do that, and I'll bet you the performance goes right back up to where it was before this happened.

In other words, you probably don't need a new MBP -- you just need to get yours into good working order again.

Here's a tool that will help you do that:
Download DiskWave from here:
https://diskwave.barthe.ph
It's small in size and free.

Open DiskWave and go to the preferences.
Put a checkmark in "show invisible files".
Close preferences.

The DiskWave window shows you all your drives in plain English (no ridiculous graphical formats).
Click on any folder.
Now, you'll see what's ON the drive, listed in order of "largest to smallest".
You can easily locate what's eating up your space.