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15 inch macbook too big?

  • 15 is too big

    Votes: 47 21.6%
  • 15 is right size

    Votes: 149 68.3%
  • bigger the better 17

    Votes: 22 10.1%

  • Total voters
    218

thermodynamic

Suspended
May 3, 2009
1,341
1,192
USA
has the 15 size macbook become too big? is the 13 the new mainstream?

http://t-gaap.com/2011/4/13/macbook-buyers-guide-2011?site_locale=en

Mainstream... feign scream... :p

The 17" is the perfect mobile Mac/desktop replacement Mac. Especially for that sumptuous screen resolution.

Depending on a number of factors, in 2 years, I will upgrade to another 17" MBP. I use the power far more than the portability, and even the best Windows PC isn't as good with battery life... (the 17"s have a larger battery as well as the bigger screen... bigger can be cool. :D )
 

Erasmus

macrumors 68030
Jun 22, 2006
2,756
298
Australia
The 17" is the perfect mobile Mac/desktop replacement Mac. Especially for that sumptuous screen resolution.

Amen, brutha!

Depending on a number of factors, in 2 years, I will upgrade to another 17" MBP. I use the power far more than the portability, and even the best Windows PC isn't as good with battery life... (the 17"s have a larger battery as well as the bigger screen... bigger can be cool. :D )

And the 17" MBP will generally comfortably fit in bags designed for 15" Windows notebooks. That's what I'm using.
 

amarcus

macrumors 6502
Feb 26, 2008
357
102
London, UK
I agree that the trend is for smaller laptops with smaller screen sizes. However for me at least, the 13inch can't replace the 15inch until it gains a dedicated (or decent) gpu. But I guess thats only a matter of time.

In short: I still think the 15inch is the best notebook for today but it's days are numbered.
 

mark28

macrumors 68000
Jan 29, 2010
1,632
2
I agree that the trend is for smaller laptops with smaller screen sizes. However for me at least, the 13inch can't replace the 15inch until it gains a dedicated (or decent) gpu. But I guess thats only a matter of time.

In short: I still think the 15inch is the best notebook for today but it's days are numbered.

If $200 netbooks cost the same as 15" laptop, they wouldn't be sold. The same Applies to these laptops, if both the 15" and 13' MBP cost the same, you think most people would still go for the 13" MBP?

It's more a choice because of costs imo, rather than 13' being the perfect size.
 

tim100

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 25, 2009
1,368
0
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interesting point. thats not the reason most people provide here. there are many mbp to mba switchers, even 15 mbp
to 11mba.
 

tim100

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 25, 2009
1,368
0
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i dont think the 15 mbp will habe much in common with the 2012 mbp 15 redesign. jobs said air is the future. makes it hard to buy a notebook now, with the air still on c2d
 

Macsavvytech

macrumors 6502a
May 25, 2010
897
0
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polbit said:
Same here - I would love to have 1920x1200 on my 15", can't imagine using 13" with its 1280x800. Overall size of the 15" is perfect for me, although I wouldn't mind owning the 11" Air as well (or iPad 3 with Retina display).

Polbit

I agree 1920x1200.
16:10 aspect ratio ftw!!
 

t0rr3s

macrumors 6502
Dec 23, 2010
477
52
I already have a 24" imac, a 15" imac g4 and have gone through a macbook and a 13" mbp. I will also probably pick up an 11" mba soon but I still will have to say my current 15" mbp is my favourite of the bunch.
 

barkomatic

macrumors 601
Aug 8, 2008
4,518
2,821
Manhattan
To me the 15" is the perfect trade off between the 13" and the 17". I get all of the "Power" of the 17" with a near portability of 13". We do have a 13" 2006 Black MACBOOK and it is nice but again the extra power of the 15" puts it over the edge for my personal needs.

You are comparing the 15 inch MBP to a 2006 Macbook. The newest 13inch Sandy Bridge MBP is almost as fast as the *previous* generation 15 inch. Aside from screen resolution and GPU, there isn't so much of a trade off anymore.

Clearly there is a market for the 15 and 17 inch MBP--and they are beautiful machines. However, the trend is strongly toward more mobile products these days and a lot of the most interesting and popular consumer software (including games) are being made for low powered devices anyway. Why spend $2800 to run Angry Birds? Final Cut Pro definitely -- but that market is tiny compared to the Angry Birds market. :)
 

altecXP

macrumors 65816
Aug 3, 2009
1,115
1
Personally I would prefer the 15in HW in a 14.5in package with no optical and 1600x900 or a full HD screen.


Now THAT would be sexy to me.
 

entatlrg

macrumors 68040
Mar 2, 2009
3,385
6
Waterloo & Georgian Bay, Canada
I bought my mum a 15-inch MacBook Pro (with 1680x1050 pixels display) last year. Later, I sold my 24-inch iMac and went for the 11-inch MacBook Air. My friends thought I was crazy downgrading from a 1920x1200 pixels display to a 1366x768 pixels display. 4 months later, I am really get used to the 11-inch MBA form factor.

While traveling to Hong Kong, I bought my MBA and iPad 2 with me. Coming back to the States, I left the MBA in Hong Kong since my mum needed it.

Now, I have been using her 15-inch MBP for a couple days. At first, I couldn't take it, it's too heavy, big, and too hot to touch. I picked up my iPad 2 and iPhone 4 instead.

I actually use the 11-inch MBA on my lap in the sofa, this 15-inch is meant to be on a desk.

Interestingly, I stopped by the Apple Store yesterday and overheard that the 13-inch MBP is among the most popular model they have sold.

Is the 15-inch becoming too big. Yes and no. A 15-inch MacBook Air would be sweet.

You're a good candidate for the 13" MBA?
 

kuwisdelu

macrumors 65816
Jan 13, 2008
1,323
2
Perhaps the real question is — if the 15" MacBook Pro is too big — just how big is a 15" laptop supposed to be? :rolleyes: ;)
 

ballacks

macrumors newbie
Apr 17, 2011
3
0
Personally I love my 13 just cause it's super portable and I like to use it on bed, carry it around all day, etc.

My boyfriend has the 15 though and he thinks the 13 is too small for his liking.

I don't know, I don't feel like this is too small. But then again, I always go for smaller when it comes to this kind of stuff. I was gonna get the MBA 11 before I was convinced to do MBP 13 instead.

So basically, I guess I can see both sides of the argument. But 13 is perfect for me.
 

iMackPro

macrumors 6502
Mar 31, 2011
333
0
also, with the way things are going for apple. i don't think ill be upgrading this laptop anytime soon. 4 cores and 8 gigs of ram will last me for at least 5 years if not longer, when the 16 GB RAM is around 400 or 300 bucks ill buy it and install it, and hopefully by then ill be able to afford a 1 TB SSD. and then ill have my dream computer.

i am planning on buying the iPad 3 though, id buy one now but i just spent 2800 on my mac, and bought the new White iPhone 4 yesterday. Also, i can justify buying the iPad yet because theres no retina display on it, but when the next one comes out in a year or whenever, ill definitely be buying it.

The only reason i didn't buy the iPad 2 is because it didn't have retina. that and the other purchases i mentioned.

Sidenote: i said i don't plan on upgrading my laptop for a very long time, theres only ONE thing that will change my mind, and thats if they introduce Retina to Macs, because i mean lets be honest, its totally KICKASS and by far the coolest upgrade on anything.
 

tim100

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 25, 2009
1,368
0
I wonder what the sales figures are between 13 and 15 inch MacBooks
 

floobie

macrumors member
Jul 28, 2010
75
0
Canada
Depends. First, it needs to be said that even the 17" Macbook Pro is more portable than a good chunk of 15" PC notebooks.

I've ordered a 15" MBP because I need the quad core processor in it, I appreciate the extra screen real estate, and the dedicated graphics. But, if I could get a similarly powerful quad core processor in the 13" MBP, I would've gone with that instead. And, to take that to the extreme... if I could get that processor in a 13" MBA, I'd take that instead.

But, the 15" MBP is still a damn portable computer.
 

orfeas0

macrumors 6502a
Aug 21, 2010
971
1
Athens, Greece
has the 15 size macbook become too big? is the 13 the new mainstream?

http://t-gaap.com/2011/4/13/macbook-buyers-guide-2011?site_locale=en

those are 2 different questions:
The first one doesn't make sense, because the size of the 15" macbook pro didn't actually change (for some years now), so no, it didn't "become too big".
Is the 13 the new mainstream? Maybe, since it has both a MBP and a MBA, but the 11 is mainstream too. But does that matter, or does your preference matter?
I used to like big screens, watching movies on them etc, but now I have a 11" macbook air. It's so small and light you can carry it anywhere without a problem. Some people can carry a 15" without a problem too, but I wouldn't...
Plus the high resolution of the macbook airs make up for the small screen, you can enjoy HD movies on it .
 
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