I just can't decide. 13 or 15 inch rMBP

[domemvs]

I have a nice spec Mac Pro at home which does the main work, so I keep thinking do I really need a high end MacBook Pro! Will defiantly be following this thread to see what you end up with.

As a matter of fact I don't have another computer. My MBP is going to be my daily driver and my all-in-one solution. I guess in your case I'd definitely go for the MBA as you have a powerful machine at home. ;-)

I've been playing around with both. Both make a good impression. I still have a slight tendency towards the smaller one right now.

Let's see. I'm going to decide next week as I'm in the middle of my finals atm

Until then any suggestion and remark very welcome of course.

 

[solideliquid]

I purchased the mid-2012 rMBP 15" base model (with dedicated GPU N650m) at launch. It's a wonderful computer and the screen is amazing, in fact I never thought I'd downgrade to a smaller screen in a laptop. So moving to last week, I picked up a late 2013 13" MBP mid-range specs. I still haven't decided if I will return and keep my 15" or stay with the 13". I wanted to try out the new MBP for several reasons, faster processors, read/write speeds on newer machines, have a lighter laptop, and a laptop with much improved battery life. I tried the 13" MBA but after using a retina display (also have a 5S and iPad Air) I can't stop unseeing the low resolution issues on the MBA display, also the viewing angles are terrible.

I like that the 13" has a faster processor but the best thing about it is the battery life which is 9-10 hours. The 15" model's battery life isn't as good. I think that's something to consider between the two models. If battery life is important to you consider you get much more out of the 13" model and you don't lose much. I don't do any content creation or video editing, so I feel the i5 processor is fine for me. I will say one thing about this two year old computer. Two years ago this was almost the top of the line mac laptop to have, and it's still very capable machine. I'm going to try and sell it on ebay for $1000 but I feel very guilty for doing so given that there is not that much difference in performance between the latest mid range MBP 13". In fact in terms of graphics the N650m blows away the IRIS and IRIS Pro graphics of the latest MBP models.

 

[domemvs]

I didn't count but atm it's probably a tie between 13" and 15"

Well battery life is rather nice to have for me. It's definitely not essential for me because it will be on my desk 80-90% of the time. ;-) The Late 2013 15" models also have quite a nice battery life with Apple claiming it to be around 8 hrs (compared to 9 hrs in the 13" model).

The same goes for the VMs. I don't have VMs running constantly but from time to time. Maybe 10% of the time.

What about this:
I buy the mid-range 13 inch model next week - more or less as a temprary solution. I'll try everything out and find out if it's okay for me. In the possible case I find out it's not sufficient for me I'll sell it around this time next year, maybe a little bit earlier. The resale value probably will still be quite okay by then so I won't lose too much money. By doing so I can bypass the waiting time until the Broadwell or even Skylake models come out. The remaining 1000 bucks I "save" by not buying the big model are going to be invested in Apple stocks. So probably I'll be rich next year anyway . The only downside to this temporary solution is that I will find myself in the exact same situation again.

Btw.: I wanna thank each and every one of you again for helping me so actively. Helping people deal with their first-world-problems is not exactly exciting, so I really appreaciate it very much. That being said: feel free to contribute even more

 

[solideliquid]

I didn't count but atm it's probably a tie between 13" and 15"

Well battery life is rather nice to have for me. It's definitely not essential for me because it will be on my desk 80-90% of the time. ;-) The Late 2013 15" models also have quite a nice battery life with Apple claiming it to be around 8 hrs (compared to 9 hrs in the 13" model).

The same goes for the VMs. I don't have VMs running constantly but from time to time. Maybe 10% of the time.

What about this:
I buy the mid-range 13 inch model next week - more or less as a temprary solution. I'll try everything out and find out if it's okay for me. In the possible case I find out it's not sufficient for me I'll sell it around this time next year, maybe a little bit earlier. The resale value probably will still be quite okay by then so I won't lose too much money. By doing so I can bypass the waiting time until the Broadwell or even Skylake models come out. The remaining 1000 bucks I "save" by not buying the big model are going to be invested in Apple stocks. So probably I'll be rich next year anyway . The only downside to this temporary solution is that I will find myself in the exact same situation again.

Btw.: I wanna thank each and every one of you again for helping me so actively. Helping people deal with their first-world-problems is not exactly exciting, so I really appreaciate it very much. That being said: feel free to contribute even more

OR you could try it for up to 14 days and if not satisfied return and pay the difference on the 15" model you like (base vs top end w/ dGPU).

 

[dkersten]

It's definitely not essential for me because it will be on my desk 80-90% of the time.

Personally, based off of this information, if I were you I would go for the 15in. Yeah it will suck carrying it back and forth to university for a year but after that you get all then benefits of the 15in and almost none of the downsides. Plus you could still continue to use your tablet it the mean time at school. It sounds like the 15in will preform much better for your music and VM needs. And while the depreciation if you sell will likely be a slightly higher percentage, you can still make a lot of money to put towards a new computer. Just my opinion.

Also as the above poster said you could try out the 13in and return it for the 15in if it doesn't suit your needs. Anyways good luck. Either way you are getting a great computer.

 

[Xuan398]

15"!

I have the late 2013 Mbpr 15" one with the dedicated graphics and it is just amazing. 15" might seem bulky but trust me, this 15" mac is really slim and light you would actually enjoy bringing it around, it's just 2kgs. And the power it provides is really amazing, I do almost everything in it, from school stuff to my photography work and also battlefield 4 which runs fine. And since you are a student you could get the education pricing which btw saves you a lot for the high end mbpr. I would really recommend you getting the 15" Model

 

[solideliquid]

Just a question for those that have the late-2013 15" MBP, how long do you feel you'll be able to hold out upgrading to a newer model? In other words I have the mid-2012 MBP and feel guilty upgrading to the late 2013 model.

 

[maflynn]

In other words I have the mid-2012 MBP and feel guilty upgrading to the late 2013 model.

Yeah buying a new laptop a year later maybe a bit much, though people do it. I think if you get three years that's decent, though the longer the better from a financial perspective.

 

[solideliquid]

Yeah buying a new laptop a year later maybe a bit much, though people do it. I think if you get three years that's decent, though the longer the better from a financial perspective.

Well to be honest it's TWO years later. It IS mid-2014 right?

 

[domemvs]

Well to be honest it's TWO years later. It IS mid-2014 right?

Right

 

[domemvs]

My mom is so annoyed by me because I haven't been talking about anything else but my new Laptop purchase and the fact that i can't decide. So she offered me to throw in another 250 bucks if I buy the 15" machine .

This was not my intention but of course it makes things a little easier.

 

[solideliquid]

My mom is so annoyed by me because I haven't been talking about anything else but my new Laptop purchase and the fact that i can't decide. So she offered me to throw in another 250 bucks if I buy the 15" machine .

This was not my intention but of course it makes things a little easier.

Well you have your answer. The fates have spoken lol.

 

[paolo-]

I'd either go with the 15" or the iMac.

I had the same 2008 aluminium MacBook. It started being way too slow for the stuff Iw as doing with it, which does include music. So I got a 15" MBP in 2011. The size difference wasn't that noticeable in my bag but the larger screen made it way more useable without a dedicated monitor. My 2011 MBP recently crapped out (burned graphics card, common issue on that specific model that Apple never addressed ) and I now use a 2012 retina 15". The SSD and GPU make a world of difference in terms of speed and the screen is great. It's also a bit smaller which is a plus. Set at the largest scaled view it fits so much on the screen but stays sharp. I don't feel like I'm sacrificing much when I'm not using my external display with it.

I recently graduated and currently do freelance work in a shared office space so I'm doing the bulk of my work directly on the MBP display and it's great.

If you can afford the 15", go for it. The difference in speed will be huge. I didn't find the size difference to bother me at all. The weight difference is just a pound and the 15" is actually the weight of your current 13". Plus I find the 15" screen indispensable for any kind of creative work. Trying to record on location or playing live with the 13" was just hell because I couldn't see anything on the screen. Same thing with Photoshop of video editing.

Also, once at home and plugged in, the 15" screen is useful as a second monitor as it doesn't get dwarfed by the other monitor. I really like using my 15" screen to view the mixer window in Logic and have the session open on my larger monitor.

That said, if you know for a fact you won't be needing a laptop next year and you can tuff out your current laptop when you need it at school, you might as well get an iMac. Cheaper and more performant.

 

[maflynn]

My mom is so annoyed by me because I haven't been talking about anything else but my new Laptop purchase and the fact that i can't decide. So she offered me to throw in another 250 bucks if I buy the 15" machine .

This was not my intention but of course it makes things a little easier.

Go for the 15", your mom will be happy that you stop talking about it.

FWIW, I always obsess about my purchases and drive my wife up a wall.

Slightly off topic:
I've been contemplating a Surface Pro 3 purchase and all I've been doing is researching, talking and thinking about buying that and while she's shown the patience of Job, clearly I've been too focused on that

btw, the 15 rMBP is an awesome machine, the 2012 model I have is the best laptop I've purchased.

 

[kyriostrife]

Two very different animals, just pick them up and play with them. I don't know how someone can be in the market for a 13 and 15 inch laptop.

What about the person that wants the 15" but can only afford the 13" as in my case? I have a 13" rmbp but I would trade it for a 15" in a heartbeat if I could afford it. It's a great machine but I just prefer the bigger screen and better performance.

For op the money doesn't seem to be an issue I guess? May as well just buy the high end, especially if doing music production. It will pay off in the long run.

 

[zI INFINITY Iz]

Regarding the 15" rMBP base model: I got it for around 1650 euro (normally 2029 in the Netherlands). It's indeed a very powerful machine. I'm satisfied about the CPU and Iris Pro. The only thing I do miss sometimes is the 16GB of RAM.

After using the 15" model for a few months, I do really appreciate the screen size. I take it daily with me and it's not so bad at all.

 

[Sifinity]

no point on waiting , just buy it now and get it done with cause every year new specs will come out and keeping up with the latest and greatest costs a-lot of $$$ ; for example next year you get broadwell or skylake then a year later cannonlake will come out and it will have better performance . just get the 15" and be happy with it.Plus the broadwell chips the macbook pro 15" requires will most likely be released Q2 2015 so broadwell will come to macbook pro late 2015 - no point on waiting that long


P.S if i were you wait till july/august when apple release there back to school deals so you can get a $100 gift card ; thats what im planning to do

 

[domemvs]

For op the money doesn't seem to be an issue I guess? May as well just buy the high end, especially if doing music production. It will pay off in the long run.

If money wasn't an issue I wouldn't actually be so undecisive. I can afford both models but the 1200 EUR difference between the two models is much money for me

I'll go for the 15" 2.3/16/512/750m model now. I'm lucky to be able to buy it VAT-free and resellers sell the high-end model for around 2200 EUR (incl. VAT). So I'll pay around 1850 EUR and I can sell my late 2008 MacBook for 450 EUR. That makes it affordable

Thank you, all your contributions are very much appreciated and were very helpful. As soon as the computer arrives I'll tell you what I think. But I think I'm going to be more than happy with this new super-computer, which is just waaaay over the top for me in terms of power

 

[chibamac]

If money wasn't an issue I wouldn't actually be so undecisive. I can afford both models but the 1200 EUR difference between the two models is much money for me

I'll go for the 15" 2.3/16/512/750m model now. I'm lucky to be able to buy it VAT-free and resellers sell the high-end model for around 2200 EUR (incl. VAT). So I'll pay around 1850 EUR and I can sell my late 2008 MacBook for 450 EUR. That makes it affordable

Thank you, all your contributions are very much appreciated and were very helpful. As soon as the computer arrives I'll tell you what I think. But I think I'm going to be more than happy with this new super-computer, which is just waaaay over the top for me in terms of power

I ended up checking both out at the apple store and thought I would share my thoughts. I asked that they give me a demo 15" that I can put on my lap and carry around the store to see if I liked the form factor. They were very accommodating and let me play with a demo they grabbed from the back. Spent about an hour with the machine, walking around, on my lap and even lied down with it resting on my leags while my head was supported by one of the beanbag stools @ the children's workstations. I noticed a couple of things..

1) the palm rests are more generous and comfortable than the 13" models. Especially my 13" air which sort of cuts into my wrists / stomach (while laying down) with it's sharp thin corners.

2) The larger 15" screen is more immersive on my lap (big surprise there)
Similar to my 110 inch home theatre screen in proportion to where my lazy boys are. The model I used had an absolutely flawless screen and it blew anything I have ever used away (including my 27" cinema display) Just really impressive screen! We watched some 4k footage and it was just brilliant. This is going to be a great machine to watch movies / anime on.

3) Text was sharper with more contrast on the retna screen

4) I could one hand it. Carrying this machine with one hand won't be near as comfortable as my 13"mba but it can be done. If I were to swivel my wrists I could definitely see me pulling something down the road.. Hehe totally just sounded like an old man..

So that's about it. For me, getting the 15" rmbp is now a no brainer. I would get the same config as you domemvs but feel that even if they bump up the processor / hdd size a little bit in the next few months than it will be worth the wait. I want the machine now sure but I can be patient a while longer so I get more tech for my $. According to Macrumors buying guide the last time they updated the rmbp was 236 days ago. The 2 refreshes before had a 247 and 251 day span so it shouldn't be to much longer.. Also gives me more time to save $ and something to look forward to.

Chiba

 

[domemvs]

Just placed the order for the 2.3 15" rMBP. I'm happy and relieved!

And btw: the price dropped another 100 EUR since yesterday...I pay 2130,- EUR. Compared to 2599,- EUR in the Apple Store this is quite a bargain!

 

[Gpulvi]

I'm doing myself the same question. An ME866 or 865 (rMBP 13'') or an ME293 (base 15'' rMBP).
I live in Argentina and try to change my Mac every 3 years. So, the quad core i7 seems to be the best choice for the next years... I can't upgrade the RAM to 16 GB, but I think 8 GB will be enough for graphic design and some photo editing.

 

[Cloudsurfer]

Just placed the order for the 2.3 15" rMBP. I'm happy and relieved!

And btw: the price dropped another 100 EUR since yesterday...I pay 2130,- EUR. Compared to 2599,- EUR in the Apple Store this is quite a bargain!

Congrats on your purchase! 2130€ is a very nice price for the high-end MBP.

As it so happened I was in the Amsterdam Apple Store today and got to play around with both models quite a lot. I have to say the dual core 13" positively surprised me. Browsing these forums for too long makes one think the 13" is a crippled machine, but that mindset could not be farther from the truth.

FCPX ran as smooth as butter even on the base i5 model. Exporting a 1 minute project took only 40 seconds on the dual core, opposed to 30 seconds on the quad core. I expected the quad core to be twice as fast at least.

The 13" appears to be more than enough for my needs, something I didn't expect at all. The only advice I can give is, if you're not sure, just go check the machines out in the flesh and play around with them. You may be surprised what they're capable of.

 

[domemvs]

I played around with both in the apple store. The 13" even feels a little snappier than the 15". And imho the "snappiest" experience could be witnessed on an MBA.

Obviously this cannot be translated to the real world. Also what i obviously couldn't test was the behavior when two external monitors are hooked into the mbp.

I know what you mean and I'm more or less convinced that the 13" would be sufficient for almost any of my needs. But i wanted to be on the safe side

 

[gadgetgirl85]

It was a hard decision for me too! I got the 15" rMBP and thought about downgrading to the 13" but in the end I've decided to keep it. If there was a 13" quad core I'd have it in an instant!