I need some advice

[ancapman]

I am typing this from a mid 2011 MacBook Air 1.8 i7 4gb ram 13inch.

It has served me well. I have only had to replace the fan when after 5 years it failed. I have been happy with it but its time to upgrade.

I am stuck between maxed 13 MacBook pro or the 2.9 15 MacBook pro

I currently use my MacBook air for school (MS Office), Web browsing, etc. With that said I will soon be entering into a pre med program where I may be needing a bit more power for things such as 3D anatomy programs.

I can't seem to find a good size comparison image between a 13" MacBook air and a 15" MacBook pro.

I don't mind the extra pound of weight of the 15 inch as long as there will be a large increase in power. I would prefer a larger screen as my eyes just aren't as good as they used to be. This laptop will be with me for 6 years (Until I finish Medical School in 2023) It will eventually be supplemented by an iPad Pro in 2021 when I begin clinical rotations.

Should I go with the 15" or the 13"?
Will either be a significant speed increase from my 2011 MacBook Air?

 

[Mr. Dee]

The word on the street is, the new 15 inch MBP has a smaller profile and feels much lighter, almost like a 2015 13 inch MacBook Pro. 6 years is a long time and you would certainly get more bang for your buck by going with the 15 inch MacBook Pro which includes 16 GBs of RAM, discrete graphics, larger, brighter display.

 

[skaertus]

A new 13-inch MacBook Pro has exactly the same weight as your current 13-inch MacBook Air (1.37kg), and has a smaller footprint. The 15-inch MacBook Pro has 1.83kg, which is not a lot, but significantly heavier. You may also think about size. The 13-inch will fit everywhere, the 15-inch may not. Are you carrying the laptop around a lot?

6 years is a lot of time. Is there any reason why you want your laptop to last for so long? I usually change my laptop way before that. If you are happy with having the laptop for less time, you can invest less money as you do not need the top-range option. You end up spending a similar amount of money. And Apple will probably refresh the MacBook Pro line sometime in the next 3-4 years (around 2020 perhaps). I would think about that.

Anyway, if you want your laptop to last that long, I would go for a 13-inch MacBook Pro with 16 GB RAM and at least 512 GB of SSD (and I would think of 1 GB if you need to run Windows on Boot Camp). If you go with the 15-inch model, I would think of a similar configuration.

I would not care much about processing power. As far as I know, 3D anatomy programs are not very demanding (but I am not aware of specifics), so you may be fine with a Core i5 and an integrated video card.

Of course, if you want maximum performance, and do not care about size and weight, the 15-inch is a great choice. And it has more battery life in addition to being faster. You cannot go wrong with either one. Both sizes are comfortable and not really heavy, so they are both fine. I have a 13-inch now; I had a 15-inch in the past. While I like the size of the 15-inch screen, I think the 13-inch is a solid choice and the size is just right for carrying around.

 

[TofSanity]

I am typing this from a mid 2011 MacBook Air 1.8 i7 4gb ram 13inch.

It has served me well. I have only had to replace the fan when after 5 years it failed. I have been happy with it but its time to upgrade.

I am stuck between maxed 13 MacBook pro or the 2.9 15 MacBook pro

I currently use my MacBook air for school (MS Office), Web browsing, etc. With that said I will soon be entering into a pre med program where I may be needing a bit more power for things such as 3D anatomy programs.

I can't seem to find a good size comparison image between a 13" MacBook air and a 15" MacBook pro.

I don't mind the extra pound of weight of the 15 inch as long as there will be a large increase in power. I would prefer a larger screen as my eyes just aren't as good as they used to be. This laptop will be with me for 6 years (Until I finish Medical School in 2023) It will eventually be supplemented by an iPad Pro in 2021 when I begin clinical rotations.

Should I go with the 15" or the 13"?
Will either be a significant speed increase from my 2011 MacBook Air?

I've owned both th 2016 13" maxed out MacBook Pro and a mid line 2016 15". I settled on the 15". The screen real estate is really worth it over the 13". Plus the new form factor doesn't really make 15" seem so big as my 2012 15" rMBP

 

[skaertus]

I've owned both th 2016 13" maxed out MacBook Pro and a mid line 2016 15". I settled on the 15". The screen real estate is really worth it over the 13". Plus the new form factor doesn't really make 15" seem so big as my 2012 15" rMBP

I went from a 15" to a 13". I lost some screen real estate, but I found the 13" display really fine and comfortable. For me, it is helpful because it is more portable. If you don't need to move around that much, or if you don't care about the extra weight or size, the 15" is a great choice.

 

[robvas]

I can't seem to find a good size comparison image between a 13" MacBook air and a 15" MacBook pro.

This is the previous 15" Retina, but here you go

 

[ancapman]

Well today, I pulled the trigger on the 15" MacBook Pro, 2.9, 16gb, 512, Radeon 560.... with education pricing it was 2599+tax. I also am getting some beats solo 3 that I will sell on eBay for 200 and sell my old MacBook air for 400-500 effectively bringing the price down to 1900 or so. Hopefully this one will be just as reliable as my MacBook air has been.

Should arrive tomorrow. I will take some size comparison pics for those that may be curious like I was/am. At this point in my lifespan I need a larger display as I will be spending 10-15 hours a day staring at it.

Thanks for the input and advice.

 

[jerryk]

Well today, I pulled the trigger on the 15" MacBook Pro, 2.9, 16gb, 512, Radeon 560.... with education pricing it was 2599+tax. I also am getting some beats solo 3 that I will sell on eBay for 200 and sell my old MacBook air for 400-500 effectively bringing the price down to 1900 or so. Hopefully this one will be just as reliable as my MacBook air has been.

Should arrive tomorrow. I will take some size comparison pics for those that may be curious like I was/am. At this point in my lifespan I need a larger display as I will be spending 10-15 hours a day staring at it.

Thanks for the input and advice.

Enjoy your new system. It should serve you well.

 

[ancapman]

The MacBook Pro 15 inch is only slightly larger in footprint. I can notice the weight, but its not a super big change in weight. The main difference i notice is the lack of taper. So far, I am very happy with the new MacBook Pro 15.

 

[PieTunes]

Congratulations on your new purchase! My previous notebook was an Air and I loved the tapered design. Kinda wished my 2017 MBP had it as well but the trade offs are well worth it haha

 

[jerryk]

The MacBook Air is only slightly larger in footprint. I can notice the weight, but its not a super big change in weight. The main difference i notice is the lack of taper. So far, I am very happy with the new MacBook Pro 15.

The biggest issue I have with the Air is the screen. Going to rMBP is like getting a new pair of glasses. Everything seems so clear and bright.

 

[ancapman]

Yes everything is much clearer. Although text seems smaller to my eyes.

 

[PBG4 Dude]

Yes everything is much clearer. Although text seems smaller to my eyes.

The 15" MBP is set to resemble 1680x1050. Previous model MBPs were set to resemble 1440x900 so that may be why the text seems smaller than you're used to.

 

[jerryk]

Yes everything is much clearer. Although text seems smaller to my eyes.

You can fix that by changing fonts in programs, or adjust the display resolution down a bit.