If you are back and forth on 13"vs 15"...

[dannyar]

Then this thread is for you. Some of you may have seen some of my posts regarding the 13 vs 15 and how i first purchased a base 13, then swapped for a base 15, then wound up now with an i5/16/512 13" 2018. For reference this machine is replacing a late 2014 imac 5k as my main machine that I will have docked with a 32" 4k display. The base 13 for me was just a trial run, to see if i liked the 13" size. I quickly realized that for the money spent and what i sold my imac 5k for, i could put just a little money in and get a base 15 which would serve as a better desktop replacement.

After a few days with is remorse quickly kicked in and realized that maybe the weight and size would be too cumbersome when i do travel with it and that my money would be better served with a i5/16/512 13".After my 2nd day now with it and realizing i spent about $2200 for this machine and putting it side by side with the base 15, it took 7 min longer to export the same 4k phantom 4 pro footage. Im not a heavy video editor but i do enjoy editing my drone footage every so often.

This machine needs to last me at least 3 years and not having a dedicated GPU i felt would really limit its life span. AGAIN, speed difference for editing and exports is significantly slower on the 13 vs base 15. So ive come to the conclusion that for $500 more i can have the mid tier 15 inch with the 2.6/16gb/512 and 560x. Small price to pay for a much more potent machine. Ill miss the portability but i really dont travel much and the reduced performance is far much of a negative than the pros of the portability. I hope this can help some of you in your decision process.

 

[BayouTiger]

I carried a 15 years ago and then went to 17s for a couple rounds, but since moving to a 13” in 2013, I tried a 15 when the 2016 came out and the weight came down, but though the performance was great I hated the extra bulk. Now I’m back in a 13 and happy again! I need performance from time to time, but I have to drag it around every day.

 

[waziazi]

I am in the same position right now. I am thinking about getting a 2018 MBP 13" i7/16/512 or 15" i7/16/256/560x. The price is the same. I do like the portability and form factor of the 13 but I wonder how much less real world performance I will get with it compared to the 15... I don't do video editing. Mainly general use and web development. Photoshop would be the heaviest program I use.

 

[udflyer]

So when do all the refurbs go on sale for the 2018 MacBooks ? This forum is loaded with people who swap multiple machines.

I realize it is apple's policy to have a 14day return policy but we wonder why prices are through the roof. I firmly believe the significant amount of returns factors into the price......

 

[dannyar]

So when do all the refurbs go on sale for the 2018 MacBooks ? This forum is loaded with people who swap multiple machines.

I realize it is apple's policy to have a 14day return policy but we wonder why prices are through the roof. I firmly believe the significant amount of returns factors into the price......

They don't. Apple has always worked with high margins. And even refurb machines sell for only 10-13% off .that means they would be making 60-70% margins vs 80 .I don't feel bad in the slightest .
[doublepost=1533351457][/doublepost]

I am in the same position right now. I am thinking about getting a 2018 MBP 13" i7/16/512 or 15" i7/16/256/560x. The price is the same. I do like the portability and form factor of the 13 but I wonder how much less real world performance I will get with it compared to the 15... I don't do video editing. Mainly general use and web development. Photoshop would be the heaviest program I use.

I do notice it to be slightly slower and less responsive on the 13 when I have the external 4k monitor attached. Not having the dedicated GPU hurts .

 

[Mr. Dee]

I can't wait to get out of the 13 inch 2015 model I have; its great portable wise, but I really want that little bit more of screen real estate. I just don't have a significant reason beyond screen size to upgrade yet. I am thinking about waiting until next year or 2021 to upgrade.

 

[dannyar]

I can't wait to get out of the 13 inch 2015 model I have; its great portable wise, but I really want that little bit more of screen real estate. I just don't have a significant reason beyond screen size to upgrade yet. I am thinking about waiting until next year or 2021 to upgrade.

The screen size is actually the least important of the reasons why im going back to the 15. I tend to use it on an external display either way. The longevity of the device by having the 6 cores vs 4, dedicated GPU, ddr4 vs ddr3 all are top reasons for my switch. I maybe travel 2-3 times a year and could get by with the 15 for those trips. I do like the weight of the 13 since i tend to bring it with me to work everyday as a compliment to my desktop pc but i carry it in a backpack and the extra pound isnt something i really feel. Power and longevity wins out for me vs portability.

 

[sennomulo]

I just went from a 2015 13" to a 2018 15" and I'm sure I made the right decision for me. I love the extra screen space. It improves everything that I do on this machine. I can see the appeal of the 13" form factor for people who really need that portability, but the 2018 15" is only half a pound heavier than my 2015 13", so in my opinion it's still plenty portable. It's smaller and lighter than its 15" Windows competitors as well. Compared to the 13" model, I get a bigger screen, better speakers, a dedicated graphics card, two more processor cores, and 16 GB of RAM (which you can also get in custom-built 13" models to be fair).

 

[dannyar]

I just went from a 2015 13" to a 2018 15" and I'm sure I made the right decision for me. I love the extra screen space. It improves everything that I do on this machine. I can see the appeal of the 13" form factor for people who really need that portability, but the 2018 15" is only half a pound heavier than my 2015 13", so in my opinion it's still plenty portable. It's smaller and lighter than its 15" Windows competitors as well. Compared to the 13" model, I get a bigger screen, better speakers, a dedicated graphics card, two more processor cores, and 16 GB of RAM (which you can also get in custom-built 13" models to be fair).

I agree. By the time you build out the 13" with 16gb and 512ssd you are not far off from the 2.6/16/512/560x 15". Especially since apple gives you $200 off that model for edu vs only $100 off for the 13". Its a $500 difference for a draaaaaaaaastically faster machine. Whats an extra $500 when your already spending over $2000 for something thats gonna last you 3-5 years.

 

[A_ardvark]

So when do all the refurbs go on sale for the 2018 MacBooks ? This forum is loaded with people who swap multiple machines.

I realize it is apple's policy to have a 14day return policy but we wonder why prices are through the roof. I firmly believe the significant amount of returns factors into the price......

I doubt most people swap units like this and also, to be honest, the reason some people are hunting for perfection is because the prices are so damn high.

Last year I wanted a 15 inch, but i refused to buy till they fixed the keyboards. I just bought a 13 inch because it’s really fast and tiny. I have moments of doubt, mostly because I’d like to have a stronger GPU for occasional gaming and a larger screen. Still, taken as a whole, I think the 13 inch is a great package for most people. Unless you need more power, the drawbacks can be offset with a monitor or—for people with deep pockets—an egpu.

 

[Eeden]

I started a new thread yesterday about this subject but I will close mine and join this one.

I’m thinking about switching my 13 for a 15 inch...

I just bought a new MacBook Pro 13 and I'm trying to decide if the screen is too small for me or that it is just getting used to. I study part time Computer Science and thats why it is difficult for me to assess whether I will need a large screen for coding. Besides studying I work full time in business and use the laptop for surfing, office and mail.

The solution I was thinking of is to use the 13 inch together with my iPad Pro. Then I can use the iPad for documentation etc.

Is there someone with a similar case? Did you get used to the 13 inch?

Cheers!

 

[littlepud]

I just exchanged my 13” for a 15” a few weeks ago and I couldn’t be happier. The 13” i7/16/1TB was essentially the same price as the 15” 2.6/512/560X.

For the same price, it was the extra 512 GB SSD and portability vs. 2 more cores, the bigger screen and a dGPU.

 

[fokmik]

i know people are complaining, always, when Apple made a redesign and made the macbooks thiner and lighter, but damn, when i was with mine to take a project to a friend, he had a 15" classic MBP from 2011...god i think apple done a good think...when i was comparing the 2018 model with that 2011...even from health stand point if you are traveling with it,its a bless

 

[waziazi]

Boy is it no only hard deciding between the 13 and 15 inch, but then you have to think about i5 and i7. It's just exhausting.

 

[A_ardvark]

Boy is it no only hard deciding between the 13 and 15 inch, but then you have to think about i5 and i7. It's just exhausting.

If you go 13, the i5 is pretty darn fast.

According to Geekbench, my i5 is faster than all 15 inch models from last year in single and multicore. Obviously real world use is different, but it gives you a sense of the speed.

 

[Beau10]

Is there someone with a similar case? Did you get used to the 13 inch?

Cheers!

I've been a software engineer going on 22 years and a 13" MBP has been my weapon of choice for the last 4 years. I use no external displays.

Linus Torvalds used a 11" MBA for years. I used to use one when I started doing some Rails 6 years ago. I made ~$200k on that machine.

 

[Newtons Apple]

Once you use a 15” screen is it hard to go back to something smaller.

 

[Beau10]

Once you use a 15” screen is it hard to go back to something smaller.

I did. Had a late '13 15" rMBP for a year, have had 13" MBPs since.

 

[macintoshmac]

Then this thread is for you. Some of you may have seen some of my posts regarding the 13 vs 15 and how i first purchased a base 13, then swapped for a base 15, then wound up now with an i5/16/512 13" 2018. For reference this machine is replacing a late 2014 imac 5k as my main machine that I will have docked with a 32" 4k display. The base 13 for me was just a trial run, to see if i liked the 13" size. I quickly realized that for the money spent and what i sold my imac 5k for, i could put just a little money in and get a base 15 which would serve as a better desktop replacement.

After a few days with is remorse quickly kicked in and realized that maybe the weight and size would be too cumbersome when i do travel with it and that my money would be better served with a i5/16/512 13".After my 2nd day now with it and realizing i spent about $2200 for this machine and putting it side by side with the base 15, it took 7 min longer to export the same 4k phantom 4 pro footage. Im not a heavy video editor but i do enjoy editing my drone footage every so often.

This machine needs to last me at least 3 years and not having a dedicated GPU i felt would really limit its life span. AGAIN, speed difference for editing and exports is significantly slower on the 13 vs base 15. So ive come to the conclusion that for $500 more i can have the mid tier 15 inch with the 2.6/16gb/512 and 560x. Small price to pay for a much more potent machine. Ill miss the portability but i really dont travel much and the reduced performance is far much of a negative than the pros of the portability. I hope this can help some of you in your decision process.

It seems like you should really go to a 13 inch form factor, and when the iMacs come out, get one of those again. That will be the best combo for you. I myself am contemplating doing the same thing. While my needs would be met with a 12 incher, I cannot go for it because of where I live - India - ambient temps regularly soared north of 38 degrees Celsius and not having fans would become an issue. MBP 13 is a happy compromise of portability and power, and you will have the iMac for beastly power when needed.
[doublepost=1533398097][/doublepost]

Once you use a 15” screen is it hard to go back to something smaller.

If that is one's only machine perhaps, and also depends on the kind of travel one does. If I were to make a trip where my DSLR is involved, a 15 (2016 ones too) becomes way too bulky to carry. 12 is ideal as for the next weight increase of 470g to 13", I could take another lens along and not feel it.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I did. Had a late '13 15" rMBP for a year, have had 13" MBPs since.

It is good we all have a choice. The huge 15” screen put a smile on my face every time I use it.
[doublepost=1533398877][/doublepost]

It seems like you should really go to a 13 inch form factor, and when the iMacs come out, get one of those again. That will be the best combo for you. I myself am contemplating doing the same thing. While my needs would be met with a 12 incher, I cannot go for it because of where I live - India - ambient temps regularly soared north of 38 degrees Celsius and not having fans would become an issue. MBP 13 is a happy compromise of portability and power, and you will have the iMac for beastly power when needed.
[doublepost=1533398097][/doublepost]

If that is one's only machine perhaps, and also depends on the kind of travel one does. If I were to make a trip where my DSLR is involved, a 15 (2016 ones too) becomes way too bulky to carry. 12 is ideal as for the next weight increase of 470g to 13", I could take another lens along and not feel it.

I quit lugging all my DSLR equipment around with me years ago. To me the 15” is not that much bigger to carry than the 13”. I am glad you like your laptop, I am really liking mine.

 

[macintoshmac]

It is good we all have a choice. The huge 15” screen put a smile on my face every time I use it.
[doublepost=1533398877][/doublepost]

I quit lugging all my DSLR equipment around with me years ago. To me the 15” is not that much bigger to carry than the 13”. I am glad you like your laptop, I am really liking mine.

If I did not have the DSLR with me... the 15 would have been such an obvious choice.

 

[dannyar]

It seems like you should really go to a 13 inch form factor, and when the iMacs come out, get one of those again. That will be the best combo for you. I myself am contemplating doing the same thing. While my needs would be met with a 12 incher, I cannot go for it because of where I live - India - ambient temps regularly soared north of 38 degrees Celsius and not having fans would become an issue. MBP 13 is a happy compromise of portability and power, and you will have the iMac for beastly power when needed.
[doublepost=1533398097][/doublepost]

If that is one's only machine perhaps, and also depends on the kind of travel one does. If I were to make a trip where my DSLR is involved, a 15 (2016 ones too) becomes way too bulky to carry. 12 is ideal as for the next weight increase of 470g to 13", I could take another lens along and not feel it.

The extra pound is irrelevant .it fits in the same bag as my 13. Also the performance gains from a new iMac over the mid tier 15" will not be drastic. At least not enough to merit a 2k laptop and a 2k desktop . I can get by more than enough by having one machine do both things for me.

 

[IngerMan]

Most users like myself would be fine on performance of either machine. The pros and cons can be numerous to your individual likes and needs. I have had a 11”, 13”, 15”, 20.5”, 27” Apple computer. I liked them all. I might start the shuffle again just for change

Get what you want, there’s no wrong choice! It’s not marriage it’s not supposed to last for years, you’ll get another crack at it soon enough.

 

[dannyar]

Just to add .I also have a hard time believing a baseline new iMac will be more powerful than the 2.6 i7 mbp. They may be close but to match the 15" you will probably have to spend over 2k .

 

[PhilMacbook]

So when do all the refurbs go on sale for the 2018 MacBooks ? This forum is loaded with people who swap multiple machines.

I realize it is apple's policy to have a 14day return policy but we wonder why prices are through the roof. I firmly believe the significant amount of returns factors into the price......

I agree many take the mickey, getting multiple machines to try for a few days with little intention of keeping them. I'm going to buy one 2018 MBP but haven't yet purely because I haven't got half a day to buy it, check everything works then migrate my data to it. I really want one and as soon as I get the time I will be down to the Apple Store.

I don't know who has time to buy all of these machines only to play around with them then take them back when there is no fault. Apple should create a product similar to Apple Care for people that want to do it - pay $200 and you can have a few machines to play on so the rest of us don't have to subsidise it, because you can be sure Apple factor it into the price we all pay.

It doesn't matter to me that much, I just don't know who has the time or inclination to buy machines they have no intention of keeping.