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

[mikethebigo]

I know there was a little sense of "pay more for less" with the 13" compared to the 15", but I am one of those people in the category of "portability matters." I'm going to use this computer for work and be lugging it between multiple hospitals and multiple patient rooms. If I settle down at my desk at home for charting, I will be using a 4K display which it seems to do fine with for normal tasks. I am also considering an eGPU (when the wallet has recovered) for that extra graphics oomph when needed.

I wish I had a dGPU but the form factor is absolutely right for me, I am in love with this thing!

 

[dannyar]

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.

Oh to live in America and have laws and consumer rights . The days of restocking fees from major retailers are long gone. When you have companies like Amazon who allow seamless returns then everyone follows suit. Why should I have to pay a fee to try something I'm not sure I'll like? I don't need a whole day to try a machine out. I don't transition all my data over unless I'm sure it's something I'm going to keep so I use it stock and add just some basic apps to test . Apple is losing nothing allowing people to swap out machines. They have the highest margins of any company in the world and factor returns and losses into their pricing strategy already. So they have to sell a new machine as a refurb now for a 10-12% discount now. Boohoo, so now they make 70% margin vs 80% .Cry me a river.

 

[cheezeit]

I’m in the same boat. Keep going from 13” to 15” and back. Now with the new quad 13” it helps give the 13” more attraction. I like the size a bit better as it’s easier to use in tables/desks and not take up too much space and it can be recharged easier with my battery bank when I’m out away from power.

With the price difference being about $500 for me I’ll take that difference and put it into the new blackmagic egpu and pair that with the 5k ultrafine. For me i don’t need the gpu power when I’m the go and value the size being smaller more.

 

[woodynorman]

I came from a MacBook Air 13". Bought a 13" MBP a couple days ago. Initially I thought I didn't want any bigger than that, but the 13" MBP is smaller and almost identical weight to the MBA. The 15" MBP is not much bigger and one pound heavier. I don't need portability, and the lure of the big 15" screen drew me back to the Apple Store today. I bought a 15" MBP. After using it on my lap for a couple hours, I'm hooked. The 13" will get returned.

 

[dannyar]

I came from a MacBook Air 13". Bought a 13" MBP a couple days ago. Initially I thought I didn't want any bigger than that, but the 13" MBP is smaller and almost identical weight to the MBA. The 15" MBP is not much bigger and one pound heavier. I don't need portability, and the lure of the big 15" screen drew me back to the Apple Store today. I bought a 15" MBP. After using it on my lap for a couple hours, I'm hooked. The 13" will get returned.

Good choice. To me, long term, the 15" will just last longer, and show less signs of aging, not only cause of the dedicated GPU but because the faster i7. If i have to give up a bit of portability to add shelf life to my device then so be it. If i was a constant traveler and needed this with me everywhere then an eGPU home setup and 13" for the road may have been more convenient. But as it stands i dont travel often and even though i take it with me to work daily, it still fits in the same backpack as my 13" and gives me more screen real estate at work where i cant dock with a monitor. All in all, the $500 extra is more than worth it to me if its something i will be keeping for 3-4 years.

 

[PhilMacbook]

Oh to live in America and have laws and consumer rights . The days of restocking fees from major retailers are long gone. When you have companies like Amazon who allow seamless returns then everyone follows suit. Why should I have to pay a fee to try something I'm not sure I'll like? I don't need a whole day to try a machine out. I don't transition all my data over unless I'm sure it's something I'm going to keep so I use it stock and add just some basic apps to test . Apple is losing nothing allowing people to swap out machines. They have the highest margins of any company in the world and factor returns and losses into their pricing strategy already. So they have to sell a new machine as a refurb now for a 10-12% discount now. Boohoo, so now they make 70% margin vs 80% .Cry me a river.

You made my point better than I did. I think your 'Boohoo, so now they make 70% margin vs 80% .Cry me a river.' attitude is a poor one but Apple allow you to mess around so you aren't doing anything wrong and it's fair enough.

I'm sure people who do that are a minority because if most of us did the same it wouldn't be sustainable. You agree that Apple factor it into their pricing which basically means those who don't faff around subsidise those who do.

I just don't understand who has the free time to mess around buying machines just to try out for a few days and take back. I guess we're all different, Apple understands this and that's part of why they make shedloads of cash.

 

[dannyar]

You made my point better than I did. I think your 'Boohoo, so now they make 70% margin vs 80% .Cry me a river.' attitude is a poor one but Apple allow you to mess around so you aren't doing anything wrong and it's fair enough.

I'm sure people who do that are a minority because if most of us did the same it wouldn't be sustainable. You agree that Apple factor it into their pricing which basically means those who don't faff around subsidise those who do.

I just don't understand who has the free time to mess around buying machines just to try out for a few days and take back. I guess we're all different, Apple understands this and that's part of why they make shedloads of cash.

Sure, people like me are in the minority. And so are just tech enthusiasts in general. The try before you buy approach isnt a new one. Apple sells millions of computers and the type of people who go through 2 or 3 machines before they settle on 1 is possibly only in the hundreds maybe a thousand. I feel like we are the smart consumers who absolutely make sure we are buying the right product and doing the research instead of blowing money on something that wont fulfill our needs and having to later foot a loss to sell the machine for the one we really need.

 

[Wags]

I came from a MacBook Air 13". Bought a 13" MBP a couple days ago. Initially I thought I didn't want any bigger than that, but the 13" MBP is smaller and almost identical weight to the MBA. The 15" MBP is not much bigger and one pound heavier. I don't need portability, and the lure of the big 15" screen drew me back to the Apple Store today. I bought a 15" MBP. After using it on my lap for a couple hours, I'm hooked. The 13" will get returned.

If don’t need portability then why not iMac. Far better value for the price. Would probably even be cheaper for same approx config.

 

[PhilMacbook]

Sure, people like me are in the minority. And so are just tech enthusiasts in general. The try before you buy approach isnt a new one. Apple sells millions of computers and the type of people who go through 2 or 3 machines before they settle on 1 is possibly only in the hundreds maybe a thousand. I feel like we are the smart consumers who absolutely make sure we are buying the right product and doing the research instead of blowing money on something that wont fulfill our needs and having to later foot a loss to sell the machine for the one we really need.

That's great. It's not the way I look at it but I am not the market and I guess we are all catered for. I suppose if only a small percentage do it there will be a reasonable stream of refurb models for people to pick up so that is a positive.

 

[hajime]

I have been trying to get some answers but... Since some of you have tried both 13" and 15", could you please let me know which base model has better battery life, less/no heat and noisy fan issues?

 

[entropi]

not having a dedicated GPU i felt would really limit its life span.

I must say I find this sentence a bit amusing since it quite often has been the other way around. The computer gets a short life span because of having a dGPU...

 

[Vazza]

I must say I find this sentence a bit amusing since it quite often has been the other way around. The computer gets a short life span because of having a dGPU...

Both of my old MBPs had failed dGPUs albeit they were from the dodgy Nvidia batches at the time (obviously failed once AppleCare had run out ).

 

[udflyer]

Oh to live in America and have laws and consumer rights . The days of restocking fees from major retailers are long gone. When you have companies like Amazon who allow seamless returns then everyone follows suit. Why should I have to pay a fee to try something I'm not sure I'll like? I don't need a whole day to try a machine out. I don't transition all my data over unless I'm sure it's something I'm going to keep so I use it stock and add just some basic apps to test . Apple is losing nothing allowing people to swap out machines. They have the highest margins of any company in the world and factor returns and losses into their pricing strategy already. So they have to sell a new machine as a refurb now for a 10-12% discount now. Boohoo, so now they make 70% margin vs 80% .Cry me a river.

I assume Apple is quite aware of the high return rates on launch of macbook products. They have decided so far to do nothing. But just like Costco had to change their return policy on TVs because people abused it I will not be surprised if Apple brings back a restocking fee. I know I would if I was them. Just a small burn like 5%.

I would actually prefer Apple drop the price of every laptop by 10% and add a 5% restocking fee.

 

[dannyar]

Ex

I assume Apple is quite aware of the high return rates on launch of macbook products. They have decided so far to do nothing. But just like Costco had to change their return policy on TVs because people abused it I will not be surprised if Apple brings back a restocking fee. I know I would if I was them. Just a small burn like 5%.

I would actually prefer Apple drop the price of every laptop by 10% and add a 5% restocking fee.

Except they won't lower prices 10% just to stop the minority from returning a product. I know it wouldn't stop me. If I'm getting the device for 10% less than I normally would then why would I care to pay a 5% restock fee . The day they bring back restocking fees is the day they will see their sales fall.

 

[woodynorman]

If don’t need portability then why not iMac. Far better value for the price. Would probably even be cheaper for same approx config.

Already have a 27" iMac in my office. I like the luxury of being able to work from my Lazyboy chair in my bedroom

 

[udflyer]

Ex


Except they won't lower prices 10% just to stop the minority from returning a product. I know it wouldn't stop me. If I'm getting the device for 10% less than I normally would then why would I care to pay a 5% restock fee . The day they bring back restocking fees is the day they will see their sales fall.

Minority? This forum is loaded with people that go through from 2-5 machines just flipping around. Do research, try them in the store. The 13" screen was too small for me I had to get the 15" ?? really ? those screen sizes have been around for 10 years...geesh.

I'm telling you Apple will add a restock fee and you are probably correct they will not lower the price.....Again, Costco effect.

 

[dannyar]

Minority? This forum is loaded with people that go through from 2-5 machines just flipping around. Do research, try them in the store. The 13" screen was too small for me I had to get the 15" ?? really ? those screen sizes have been around for 10 years...geesh.

Im telling you Apple will add a restock fee and you are probably correct they will not lower the price.....Again, Costco effect.

It wasn't about the screen size . I can't speak for others but I needed to test it's export speeds, and overall responsiveness with a 32 4k monitor attached .Also how much of a inconvenience lugging it around day to day is something you can't do at the store.

 

[Minxy]

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,

Now with the new quad 13” it helps give the 13” more attraction. I like the size a bit better as it’s easier to use in tables/desks.

The portability of the Macbook Pro 13" means I would be able to work anywhere and the 15" is heavier which makes me perceive it as more fragile. I don't mind if the export time of a video is longer. But what is important is that Final Cut and Premiere Pro can edit short 4K video in the timeline fluidly without stuttering etc. Have you any experience of this?

 

[SDColorado]

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.

That’s the issue I ran into as well. I really thought I wanted a 13” for the portability. But I ultimately found that the of screen real estate wasn’t a trade off I was willing to make for the slight increase in portability. If I was a frequent flyer I might have stuck with the 13”, but for my own use I am much happier being back on a 15”

 

[RobbieTT]

Financially the 15" makes a lot of sense but for those of us that have an iMac for more intensive tasks the portability of the 13" is perfect. The 8th gen 4 core i5 is an impressive beast I just don't need a dedicated (and low spec) GPU kicking in and out. The battery life on the new 13" i5 when using regular office type apps is exceptional. I am getting 16 hours spread over 2 days before I need to charge-up. A more mixed workload gets be just under 11 hours - so pretty much as per the specifications; but I have never achieved anything like the specifications before!

 

[Picapau21]

Been following this and similar threads since the new MBP's were released. Been struggling with the same issues as many on here. I travel a lot but previously used a unibody 15inch MBP for 6 years before getting a rMB 12inch for 2 years and have just got the 13inch MBP TB.

I think its a really tough decision and I have been considering swapping the 13 for the 15 as I am still in my return window. Ultimately though I realised that I can pretty much do everything on a 13inch. In fact with the RDM app I was able to do most things on a rMB. Essentially I open Safari, Whats App, Slack and iMessage in one desktop, email in a another and calendar in a third. I then use 4th, 5th, 6th desktops for work related apps - excel, SPSS, Word, powerpoint etc etc.

Most websites and apps scale and I use the default font and have no problems reading text without squinting.

The only time a 15inch screen would be helpful is when using large spreadsheets or opening two side by side documents but having managed with a rMB for 2 years personally I think a 13inch is fine. I actually bought it for the extra RAM and CPU as the rMB M7 8gb was starting to struggle a bit with my work flow. Although a part of me suspects that a wipe clean reinstall would have made it usable again.

A 15inch would be lovely but with travelling to work everyday, regular trains and flights mean that the 13 inch is just more suited to me. For those who say that the weight is not noticeable, I can tell you it definitely is. I even notice the difference between the 12inch rMB and 13inch MBP. Basically if you are having to take it in and out of your bag regularly or carry it in your hand you will notice it. The 13 and 15inch are just more cumbersome than the rMB. In a backpack I don't notice it though.

For the time being I have decided to keep the 13inch. If I was tethered more to a solitary desk either at home or work then I would have gone for the 15inch.

I have also attached a picture where I have placed a rMB on top of a 13inch MBP on top of a 13inch unibody MBP and a measuring tape to replicate the 15inch MBP TB (it comes to roughly 16inch diagonal). Unfortunately my unibody 15inch has gone into storage. The image is cropped to roughly the footprint of the 15inch MBP TB.

I hope this helps those who have similar needs.

 

[RobbieTT]

It is one of those 1st-world problems as both the 13" and 15" are great machines and the price difference between them does mean only personal preference comes into it.

For me one of the advantages of the 13" is being able to use a microbyte rucksack. Having less of my back covered is appreciated in the hot weather.

 

[Lennyvalentin]

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

Heh. I have a 27" screen on my desk at home. Going back to something smaller from THAT would be very difficult indeed! For a laptop though, I want something really portable; as portable as you can possibly get actually, while still retaining "powerful enough to get stuff done." And the 13" MBP really hits the nail on the head there I feel. It's just so darned convenient, while still packing quite a wallop at the same time. Previous years you only had two full-speed thunderbolt ports, but now you don't even sacrifice any functionality vs. the 15", just screen size and some performance. Even games run decently if you just knock down the settings a bit.

But you like what you like, and more power to ya. Like you said, it's good we have choices. As with shoes, one size really doesn't fit all!

 

[PhilMacbook]

Ex


Except they won't lower prices 10% just to stop the minority from returning a product. I know it wouldn't stop me. If I'm getting the device for 10% less than I normally would then why would I care to pay a 5% restock fee . The day they bring back restocking fees is the day they will see their sales fall.

You seem to contradict yourself there. You say if you were to get the 10% less for a restocking fee of 5% it wouldn't stop you trying things out before buying. That seems to be an argument for restocking fees.

Maybe Apple should keep a couple of loan machines in store for people to play with at home for a few days. It might even be free, just leave a deposit which you get back if returned in good condition.

The current system seems to work for Apple although the rest of us are probably paying for it. My main observation was I just don't know who has that kind of time to waste playing with things for a few days then taking them back. Still, if it works for them and Apple allow it then it's fair enough.

 

[hajime]

It wasn't about the screen size . I can't speak for others but I needed to test it's export speeds, and overall responsiveness with a 32 4k monitor attached .Also how much of a inconvenience lugging it around day to day is something you can't do at the store.

Yes, I also want to test if it is laps friendly while using it in a toilet. Can’t take off my pant and test in a store.