Is a 2015 rMBP worth it?

[KoolAid-Drink]

I'm disappointed with the 2016 MBP's, and tired of my late 2011 MBP. Would you say it's worth getting the 2015 rMBP (13", early 2015)? I'm not sure, as those processors are still Broadwell (IIRC) and by the time I get it, it'll be almost two years old already. However, it has Retina, Bluetooth 4.0, a SSD, etc., so... I'm feeling tempted. It'd work well with my iPad Mini 4 and iPhone 6s (handoff).

What do you think?

 

[bjet767]

Yes.

But at some point through the year you will have wished you'd purchased the latest and greatest.

The human factor.

 

[kevinkyoo]

Yes, it is still a fantastic computer. Kabylake is not that much of an improvement over Skylake, which is not that much over Broadwell. If you need one right now, get the 2015 13".

 

[papa8706]

The specs on your 13" are pretty solid so it looks like you're in a good place if you wanted to wait it out. If it were me, I'd try and hold out for the next refresh then grab one of the "old" models when they hit a price drop but depends on why you are disappointed with the 2016's.

Easier said than done, but like the previous post said, don't underestimate the human factor. I think the 2015 would be great now, but given another year or two we'll see greater specs, usb-c settle in, and some time to see how the touch bar pans out. That upgrade would be pretty significant compared to going from what you have now to a 2015.

But hey, the 2015's are great computers so don't let me discourage you if it fits your needs

 

[RKpro]

If you're unimpressed with the redesigned 2016s, you might as well score a deal on a refurb 2015. They're still solid workhorses.

 

[MichaelMidnight]

Would you guys think the 2015 base of 8GB ram and 128GB storage will be good enough for say 3-5 years? Like portable hard drives are cheap but I dunno if 8GB will be good until 2020 even with simple web surfing...

 

[thadoggfather]

for the extra $89 if going refurb i would get the 256gb personally

if 128 were drastically less, go for it.

 

[YMark]

If you're unimpressed with the redesigned 2016s, you might as well score a deal on a refurb 2015. They're still solid workhorses.

This is what I just did. My 2010 11" Air with 2GB memory is getting long in the tooth. Patiently waited for the Pro update and am pretty disappointed. So I just ordered a 2015 13" Pro with 8GB and 256GB SSD for $1189. Much better deal IMO and I have my 27" iMac for big work.

 

[AdonisSMU]

I'm disappointed with the 2016 MBP's, and tired of my late 2011 MBP. Would you say it's worth getting the 2015 rMBP (13", early 2015)? I'm not sure, as those processors are still Broadwell (IIRC) and by the time I get it, it'll be almost two years old already. However, it has Retina, Bluetooth 4.0, a SSD, etc., so... I'm feeling tempted. It'd work well with my iPad Mini 4 and iPhone 6s (handoff).

What do you think?

No just get a Windows device.

 

[jeremiah256]

IMHO, purchasing a 2015 MBP is not a good investment if you will need to keep it for 2 years or longer.

A computer without Thunderbolt 3 is not future proofed. The TB3 on the 2016 low end model ($1.5K) is twice as fast as the 2015 MBP TB2 port, four times as fast as USB-3. It can support two 4K displays at 60 Hz. It can deliver up to 100W of power. If, in the future you need more storage, an external drive will be lightning fast. If you need more graphics power a year from now, attach an external GPU. If you are not a power user (which for this post, I'm defining as someone who will need 16 to 32GBs of RAM for applications), the base model is a great investment. Buy a USB-C hub (not from Apple) with the ports you need and you will be good to go.

 

[T5BRICK]

My early 2015 rMBP was awesome when I bought it last April. It's still awesome.

Pick up a refurb and save a few bucks.

 

[MarvinHC]

A refurb 13" Pro with 8GB/256GB is 1189, so you save $310 (20%) compared to the new 13". Not am amazing saving but certainly a capable dongle-free machine that you should be able to resell at a reasonable price in a year or two.

 

[motime]

IMHO, purchasing a 2015 MBP is not a good investment if you will need to keep it for 2 years or longer.

A computer without Thunderbolt 3 is not future proofed. The TB3 on the 2016 low end model ($1.5K) is twice as fast as the 2015 MBP TB2 port, four times as fast as USB-3. It can support two 4K displays at 60 Hz. It can deliver up to 100W of power. If, in the future you need more storage, an external drive will be lightning fast. If you need more graphics power a year from now, attach an external GPU. If you are not a power user (which for this post, I'm defining as someone who will need 16 to 32GBs of RAM for applications), the base model is a great investment. Buy a USB-C hub (not from Apple) with the ports you need and you will be good to go.

Meh I doubt Apple would allow external GPU's through thunderbolt. TB2 is still pretty fast, USB C will take quite a while to take off since so many devices are still on older standards. Yeah it would be nice to have faster transfers from external storage but no one really sits around and transfers big files all day. 2015 mbps are pretty solid with legacy ports and a nice keyboard, they will remain quality machines for the next few years.

 

[Rob_2811]

Of course, I've just bought one myself. The last notebook Apple will make with a useable keyboard.

 

[MarvinHC]

Meh I doubt Apple would allow external GPU's through thunderbolt. TB2 is still pretty fast, USB C will take quite a while to take off since so many devices are still on older standards. Yeah it would be nice to have faster transfers from external storage but no one really sits around and transfers big files all day. 2015 mbps are pretty solid with legacy ports and a nice keyboard, they will remain quality machines for the next few years.

The bottleneck for external storage are the devices themselves, not the bus in most cases.

 

[jeremiah256]

Meh I doubt Apple would allow external GPU's through thunderbolt. TB2 is still pretty fast, USB C will take quite a while to take off since so many devices are still on older standards. Yeah it would be nice to have faster transfers from external storage but no one really sits around and transfers big files all day. 2015 mbps are pretty solid with legacy ports and a nice keyboard, they will remain quality machines for the next few years.

I'm curious why you think Apple would purposely gimp a port to not allow eGPUs (which already work on legacy MBPs)? How is that even remotely reasonable. Especially since rumors are Apple is gearing up to challenge the current leaders in augmented and virtual reality and will need developer support. Developers who will also need to transfer large amounts of data.

 

[the_fellowship]

I've also snapped up a 2015 MBPr 13" 256GB 8GB RAM since the 2016 refresh didn't really inspire me. Saved a bit of money at the same time and I am sure this machine will last *ME* a good 3-5 years at least

 

[maflynn]

The one question I think is missing, is OP, what are you looking to do with the computer?

I'm sure given the specs of the 2015 MBP, its going to be up to snuff, but finding how you will use it, will help determine what tool best fits your needs

 

[AdonisSMU]

I'm disappointed with the 2016 MBP's, and tired of my late 2011 MBP. Would you say it's worth getting the 2015 rMBP (13", early 2015)? I'm not sure, as those processors are still Broadwell (IIRC) and by the time I get it, it'll be almost two years old already. However, it has Retina, Bluetooth 4.0, a SSD, etc., so... I'm feeling tempted. It'd work well with my iPad Mini 4 and iPhone 6s (handoff).

What do you think?

I would recommend the low end 13" MBP 2016 and beef it up to 16GB ram and 512 storage. You seem like someone who is going to use it for awhile. That's what one of my co-workers did so she could run docker comfortably on her machine.

 

[CrownVic]

Yes I'd say so. I got my 2015 rMBP in August right before school started and I am very happy I got it! I was gonna wait but with the price hike, removal of ports, and the touch bar 13 inch is still not available I'm glad I got the 2015 model. Plus there's the fact that I've already typed like 10 papers on it that would have been impossible on my iPad.

 

[Fozzybadfeet]

Still on the fence if I should purchase the 2015 model.

Yes, I'd save some money.

The ports on the 2015 would be beneficial and I wouldn't have to spend the extra cash for dongles.

But a part of me is just saying upgrade the RAM on the 2016 model and enjoy the latest Apple has to offer.

I'm so torn lol

 

[Fishrrman]

With the intro of the 2016 models, there's now "downward pricing pressure" on the 2015's.

Current "best price I've seen" is $1,099 for the basic configuration (8gb/128gb) at MicroCenter, but they're being offered as "in store purchases" only.

BestBuy has the same model "on sale" for $1,149.

Also being sold for $1,179 on ebay and by portable one.com.

(No financial interest in any of the sources posted above)

 

[kinster]

I've noticed the 2015's 15" haven't really been reduced in prices.

 

[rsbacon]

Let's see...

2015 Refurb Broadwell 2.9GHz i5-5287U, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD for $1439
+ MagSafe
+ Ports!!!1!!!1111!1!
+ Faster processor
+ More storage
- Larger footprint and heavier (.5lb more)
- Slower iGPU graphics
- Battery Life

vs

2016 New Skylake 2.0GHz i5-6360U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD for $1499
+ Smaller footprint and lighter
+ Wide gamut & higher contrast display
+ TB3
+ Faster iGPU graphics
+ Battery Life
- No MagSafe
- DONGLES!!1!!111!11!
- Slower processor
- Less storage


Tough call, but I would choose the refurb 2015. What would you choose?

 

[Domen151]

I think that 13’ 2015 MBP is still a good buy, especially now that you can find a good price from retailers. I bought one in August because I needed it for college, and I don't regret it because this new one would cost me about 500€ more (base model without Touch Bar). Besides I don't use other ports than USB and sometimes HDMI, so I wouldn't really benefit from Thunderbolt 3.