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Laptop MacBook Pro "13 vs "15

M

maddystrudel

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 30, 2012
1
0
1. My biggest question: are these at the end of their cycle and should i wait to buy?

2. What are the differences, besides the screen size?

3. I'm not sure which to get, and the price difference is so large. I am a student, and i will be editing photos and videos quite a bit. Which one is a better choice in that respect?
 
maddystrudel said:
1. My biggest question: are these at the end of their cycle and should i wait to buy?
Click to expand...
If you need one now, buy one now. The next release won't occur until Intel releases the Haswell chipset which is due out April of 2013.

2. What are the differences, besides the screen size?
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Size, weight and the 15" has a discrete GPU. The 15" also uses an i7 vs. the i5 in the 13"

3. I'm not sure which to get, and the price difference is so large. I am a student, and i will be editing photos and videos quite a bit. Which one is a better choice in that respect?
Click to expand...
Editing photos/movies will benefit with the discrete GPU and larger screen - I'd opt for that over the 13" model.
 
There are some key differences beyond screen size.

For one, the 15" has a higher resolution, this is useful for certain applications as it gives you more screen real estate.

Secondly, the 15" uses Core i7 CPU's and the same Intel HD4000 graphics. This is a bit quicker, especially in CPU intense applications than the 13" model. Also, and this is often the selling point for a lot of people, it includes a discrete nVidia graphics card that switches on whenever the laptop demands more powerful graphics. It's a night and day difference in graphics performance over the 13" model.

Me, personally, I find the 15" a bit too bulky and the 13" a perfect size for portability. However, I do a lot of stuff with an external display, the 13" display is just too small and too low of a resolution to get any serious work done. It works great for taking notes and basic office tasks while on the go though (which is all I do with it when I'm away from home or the office). If you aren't going to have an external display setup and it's going to be your only machine, I would highly recommend bumping up to the 15" model.
 
maddystrudel said:
1. My biggest question: are these at the end of their cycle and should i wait to buy?

2. What are the differences, besides the screen size?

3. I'm not sure which to get, and the price difference is so large. I am a student, and i will be editing photos and videos quite a bit. Which one is a better choice in that respect?
Click to expand...

Get a Refurbished 15" 2012 you can save a lot of money being a student. I have the 2012 Base 13" and I can edit video's photos, and some gaming but not sure what your overall needs will be. Check out local Best Buys as well they are selling open boxed items for a steal, got my 13" for $825.00 and a 13" MBA for $1025, the MBP only had one charge cycle, and was perfect, also bought Applecare for the MBA.

There are some good deals in the Apple refurb store if you are searchng for a budget minded deal....I myself am not a fan of buying stuff at BB but considering what I got for $825 it was $375.00 off the original price and was in perfect condition.
 
3. Videos and Photos I would go with a 15in. Size matters.


2. Also the 13in does not have a dedicated audio input and output.
 
Judging by past trends there is a 75% chance the 13" and 15" cMBPs disappear with the next refresh. Apple tends to keep older technology around for 1 refresh cycle at most, most of the time. If it's still there after the June refresh they certainly won't be after the next one. These units already feel a bit clunky and heavy to me compared to the Airs and the new rMBPs. I think the two retinas and the two Airs will get chip upgrades but no external upgrades in June. Anything more significant won't likely be on the horizon until late next year or 2014.

I heard a rumor that the Airs may enjoy a bit of a price decrease in the next refresh. Apple could do something like a big upgrade on the Airs, keeping the new/refreshed ones at current price levels and reduce the older technology by $100 or $150 and keep them around for another cycle.
 
Dominus Mortem said:
Judging by past trends there is a 75% chance the 13" and 15" cMBPs disappear with the next refresh. Apple tends to keep older technology around for 1 refresh cycle at most, most of the time. If it's still there after the June refresh they certainly won't be after the next one. These units already feel a bit clunky and heavy to me compared to the Airs and the new rMBPs. I think the two retinas and the two Airs will get chip upgrades but no external upgrades in June. Anything more significant won't likely be on the horizon until late next year or 2014.

I heard a rumor that the Airs may enjoy a bit of a price decrease in the next refresh. Apple could do something like a big upgrade on the Airs, keeping the new/refreshed ones at current price levels and reduce the older technology by $100 or $150 and keep them around for another cycle.
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The 13" is the most popular machine they sell and they probably make good margins on it.

I wonder if the fact that it has an optical drive keeps on it in the running for corporate, educational, and government contracts.
 
Wicked1 said:
No but on the refurb unit my son still gets his discount on the Applecare, normally $249 but with his discount it is $180 so I will take the savings of $70
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Sorry, I didn't consider $70 "a lot of money"
 
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