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looking for former 13inch owners who now switched to 15inch

I want to thank everyone for their inputs and please keep them coming! I'm in the same boat as the OP. I have a 13" 2012 rMBP and seriously considering going to the 15 inch. Even though it's bigger from a height and width perspective, it's still thinner and the weight gain is (hopefully) negligible. The 13" size seems to be shrinking for me for some reason, I'd rather have an iPad pro with touch interface in that size now.

Only thing giving me doubts are the reports of UI lag on the 15". It's the one thing I can't stand on my current machine and never want to experience again.
 
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Checking in, and coming from a 15" 2013 rMBP.

Really want 15" for all its bells and whistles, but I'm not sure I'll be using the specs. I mostly do coding and computational image analysis now, with a little photoshop on the side. I feel at 1680x1050 I have vast expanses of empty space, while 1440x900 is a little too big for 15" sometimes, so maybe it would fit better at 13".
 
jabronii said:
Going from 13 to 15 is a dream. The extra screen real estate is amazing. The new 15 feels to be the same weight as the old 13. And the extra inch or so of length isn't bad.
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Ditto.

I think it depends on how you intend to use it. For work, I went from a 14 inch Windows system to a 13-inch rMBP and was ecstatic. Unfortunately, OSX didn't support the apps I needed and I wasn't able to use a virtual Windows environment (business reasons), so I had to move back to Windows on a Lenovo T400 system. Talk about HEAVY. It got to be too much to lug around all the time, and I went back to a 15-inch rMBP and was ecstatic again.

The main problem I had with the 13 inch rMBP was the screen size. (Duh.) I do lots of large spreadsheets and presentations and the like, so having a large screen is really important. I had an external display, too, which helped a great deal, but that wasn't very portable, so I lost the advantage of a large display when moving around. The 15-inch was much better in that regard.

True, the 15-inch model is a little large and cumbersome for use in tight spaces (bed, airplane seats). But as a desktop replacement, I couldn't have been happier. That's mostly a statement of Windows vs OSX for me. But the hardware of the rMBP was really nice, in either size. I do a lot of writing, and for just that purpose, I can't imagine a better system than a 13-inch rMBP. An Air is nice, too, but not with that display. And the regular MB is too underpowered. So, for writing, it's the 13-inch rMBP for me.
 
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Acronyc said:
Yeah I got it working with my new MBP and windows 10. Haven't tried in macOS because I only use the eGPU for gaming in windows.

I decided to go the 13 plus eGPU this time. I had just the 15 before and the GPU was great when I got it but after a while it couldn't handle the newer games. The eGPU gives me flexibility to switch cards and have a powerful gaming system at home and the portability I want on the road. When I travel I don't really game, and if I do the games that I play actually run very surprisingly well on the new MBP.
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Hey Acronyc,
I am wondering if I go for a 13" eGPU or a 15" Radeon 460. What GPU are you using and what FPS do you get in recent games ? Thank you very much there is so few people actually doing this your answer would be really interesting to me.

As for the size of the too, I just came back from the Apple Store. I have a early 2011 13" and compare them directly in the store. The new 15" is only like 2 cm wider than my old mbp and the difference in thickness is incredible. Seriously wondering what to buy...
 
Arthur44 said:
Hey Acronyc,
I am wondering if I go for a 13" eGPU or a 15" Radeon 460. What GPU are you using and what FPS do you get in recent games ? Thank you very much there is so few people actually doing this your answer would be really interesting to me.

As for the size of the too, I just came back from the Apple Store. I have a early 2011 13" and compare them directly in the store. The new 15" is only like 2 cm wider than my old mbp and the difference in thickness is incredible. Seriously wondering what to buy...
Click to expand...

Hi, I'm using an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB of VRAM. It's made by Zotac and is there mini version meaning it doesn't require an extra 6 pin power plug. I chose this because it allows me to keep the case closed in my Akitio Thunder 2 with a 200 watt external power supply instead of the stock Akitio one. Basically this allows one sleek package for me that doesn't require any modifications. I just power up into boot camp and it works.

As for frame rates, I just got this GPU to replace an old one and the only game I'm playing now is Rise of the Tomb Raider. I'm getting a solid 40-60 fps on high settings. Very pleased with it as I don't need anything higher.

Getting an eGPU to work can be a little hassle and I haven't really bothered with it in OSX anymore since I don't need it for anything. All in need it is for certain games I play in windows. You also need to buy the parts, which cost me about $500 (including GPU) but the Akitio enclosure is ridiculously expensive where I live. The difference in price between the eGPU might be more than the difference in price between the 13" and 15" MBP your looking at depending on the models. If you choose the 15" you are not limited to where you can game, which is nice. My 2012 15" rMBP lasted me 4 years and could play most of the games I wanted to during that time.

I chose the 13" plus eGPU route this time because the Iris graphics are good enough now to play any games I want when I'm on the go and the eGPU allows for more upgradability. I also wanted to move to one machine because I was tired of switching between my rMBP and 12" rMB. So the eGPU has worked out great for me.

If you don't need to game in the go and want flexibility, the eGPU is a great choice I think.
 
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Acronyc said:
Hi, I'm using an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB of VRAM. It's made by Zotac and is there mini version meaning it doesn't require an extra 6 pin power plug. I chose this because it allows me to keep the case closed in my Akitio Thunder 2 with a 200 watt external power supply instead of the stock Akitio one. Basically this allows one sleek package for me that doesn't require any modifications. I just power up into boot camp and it works.

As for frame rates, I just got this GPU to replace an old one and the only game I'm playing now is Rise of the Tomb Raider. I'm getting a solid 40-60 fps on high settings. Very pleased with it as I don't need anything higher.

Getting an eGPU to work can be a little hassle and I haven't really bothered with it in OSX anymore since I don't need it for anything. All in need it is for certain games I play in windows. You also need to buy the parts, which cost me about $500 (including GPU) but the Akitio enclosure is ridiculously expensive where I live. The difference in price between the eGPU might be more than the difference in price between the 13" and 15" MBP your looking at depending on the models. If you choose the 15" you are not limited to where you can game, which is nice. My 2012 15" rMBP lasted me 4 years and could play most of the games I wanted to during that time.

I chose the 13" plus eGPU route this time because the Iris graphics are good enough now to play any games I want when I'm on the go and the eGPU allows for more upgradability. I also wanted to move to one machine because I was tired of switching between my rMBP and 12" rMB. So the eGPU has worked out great for me.

If you don't need to game in the go and want flexibility, the eGPU is a great choice I think.
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Very nice performance. It's still thinking as I love the 13" and might not do some very heavy gaming outside of my home. I have a RX 470 and I hope to make it work with the Akitio Node and the new MBP. Still wondering which cpu to buy with the 13" though.

Thank you for your feedback
 
lockerc18 said:
The main problem I had with the 13 inch rMBP was the screen size. (Duh.) I do lots of large spreadsheets and presentations and the like, so having a large screen is really important. I had an external display, too, which helped a great deal, but that wasn't very portable, so I lost the advantage of a large display when moving around. The 15-inch was much better in that regard.
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Sounds like me. Having the 15", even if not as portable as a 12" MBr or 13" MBP, enables me to be more productive away from my desk and external monitor. I can actually get work done on large spreadsheets, etc. It's more to carry in size, but it's always a trade off. So far, I'm happy, this is my first 15".
 
Hmm, regarding 15" and 13" screen sizes, for programming, wouldn't a scaled 13" have a similar workspace area as the 15"? Or would a 15" still be better in this regard in programming as it can be scaled up to the past 17" MBP which allows higher vertical workspace area? Hmm
 
Arthur44 said:
Very nice performance. It's still thinking as I love the 13" and might not do some very heavy gaming outside of my home. I have a RX 470 and I hope to make it work with the Akitio Node and the new MBP. Still wondering which cpu to buy with the 13" though.

Thank you for your feedback
Click to expand...

No problem. For me I have an external monitor, mouse, and keyboard at home that I use with my eGPU setup and my Mac in clamshell mode. I love having the portability of the 13" when I'm away from my desk but then a powerful GPU when I'm home (which is most of the time). I was using the 15" with this setup, but the 15" was just big enough to be annoying (for me) so I bought a 12" rMB for traveling. After a while I found it cumbersome to manage two computers all the time, so when the new MBPs came out it was perfect for me. Just enough power to be my main machine.

Anyway, as for the CPU I didn't upgrade mine (I have the base 2GHz NTB MBP) but did upgrade the RAM to 16GB and SSD to 512GB. I compared the eGPU between my 15" 2012 rMBP and 13" 2016 MBP and there was no discernible difference for me in performance. That made the decision for me and I just sent off my 2012 15" rMBP to its new home this morning.

For an eGPU, I think the most important thing is the GPU and you can get by without upgrading the processor. I don't have any technical documentation to back this up, but it's just from my experience with running an eGPU on a 2014 mini, 2012 15" rMBP, and 2016 13" MBP. They all ran about the same. I'd put my money into other upgrades, like RAM and SSD.
 
I just bought the 15" TB MBP. More like borrowing it - I have the 13" on order and also waiting for it to arrive in my local Apple Store so that the business team can snag it. The Apple employee encouraged me to buy the 15" to try it out and take advantage of the extended return period. I've only had it one day and have made up my mind to go with the 13". I really think the 15" form factor will eventually die off much like the 17". As a side note, I'm getting awesome battery life on the 15".
 
bizack said:
I just bought the 15" TB MBP. More like borrowing it - I have the 13" on order and also waiting for it to arrive in my local Apple Store so that the business team can snag it. The Apple employee encouraged me to buy the 15" to try it out and take advantage of the extended return period. I've only had it one day and have made up my mind to go with the 13". I really think the 15" form factor will eventually die off much like the 17". As a side note, I'm getting awesome battery life on the 15".
Click to expand...

I can't see the form factor dying off, the 15" that is. The 17" was a beast. The thing with the 15" is that it's size is just geared towards productivity, more so than the smaller sizes me. Now, for dying off, I think it's more a function of overall size, than the screen size. There is still room to trim the screen bezels and case size...when the technology, power and cooling requirements allow it to happen....you know Apple will. The other thing, is that batteries keep getting better and better....when they don't need to be as large, it can shrink down to the size of the screen plus a tiny bezel. That would be a small 15" :)
 
I was thinking about 13" or 15" for a while, but seems the high-end 15" has graphic card problem.
Now I think i will root for 13"
 
azntaiji said:
Super easy transition for me, coming from 2012 13". New 15" MBP really isn't that much larger, it's a lot thinner, and seems to weigh less. Here's a size comparison, apologies in advance for the poor lighting:

http://imgur.com/IAdROkq

http://imgur.com/kv85bYT
Click to expand...


Coming from a 2012 13" the new 15" is definitely not that much more in size, weight, and footprint. However, comparing the 13" and 15" 2016 models, the 13" definitely wins in portability. For me, after using the 12" rMB for travel for the past 1.5 years, the biggest thing is footprint and weight. The 15" is still a bit unwieldy for use on airplane tray tables and tight spaces. This is my first time with a 13" and I'll see how it goes. The new 15" though is definitely a lot slimmer/lighter than it was before!
 
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I am so torn with 13" vs. 15"... I do an extreme amount of travel, 250k+ miles a year... but I was really interested in having the extra screen realestate when working with a lot of documents/applications. I do not like all the added whitespace around the speaker grills on the 15" though.
 
wnxgenral said:
I am so torn with 13" vs. 15"... I do an extreme amount of travel, 250k+ miles a year... but I was really interested in having the extra screen realestate when working with a lot of documents/applications. I do not like all the added whitespace around the speaker grills on the 15" though.
Click to expand...

I had the 13" (non-touch) and now the 15", both 2016 models. With the 13", I really felt the need to connect to an external monitor to be my most productive. Granted, a second screen always helps with this, on the 13" it felt like a "need". With the 15", it would be nice to have but not a need.

For my daily work, I run Outlook 2016, Xcel, Skype for Business, multiple PDF's and multiple tabs in Safari. Frequent video conferencing, etc. as well with Skype. Since getting the 15", I've found it easier to get my work done and the screen is just big enough to have a Skype video meeting running and have Outlook or something else running next to it on the screen. With the 13", this was much tougher, but it could be done.

I mainly run the 15" at 1680x1050 (default res), but sometimes will bump it to 1920x1200. On the 13", the default res was 1440x900 which looks great. You can bump it to about 1680x1050 but then the default fonts get really too small for my eyes. I would do it sometimes and increase fonts in documents. On the 15", going to 1920x1200 also makes it smaller but I find it just a bit easier on the eyes. I use this less often on the 15" as well.

Travel: I still have my 12" 2016 MBr m5 that I'll be selling. I just had too many multi-tasking / power issues with it to be my main business Mac for daily use. For travel, it kicks butt! However, even on a plane, I took one flight where the seats were so narrow and the tray was half-sized, that I couldn't even use the 12"!! I just got back a week ago from a trip and took the 13" with me. It was a good travel companion. I certainly felt it more in my bag than the 2lb 12". I haven't traveled with the 15" yet. However, once in the bag, it seems to carry like the 13" did. You notice it, but it's not a problem. The 12" disappeared.

Overall, I chose power, productivity, screen space, and what is most likely a Mac that will see an extra year or two of use (with the quad core, GPU, etc.) vs. the 13". I figured that the mid-level 13" (no upgrades) would last about 3 years before I felt the need to upgrade to a more powerful machine, etc. For the 15", I figured the longevity to be about 4.5 years for me. The calculation below is my cost (with corp discount) and before tax and how much each machine would cost over the life of it for me out of the box (no accessories, screens, etc.). I also did the same for the m5 version of the 12" MBr. The 12", I figured that it would go for about 24 months before I felt the real need for more power, a second or third USB-C port, etc. Actually, I feel the need now :), but could stick it out for a while I think. Overall, strictly on numbers, the 15" made sense to me. Plus, it's increased productivity so far.

12" MBr: $1503/24=$62.60 (2016, 1.2 m5, 8G, 512GB, Intel HD 515 iGPU)
13" MBP: $1691/36 = $46.9/mo. (2016, 2.9 i5 dual, 8G, 256G, Intel Iris 550 iGPU)
15" MBP: $2255/54 = $41.7/mo. (2016, 2.6 i7 quad, 16G, 256, Intel Iris 540 iGPU + AMD 450 2G dGPU)

YMMV on what you value most. IMO, the 13" has a lot of value for travel and can be very productive. When I looked at moving up from my base non-touch 13" (power was really lacking for what I needed), I look hard at the mid-level or even higher level 13". By the time I upgraded one to 16 RAM, etc. it was getting closer and closer to the 15" price. When that happened, the price:performance ration didn't add up for me. I went with the 15" and can carry it around easier than the old 2010 MBP 13" or even my old 2012 MBA 13". The old Air was "a dream" to travel with for years. It's my wife's Mac now. Holding them both, in hand, they feel about the size weight. Thickness is negligible and the overall size is just slightly bigger for the 15"....it's amazing what has been done here.

EDIT: one last thought. I also have a 2012 Mac Mini (i7 quad, 16G and a 240G SSD/1TB HDD and integrated graphics) that I'm going to part with. It has served me VERY well for about 4+ years. It's kept up really well, mainly (I think) because of the quad core processor and 16G RAM. Even with the old CPU, it's still going strong. I can sell it for CLOSE to what I bought it for in 2012 (stock, not upgraded aftermarket). The quad core is a big thing for me in the longevity and also pushed me to the 15". I was REALLY hoping for a 13" quad core. If that ever happens, I may change my mind :)
 
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Typing this from my new 15". Here are some pics of the difference in size from the 13" Air and the 15" Pro. IMG_2407.JPGIMG_2409.JPG IMG_2408.JPG
 
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aaron5566 said:
Typing this from my new 15". Here are some pics of the difference in size from the 13" Air and the 15" Pro. View attachment 674321View attachment 674323 View attachment 674322
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting! That's what I see as well with my 2012. Carrying the 15" 2016 feels like carrying my old Air. LOL, but the 15" vs the 12"? Now that little 12" does feel like air :).

2016 15" Pro = 4.02lbs
2012 13" Air = 2.96lbs

That 1lb seems large, but for some reason it just feels about the same to carry. The 12" at right about 2lbs...that's light. Maybe the Pro vs. the old Air and carrying felt weight has to do with how the Mac's weight is distributed? The MBP feels much more balanced; whereas the Air has most of the weight towards the hinged side.
 
kwandrews said:
Thanks for posting! That's what I see as well with my 2012. Carrying the 15" 2016 feels like carrying my old Air. LOL, but the 15" vs the 12"? Now that little 12" does feel like air :).
Click to expand...

Yeah lol! I was honestly quite shocked by the size difference, or the lack of. Sound quality on this 15" is very impressive so is the display! The hype is slowly growing back on me!
 
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aaron5566 said:
Yeah lol! I was honestly quite shocked by the size difference, or the lack of. Sound quality on this 15" is very impressive so is the display! The hype is slowly growing back on me!
Click to expand...

I was impressed with the sound from the 12"....but the 15"??? I'm blown away that these are laptop speakers. The display is also impressive. Go to a store and see them side by side with the old one...it's noticeable.
 
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