Macbook Air 11 to Macbook Pro -- 13 or 15?

[AustinKocher]

I currently have a Macbook Air 11 (2014), and I am considering upgrading to a new Macbook Pro. I travel quite a bit. I teach online and I'm a writer/research. I love the small Air, but it is *really small*. I'm not in it for the power, but the Macbook (the tiny one) is too underpowered and I do want a larger screen. I'm curious about the screen size vs weight of the 13 and 15 inch Pros. I want the screen of the 15 but would be curious if it's inconveniently larger than the 13 for those of you who have experienced both in everyday use (not just seeing it in the store).

 

[scaredpoet]

I'm not sure exactly if you're trying to keep to the same size as your MBA, or if you're okay with bigger... maybe you're not sure yourself?

Can say that in terms of portability, the 13 inch MBP is lighter and has a smaller physical footprint overall than the MacBook Air, but, when you're using it, it doesn't feel smaller.

The 15 inch is a bit bigger. As someone who's had a MacBook Air, a 15 inch MacBook Pro, and a 13 inch MBP, my preference has definitely been for the 13 inch MBP. The 15 incher does have a nice screen, but it's just a bit bulkier and heavier, and it was noticeable to me.

 

[mtneer]

What kind of research do you do? I find it surprising that you'd find the MacBook "underpowered" for writing. Unless you are rendering large videos or have built a workflow on heavy image processing or data crunching, a modern MacBook should be fully capable of your stated workloads.

 

[sosumi99]

I've had both the 15 inch and 13 inch MBP. Even with the latest 2018 version, the 15 inch still feels too bulky for me to be comfortable for use on airplane trays or on the lap in an airport/Uber/some lounge. So my preference is for the 13 inch, especially if you prioritize portability and lapability over raw power.

You can also go for a 12-inch MacBook, which I used for several years. It's more portable and comfortable than the MBP in a lap, but I find the keyboard on the latest MBPs more pleasant to use by far.