MacBook or MacBook Pro

[avocado97]

Hi there. Right now I own an early 2015 500 GB MacBook. I am no designer or anything close to that, and I want to know if it is worth it to upgrade from my MacBook to the 13 inch MacBook Pro with no Touch bar. Are the specs worth it? I want to buy it really but I want to hear from you people if you would change it. Money is not a factor. Thanks.

 

[Howard2k]

If money is not a factor the MBPro is a clear winner isn't it? Faster, more ports, arguably improved kb. Just larger.

 

[Flekoun]

If money is not a factor the MBPro is a clear winner isn't it? Faster, more ports, arguably improved kb. Just larger.

Well people does not buy rMB instead od rMBP beacause they do not have money for the latter. I personaly prefer rMB becase it is lighter,smaller,thinner,fanless and overall better portable.

 

[pmouritz]

As already mentioned it is a question of portability and performance. Personally, I don't need that much power to do my daily tasks and therefore I definitely prefer the 920g rMB rather than a 1.36 kg rMBP 13". Furthermore, the new rMBP without touch bar is about 35% more expensive than a rMB in my country.

 

[nightsurf]

I've been using my rmb for almost a month now. I thought I will regret buying this laptop after the new rmbp is released, but apparently that's not the case. I'll say go with what you need the mac for daily basis.
for me the macbook is definitely the right choice. it's light, do my tasks seamlessly, has nice screen and speaker..

 

[Howard2k]

I'm a fan of the MB. But with no specific requirement for a really small device, and since money is not an issue, I think the MBPro is a better buy. You can get a 15" powerhouse or if space is a concern the 13" is only fractionally larger than the 12" MB but still packs far more punch.

However, if I was buying either a 2016 MB or 2016 MBPro today (a 2015 MBPro was not an option) I'd probably be picking a MB because for me money DOES factor into the equation and because I do travel with my notebook on a regular basis. And because I don't care if my photos take an extra 0.03294394 seconds to display.

 

[HoosBruce]

I just want to do some light photo and video editing/creation, but nothing that's high pro end or anything. I would be shooting in 1080p and 4K obviously, but videos should not be anything over 10 minutes in length or anything.

Anyways, B&H has the 2015 rMB for $1099 (512 GB) and I'm tempted, or I could go for the slightly upgraded (I'm not sure how much better it truly is...help?) 2016 rMB, or splurge on the low end 2016 MBP 13" no TB.

Any help?

 

[kwandrews]

I just want to do some light photo and video editing/creation, but nothing that's high pro end or anything. I would be shooting in 1080p and 4K obviously, but videos should not be anything over 10 minutes in length or anything.

Anyways, B&H has the 2015 rMB for $1099 (512 GB) and I'm tempted, or I could go for the slightly upgraded (I'm not sure how much better it truly is...help?) 2016 rMB, or splurge on the low end 2016 MBP 13" no TB.

Any help?

I can help here. I have a 2016 m5. I'm also a passionate photographer and do some light 4k work like you do. I've had zero issues with Photos. RAW or otherwise. I do not currently have LR installed on the MBr and rely on Photos (it's growing on me). I have edited a few short 4k clips on the MB and didn't have any issues at all.

For photos, SKIP the base model MB m3 and get the m5...you'll need that little extra processing power. I don't think the m3 would be a wise choice at all. Now we are talking a similar price point for both the MBr and MBP. Then the choice is really down to what you value more: Portability and NO noise (no fan), or better horsepower and an improved next gen display + an extra port. I think, for photos/video, I'd opt for the MBP base model to start.

 

[HoosBruce]

I can help here. I have a 2016 m5. I'm also a passionate photographer and do some light 4k work like you do. I've had zero issues with Photos. RAW or otherwise. I do not currently have LR installed on the MBr and rely on Photos (it's growing on me). I have edited a few short 4k clips on the MB and didn't have any issues at all.

For photos, SKIP the base model MB m3 and get the m5...you'll need that little extra processing power. I don't think the m3 would be a wise choice at all. Now we are talking a similar price point for both the MBr and MBP. Then the choice is really down to what you value more: Portability and NO noise (no fan), or better horsepower and an improved next gen display + an extra port. I think, for photos/video, I'd opt for the MBP base model to start.

Thanks for this! This is exactly the kind of response I was looking for with actual evidence and experience.

Anyone else have suggestions or experience?

 

[macintoshmac]

I can help here. I have a 2016 m5. I'm also a passionate photographer

Then, have you heard of ThinkTank Photo's Retrospective line of bags? I just got the 7, with the express intention of using it as a camera bag + iPad/ rMB bag. Now, I know that the rMB can fit in the bag perfectly, do you think the bag is good to hold the new 13" MBP 2016? Here in India the new netbooks are yet to land.

 

[Fireball Dragon]

I have a 2015 MacBook (1.2 GHz Intel Core M). I have edited HD video with it, but it takes a long time to process files. I also use it for Zwift (an online cycling game/software) and it works okay, but obviously won't be with high-end graphics, etc. It is ideal for simple tasks like email, web browsing, light photo editing, using pages, etc. These form the majority of the tasks I do with it, and it does them with ease. Being small, fan-less, light and ultra thin, it is excellent for portability. It is a very well engineered computer and I love it to bits.

On a side note, I have purchased a 15" MacBook Pro (currently waiting for it) which is be used for heavy tasks and the 12" MacBook will be my portable computer where I don't need the extra power.

 

[icymountain]

Then, have you heard of ThinkTank Photo's Retrospective line of bags? I just got the 7, with the express intention of using it as a camera bag + iPad/ rMB bag. Now, I know that the rMB can fit in the bag perfectly, do you think the bag is good to hold the new 13" MBP 2016? Here in India the new netbooks are yet to land.

Hi,

I have this bag, and use it for an MBA 11", where it fits, even when the MBA has a protecting sleeve on it. However the fit is a bit tight, especially when I also put my iPad Air next to it, but it works, and I can even close the zipper.

Now, the 2016 13" MBP is 0.4cm wider (I expect that should fit, but very tightly) and 2cm deeper, which should make it not fit in that dimension. So, if you want to close the zipper, I expect it not to fit, but if you just want to carry the laptop in the back of the bag, I would expect to work tightly.

Another suggestion (that I am using now both with MBA 11" and 2015 MBP 13") is the ONA Prince Street. But it is not large enough for DSLRs, just slim cameras (good for mirrorless or rangefinder users).

 

[kwandrews]

Then, have you heard of ThinkTank Photo's Retrospective line of bags? I just got the 7, with the express intention of using it as a camera bag + iPad/ rMB bag. Now, I know that the rMB can fit in the bag perfectly, do you think the bag is good to hold the new 13" MBP 2016? Here in India the new netbooks are yet to land.

I don't use a camera bag. I travel fairly minimally with bodies and lenses. I don't take a Mac out into the field either (it stays at the hotel, etc.). When I need to take a lot, I use a hard sided case. Otherwise, I'll head out with just the Leica Typ 109, or a GX8 + 12-35 f/2.8 (with maybe the 35-100 f/2.8) in a large cargo pocket) or maybe with just a 25 f/1.8 attached. Sorry I can't be much more help than that.

 

[macintoshmac]

kwandrews, are you the same guy benching his MBP 2016 at 5am in the morning on Geekbench 4? 😀

I was going through the site and found some interesting results. Here is my rough and approximate distillation between my present system and rMB 2016 as well as rMBP 2016 13".

CPU
My Late 2011 MBP 15 has about 33xx or 36xx Single Core performance, 9xxx multi core.
rMB 2016 m5 is same 3xxx single core but multi core is 3000 less, at 6xxx.
rMBP 2016 is about 38xx single core but multi core is 12000-something averaged.

Graphics
My Late 2011 MBP 15 has a paltry, laughable, downright embarrassing 51xx Compute score, the GPU is Radeon 6770m.
rMB 2016 m5 is 16000-something with Intel 515.
rMBP 2016 13" is 26000-27000-something with Intel 530.

With these figures in hand, it seems to me that if I were to buy an rMB 2016, I would essentially just thin down my big fat 2011, is all. Or am I reading it wrong? 😀

On the other hand, the 13" boasts of definite CPU and Graphics improvements in a similar form factor. And if I am not looking for the thinnest and lightest, I might be doing well to get a 13.

But, frankly, I am quite surprised, as in 5 years the major improvements have happened only in the graphics subset it seems - when compared to my Sandy Bridge i7 2.4GHz in the MBP Late 2011.

 

[macintoshmac]

Hi,

I have this bag, and use it for an MBA 11", where it fits, even when the MBA has a protecting sleeve on it. However the fit is a bit tight, especially when I also put my iPad Air next to it, but it works, and I can even close the zipper.

Now, the 2016 13" MBP is 0.4cm wider (I expect that should fit, but very tightly) and 2cm deeper, which should make it not fit in that dimension. So, if you want to close the zipper, I expect it not to fit, but if you just want to carry the laptop in the back of the bag, I would expect to work tightly.

Another suggestion (that I am using now both with MBA 11" and 2015 MBP 13") is the ONA Prince Street. But it is not large enough for DSLRs, just slim cameras (good for mirrorless or rangefinder users).

Hi, would it be possible for you to check if the new 13 Pro fits in the back pocket? Here in India we don't have the new Pros out yet for me to check 🙁

 

[HoosBruce]

I did a video and it has some comparisons between these two machines

 

[DaMax85]

I can help here. I have a 2016 m5. I'm also a passionate photographer and do some light 4k work like you do. I've had zero issues with Photos. RAW or otherwise. I do not currently have LR installed on the MBr and rely on Photos (it's growing on me). I have edited a few short 4k clips on the MB and didn't have any issues at all.

For photos, SKIP the base model MB m3 and get the m5...you'll need that little extra processing power. I don't think the m3 would be a wise choice at all. Now we are talking a similar price point for both the MBr and MBP. Then the choice is really down to what you value more: Portability and NO noise (no fan), or better horsepower and an improved next gen display + an extra port. I think, for photos/video, I'd opt for the MBP base model to start.

This is a really helpful response. I am in the same position. Torn between the no-touchbar 13" MBP and the rMB. I travel with my mac every day and 90% of the time only need it for word processing, web, mail...but I do store photos on my machine, have a music library, and need to occasionally edit on Final Cut X (very minimal editing...stuff iMovie can handle.) I do prefer the minimal style of the 12" though, and I love the cheaper price point. But would it be better to invest that extra $200 to get a more powerful machine despite the added weight? I'm upgrading from a 2011" 13" MBP with a 320 HDD and 4 GB's of ram.
[doublepost=1479575455][/doublepost]

I did a video and it has some comparisons between these two machines

Now that you have the new MBP, where does that leave your 12"? Do you still use your 12" rMB as well? Does the 12" have any benefits at this point now that they are only separated by a pound, or do you actually notice the weight different during travel? I'm torn between which one to buy! I don't really use ports other than doing a weekly backup, but I do occasionally edit on Final Cut X (maybe a 3-4 minute video every month or two, nothing crazy that iMovie couldn't handle.)

 

[HoosBruce]

This is a really helpful response. I am in the same position. Torn between the no-touchbar 13" MBP and the rMB. I travel with my mac every day and 90% of the time only need it for word processing, web, mail...but I do store photos on my machine, have a music library, and need to occasionally edit on Final Cut X (very minimal editing...stuff iMovie can handle.) I do prefer the minimal style of the 12" though, and I love the cheaper price point. But would it be better to invest that extra $200 to get a more powerful machine despite the added weight? I'm upgrading from a 2011" 13" MBP with a 320 HDD and 4 GB's of ram.
[doublepost=1479575455][/doublepost]
Now that you have the new MBP, where does that leave your 12"? Do you still use your 12" rMB as well? Does the 12" have any benefits at this point now that they are only separated by a pound, or do you actually notice the weight different during travel? I'm torn between which one to buy! I don't really use ports other than doing a weekly backup, but I do occasionally edit on Final Cut X (maybe a 3-4 minute video every month or two, nothing crazy that iMovie couldn't handle.)

Full disclosure, the 12" rMB is not mine, but it is my significant other's and she lets me use it all the time haha. Anyways, what I would say is that the new MBP is definitely faster. Even if it's just minute differences I can tell the difference in snappiness. The weight difference is nearly negligible and I have only taken them out for a small "travel test" and they were nearly identical.

I love having the extra port on the MBP. It really comes in handy for me, especially when I need to charge my laptop, plug in my iPhone, and plug in my external hard drive. So, that may not matter to you, but I've really come to appreciate the extra port.

As far as video editing goes, I didn't do much on the rMB, but I have run into ZERO issues with the MBP. It really is refreshing to do this work on this machine as opposed to my older MBP. There is nearly zero lag in the editing process, even when adding a lot of layers to the clip. I have experienced some stuttering here and there, but that's only when editing a 4K video clip, adding text overlay, stabilizing the shaky video, fading audio, and making a scene cut and transition all in one spot. To clarify, all of that is layered on top of that once clip, so I have seen some slight stuttering/hang up while scrubbing back through it while it is processing all of the changes. Once it has settled (it does this quickly) it is buttery smooth.

 

[icymountain]

Hi, would it be possible for you to check if the new 13 Pro fits in the back pocket? Here in India we don't have the new Pros out yet for me to check 🙁

Well, I do not have the new 13 Pro, so I cannot really check.
I tried again to put my old one inside, and the bag's back pocket is wide enough, but not deep enough bit about one centimeter. The new 13 Pro is a bit less deep than the old one, which will help, but not sure you can close the zipper. If you are fine not closing the zipper, then it should work (I often leave this zipper open; as this is the back of the bag, it seems ok.
One thing though: the back pocket of the Retrospective 7 is not padded, so the MBP will not get much protection if you carry it like that.