MacBook Pro for web design/development

[*nix]

Hi guys,

I'm looking to buy a MacBook Pro. I'll mainly be using it for web design/development and mobile app development. It'll be hooked up to an external monitor in my office (1080p) most of the time. I'm not sure whether to buy a 13" or 15" MacBook Pro - older model or even newer Retina model. Any advice would be welcome. Would I need a higher resolution than 1366x768 for web design?

 

[CrystalQuest76]

if you are going with an external monitor save your money and get a 13" laptop.

 

[*nix]

if you are going with an external monitor save your money and get a 13" laptop.

Thanks. I suppose I could get a 13" Retina model which would have a native resolution to suit my needs (at least 1366x768 for web design).

I do like the look of the new Touch Bar models - the keyboard was interesting to type on and I love the space grey colour. Although I'm not sure it's worth the premium.

 

[960design]

Would I need a higher resolution than 1366x768 for web design?

Why the 1366x768 note for web design? Is there something specific you are attempting to accomplish?

I use a MBPr15 ( space grey ) as my daily driver for web application development.

 

[*nix]

Why the 1366x768 note for web design? Is there something specific you are attempting to accomplish?

I use a MBPr15 ( space grey ) as my daily driver for web application development.

I was mistakenly thinking of the old 2011 13" MBP with a resolution of 1280x800. I'd need a native resolution of at least 1366x768 to accommodate for the majority of displays used. With a Retina display, I'd be covered. I was looking at W3's browser display statistics to cover myself.

It's been a long day

 

[fig]

Get the Retina if you can swing it, you don't realize how much better it looks until you're looking at it on a day to day basis. You'll also probably want that available for testing 2x images and the like.

The 13" would be fine as far as power but may get a bit cramped for coding, especially if you're only going single screen. It is nice and portable though, comes down to personal preference.

 

[*nix]

Get the Retina if you can swing it, you don't realize how much better it looks until you're looking at it on a day to day basis. You'll also probably want that available for testing 2x images and the like.

The 13" would be fine as far as power but may get a bit cramped for coding, especially if you're only going single screen. It is nice and portable though, comes down to personal preference.

I'll be using the MBP with an external monitor most of the time. I'm looking at getting a Retina - second-hand ones on eBay seem to be reasonably priced. In fact, I have found a 15" MBP Retina that's 'Certified Refurbished'. The seller has excellent feedback and he said it's brand new, and the reason why it's 'Certified Refurbished' is because the spec is no longer available from Apple. Seems strange to me. Can anyone shed some light on this? He also mentioned that it's classed by Apple as refurbished as it is not a model you can buy from the Apple Store anymore, but he assures me it is new and completely unused and the battery cycle count is only 4, which is how a lot of brand new laptops come.

 

[*nix]

Found another Certified Refurbished 2014 15" MBP Retina 2.5GHz i7 16GB RAM 512GB SSD on eBay for £1469 or best offer. These are surplus retailer stock - so they don't seem to be customer returns.

Or I can get a brand new 15" MBP Retina 2.2GHz i7 16GB RAM 512GB SSD (same model as the 2014) for £2040 from Apple.

Or, a brand new 2017 13" MBP 2.3GHz i5 16GB RAM 512GB SSD for £1718 from Apple.

 

[960design]

I just surplused my MBPr15 2014 ( or was it a 2013 ) and that thing still rocked. I do like the new, smaller foot print of the current MBPr15 and it feels a bit lighter as well. I could recommend the 2014 if you are looking to upgrade in the next 3 years, otherwise go with the current model and be good for 5-6 years. Currently, I replace my equipment at the three year mark.

 

[nachtfrost]

My main machine is still a good old late 2011 17" MBP. I put SSD in, maxed the RAM and it is still good for doing my work (office stuff, XCode, my daughter playing some games, etc). Yes it is heavy. But I love the big screen and after 6 years it doesn't feel slow. That's great.

Maybe I will buy a 13" Pro this year, I am getting old and need some not that heavy gear to carry around.