Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MacBook VS MacBook Pro - Help me decide!

V

vmflapem

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 27, 2013
432
68
I am thinking of buying either a 12" MacBook Retina or the New 13" touch-bar MacBook Pro but I can't decide which one to get!

Price-wise, the ones I'm interested in had only $350 difference, which I do not mind at all.

I have to take the laptop to school everyday and type a lot in class and after school. Also, I'd like to have ~10 chrome tabs open while looking at PDF files. Occasionally, I also watch videos on the internet (e.g. YouTube). I don't play games on my laptop because I already have an imac.

Could someone help me decide which laptop to get?
 
rMB - lighter, quieter, cheaper
MBP - bigger screen, faster (Maybe not for what you will be using it for)

I didn't list touch-bar as a pro ... ;-)

I waited for the release of the new MBPs and was not impressed so bought the MacBook ... love it and don't regret my decision.
 
  • Like
Reactions: hfg, 00abadir, capathy21 and 3 others
It sounds like you're subconsciously leaning towards the MBPw/Touch Bar.

Is there an Apple store near ya? I would recommend venturing down there and checking out both machines in person.

Nobody here is going to be able to make your mind up for you.
 
Is there any throttling or heating issues with the m7 MacBook Retina? I've had some opportunity to compare both the rMB and the MBP but I honestly couldn't make a decision :(

In what way is i5 better than m7?
 
I keep going back and forth as well, but not having a tb3 port on the current Macbook 12, is probably a deal killer for me
 
  • Like
Reactions: arnette
vmflapem said:
I am thinking of buying either a 12" MacBook Retina or the New 13" touch-bar MacBook Pro but I can't decide which one to get!

Price-wise, the ones I'm interested in had only $350 difference, which I do not mind at all.

I have to take the laptop to school everyday and type a lot in class and after school. Also, I'd like to have ~10 chrome tabs open while looking at PDF files. Occasionally, I also watch videos on the internet (e.g. YouTube). I don't play games on my laptop because I already have an imac.

Could someone help me decide which laptop to get?
Click to expand...

I have the 2016 m5 MacBook AND a base model 13" 2016 MBP non-touch. I can confirm that the m5 MacBook can handle what you describe. I use mine for business and have Outlook, Skype for Business, Excel, multiple large PDF's open (contracts, quotes, etc.), multiple Safari tabs (Chrome is a resource hog BTW), etc. Watching YouTube, SlingTV, Netflix on it is smooth.

If you have an iMac, the laptop isn't going to be your primary machine (just a guess). For school, I'd go m5 (not m3 low end processor) all day long and be VERY happy.

Why do I have both? The MBP is still in return period (had the MBr since summer). Wanted more power for photos / 4k video editing....still debating.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Benhama
You need take the laptop to school everyday and have iMac

Get a MB12 for sure, 95% time you don't feel any difficult unless open very large PDF,
and 95% time you will feel the MBP heavy that MB12.

(however, you should try and accept one port and keyboard)

M3 is sufficient and get M5 if you want 512GB
 
rMB and MBP are not even close in my book.

The keyboard is deal breaker on the rMB. Couple that with 12" inch screen, no free ports when plugged in, and marginal performance, and the machines are not even close.
 
I just bought the rMB with a m5. I do similar things with my laptop as you describe and it is perfectly fine. Both machines you describe will do the same thing for you but the form factor on the rmb is out of this world. It is hard to put a price on something like that but this is my favorite machine coming from a 13" 2015 MBP.

Only had it a few days but it is my favorite laptop I have ever owned. It will feel tiny at first because it is tiny but as far as the screen goes it isn't much different from the 13" MBP. Even though it has no fan the thing doesn't ever really even get hot with the use you describe.

As far as the ports go just plug your iPhone into the wall or power strip and get one USB adapter for when you have to time machine or back up things. I don't mind the fact that I can't charge it when I use a hard drive because I don't do it often and only for short periods. The only nuisance I had in this regard is when I brought mine home new and had to restore from back up. The machine only had 30% power on it and I don't have a through cable adapter for using a drive and charging. So I had to charge it up before I could use time machine to make sure it had enough juice. Slightly annoying but this is a one off thing.

My iPhone syncs over the air anyway so I don't need to hook it up. So what i am left with is a tiny laptop with a mind blowing form factor and one single cable coming out of it for power. The 'pro' users complain but this laptop is designed exactly with people like you in mind. If you need all the ports just get a hub. As people have noted this works great because you just pull one cable and leave everything hooked up when you go.

You could probably get by with an m3 but I am not certain. I bought the m5 because the extra storage was icing on the cake. Although upping the storage and cpu made it closer in price to a mbp, if you think of it like this you are thinking about it wrong. Part of what you are paying for is the light footprint and form factor. You are not getting less for the money in my opinion if you are using it in the way you suggest. There is no need to drive a dump truck to school.

Can you tell that I love this thing? :)

Oh and you can't get rose gold in the mbp line. Yes, i am a dude rocking a rose gold mb.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fraxool, Benhama, jimbo1mcm and 4 others
kwandrews said:
LOL! That would be a 15" MBP! The 13" is like a pickup truck IMO and the 12" electric hybrid that will run all day and fit in any parking space :)
Click to expand...

LOL Okay maybe I got a little overly excited there. :D Hmmm electric hybrid doesn't describe the mb. It is too cool to be a Prius.
 
Depending on what purpose you desire to use it for, I would recommend you to buy a 12'' MacBook Retina for you. As the touch bar is big screen and fancy won't help you meet your daily requirements. But if you have already made up your mind for the MBP with touch bar, nobody else would be able to change your decision then ;)
 
deany said:
Is the SSD on the MacBook soldered to the logic board - like the new 2016 rMBP?
Click to expand...

Firmly attached to mb.
https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Retina+MacBook+2016+Teardown/62149
Want more memory later or it fails, new motherboard.
[doublepost=1479368143][/doublepost]
ryanwarsaw said:
LOL Okay maybe I got a little overly excited there. :D Hmmm electric hybrid doesn't describe the mb. It is too cool to be a Prius.
Click to expand...

More like a Smart Car. Low end basic transportation, that is asthmatic on the highway but sold at Mercedes dealership.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: deany
How long does the OP expect to use it.

Buy something that barely meets current usage is a recipe for buying another expensive computer all to soon. You should always buy something that more than meets current usage. After a few years of updates and software upgrades with associated software bloat the performance likely will disappoint.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Benhama and deany
protoxx said:
Firmly attached to mb.
https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Retina+MacBook+2016+Teardown/62149
Want more memory later or it fails, new motherboard.
[doublepost=1479368143][/doublepost]

More like a Smart Car. Low end basic transportation, that is asthmatic on the highway but sold at Mercedes dealership.
Click to expand...

LOL Should have known making any type of analogy with cars would lead to this sort of rubbish. so what do you think of the MBP touchbar then? A low end Mercedes sold at the Ferrari shop?

Anyway FWIW I tested the scenario the OP suggested and it doesn't bog down or heat up at all. It all comes down to if you want something that will fit on your desk easier or if you want to get a more powerful machine to surf the web on. Bang for your buck is better on the MBP unless you consider the smaller footprint a worthwhile feature.

Sort of funny i remember back in the day when the smallest machines cost an arm and a leg. Then we went to the MBP 17" era and that thing cost a fortune. Now it seems to be going back to the smaller machines becoming more popular and at a premium.

I came from a 13" 2015 MBP and for my use there is absolutely no difference in performance. The only thing I notice is this machine is nicer for lounging around with. When on the couch or in bed I can position the machine around me rather than myself around the machine if that makes sense.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hitch22 and KashKave
If your main requirement is portability and an additional machine to support your iMac, then I'd definitely recommend the MacBook - it's a brilliantly portable device with more than enough power for what you describe.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KashKave
I have a 12" rMB and love it. I would say the dominant issues in your choice could be connectivity and size/weight.

If you routinely connect devices to your Mac you might be better with the MBP. Most connectivity needs with the rMB can be met but sometimes not easily. The common small USB-C hubs with extra USB ports etc don't work well with connected drives, in my experience, even when connected to wall power. Larger ones (OWC and Caldigit) seem to be OK but are big, like half the size of the MacBook. I have a 15" rMBP for when I need to do tasks requiring more connectivity.
 
I have a 2014 13" rMBP, just spent 2 weeks with a rMB m5, and have tried out the new 13" non-TB in a store.

I really like the rMB. I'm a software dev and didn't really sense it break much of a sweat compared to my slightly older MBP. I'm mulling over whether or not to get the new non-TB MBP or the M7 rMP. I think I'm going for the MBP for these reasons

- Better (contrast, color, brightness) screen, which will be more workable when used outside. The extra screen size and real estate is also a boon
- Better keyboard. This is neither here not there though -- the v2 butterfly mechanism feels much better to me, but it also is louder. This could be distracting in a classroom/meeting room environment, but I work remotely so it's not much of an issue.
- While I'm on the move some of the time, it's not enough that I would really care much about the extra pound. The extra footprint, for me, is more comfortable for a machine that is in use 8+ hours a day.
- Performance is about 15% better per geekbench (~6300 vs. 7200). Not a huge thing, but it is enough to be notable.

If I were a student, I probably would opt for the rMP. The pound will make a difference when moving about, the quieter keyboard will work in more situations, and the footprint will be better when using on a desk. The only thing I would think might be truly in the MBP's favor is the performance of the screen, which is a real thing if you plan to use it outside much.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back