MBP 13 or 15 inch?

[mdude85]

What would you do?

Hoping to buy refurbished -- two options are 13" MBP, 2.66 Ghz C2D + 4 GB RAM... $1269. vs. 15" MBP, 2.4 Ghz i5 + 4 GB RAM.... $1529.

- Never had a laptop before, only desktops
- Played with 13" and 15" in store and loved small form factor of 13"
- Hope to use on the go. Hoping to go to graduate school in a few years and use there.
- Used to do a lot of photography, not much anymore but still need to process batches of photos occasionally.
- Do not do any gaming or video work
- Have 21" monitor at home, would probably use Henge Dock
- Hope to keep for 3-5 years.
- Would prefer matte screen, but not a deal breaker
- would prefer a backlit keyboard, but not a deal breaker

What would you do???

 

[HarryPot]

Aside from the matte screen, every point you give leads to a MBP 13".

It's an amazing computer, and the size is perfect for taking it anywhere.

 

[tim100]

future proof

my only concern with the 13 is its c2d. i dont know if it has the legs to last for more than 2 years.

 

[Yimbie]

I'd say go for the 15" Macbook Pro. The extra screen real estate is really nice. I personally have the 17" and can't imagine myself going any lower.

 

[Surely]

future proof

my only concern with the 13 is its c2d. i dont know if it has the legs to last for more than 2 years.

Depends on your use. For the OP's purposes, the c2d would suffice.

The OP has a 21" screen, so the 15" screen is probably unnecessary. Plus, the 13" is easier to carry around.

shambo, is that you?

 

[elpmas]

15", I wana upgrade...just because of the Matte and the speakers lol. Speakers on the side instead of behind the keyboard....is a lot better imo ^_^

 

[tim100]

15", I wana upgrade...just because of the Matte and the speakers lol. Speakers on the side instead of behind the keyboard....is a lot better imo ^_^

speakers are much better on 17/15

but the c2d not sure if it will be up to par in 2 more years.

 

[kasakka]

speakers are much better on 17/15

but the c2d not sure if it will be up to par in 2 more years.

It will be just fine for several years. In most situations the i5/i7 isn't really significantly faster.

The bigger display, especially the high res 1680x1050 one, is the only reason why I'd pick the 15" over the 13". I wouldn't bother with the 15" at the default 1440x900 resolution.

For the OP's needs the 13" seems like the smart choice. Oh and it does have a backlit keyboard.

 

[Yimbie]

speakers are much better on 17/15

but the c2d not sure if it will be up to par in 2 more years.

Ahhh yep! Speakers are a lot better on the 15"+. With 15", you get the best of both worlds. A nice high-res display but still portable.

 

[mdude85]

I am wondering about the longevity of the C2D as well, but honestly, in 2 years the Core i5 will most likely be obsolete as well.

I am looking on Apple's website in the Refurb section and it is showing some of the laptops as having backlit keyboards and some as not having them. Someone said that the 13" had a backlit keyboard even though that spec is not showing up on the refurb site. That's why I was skeptical.

Also, the monitor I have now at 21" is 1680x1050. I'm guessing the graphics card in the 13" can handle this resolution?

 

[Surely]

I am wondering about the longevity of the C2D as well, but honestly, in 2 years the Core i5 will most likely be obsolete as well.

I am looking on Apple's website in the Refurb section and it is showing some of the laptops as having backlit keyboards and some as not having them. Someone said that the 13" had a backlit keyboard even though that spec is not showing up on the refurb site. That's why I was skeptical.

I have the 13" MacBook Pro. I can assure you that it has a backlit keyboard.

 

[Jaro65]

You're mentioning photography and the fact that you would like to use it eventually in school. To me the extra screen real estate of 15" MBP is worth the increase in size and weight. Plus, it comes with the CPU that is going to age much better than a C2D-based CPU.