New Macbook or Macbook Pro 13" Late 2015

[Dubadai]

Hi everyone!

Buying a new computer in a few weeks and needed some advice.

I have been lurking the forums for some time and have yet to find an answer to my question...

I have my Retina iMac (see sign) for all my tougher work (Lightroom, Photoshop, rendering, etc) and only need a computer to bring to friends when we have to do projects together, something to bring to school, and of course if I need to do something on the road. The New Macbook is on paper the best laptop for this.

I had a Macbook Pro Retina 15" before, and it got a bit heavy to bring to school, especially with other stuff in the bag. I also have a camera bag that fits the iPad, and I am sure that I can fit the new macbook there, which would be a huge pro. Since I almost always bring my camera as well, the small size would be great!

I am therefore looking after portability, so its either the 13" Retina Macbook Pro, or the New Macbook.

What would be the best choice for my following needs?

Uses: Pages, Safari, iTunes, light use of Lightroom if on the road.

The first reason that I can see the Macbook Pro being the better choice is that its a proven design that obviously works very well, while the New Macbook is brand new.

The second reason I can see the Macbook Pro being the better choice again, is ports. I use the SD port A LOT, and having an adapter wouldnt kill me, but its a hassle non the less.

Other stuff that concerns me regarding the New Macbook:

1. Battery life. Seems to be a lot reported on this on the forums here regarding degrading.
2. Screen coating coming off?

Are these things actually things to worry about or are they things that are rare?

Thanks!

David

 

[Neokiller309]

Based on your concerns, I would go with the 13" retina pro. It comes out to around the same price as the new macbook, but is much more versatile if you need to use anything more CPU intensive. Also after testing the new macbook for a week, I would not buy it due to the build quality. The screen hinge is way too weak. Not to mention the bonus of not needing to carry adapters for everything.

 

[Dubadai]

Based on your concerns, I would go with the 13" retina pro. It comes out to around the same price as the new macbook, but is much more versatile if you need to use anything more CPU intensive. Also after testing the new macbook for a week, I would not buy it due to the build quality. The screen hinge is way too weak. Not to mention the bonus of not needing to carry adapters for everything.

I have been thinking that as well, BUT the amount of editing and such will be extremely low as I'll do 99.9% of it on my iMac.

Regarding price, both are $1515 in Sweden for the base model of the Pro as well as the New Macbook. That is WITH student discount...

For that price I get double the amount of hard drive space on the New Macbook. On the Pro i get a better CPU...

So when comparing the two, consider that they both cost the same here...

 

[Neokiller309]

I have been thinking that as well, BUT the amount of editing and such will be extremely low as I'll do 99.9% of it on my iMac.

Regarding price, both are $1515 in Sweden for the base model of the Pro as well as the New Macbook. That is WITH student discount...

For that price I get double the amount of hard drive space on the New Macbook. On the Pro i get a better CPU...

So when comparing the two, consider that they both cost the same here...

I would still say to go with the Pro. Yes, You get double the storage for the price but the cpu/gpu quality is a major difference. I prefer to think of it this way, It's better to have the power and not need it than to need the power and not have it.

 

[Dark Void]

Sounds like the Pro would better suit you. It is very light and portable anyway in its own right. If you choose the Pro you can expand what you do away from your iMac due to its more standard notebook CPU. You mention the use of an SD card a lot, and yes the rMB has adapters, but the rMB isn't really intended for someone that uses ports a lot. SD cards could eventually mean USB-A drives, externals, etc, and you may regret your purchase if you are use to such storage/transfer solutions. It's designed more for those that seldom need ports beyond charging it.

 

[SteveG4Cube]

2015 Retina MBPs in the refurb store = win

 

[Dubadai]

I would still say to go with the Pro. Yes, You get double the storage for the price but the cpu/gpu quality is a major difference. I prefer to think of it this way, It's better to have the power and not need it than to need the power and not have it.

Yes, I do get that factor, but when it comes to what I need to do with it, isn't the GPU and the CPU rather unimportant? The casual editing that I will do on the Macbook will be adding some contrast and some other small adjustments.

My girlfriend has the 13" Pro Retina and while its portable, its not as portable as one would like if its gonna be in a camera bag...

I have to order tonight so I have to decide today...

Sounds like the Pro would better suit you. It is very light and portable anyway in its own right. If you choose the Pro you can expand what you do away from your iMac due to its more standard notebook CPU. You mention the use of an SD card a lot, and yes the rMB has adapters, but the rMB isn't really intended for someone that uses ports a lot. SD cards could eventually mean USB-A drives, externals, etc, and you may regret your purchase if you are use to such storage/transfer solutions. It's designed more for those that seldom need ports beyond charging it.

It sure is, but its still not THAT light... Sure its better than most computers, but with the New Macbook in one hand its like night and day. I almost never work away, so the laptop will only be my school writing laptop as well as temporary storage for photos if Im on the road, until i can come home and edit on my iMac... Therefore I feel like the 128GB SSD on the Macbook Pro will be somewhat of a deal breaker... Even if the New Macbook requires me to have adaptors etc...

I have 2 Lacie Rugged, and those USB cables can be replaced with USB C. And a card reader for USB C won't be catastrophic either. All writing in school is done in Pages, or Google Docs when doing it with other students...

2015 Retina MBPs in the refurb store = win

Sadly don't have those in Sweden

 

[zhenya]

I disagree with the others here and think you should get the Macbook. You already have a great computer for doing your heavy-duty work. You don't need another workhorse, you need a companion. This is where the Macbook shines. I know that rMBP owners will constantly say that a Macbook isn't that much portable than a MBP, but I disagree. The MBP is like carrying two MacBooks, and with these devices there is a tipping point where the device suddenly becomes much more portable and it changes how you use it. The 11" MBA was that device originally; the rMB just extends that even further. Its form factor changes how you use a laptop.

Battery life should be fine on the rMB - as I've said here before, I generally get 9-10 hours. You will get less if you insist on 75% or greater brightness, or watch flash video or do CPU-heavy tasks. But for general writing, browsing, music, etc. that battery life is normal. I also don't think the adapter is that big of a deal - but this is totally dependent on the individual. I always carry my laptop in the same bag, and the adapter has a dedicated place that it lives in that bag. When I'm done using it, it goes back in that spot. If you are not one to keep track of things like that though (my wife!) it could put you in a frustrating bind a lot.

 

[Dubadai]

That was exactly what I was thinking. Since I do have me iMac, I just need something that is portable, got reasonable battery life, as well as something that CAN edit some light photos if I really need to. Some 20mb RAW images in Lightroom won't kill it...

What do you get if you use full brightness? 6 hours?

I disagree with the others here and think you should get the Macbook. You already have a great computer for doing your heavy-duty work. You don't need another workhorse, you need a companion. This is where the Macbook shines. I know that rMBP owners will constantly say that a Macbook isn't that much portable than a MBP, but I disagree. The MBP is like carrying two MacBooks, and with these devices there is a tipping point where the device suddenly becomes much more portable and it changes how you use it. The 11" MBA was that device originally; the rMB just extends that even further. Its form factor changes how you use a laptop.

Battery life should be fine on the rMB - as I've said here before, I generally get 9-10 hours. You will get less if you insist on 75% or greater brightness, or watch flash video or do CPU-heavy tasks. But for general writing, browsing, music, etc. that battery life is normal. I also don't think the adapter is that big of a deal - but this is totally dependent on the individual. I always carry my laptop in the same bag, and the adapter has a dedicated place that it lives in that bag. When I'm done using it, it goes back in that spot. If you are not one to keep track of things like that though (my wife!) it could put you in a frustrating bind a lot.

 

[zhenya]

Yes, I would expect about 6 hours at full brightness.

 

[imaccooper]

I'm going to agree with zhenya on this. The pro is the better machine for doing serious work, but that is not what you need. The MacBook would be a great fit for you and is ultra portable which would seem to be a big plus for you.

 

[Dubadai]

I think so too!

Sitting on my girlfriends Retina 13" editing photos, I've noticed how much slower it actually is than my iMac, so I would never ever use the New Macbook (or the 13" Retina for that matter) as a workstation machine for my editing or work, but only for casual editing etc.

Thanks for your input!

David

I'm going to agree with zhenya on this. The pro is the better machine for doing serious work, but that is not what you need. The MacBook would be a great fit for you and is ultra portable which would seem to be a big plus for you.

 

[Dubadai]

After a lot of afterthought I finally decided to get the Macbook Pro 13" Retina. Spent about an hour with it at the nearest Apple Store and I really miss the snappiness of the Macbook Pro.

Thanks again for all the input!