Refurbished 15" MacBook Pro 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo OR New 13" 2.4GHz Macbook Pro

[Dr. Scientist]

So the question is:

Refurbished 15" MacBook Pro 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo OR New 13" 2.4GHz Macbook Pro

I would be using the computer for education/college purposes. I'm used to a 15" screen and I think the 13" may be too small for me.

What would you guys choose? I'm leaning towards the 15" right now, but I'm worried it won't be portable. I'm not going to be using it in coffee shops, etc. Just in my dorm on a table or in my lap on the bed, and especially in classroom on the desks.

It's just an extra pound heavier and with a ton of textbooks, would the weight even matter?

The main issues that I'm worried of right now are:

1.) 9400M vs 320M --- will I regret going for the 9400M in the next couple of years?
2.) Portability
3.) Battery efficiency

Thanks.

 

[airplaneman]

I personally would go with the new 13", as it is more portable and has a better graphics card and battery, as well as inertial scrolling, if that's a plus for you. If you don't need the power, go with the 15". It's noticeably heavier, but i find mine plenty portable. I'm also grateful for the extra screen size. Hope this helps you in your decision, whichever way you go. As you can see, I went 15" when deciding last year, but if I had the choice this year between the '09 refurbished or the new 13", I would go 13".

 

[scaredpoet]

I too, would pick the new 13" MBP over a previous-gen 15" MBP. The 9400M is okay, but the 320M is better.

You could argue that if you don't do any graphics or video, and don't play games, then maybe it won't be that big of a deal to you. But, this is a computer that will (hopefully) be with you for 3-5 years. you don't want to regret not having gotten the better spec'd machine 1 to 2 years in.

FWIW, I've used a 15" macbook pro since 2007 (and just got a brand new unibody 15" i5 yesterday), and sometimes also used a 13 inch macbook. The screen size at 13 inches didn't bother me. And, you could also just get a nice 22 inch LCD for your dorm or apartment and hook up the MBP to that when you want a bigger display.

 

[Dr. Scientist]

I personally would go with the new 13", as it is more portable and has a better graphics card and battery, as well as inertial scrolling, if that's a plus for you. If you don't need the power, go with the 15". It's noticeably heavier, but i find mine plenty portable. I'm also grateful for the extra screen size. Hope this helps you in your decision, whichever way you go. As you can see, I went 15" when deciding last year, but if I had the choice this year between the '09 refurbished or the new 13", I would go 13".

Inertial scrolling is meh for me, doesn't really matter. I don't have the funds or the room in my dorm to have another screen, that's why I was leaning towards the 15" because it could just sit on my desk and be everything I need, right there.

But I've read that the better graphics card would only really come into play with gaming/photo editing, etc?

And the 7 hour battery life sounds awesome to me. Yeah, I can get ten hours with the 13", but I'll be in my dorm or in the library the majority of the time, and I'd prefer having a larger screen I suppose.

 

[Dr. Scientist]

I guess I'll just visit a Best Buy tomorrow and spend some time staring at both models and see what's up.

I don't know if this is just me, but having a 15" just feels... better? Hard to explain, but it's a confident feeling.