Return 15" for 13" ?

[ales876]

Hi guys,

I bought last friday base model 15", machine is great, no issues at all. I bought it now, as I don't want to use my professional macbook air anymore privately.

In the past I had always a 15" as I don't have any external monitor attached thats why I bought again a 15" inch, as I liked the size of the screen. I observed myself how I use the machine in the last week and it comes down to following:

• Surfing with 10-15 tabs on safari (one of them sometimes YT)
• Email and using messages
• Netflix and such
• Now and then some coding

any yes, that's basically it. No professional work at all, one or two times in a year I use Photoshop to make a small present for the family but that's it. I'm aware the the 6 core is WAY to powerful for that and I believe that my work can easily be done by just one core

Besides, I'm also the guy "having more power if necessary to disposal is a good thing" also I like the screen and the sound of the machine.

Money is not really the issue, but before I bought it, I thought also of getting the 13" four core model with 16GB of RAM for nearly 2.200 EUR, so I would safe 600 EUR. When I say money is not really an issue it means I did not save my money for that, but I want to make a rational decision on that and if I can save 600 EUR, why not?


So yeah that's basically my question, what do you think? Should I bring it back? You guys any concerns?

 

[maflynn]

I prefer 15" for the screen size, the added dGPU, and extra cores do come in handy but for me, I prefer the increased screen real estate. If you can live with the smaller display then go for it. Only you can make the determination of what works best for your needs.

 

[ales876]

I prefer 15" for the screen size, the added dGPU, and extra cores do come in handy but for me, I prefer the increased screen real estate. If you can live with the smaller display then go for it. Only you can make the determination of what works best for your needs.

Thanks, yes I know. But having this thing for a week now and thinking daily if it was the right decision didn't help me. Maybe I don't see something.

 

[buran-energia]

In terms of power, 13 will definitely be enough for you.

I'm in a similar boat. Trying out both maxed out 13 2017 TB and mid specs model 15 2017. The 15 inch has noticeably better speakers. But I also hear its fans in a quiet room when idle, unlike 13 which is completely silent during light loads. It's like a fanless macbook. The screen on 15 inch feels gigantic in comparison to 13. I kind of like it, as well as the even bigger trackpad.

Leaning towards the 13 inch so far, because constant fan noise is what bothers me, even if it's barely noticeable in a quiet room.

One thing I wish I could test is how smooth the 13 inch is with a 4k monitor.

 

[eddjedi]

Entirely down to personal preference. Personally I have always gone for the highest spec but smallest notebook Apple make. For me a laptop is all about portability, that is the most important thing. I can plug in to an external monitor and mouse/keyboard if I need to be productive. For general surfing and admin, I want the smallest size possible for plane/train journeys, so it's light in my bag etc. I have personally never understood the logic of a 17" laptop, a computer that big is not portable, you might as well walk around with a Mac Pro under your arm. But clearly lots of people do like them.

 

[maflynn]

Thanks, yes I know. But having this thing for a week now and thinking daily if it was the right decision didn't help me. Maybe I don't see something.

Can you live with a smaller display? I find the 13" is too small, but everyone is different ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[ales876]

Can you live with a smaller display? I find the 13" is too small, but everyone is different ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Yes thats my point, I don't know. I appreciate the 15" but its too much and somehow I would be happier having 600 EUR back.

Wahhhhhh. Damn luxury problems.
[doublepost=1538748136][/doublepost]

Entirely down to personal preference. Personally I have always gone for the highest spec but smallest notebook Apple make. For me a laptop is all about portability, that is the most important thing. I can plug in to an external monitor and mouse/keyboard if I need to be productive. For general surfing and admin, I want the smallest size possible for plane/train journeys, so it's light in my bag etc. I have personally never understood the logic of a 17" laptop, a computer that big is not portable, you might as well walk around with a Mac Pro under your arm. But clearly lots of people do like them.

Well for me it would be mostly just for home stuff. Which , mean I take it just from time to time outside the house.

 

[SDColorado]

Yes thats my point, I don't know. I appreciate the 15" but its too much and somehow I would be happier having 600 EUR back.

Wahhhhhh. Damn luxury problems.
[doublepost=1538748136][/doublepost]


Well for me it would be mostly just for home stuff. Which , mean I take it just from time to time outside the house.

I tried a 13” a few years back. Didn’t like it and it mostly sat unused.

But there are others that much prefer that size over the 15”. Only you know which size works best for you. It won’t help much to seek advise from us

 

[Howard2k]

I love the 13” form factor. With the newer ones being quad core I’d be all over one if I was in the market for a new MacBook.

There is allegedly a new 13” coming this month which is likely to be cheaper and less powerful than the current quad core. It sounds like it’s worth waiting a few weeks to see what shakes out.

 

[marmiteturkey]

I've had both over the years; last MBP was a 13in, this time I went 15 because I'm a consultant and I find I do a lot of work on-site away from a permanent desk. I do a lot of side-by-side window work, and the 15in is so much nicer to work on for a day. If I were plugging into a screen most of the time, or if this were anything other than my primary machine, I'd probably have maxed out a 13in instead, because it's quite a bit more portable and powerful enough. But I'm happy that the 15 in is the right machine for me based on what I do now.

My wife on the other hand - she would find the 15 far too big and loves her 13in as a writing machine. She spends probably 80% of her computer time with one window open, usually a word processor, and she'd never choose the bigger laptop.

 

[ales876]

thanks for all yours posts guys, as many of you mentioned, nobody can decide for me....I'm a little afraid that I got used to the 15 and then regret the decision. Gnahhhh

 

[HardBall]

Hi guys,

I bought last friday base model 15", machine is great, no issues at all. I bought it now, as I don't want to use my professional macbook air anymore privately.

In the past I had always a 15" as I don't have any external monitor attached thats why I bought again a 15" inch, as I liked the size of the screen. I observed myself how I use the machine in the last week and it comes down to following:

• Surfing with 10-15 tabs on safari (one of them sometimes YT)
• Email and using messages
• Netflix and such
• Now and then some coding

any yes, that's basically it. No professional work at all, one or two times in a year I use Photoshop to make a small present for the family but that's it. I'm aware the the 6 core is WAY to powerful for that and I believe that my work can easily be done by just one core

Besides, I'm also the guy "having more power if necessary to disposal is a good thing" also I like the screen and the sound of the machine.

Money is not really the issue, but before I bought it, I thought also of getting the 13" four core model with 16GB of RAM for nearly 2.200 EUR, so I would safe 600 EUR. When I say money is not really an issue it means I did not save my money for that, but I want to make a rational decision on that and if I can save 600 EUR, why not?


So yeah that's basically my question, what do you think? Should I bring it back? You guys any concerns?

Honestly, you need to get the 12" Macbook, based on your usage scenarios.

Then, you can use the difference in price to purchase an older model iMac, which would bring you best of both worlds.

 

[boast]

I had a 15" and thought it was too powerful, so I downgraded to a 12" MacBook for my next purchase. I liked it for the first year, but ended up regretting it. Now I went back to a 15".

 

[ales876]

Honestly, you need to get the 12" Macbook, based on your usage scenarios.

Then, you can use the difference in price to purchase an older model iMac, which would bring you best of both worlds.

No, I hate it when I need sometimes more power and suddenly everything is stuttering or laggy. So it’s either the 13 with quad score or I keep the 15.


@boast

Yeah that’s something I want to not to happen

 

[Hadron]

I used to own a 15, then tried the 13, and now my replacement is going to be... another 13.

For me the screen size is the only advantage of the 15, with portability, price and the dGPU (another thing to fail) as the drawbacks. When in the office I have an external monitor, but I do travel/work from home so both the pros and cons of the larger screen do matter to me. In the end I decided that since neither answer was clearly better the rational thing was to choose the cheaper one, but of course I already have experience of the 13 so know that that can work for me.

 

[ales876]

I used to own a 15, then tried the 13, and now my replacement is going to be... another 13.

For me the screen size is the only advantage of the 15, with portability, price and the dGPU (another thing to fail) as the drawbacks. When in the office I have an external monitor, but I do travel/work from home so both the pros and cons of the larger screen do matter to me. In the end I decided that since neither answer was clearly better the rational thing was to choose the cheaper one, but of course I already have experience of the 13 so know that that can work for me.

My MacBook Air which I use for work as also an 13", it is just okay. Not great. I also don't have an external monitor, so yeah...
[doublepost=1538841967][/doublepost]Okay, decision made.

I stick with the 15". Why? I got my MBA and hold them next to each other. I want a bigger screen. Period. The better speaker is another plus on that. I know me, I would regret it.


Nevertheless, thanks for your input!

 

[snagnyou]

13" with an i7 2.7 and 16GB is a nice machine. The dGPU is not that great in the 15" and it's a bit large for traveling. If you need screen real estate, get an external monitor.

13" if you travel
15" if you don't

 

[Leo90]

I think the 15” is finally just as portable as the 13” model, so if I were you I would be keeping the 15” inch due to the dedicated graphics card and bigger screen real state. My next MacBook will be for sure a 15” one.
[doublepost=1538910531][/doublepost]Apropos ich wohne auch in München! Servus!