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rMBP 15' for Law School

Poetic said:
I'm currently in the midst of upgrading my current machine (an older 14.1' PC notebook). Not new to Macs, as I have an iMac, but this will be my first Mac Notebook.

My current notebook is a whopping 5.5lbs, 6.2lbs with the adapter brick -- and I see that the rMBP 15' is 4.46lbs (shedding over a pound in weight alone). Though, my current notebook is slightly wider and much thicker than the rMBP 15' -- the Mac notebook will be about 1.1' inches wider.

I was considering the 13.3' models but after seeing them in the store, the screen just looks a bit uncomfortable to be working on for long periods of time. I'll be in law school and I'll be in class for at least 5-6 hours per day for at least 4 days a week in my first semester.

I feel that the rMBP 15' will obviously give me more screen real estate and render text much richer (I will spend a lot of time reading PDF files and scholarly articles on my screen).

Aside from productivity, I do appreciate the speakers, the SSD drive and 8GB of RAM (I tend to have many applications open) -- as well as the occasional video watching or gaming session (perhaps the rMBP 15' can handle these tasks better)?

In conclusion, I'm just worried about portability. As an undergrad, I didn't carry my 5.5lbs beast too often (maybe twice a week at most).

Anyone that has the rMBP 15' please comment on your experience in moving this computer from place to place (or if you're in law school and use this computer or see others with it in class).

FYI: Not sure if this is pertinent but I'll be living at about a 10 minute walk from my classes at the law school building.

Thanks to everyone's input in advance.

Please pardon this long post. :)
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definitely get the 15". i got the 13" because i wanted it to be portable but also powerful. I returned it in a week because I knew that the screen was too small for my likings. 15" arrived today and I am very pleased. the screen is the perfect size for working at a desk and 1 lb is definitely worth for the extra features
 
kh3khalid said:
I bought a cMBP for college (engineering) thinking that I would need the GPU for future courses, but it turned out that I don't. Believe me carrying a 15" can be bugging at many situations, and much heavier compared to a MBA. I regret getting the 15" instead of an Air. A light and compact laptop will make your life easier.

You seem to care much about the weight. I suggest buying a maxed out MBA instead (max RAM and CPU at least) instead of the 15" rMBP.
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But, isn't the cMBP 15' weigh 5.6lbs? That's nearly 1.2lbs more than the rMBP. Not to mention that the Retina model is thinner and the dimensions (length and width) if I recall correctly are slightly smaller. And like I mentioned in another post, the Air seems a bit weak. I actually like feeling a bit of substance on a notebook. The rMBP 13' is perhaps the most viable alternative.

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PDFierro said:
If you think that the 13-inch screen is too small for you, then get the 15. But the 13 is definitely big enough for your uses, it's just a matter of adjusting. Some people just have personal preferences. 11 is too small, but I think 13 is just right.
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You're right, I could never do an 11-inch screen for staring at it for long periods of time and actually working efficiently and comfortably on it. The 13 rMBP is a viable option for me but I think I'm leaning towards the 15 rMBP at this point. I think Apple's 14-day refund/exchange policy will help me decide.
 
13" bay-bee!

If my aging eyes have no problem with the display neither will yours. The form factor is just right and small enough to keep prying eyes off your screen. The footprint puts it anywhere. Get a big-assed external monitor when your homebound.

I think the 15" is a behemoth and waaaay too pricey.
 
Poetic said:
But, isn't the cMBP 15' weigh 5.6lbs? That's nearly 1.2lbs more than the rMBP. Not to mention that the Retina model is thinner and the dimensions (length and width) if I recall correctly are slightly smaller. And like I mentioned in another post, the Air seems a bit weak. I actually like feeling a bit of substance on a notebook. The rMBP 13' is perhaps the most viable alternative.
.
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We use 13" Airs at work, everyone apart from the designers. I have never really heard anyone complaining about a lack of power, its quiet a powerful machine and more then enough for 99% of people.

I also understand the OPs problem, I really want a 15" laptop and I can't really go any lower, the choices become limiting and the cMBP screen for the price is just bad. No way should a machine that cost over 1000$ have such a bad display.

I also use to take a Dell XPS 15 with me to university almost everyday. It wasn't that bad, it got a bit tiresome at times but overall I had no issues taking it around with me.

Finally being a College student life can be expensive so maybe take a look at a refurb 15" rMBP, it might save you a few bucks you can use for other things.

Krazy Bill said:
I think the 15" is a behemoth and waaaay too pricey.
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Not really, you get a Quad Core cpu, 2x storage, more screen space and a dedicated GPU. I think the question is if its worth paying the extra for it, but it is in no way more pricey and then the 13" model comparatively.
 
theromz said:
Finally being a College student life can be expensive so maybe take a look at a refurb 15" rMBP, it might save you a few bucks you can use for other things.
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You're right. A rMBP 15 refurb seems like a deal right now.
 
Krazy Bill said:
13" bay-bee!

If my aging eyes have no problem with the display neither will yours. The form factor is just right and small enough to keep prying eyes off your screen. The footprint puts it anywhere. Get a big-assed external monitor when your homebound.

I think the 15" is a behemoth and waaaay too pricey.
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Yeah, this is a good idea too, having a 13in and a monitor at home. But, I should say that I'm not necessarily against the 13in because of having a hard time to see. I think it's quite capable of providing a nice viewing/working experience with a single page. Whereas, the 15in. can more likely accommodate 2 windows side by side.
 
I got the rMBP 15inch, I take it everywhere with me. Work, meetings etc, etc.

Its come with me abroad, simply everywhere.

I'm telling you the display on this screen overcomes the portability factor.

Buy it from Apple Store, if you do not fall in love with the screen and learn to live with the size. Return it within 14 days for a full refund/exchange for something smaller.

The Retina is worth it !
 
I've been out of law school for 7 years. I had the 12" PowerBook during law school, and it was perfect. Fit on the desk well and was easy to carry around.

If I was going back now, I'd certainly get a 13" MBA. With all the books you'll be carrying around, the weight won't make much of a difference, but the battery life (12-14 hours) would make a huge difference for me. Finding places to plug in was always tough, and being able to spend an entire day in class/studying on one charge would be fantastic.

The MBA is a very sturdy machine and has almost no moving parts. It'll easily last throughout law school and longer.

That being said, if you really must have the retina display, you should wait and get the new Haswell 13" rMBP.
 
15'???

In my opinion, a fifteen-foot (15') laptop display is overkill, even in the incredibly cutthroat culture that is law school. ;)
 
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