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rMBP choice dilemma. 13" or 15"

T

tonymontana23

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 21, 2015
5
0
Need to move around my notebook sometimes. But don't wanna compromise on performance. Is the new 13" powerful enough for almost all kinds of use? Or, is the 15" one too heavy and too big to carry around? In terms of performance, how much better is the 15" model? I can't decide between them.:confused:
 
I had a 15" rMBP I never once thought it was too much to carry. I loved writing code on it. I just think it maybe over priced given its got all of the old parts in it. I'd purchase one at $1799 but $1999 seems a tad on the high end to me. :confused:

13" works fine with photoshop etc... Video editing and what not I cant speak to.
 
I'm having trouble deciding between the new 13" and the 15" also and would appreciate some feedback. My current laptop is a 13" and broken. I need to buy something soon and don't have the luxury of going to a store to check them out.

For me, cost isn't a factor and I would select the upper model/specs for either. My concern is if the 13" has enough HP to handle 2 Windows VMs simultaneously- one light one for Office/VPN/work connectivity and another for IIS/SQL/Visual Studio development. I also work occasionally in Lightroom and casually edit home video. Can anyone comment whether the 13" would be adequate or should I just get the 15"?

From a portability standpoint, I'd love to hear 15" owners comment on traveling with the larger size (both in size and weight) and whether they wish they went smaller.
 
FroggyFresh said:
I'm having trouble deciding between the new 13" and the 15" also and would appreciate some feedback. My current laptop is a 13" and broken. I need to buy something soon and don't have the luxury of going to a store to check them out.

For me, cost isn't a factor and I would select the upper model/specs for either. My concern is if the 13" has enough HP to handle 2 Windows VMs simultaneously- one light one for Office/VPN/work connectivity and another for IIS/SQL/Visual Studio development. I also work occasionally in Lightroom and casually edit home video. Can anyone comment whether the 13" would be adequate or should I just get the 15"?

From a portability standpoint, I'd love to hear 15" owners comment on traveling with the larger size (both in size and weight) and whether they wish they went smaller.
Click to expand...
My previous employer gave me a 15" computer and I absolutely loved it. Development on that machine was such a pleasure. I did not notice the weight as much as I thought I would when I first received it. I still get shudders thinking about how much I loved to write code on that machine. I really want to buy a new one but with Thunderbolt being phased out and all... I am hesitating a bit because it's $1999 for a 15" rMBP and there is basically nothing in it that is new... and I suspect that a new 15" model is right around the corner.
 
FroggyFresh said:
I'm having trouble deciding between the new 13" and the 15" also and would appreciate some feedback. My current laptop is a 13" and broken. I need to buy something soon and don't have the luxury of going to a store to check them out.

For me, cost isn't a factor and I would select the upper model/specs for either. My concern is if the 13" has enough HP to handle 2 Windows VMs simultaneously- one light one for Office/VPN/work connectivity and another for IIS/SQL/Visual Studio development. I also work occasionally in Lightroom and casually edit home video. Can anyone comment whether the 13" would be adequate or should I just get the 15"?

From a portability standpoint, I'd love to hear 15" owners comment on traveling with the larger size (both in size and weight) and whether they wish they went smaller.
Click to expand...

Go on ahead and get that 15" model, but make sure to check out the refurbished store and pickup one of those so you can put some extra money in your pocket.

If you can wait, go on ahead and wait it out for the refresh. Should be fresh :D
 
Why do so many people in this forum worry how heavy a rMBP 15 is? It's 4.5 pounds people! I could understand if it were some 10 pound gaming laptop but 4 pounds? Really? If someone has problems carrying a 4 pound laptop around, they should probably visit a gym. The 15 has many advantages over the 13, it's a no brainier if money isn't an issue.
 
dexterbell said:
Why do so many people in this forum worry how heavy a rMBP 15 is? It's 4.5 pounds people! I could understand if it were some 10 pound gaming laptop but 4 pounds? Really? If someone has problems carrying a 4 pound laptop around, they should probably visit a gym. The 15 has many advantages over the 13, it's a no brainier if money isn't an issue.
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I agree I think the only thing that matters is the size of the bag you carry around. If a 15" fits in anyway, complaining about that weight really suggests some health issues.
 
tonymontana23 said:
I use it for working and maybe creating iOS apps. Sometimes I need to move it around a little bit. And is the performance of the 13 inch a problem for that?
Click to expand...

If you think the 15" is too heavy and large, then definitely get the 13". That will handle coding.

Personally, since you said it yourself, moving it a little bit, the 15" gives you a larger faster laptop, but based on what you posted, it looks like you're set with the 13" which should be fine.
 
dexterbell said:
Why do so many people in this forum worry how heavy a rMBP 15 is? It's 4.5 pounds people! I could understand if it were some 10 pound gaming laptop but 4 pounds? Really? If someone has problems carrying a 4 pound laptop around, they should probably visit a gym. The 15 has many advantages over the 13, it's a no brainier if money isn't an issue.
Click to expand...

I understand your point but I would say it's not as much about the weight as it is the bulk. Almost like how people value the portability of the iPhone 6 over the 6+. I'm the type that places a value on portability if the product meets my needs.

Portability issues aside, can anyone comment if the 13" would be enough based on my expected usage?
 
It's not just weight. It's footprint. That 15" model looks like it can double as a surf board. Not interested in deploying that huge thing every time I need to use a computer. I'd rather it fit in my bag along the other things I carry without taking over.
 
Hieveryone said:
Go on ahead and get that 15" model, but make sure to check out the refurbished store and pickup one of those so you can put some extra money in your pocket.

If you can wait, go on ahead and wait it out for the refresh. Should be fresh :D
Click to expand...

Refurb 15"s have been missing since the Broadwell refresh. Luckily I got one in January but it looks like stock will be scarce.
 
rMBP choice dilemma. 13" or 15"

For me, portability is a secondary concern. I work at my machine. I want the largest, clearest screen I can buy. I would choose 15" every time on the theory that sooner or later I am going to sit down at a desk or table and do work. At that point, I don't really care a whit about portability. If you fly economy a lot and must work while on the plane, you might feel differently, but short of that situation, go with the screen real estate.

One man's .02

Adam Rodman
 
ZBoater said:
It's not just weight. It's footprint. That 15" model looks like it can double as a surf board. Not interested in deploying that huge thing every time I need to use a computer. I'd rather it fit in my bag along the other things I carry without taking over.
Click to expand...

LOL, hyperbole much?

But I get what you're saying and wouldn't go for the 15" for similar reasons. Unless you're coming from a prior 15" computer, the 13" will be plenty big. And unless you're doing some very processor intensive tasks, the overall hardware setup on the 13" is fine too.
 
FroggyFresh said:
I'm having trouble deciding between the new 13" and the 15" also and would appreciate some feedback. My current laptop is a 13" and broken. I need to buy something soon and don't have the luxury of going to a store to check them out.

For me, cost isn't a factor and I would select the upper model/specs for either. My concern is if the 13" has enough HP to handle 2 Windows VMs simultaneously- one light one for Office/VPN/work connectivity and another for IIS/SQL/Visual Studio development. I also work occasionally in Lightroom and casually edit home video. Can anyone comment whether the 13" would be adequate or should I just get the 15"?

From a portability standpoint, I'd love to hear 15" owners comment on traveling with the larger size (both in size and weight) and whether they wish they went smaller.
Click to expand...

I love my 15" MacBook Pro! Best choice I ever made buying it, because I need the power and it's still extremely portable. It doesn't even feel like anything is in my hand, which is why I don't get the argument of weight, and the body size is 2" bigger. So, really it's up to you, but they're almost identical, except for power and 2"....
 
FroggyFresh said:
I understand your point but I would say it's not as much about the weight as it is the bulk.
Click to expand...

The bulk? Of a Macbook? What bulk? Its still thinner and lighter than most 15 inch laptops on the market and its premium materials, not plastic junk.
 
The 15" isn't all that heavy. For a 15" laptop, the rMBP is the lightest laptop I've ever owned! The performance is great on it, too. Fast and smooth!
 
tonymontana23 said:
Need to move around my notebook sometimes. But don't wanna compromise on performance. Is the new 13" powerful enough for almost all kinds of use? Or, is the 15" one too heavy and too big to carry around? In terms of performance, how much better is the 15" model? I can't decide between them.:confused:
Click to expand...

You still haven't told us what specifically you'll be doing with it.

The GPU on the 15" Haswell still outperforms the 13" Broadwell by a lot. If you're gaming, or doing something that specifically pings the GPU quite a bit, get the 15".

For everything else: the 13" will be fine. Note that the 13" has a faster SSD, so reading/writing to storage is what you're going to be doing a lot of, the 13" has the advantage.
 
Get enough RAM and you should be fine if you prefer the smaller screen. 15" still kicks butt on multicore processes, but single core I belive they are almost identical.

That being said I just picked up a 15" and I think I'm going to take it back for a 13". Coming from a 13" 2010 MBP, the 15" is just a bit too much. It didn't look that big in the store, but I didn't get the couch experience of trying to manage the laptop and fight toddlers.
 
Whats this RAM nonsense

SWD said:
Get enough RAM and you should be fine if you prefer the smaller screen. 15" still kicks butt on multicore processes, but single core I belive they are almost identical.

That being said I just picked up a 15" and I think I'm going to take it back for a 13". Coming from a 13" 2010 MBP, the 15" is just a bit too much. It didn't look that big in the store, but I didn't get the couch experience of trying to manage the laptop and fight toddlers.
Click to expand...


More RAM makes NO difference if you don't use it.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1756865/
 
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