The 14" MacBook vs...

[CalMin]

There's something very reminiscent about how the new 14" MBP, so I pulled my first ever Mac Laptop (A 2003 12" PowerBook G4) off the shelf and fired it up.

This is the machine that made me fall in love with MacOS. I had an iMac G4 that felt more like an art piece and sat in my living room as a funky little jukebox, but the PowerBook was the machine on which I did my computing. It was my daily PC from 2003 to 2010 - and I only ditched it when OS 10.5 came out and the Intel transition was complete.

There is a density to the old machine that makes it feel like a piece of military hardware. It's 4.6lbs - pretty much the same as the 16" M1 Pro.

Anyway, I snapped a couple of pics for kicks and giggles. It's amazing how many ports we used to fit on these things, and how trackpads have gotten comedically large.

--

This new 14" very much feels like the spiritual successor to the 12" PowerBook. It's compact but chunky - it no longer feels like the MBP models from 2016-2019. It has a nice purposeful heft to it. Let's see if I get 7-years from it.

 

[Adarna]

There's something very reminiscent about how the new 14" MBP, so I pulled my first ever Mac Laptop (A 2003 12" PowerBook G4) off the shelf and fired it up.

This is the machine that made me fall in love with MacOS. I had an iMac G4 that felt more like an art piece and sat in my living room as a funky little jukebox, but the PowerBook was the machine on which I did my computing. It was my daily PC from 2003 to 2010 - and I only ditched it when OS 10.5 came out and the Intel transition was complete.

There is a density to the old machine that makes it feel like a piece of military hardware. It's 4.6lbs - pretty much the same as the 16" M1 Pro.

Anyway, I snapped a couple of pics for kicks and giggles. It's amazing how many ports we used to fit on these things, and how trackpads have gotten comedically large.

--

This new 14" very much feels like the spiritual successor to the 12" PowerBook. It's compact but chunky - it no longer feels like the MBP models from 2016-2019. It has a nice purposeful heft to it. Let's see if I get 7-years from it.

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You forgot the side-by-side comparison of the port selection.

My ideal port config for the 14" & 16" would be

• 1 USB-A/USB3.1 10Gbps
• 3 USB-C/USB4/TB4 40Gbps
• 3.5mm headphone port
• CompactFlash slot for Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
• MagSafe 3

Although I prefer Ethernet I completely understand that most users use WiFi.

 

[marmiteturkey]

Really enjoyed reading your love for this machine. The 12” PowerBook was my first ever Mac - the iPod 3 was my gateway drug - I bought it in a computer centre in Wanchai, Hong Kong on a rainy Sunday along with a copy of MSOffice, and spent the day falling in love with osX. I’ve never chosen to compute on anything but macOS since (work machines have been winx until I reached a level when I could influence the IT dept). The magnifying dock showed me that Apple understood computing should be aesthetically pleasing, functional and polished on a way that windows has never been.

I can’t believe this machine was so heavy - I remember it being compact and portable, and I was travelling a LOT at the time. Just goes to show!

I miss plug-in battery, RAM and Wi-Fi - if was viscerally fun to improve your computer’s capabilities by opening secret doors and snapping in expansion parts.

But I am now really enjoying my mbp14 and chose it in silver because like you, it takes me back to the 12” PowerBook, the first computer I ever enjoyed.

 

[flapflapflap]

Mine:

4 TB4
3.5mm headphone port
MagSafe 3

25% thinner.

 

[CalMin]

You forgot the side-by-side comparison of the port selection.

Here you go. I actually stacked up the 14" (2021), 16" (2019), 13" (2009), 12" (2003). The 16" has gone back to Apple as a trade now though.

 

[CalMin]

I miss plug-in battery, RAM and Wi-Fi - if was viscerally fun to improve your computer’s capabilities by opening secret doors and snapping in expansion parts.

Absolutely. Part of the reason that I was able to keep it for so long was that I upgraded it all of these. I replaced a worn out battery, increased the RAM, added an Airport card, and I also replaced the HDD. The repairs were generally easy with a bit of patience and care and I felt like I learned a lot in the process.

I miss being able to tinker like that, and I hate being locked into the specs. selected at time of purchase. Apple has always charged way above market for these upgrades, so being able to add them afterwards (or when needs changed) was great.

 

[marmiteturkey]

Absolutely. Part of the reason that I was able to keep it for so long was that I upgraded it all of these. I replaced a worn out battery, increased the RAM, added an Airport card, and I also replaced the HDD. The repairs were generally easy with a bit of patience and care and I felt like I learned a lot in the process.

I miss being able to tinker like that, and I hate being locked into the specs. selected at time of purchase. Apple has always charged way above market for these upgrades, so being able to add them afterwards (or when needs changed) was great.

Yes! I’m remembering now upgrading the hdd in a unibody 13in MBP around 2009 - that was fun figuring it out and getting set up. It’s not just the cost, it was a perfect level of accessible tinkering for a non-technical person like me.

Also cost about ⅓ what Apple would have charged at purchase.

 

[MJBarnes]

Here you go. I actually stacked up the 14" (2021), 16" (2019), 13" (2009), 12" (2003). The 16" has gone back to Apple as a trade now though.

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Did you find that replacing the 2019 16" with the 2021 14" was a good choice? I am in the same boat and trying to determine if this is a good trade-up? Thanks for any insight you can provide. I am not a power user. Work email, Teams, etc...

 

[weezin]

I'm amazed at how relatively the same the footprint is of the 12" PB vs the 14" MBP. Like - the MBP isn't *that* much bigger! Amazing.

 

[CalMin]

I'm amazed at how relatively the same the footprint is of the 12" PB vs the 14" MBP. Like - the MBP isn't *that* much bigger! Amazing.

I know right! More screen and less weight. That's 18-years of progress for you!

Did you find that replacing the 2019 16" with the 2021 14" was a good choice? I am in the same boat and trying to determine if this is a good trade-up? Thanks for any insight you can provide. I am not a power user. Work email, Teams, etc...

If I am honest, I miss the screen a little bit coming from the 2019 16" - especially when docked at home at my desk. But the new 16" machine is just too big and heavy for my preference. I don't travel much but even the 2019 16" was just too awkward when I did - and I hated it for that. The new one would probably drive me to drink!

The 14" is definitely more portable and the screen size is great for MS Office productivity. I can view two Word documents or PDF side-by-side in comfort and with Mission Control, multitasking is fine too. Outlook and MacOS calendar felt a little cramped at first, but I am used it now and very happy with the choice. Today is my last day to return the 14" and switch to a 16" M1 Pro and I am not even slightly tempted.

The old 16" is on it's way back to Apple's trade-in facility.

Here's a few pics and a link to a few of my thoughts on this: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/do-you-find-the-new-16-too-big.2321383/post-30560575

 

[Brien]

Did you ever use a pre-retina 15”? Those were far heavier than any of the modern 15/16”.

 

[CalMin]

Did you ever use a pre-retina 15”? Those were far heavier than any of the modern 15/16”.

Yes I did. I had a 2012 15" for a couple of years and it was fine, but the thin and light form factor of the 2016 models really felt like an upgrade to me.

The size/weight thing is subjective. In looking at this older 12" machine it's amazing how far we've come. In 2003 that PowerBook felt light years ahead of what came before it at "just" 4.6lbs. I remember being in awe of just how portable it felt. These days I think my 3.5lb M1 is a bit of a porker!