Thinking what my next laptop will be.

[kofman13]

Currently on 2015 rMBP 13 inch 256gb/8gb and it does the job just fine. I usually like to have the latest shiny new tech at least when it comes to phones and watch, and other things. I trade in and get the latest iPhone and Apple Watch each year etc. The 2016/2017 MacBook Pro design really entices me with the space gray color, slightly smaller bezels, brighter more vibrant screen, low profile keyboard, touch bar, and smaller slimmer body.. but I haven’t really NEEDED to upgrade plus the 2015 has ports. But I am kinda getting bored with it ( flame me all you want as this is the opposite of practical approach) so im thinking already what next Mac laptop I would get to replace the 2015.

I basically only do media consumption(youtube/netflix), tons of word processing at work, google sheets/docs for work, web browsing, email. Super light audio editing/production in Ableton Suite. when im away from my home studio monster windows desktop. Nothing crazy, no gaming, no power using, which is why I got the bottom tier MacBook Pro. So power isn’t a crazy need. I did opt for 256gb instead of 128 though.

In terms of port needs, once in a while I need usb to use thumb drives to transfer stuff or connect to the printer at work manually when our internal network printing service is down, and at home I connect my MacBook sometimes to my desk peripherals with HDMI and 1 usb for mouse and keyboard hub. If I went to USB c, I would have to carry a little dongle in my bag at work for when I ONCE IN A WHILE connect to the Xerox machine but thats not a big deal. And at home I guess I would have one of those dongles that has hdmi/regular usb. As for flash drives, they have dual usb A/C drives now that are pretty cheap at $15 for 32 gb.

Now the next question I had in my head was… why would I want the 2016/2017(or coming 2018) MBP design If I dont really need more power? Mostly my feelings were because its slimmer and lighter and I like the feel of the low profile keyboard. And sometimes I want something lighter ands slimmer to carry around sometimes with 1 hand. Then I realized that the non-pro 12 inch MacBook fills all those criteria… So now my question would be, when I do get a new laptop at some point, would I want to get a MBP 13 inch or the 12 MacBook?

NEXT QUESTION (sorry for the essay), is the m3 processor in the 12 inch MacBook super weak for my needs stated in the beginning? I had I think the 2010 MacBook Air and it was horrible, the fans would go wild and the whole thing would stutter when I would simply try to watch 1080p youtube. How is it compared to the 2015 rmBP or any i5 for that matter in terms of what I do? Sometimes heavy web browsing and spread sheet stuff in google docs, watching movies and videos.

EDIT: next laptop would have to be as good as my current 2015 rMBP at outputting external ultrawide 2560x1080P monitor

 

[newellj]

Currently on 2015 rMBP 13 inch 256gb/8gb and it does the job just fine. I usually like to have the latest shiny new tech at least when it comes to phones and watch, and other things. I trade in and get the latest iPhone and Apple Watch each year etc. The 2016/2017 MacBook Pro design really entices me with the space gray color, slightly smaller bezels, brighter more vibrant screen, low profile keyboard, touch bar, and smaller slimmer body.. but I haven’t really NEEDED to upgrade plus the 2015 has ports. But I am kinda getting bored with it ( flame me all you want as this is the opposite of practical approach) so im thinking already what next Mac laptop I would get to replace the 2015.

I basically only do media consumption(youtube/netflix), tons of word processing at work, google sheets/docs for work, web browsing, email. Super light audio editing/production in Ableton Suite. when im away from my home studio monster windows desktop. Nothing crazy, no gaming, no power using, which is why I got the bottom tier MacBook Pro. So power isn’t a crazy need. I did opt for 256gb instead of 128 though.

In terms of port needs, once in a while I need usb to use thumb drives to transfer stuff or connect to the printer at work manually when our internal network printing service is down, and at home I connect my MacBook sometimes to my desk peripherals with HDMI and 1 usb for mouse and keyboard hub. If I went to USB c, I would have to carry a little dongle in my bag at work for when I ONCE IN A WHILE connect to the Xerox machine but thats not a big deal. And at home I guess I would have one of those dongles that has hdmi/regular usb. As for flash drives, they have dual usb A/C drives now that are pretty cheap at $15 for 32 gb.

Now the next question I had in my head was… why would I want the 2016/2017(or coming 2018) MBP design If I dont really need more power? Mostly my feelings were because its slimmer and lighter and I like the feel of the low profile keyboard. And sometimes I want something lighter ands slimmer to carry around sometimes with 1 hand. Then I realized that the non-pro 12 inch MacBook fills all those criteria… So now my question would be, when I do get a new laptop at some point, would I want to get a MBP 13 inch or the 12 MacBook?

NEXT QUESTION (sorry for the essay), is the m3 processor in the 12 inch MacBook super weak for my needs stated in the beginning? I had I think the 2010 MacBook Air and it was horrible, the fans would go wild and the whole thing would stutter when I would simply try to watch 1080p youtube. How is it compared to the 2015 rmBP or any i5 for that matter in terms of what I do? Sometimes heavy web browsing and spread sheet stuff in google docs, watching movies and videos.

EDIT: next laptop would have to be as good as my current 2015 rMBP at outputting external ultrawide 2560x1080P monitor

This is all IMHO/YMMV.

I have a 2015 rMBP and I understand the desire to update. My uses are more or less similar to yours. I have made several fairly serious attempts to persuade myself to buy everything from the current 15" and 13" rMBP to the 12" rMB and even looked seriously at the latest 13" MBA. I'm staying put...

First, the keyboard on the 2016 and 2017 MacBooks (all - and also the 2015 rMB) are, in my opinion, simply unusable. I've owned the rMB twice (!!!) thinking that I'd get used to it - I didn't. Typing was almost literally painful and it was painfully inaccurate and slow.

Second, if you read for even a little time elsewhere here and Google the subject on the internet, you're going to find that there are a frightening number of keyboard failures on all of the current MacBooks. I kept thinking that I might roll the dice, but after spending quite a bit of time monopolizing various MBs at a couple of local Apple Stores and *repeatedly* running into MBs that had broken keyboards, I think I've given up. Really, if the staff at an Apple Store can't keep working machines on the tables, what does that say about the reliability of the new keyboards?

Third, and these are not deal-killers, I'm not really ready to give up MagSafe charging and I'm not at all enthusiastic about losing USB-A connectivity. I'll have to bit the bullet on those at some point, but for now they're fairly significant annoyances and they do go into the update math.

Moving on to guesses, I don't think you're going to be happy with the m3 version of a rMB, and that means spending even more. And what are you getting? I've been asking myself this question a lot. Yes, my 2015 rMB is getting sort of boring, but it does the job so well, and it isn't costing me anything...and it has been extremely dependable. That doesn't appear to be something that can be said about the current MacBooks.

 

[Fishrrman]

Hang onto the 2015 MacBook Pro if it's working fine.

Don't get swept up by "the latest and greatest" -- look at the keyboard problems folks are having with the 2016/17 design MBPro's.

Wait until the 2018 models are introduced.
Then... keep waiting at least 4 months until user reports become numerous enough to see whether the keyboard has been "fixed" or not.

If it HAS been fixed -- then consider buying something new.
If it HAS NOT been fixed -- I'd just keep using that 2015 model a year or two more, at least!

 

[kofman13]

Hang onto the 2015 MacBook Pro if it's working fine.

Don't get swept up by "the latest and greatest" -- look at the keyboard problems folks are having with the 2016/17 design MBPro's.

Wait until the 2018 models are introduced.
Then... keep waiting at least 4 months until user reports become numerous enough to see whether the keyboard has been "fixed" or not.

If it HAS been fixed -- then consider buying something new.
If it HAS NOT been fixed -- I'd just keep using that 2015 model a year or two more, at least!

good call, I didn't know the keyboard problem was so rampant,
I guess now the money can go towards new iPad Pro refresh! been waiting to upgrade form air 2, I need the size more for work than I need a new MacBook anyway

 

[R3k]

One and a half years, I'm finally ok with the new keyboard in the last couple of months. It seriously took me that long to adjust. I bought one of the first 15'' models, i can definitely recommend now. I doubt it will take you that long.

 

[MSastre]

Definitely wait for newer models. There may be a new models announcement as soon as WWDC in June.

 

[TC_GoldRush]

Get the new models if you don't use the keyboard.
But really though, stay with your current mac... Wait for this year's model.

 

[smallcoffee]

Currently on 2015 rMBP 13 inch 256gb/8gb and it does the job just fine.

Stopped reading right there. It does the job fine. You're being pulled in/manipulated with advertising to buy something you don't need. Don't buy a new laptop unless you're wealthy enough to not work, or you break this machine/can't use it for what you actually need it for.

 

[ChrisA]

I am pretty sure that 80% of all Mac users would be just as well of with a $200 Chromebook. I'm a software developer and I think most of what I use the notebook for is a remote terminal to some other computer. Just users are media consumers and as long as it can play the movie or show the web site it is fast enough.

I'm just fine with my 2011 vintage MacBook Pro althoughI did max out the RAM and add an SSD. With these mods it is fast enough for full time use.

Different story if I were a video editor doing work with 4K video, but most people are not doing work that would tax a Chromebook.

 

[kofman13]

I am pretty sure that 80% of all Mac users would be just as well of with a $200 Chromebook. I'm a software developer and I think most of what I use the notebook for is a remote terminal to some other computer. Just users are media consumers and as long as it can play the movie or show the web site it is fast enough.

I'm just fine with my 2011 vintage MacBook Pro althoughI did max out the RAM and add an SSD. With these mods it is fast enough for full time use.

Different story if I were a video editor doing work with 4K video, but most people are not doing work that would tax a Chromebook.

Yeah but...but... bells and whistles ! I mean a lot of people could get from home to work in a used sub 1000$ hunk of junk car but many people choose to have a semi luxury/luxury car because it’s more enjoyable to them. I could do what I do on an iPhone 4 but I love what the iPhone X has to offer. Tech is probably the only thing in my life I see as a utility but also luxury

 

[smallcoffee]

Yeah but...but... bells and whistles ! I mean a lot of people could get from home to work in a used sub 1000$ hunk of junk car but many people choose to have a semi luxury/luxury car because it’s more enjoyable to them. I could do what I do on an iPhone 4 but I love what the iPhone X has to offer. Tech is probably the only thing in my life I see as a utility but also luxury

Yes a lot of people make poor financial decisions so I guess you should too?