Wait for 15" MBP, or buy a MacBook now?

[bollweevil]

Let's be frank: I want a new toy.

I am currently using a 2013 Retina MacBook Pro, 15-inch screen, 16 GiB RAM, 2.6 GHz processor. I am a software engineer, so my work actually drives the processor pretty hard sometimes. Very often I will need to wait 5 to 30 seconds while something processor-bound gets computed - I compile large C projects, I process data, stuff like that. (The ultra-fast SSD in the MBP is definitely noticeable, IO-bound tasks can be 10 times faster than my 3.4 GHz Linux desktop with spinning metal drives.)

But hot damn I want a new toy. My MBP is 4.46 pounds, whereas the MacBook is only 2.03 pounds. If I bought a MacBook, I would theoretically use it in addition to my MBP, similar to how some people use iPads. My company bought me an iPad because they wanted me to make sure our websites work on iPad, and I never really liked the iPad. I love the MBP keyboard so much, I am a keyboard creature.

Should I buy a MacBook, or am I just being spoiled? Should I wait for the 15-inch MBP to be updated?

In my weaker moments, I consider buying a 13-inch MBP. That would be a waste of money, it is not super small like the MacBook, but it is quite possibly less powerful than my 2013 15-incher.

Maybe I should buy myself a nice 15-inch ThinkPad and install Kubuntu on it. But that isn't technologically cool at all, it would not be a very advanced machine relative to a MacBook or a 2015 MBP.

I could also replace the head unit in my car stereo, but that is only like 5 hours of fun. A new laptop is at least 20 hours of fun, it gets hard to count. The new car stereos come out around April, and working on the car is nice this time of year.

 

[nanogirl21]

Let's be frank: I want a new toy.

I am currently using a 2013 Retina MacBook Pro, 15-inch screen, 16 GiB RAM, 2.6 GHz processor. I am a software engineer, so my work actually drives the processor pretty hard sometimes. Very often I will need to wait 5 to 30 seconds while something processor-bound gets computed - I compile large C projects, I process data, stuff like that. (The ultra-fast SSD in the MBP is definitely noticeable, IO-bound tasks can be 10 times faster than my 3.4 GHz Linux desktop with spinning metal drives.)

But hot damn I want a new toy. My MBP is 4.46 pounds, whereas the MacBook is only 2.03 pounds. If I bought a MacBook, I would theoretically use it in addition to my MBP, similar to how some people use iPads. My company bought me an iPad because they wanted me to make sure our websites work on iPad, and I never really liked the iPad. I love the MBP keyboard so much, I am a keyboard creature.

Should I buy a MacBook, or am I just being spoiled? Should I wait for the 15-inch MBP to be updated?

In my weaker moments, I consider buying a 13-inch MBP. That would be a waste of money, it is not super small like the MacBook, but it is quite possibly less powerful than my 2013 15-incher.

Maybe I should buy myself a nice 15-inch ThinkPad and install Kubuntu on it. But that isn't technologically cool at all, it would not be a very advanced machine relative to a MacBook or a 2015 MBP.

I could also replace the head unit in my car stereo, but that is only like 5 hours of fun. A new laptop is at least 20 hours of fun, it gets hard to count. The new car stereos come out around April, and working on the car is nice this time of year.

Buy now. A lot of good sales are going on.

 

[dusk007]

If you got the money to spend and don't mind why not.
Otherwise, wait.
It doesn't sound like you need a new 15" at all like not wait for a new one.
I think the MacBook will come down in price quite a lot in next iterations. They milk it now and I think it is quite pricy for what it offers.
Upgrade your external displays. Get a good monitor arm and some nice curved one from Samsung. Great contrast, great for coding.
The MacBook keyboard is still a little smaller. Get a 13" Dell XPS it is barely bigger but a lot more useful. What are you really going to do with the MacBook. I think it is just not worth money they charge. It might not be a lot of money for you though.
I would upgrade my display situation if I got money to burn. Like two on a mobile arm and not just something standing on the desk.

 

[bollweevil]

There is no way I am buying a 15-inch MBP before they get updated, in case that wasn't clear.

I just saw that the shipping time for MacBooks is 4-6 weeks for all models, so that decreases the chances I will buy a MacBook.

I will check out the Dell XPS, I am unfamiliar with it. I generally dislike Dells.

 

[maflynn]

Let's be frank: I want a new toy.

I am currently using a 2013 Retina MacBook Pro, 15-inch screen, 16 GiB RAM, 2.6 GHz processor. I am a software engineer, so my work actually drives the processor pretty hard sometimes. Very often I will need to wait 5 to 30 seconds while something processor-bound gets computed - I compile large C projects, I process data, stuff like that. (The ultra-fast SSD in the MBP is definitely noticeable, IO-bound tasks can be 10 times faster than my 3.4 GHz Linux desktop with spinning metal drives.)

I'd not consider the MacBook since it uses a slow processor, you seem to be using some CPU intensive apps, I'd wait for the next gen of MBPs to get the best performance.

 

[ct1211]

Let's be frank: I want a new toy.

I am currently using a 2013 Retina MacBook Pro, 15-inch screen, 16 GiB RAM, 2.6 GHz processor. I am a software engineer, so my work actually drives the processor pretty hard sometimes. Very often I will need to wait 5 to 30 seconds while something processor-bound gets computed - I compile large C projects, I process data, stuff like that. (The ultra-fast SSD in the MBP is definitely noticeable, IO-bound tasks can be 10 times faster than my 3.4 GHz Linux desktop with spinning metal drives.)

But hot damn I want a new toy. My MBP is 4.46 pounds, whereas the MacBook is only 2.03 pounds. If I bought a MacBook, I would theoretically use it in addition to my MBP, similar to how some people use iPads. My company bought me an iPad because they wanted me to make sure our websites work on iPad, and I never really liked the iPad. I love the MBP keyboard so much, I am a keyboard creature.

Should I buy a MacBook, or am I just being spoiled? Should I wait for the 15-inch MBP to be updated?

In my weaker moments, I consider buying a 13-inch MBP. That would be a waste of money, it is not super small like the MacBook, but it is quite possibly less powerful than my 2013 15-incher.

Maybe I should buy myself a nice 15-inch ThinkPad and install Kubuntu on it. But that isn't technologically cool at all, it would not be a very advanced machine relative to a MacBook or a 2015 MBP.

I could also replace the head unit in my car stereo, but that is only like 5 hours of fun. A new laptop is at least 20 hours of fun, it gets hard to count. The new car stereos come out around April, and working on the car is nice this time of year.

I know this new toy bug! Buy the Macbook and keep your 15" for real work. Although having played with a demo for 30 minutes I can tell you it seems solid for most tasks.

Heres my take on rMBP models June 15" gets Broadwell and new trackpad. 2016 a redesigned rMBPish line with a first version of Skylake and number of key features missing to the horror of Mac Freaks everywhere (on MacRumors) and a new thread here called "waiting for VaporLakeWell" Also threads of people "worried" about something or everything, Apple has lost it etc"

In the Alt world - Yikes!! Windows 10 has come out and created a stampede, one of the foreign companies supplying parts to Apple (Samsung, LG etc) has built a Zen like computer, new thread "Who's jumping ship" is slammed.

2017 Refresh processor a couple missing features return, Apple claims all Safari bugs now addressed.

See, not ever worth waiting...