Was purchasing a MacBook Pro a rational decision?

[funkysmurf]

Hi all,

I've been buying MacBook Pros for a number of years and in that time, the machines have been used at home for about 95% of the time (possibly more).

I'm well aware that, for the price, I could get a more powerful desktop with a large screen, yet I keep going back to the laptops. This then obviously isn't much of a rational decision.

I'm curious to see whether the majority of MacBook Pro owners use their machine out and about or as a desktop replacement.

 

[igorpreston]

I am using MBP 15 inch by taking it to a coworking space everyday for my work, portability feature is very nice to have. At home I have iMac 27 inch to work at my desk with an awesome screen. Of course I could just buy a good monitor and connect my MBP to it at home but this computer is also used by my wife and dealing with iMac is easier for her than all that laptop + external monitor stuff. Anyway, if I’d like to stay and work at home tomorrow I prefer iMac, but sometimes I want to relax on sofa working and I just take MBP and go, very long sessions at the desk might be overwhelming, so that’s why. This setup allows me to work everywhere I want.

 

[Samuelsan2001]

When I bought my MacBook Pro I used it a lot on the road, but to honest it never leaves the house now. A combination of better phones and iPads and the serious lessening of my need for home computing has made my lovely computer a glorified external hard drive much of the time.

 

[jerryk]

Unless you need the power on the road, laptops are less and less useful. I can see myself using a simpler system like a Pixelbook for even my heavy duty ML/AI work in the near future. As the Cloud providers add web accessible development environments and GPUs to do heavy compute tasks, the need for power on the desktop and mobile gets less and less, day by day.

 

[Spudlicious]

Buy what you admire and will enjoy using, what will give you pride of ownership. Life's too short to be rational.

 

[tamara6]

We have an iMac at home (in fact, we used to have two). But the laptops are just so much more convenient. I can work outside! I can work on the sofa in front of the TV. I can work on the dining room table. And I can take my computer to work, or on vacation, if I need to. I remember the sense of freedom that I felt when we got our first laptop (a pismo powerbook). And I don't think my main computer could ever be an iMac again.

 

[leman]

I switch my workspace all the time, I don't think that I would ever want to go back to be tied down by a stationary machine. So yes, rather rational

 

[maflynn]

I'm curious to see whether the majority of MacBook Pro owners use their machine out and about or as a desktop replacement.

Yes, my MBP is a desktop replacement. I have an iMac but that's now more for my kids and their homework and the laptop is used as a desktop replacement. I do have mobile needs so it comes with me when I travel.

 

[Apple_Glen_UK]

I have a 13" MacBook Pro 2015 which has never left the house. The reasons for me opting for a laptop rather than desktop computer are because I like being able to use it in various rooms and - the main reason - with two young children in the house I feared an iMac would get messed about with or bashed with something. I can easily hide my MBP away!

 

[macjunk(ie)]

Hi all,

I've been buying MacBook Pros for a number of years and in that time, the machines have been used at home for about 95% of the time (possibly more).

I'm well aware that, for the price, I could get a more powerful desktop with a large screen, yet I keep going back to the laptops. This then obviously isn't much of a rational decision.

I'm curious to see whether the majority of MacBook Pro owners use their machine out and about or as a desktop replacement.

In my view, unless you absolutely need the Mac OS, purchasing a MacBook Pro today is never a rational decision. We will have to see how the many new design decisions taken by Apple play out in the long term. Touch Bar, T2 chip, keyboard, super tight tolerances leading to cracked screens (maybe?) etc.

If my MBP 2015 dies today, I will not buy the new MBPs. I just want Mac OS and not need it per se. It is going to be painful but I will switch to Linux (and run Windows in a VM) . All this will change if I find a ridiculous deal on a 2015

 

[jjhoekstra]

I have been buying MBPs since 2009 and never regretted it. They just work for me. While travelling i tend to take my MB or iPad too save on space and weight, but I am always glad to be back on MBP. I have a model 2015, bought new last year as I truly hate dongles. If in a couple of years the MBPs still do not have a decent set of ports I will switch to windows. There are now very nice windows based laptops and the choice is huge.
I would prefer to stay with Apple, but it seems that Apple and me are slowly drifting apart. It used to be a company producing serious, pro-oriented hardware, now it is slowly evolving into a gadget-company. The latest mb pro models run their cpu at 97 degrees celcius when doing heavy work!!!! That is not pro but criminally bad. Period.

 

[n-evo]

I always had an iMac, but after a while I didn't enjoy sitting fixed behind the same desk anymore. So I switched over to a MacBook Pro. Now I can work wherever. Whether it's a different spot at home or away from home. I also use my MacBook Pro a lot at work.

 

[spacebro]

I bought the 2012 MacBook Pro as a desktop replacement. It really was back then, 16gb ram and quad core was more than most desktops had. But 8 years went by without a ram or core increase and I had to get a desktop in the mean time. Now I don't care about having a powerful machine because I use cloud servers if I want to do anything needing cpu cycles. I'm tired of this MacBook burning my legs if I use it on my lap, and it makes my bag heavy. Now I just want a thin, light, and fairly capable laptop. May consider replacing my 2015 with a MacBook-not-pro or else go iPad only. I feel like its impossible to build a laptop with modern specs that won't burn your legs, now tablets are the true "lap top" and laptops are the new desktop since you have to use them on a table.

 

[LeeW]

I use mine at home for the majority of time, in clamshell with two monitors, magic keyboard/mouse. It works for everything I need but I do travel between home in the UK to other home in Spain so some portability is required. When I get to Spain though I have monitors and a spare keyboard/mouse to use in clamshell there as well.

Used to use a Mac Mini, throw it in the case when moving around but **cough** Apple need to update it to get me back to using one again.

 

[bruinsrme]

The mbp isn’t the cheapest nor more powerful computer out there.
It does what I need it to do.
For me I enjoy using it as much as it is an appealing looking computer.
Never has there been a day that when I open my mbp I say damn I should have bought a dell.

I run windows 90%+ of the time, on my mbp

 

[shoppy]

Buying a Mac is a personal matter, I purchased my first one after spending. few years travelling and being hypnotised by the apple logo in movies and coffee tables. So In 2002 purchased my first powerbook 12" and I had no idea what I was getting into. But the thing was a work of beauty compared to my 2K Sony Vaio that broke on me and the compaq eye sores.

Since then I have had a new machine on every update every year (is it rational, absolutely not). But I love and enjoy using Mac OS and the machines. I have just replaced my 13 and 15 from last years versions for my use.

 

[Spudlicious]

I bought the 2012 MacBook Pro as a desktop replacement. It really was back then, 16gb ram and quad core was more than most desktops had. But 8 years went by without a ram or core increase and I had to get a desktop in the mean time. Now I don't care about having a powerful machine because I use cloud servers if I want to do anything needing cpu cycles. I'm tired of this MacBook burning my legs if I use it on my lap, and it makes my bag heavy. Now I just want a thin, light, and fairly capable laptop. May consider replacing my 2015 with a MacBook-not-pro or else go iPad only. I feel like its impossible to build a laptop with modern specs that won't burn your legs, now tablets are the true "lap top" and laptops are the new desktop since you have to use them on a table.

Have to say I've NEVER used a laptop on my lap, they've been my desktop since 2001.

 

[maflynn]

Have to say I've NEVER used a laptop on my lap, they've been my desktop since 2001.

I still do, and my kids do as well. I had a razer 2018 model, and one thing I noticed with that, is it was difficult to use it on your lap.