I need a laptop for college and I in a dilemma whether a should get the New 13" Macbook Pro 2.53ghz/250gb or the old 15" Macbook Pro 2.66ghz/320 gb. The old 15" MBP decreased its price because of the New 15" MBP and has the same price with the New 13" MBP. The New 13"MBP has 7 hrs battery life and SD card slot while the old 15" MBP has 2 video cards, better processor and more HD space and I think it also has a better screen but it has only 4 hours of battery and I'm thinking if it's too big. I don't know which one is better the new 13" MBP(2.53ghz) or the old 15" MBP (2.66ghz). also, is the screen the same or the old 15" has a better screen?
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What should I get the New Macbook Pro 13" or the Old 15" Macbook Pro
- Thread starter clar24
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the old one iMO has better specs. However, the longer life battery on the new ones are definitely a big plus. The increased gamut from what I've read only makes a difference if you're doing serious color critical work, in which case you'll notice it. For everyday use, it's negligible.
Really depends what is more important to you! But either way they can't go wrong with either.
Really depends what is more important to you! But either way they can't go wrong with either.
You can mitigate the SD slot with the express card slot. I haven't seen the new 13" yet, but from what I have read they are really nice. Processor difference is marginal, and the hard drives are upgradeable in either machine. Do you think you would need the dedicated graphics? The 9400M is pretty good.
If you are someone who would carry around 2 batteries, the older 15" might be good, but I really think the new batteries are compelling.
If you think the 15" might be a little too big, definitely go for the 13".
If you are someone who would carry around 2 batteries, the older 15" might be good, but I really think the new batteries are compelling.
If you think the 15" might be a little too big, definitely go for the 13".
If you need better portability or battery life, go with the new one.
The SD reader is a non-issue...
is the 15" Macbook Pro portable??
I need a laptop for college, I also need a portable one. but I kinda like the Old 15" Macbook Pro compared to the New 13" Macbook Pro because they have the same price but the Old 15" MBP has better specs and has dedicated graphics card. Would i have a hard time carrying the 15" MBP??
also, what does the expresscard slot do anyway??
I need a laptop for college, I also need a portable one. but I kinda like the Old 15" Macbook Pro compared to the New 13" Macbook Pro because they have the same price but the Old 15" MBP has better specs and has dedicated graphics card. Would i have a hard time carrying the 15" MBP??
also, what does the expresscard slot do anyway??
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I had a 15" pro while I was in college and had no problems carrying it. I had a backpack with a slot for a laptop in it and my MBP fit in there perfectly. The 13" is too small for my liking.
I had a 15" pro while I was in college and had no problems carrying it. I had a backpack with a slot for a laptop in it and my MBP fit in there perfectly. The 13" is too small for my liking.
Odds are, if you need to ask that question then it's something you'll never need to use. The expresscard slot supports hardware that you can use to expand the ports on your machine. For instance, an expresscard can have additional FW ports, esata, wireless networking, sound or gfx cards, and a slew of other things. There are more than a few professional applications for expresscard 34 slots.
It really depends on what you're going to be using the laptop for.
Do you play games? Photoshop? Movie editing?
If you do, get the 15".
If you're more of a road warrior, get the 13".
The screen isn't THAT much better. I have the pre-WWDC 2.66GHz uMBP and the screen is awesome. I've seen the screens on the new ones and honestly, I can't see the difference between the two even though the new ones are supposed to have a larger color gamut.
In terms of portability.. the 15" is not too big. I carry mine basically everywhere. The true test will be on the airplane in a few days, but I think it'll be fine.
Do you want portability, or more screen real estate? If you could find a good deal on an early 09 2.66 mbp, I'd go for that.
I think the 2.66 would be a better choice, too. The 15" IS portable, but it's not as portable as the 13", IMO.
Both models are supposed to have pretty good screens, there isn't a night and day difference like in the original unibody macbooks with the 9c89 screens.
Both models are supposed to have pretty good screens, there isn't a night and day difference like in the original unibody macbooks with the 9c89 screens.
Start with the 13". If in 3 months you need a bigger screen, get a 20-24" display and use that with it.
Big screen in the dorm room, small portable on the go.
Big screen in the dorm room, small portable on the go.
The 15" is pretty portable, although the 13" will be more portable. If you're carrying it around all day, then go with the 13" to save your body some strain.
Also, are you going to be using any programs that would benefit from the dedicated graphics card?
Also, are you going to be using any programs that would benefit from the dedicated graphics card?
This is not really a question anyone can Answer for the OP and frankly I just don't know why he doesn't go to his local store and check them out for himself? Anyone can say that any one of the Macbooks are portable including the 17" since it only weighs 6.6 pounds. Again, I say to check them out for yourself, no one here is going to give you the right answer for your needs unless you just created this thread just to have a friendly discussion just to pass time away.
It depends on what you really want from your computer. The 13" is more modern, has a better battery and is more portable. On the other hand, the older 15" MBP has a better spec and a better screen, whereas portability is slightly more of an issue - though not as much as it would be with the 17" MBP - and the battery is not as good as that of the new 13" MBP.
Essentially, it's your call, so you must ask yourself what you need most, power or portability, long lived battery or a better screen? Personally, I'd recommend the 15" MBP as it is still a better computer.
Cheers and good luck
Essentially, it's your call, so you must ask yourself what you need most, power or portability, long lived battery or a better screen? Personally, I'd recommend the 15" MBP as it is still a better computer.
Cheers and good luck
There's a good chance at some point you'll have a couple of lectures stringed in a row. Unless you want to carry your power brick or a spare battery around, the 7 hours of life on the 13" will serve you well, not to mention the much higher battery cycle tolerance.
Having owned both the 15" MBP (SR - 2007) and 13" MBP, unless you need dedicated graphics, there is no reason to choose the old 15" over the 13" MBP.
Having owned both the 15" MBP (SR - 2007) and 13" MBP, unless you need dedicated graphics, there is no reason to choose the old 15" over the 13" MBP.
Thanks for the opinions guys, I decided to get the old 15" MBP over the new 13" MBP because as you said it has a better screen and it has better specs than the 13" and it's still portable for you guys, all for the same price. I could get a spare battery if i need it.
You made a great choice! Honestly, with regular use, I am able to squeeze out 5 hours and 15 minutes from my fully charged Macbook Pro (15" 2.66 early 2009-same as yours). My friends who have the new 13" MBP and another friend who has the 15" 2.66 with the non-replaceable battery. The 13" MBP lasts 6 hours and 20 minutes at most and the 15" MBP lasts barely 6 hours. These times are with the keyboard set to level three and brightness at 50% with no applications opened. So at most, the 13" gets an extra hour while the 15" gets about 45 minutes more.
Oh and lets not forget the 6mb Cache, 512mb Dedicated Graphics and it still has the capability to fully use 8Gb.
