Which MacBook Pro should I Buy 13 or 15inch?

[anners88]

Hi,
I am doing my initial research on getting a new MacBook Pro. I have had a PC all my life so getting a Mac is new to me and any additional help would be great. I am torn between getting a 13 or 15inch MacBook Pro.

Some of the programs I plan on running with MacBook Pro is Final Cut Pro and Adobe CS4, but I am definitely using this programs as a hobby and not on a hardcore basis. I don't plan on doing any gaming on the laptop I get. Will I notice the different in screen comfortability when running Final Cut Pro. Also, I am a grad student and like to carry my laptop everywhere I go. Also, when running Final Cut Pro will I notice the difference between 2.44 GHz or 2.56 or 2.66.

Thanks for any help.

 

[jmdMac]

Literally countless threads on this topic. Your needs are not unique in anyway, try searching MRoogle, see the link in my sig.

For you I would recommend the base 13". Should be plenty for your needs. If you want, you could always go for the base 15" like I did, I personally think it's the best value outside of the 13" models.

 

[EthanXC1]

This question is pretty common, but I can't stand the "mroogle" posts. He is new, maybe he doesn't know?

Anyway, this is a tough decision, and I would advise going to the store and playing with them a little. The larger screen would definitely be better for video/photo editing and the extra specs in the 15 model would help that also. However, the real question is are you willing to spend another few hundred dollars for those 2 inches. I think you could get by with a 13 and the extra portability couldn't hurt also. Again though, go to the store, see for yourself.

 

[bob.loblaw]

15" if you need lot of windows open at once and need to interact with the multiple windows. 13" if you don't.

I have a 15" now and need it for the many windows I have open at work. At home I'm usually doing one thing at a time and my previous 13" worked fine for that.

 

[EthanXC1]

I normally use expose when dealing with multiple windows, great feature. However, I guess if you need to see the multiple windows at the exact same moment, yes the 15'' would obviously be better.

 

[robotmonkey]

I would say 13. I don't understand the whole "you need the extra space on a 15 inch screen for anything serious" bit. Not really.... I make shirts an illustrator and it has yet to bother me. People forget that windows get stacked on top one another and that exposé makes it really really easy to navigate between many many windows. Furthermore, 15 is still a small screen and it's not like you gain much, so why lug around the extra size and weight for an almost unnoticeable increase in screen real-estate. I should know I use a 13 inch mbp and a 15 inch gateway P(iece of)C(rap). As far as performance goes, the base 13 has you more than covered. You may want to upgrade your RAM if you plan on virtually running windows or something like that, but otherwise your good. Also, the 15 is so much more expensive!!!! For what you are going to be doing, the performance increase from the i5 processor is going to be next to nominal. If you can afford a 15, use the money you save and put a good ssd in a 13. That'll be way better for you, only problem is that ssd's are kinda small.... Also, a 13 is going to get as much as 2 hours of more battery life than a 15 doing the same tasks, the 13 inch looks so much better, and the 13 inch is much easier to carry around. The smaller footprint, better battery life, better looks, and loss of a pound is definitely worth the almost unnoticeably smaller screen (i say this because when you are working on something, you're not going to be bitching about a display that is plenty big) and minimal decrease in performance.

Go 13!!!

 

[robotmonkey]

I normally use expose when dealing with multiple windows, great feature. However, I guess if you need to see the multiple windows at the exact same moment, yes the 15'' would obviously be better.

I disagree, with the multi-touch trackpad exposé makes switching between windows very very quick. And look at it this way, the 15 is still a small screen, so unless you have tiny windows you'll still need exposé.

 

[Ronnoco]

For portability, you can't beat the 13"...