Which MBP screen for these circumstances?

[Blues003]

The one I'd exclude right away would be the 17''. The spec improvement over the 15'' is easily surpassed by the comfort of taking a 15'' with you, over a 17''.

However, between the 13'' and 15'', that's a different story.

As I said, I'm with you. I also do not know what to buy. Even with an external at home, I don't like to be dependant on it for working (I like to work in very different places inside my own home). The size of the 15'' is more uncomfortable than the 13'', definetly, but I never carried around 2,5 Kgs, so I dunno how different it is from my 2.8 Kg Sony Vaio.

That being said, I think regardless of what you choose, you should put 8GB of RAM and a SSD Drive, considering price is not a factor.

 

[tim100]

In your position, I would buy a base model 13 inch MBP and upgrade it with 8Gb of RAM and an SSD. The 13 inch has the longest battery life in the MBP lineup and is also smaller and lighter than the larger models. Given that you will have your computer with you almost all of the time but have no apps that are particularly demanding graphically, it seems to me that the 13 inch will give you the most comfortable user experience as well as more bang for the buck than either a 15 or 17 inch MBP.

i cant recommend a 13 mbp now because it is stuck with a c2d. they had that same chip in mbp in 2006. i would not buy a tv from 2006. not sure why apple is so concerned with graphics chip.

Thanks, really good points above ^ . The ideal would be a 15" MacBook Air

Good arguments in favor of the 13" and the 15" MBP with the AG screen.

Two reasons I'm leaning towards trying the 15" AG, in my case carrying a bigger / heavier computer may be a good idea, a little more exercise never hurts Also, more screen real estate may lend itself to greater productivity and that's a plus.

So perhaps choosing the 15" has more true benefit than the enjoyment you get from carrying and using the compact and light 13" MBP?

On the other hand, it's like a camera. For many the 'best camera money can buy' is the one that you'll have with you at all times when you need it. For the average person the DSLR's often sit at home and aren't with you when you want it. That's the reason I'm not considering the 17", it's just large enough that you may not 'want' to bring it with you often. The idea of having an iPad as a companion to a large notebook isn't the answer either, I want power on the go and be able to type/create content quickly.

i would consider the 17 i7 ag. once you use the 17 its hard to switch to a 15 they are so similar in size and the 17 offers 2 inch more screen, better speakers, runs cooler has more fans, and i think has longer battery life. once you say no to 13 portability is out.

 

[0186279]

You have owned macbooks with both a 13" and 15" screen, you've got the experience you need to make a decision, no?

 

[Blues003]

i cant recommend a 13 mbp now because it is stuck with a c2d. they had that same chip in mbp in 2006. i would not buy a tv from 2006. not sure why apple is so concerned with graphics chip.



i would consider the 17 i7 ag. once you use the 17 its hard to switch to a 15 they are so similar in size and the 17 offers 2 inch more screen, better speakers, runs cooler has more fans, and i think has longer battery life. once you say no to 13 portability is out.

I don't think portability is out once you rule out 13''. 15'' is half a kilo heavier than the 13'', and half a kilo lighter than the 17''. As for dimensions, I'd say 15'' is the limit for portability.

 

[gwsat]

i cant recommend a 13 mbp now because it is stuck with a c2d. they had that same chip in mbp in 2006. i would not buy a tv from 2006. not sure why apple is so concerned with graphics chip.

Worrying about marginal speed differences between the 13 inch MBP's C2D and the 15 inch's i5 is an exercise in futility. In the real world users will notice little or no difference in speed doing the same app when using a C2D chip instead of an i5. Until and unless one chip is at least twice as fast as another, the difference in real speed to real users is going to be negligible. The current 13 inch MBP is a solid, well designed laptop, which no one should resist because it uses a C2D CPU. If I were going to buy a new MBP today, the 13 inch would be my choice.

 

[gwsat]

wow...nice response. yeah, its okay with me.

You're thread is pointless (of course based on your info and options the 15" is the logical answer as reflected in the poll results) but as long as it amuses you thats fine.

And relax with the internet attitude big guy. We're both from Waterloo so no need to be a total douche about it.

One wonders just who was being a "total douche" to whom. Think about it.

I think that entatrig's thread has been an interesting one because it has provided a platform for the discussion of the plusses and minuses of each size MBP. I would be surprised if other posters here didn't think so, too.

 

[tim100]

Worrying about marginal speed differences between the 13 inch MBP's C2D and the 15 inch's i5 is an exercise in futility. In the real world users will notice little or no difference in speed doing the same app when using a C2D chip instead of an i5. Until and unless one chip is at least twice as fast as another, the difference in real speed to real users is going to be negligible. The current 13 inch MBP is a solid, well designed laptop, which no one should resist because it uses a C2D CPU. If I were going to buy a new MBP today, the 13 inch would be my choice.

i was thinking i7. he said the cost was not a factor. i7 and even i5 have to have advantages in general computing over c2d? the c2d was in mbp back in 2006 there has to have been significant improvement.

 

[peapody]

Worrying about marginal speed differences between the 13 inch MBP's C2D and the 15 inch's i5 is an exercise in futility. In the real world users will notice little or no difference in speed doing the same app when using a C2D chip instead of an i5. Until and unless one chip is at least twice as fast as another, the difference in real speed to real users is going to be negligible. The current 13 inch MBP is a solid, well designed laptop, which no one should resist because it uses a C2D CPU. If I were going to buy a new MBP today, the 13 inch would be my choice.

That is completely true. But I think in resale value down the line (since the OP seems to shift from set up to set up), he might as well go for the new core processors. I did read some places that the core 2 duos are "faster" in processing than the core i3/i5. In the end he should take these things into consideration.

One wonders just who was being a "total douche" to whom. Think about it.

I think that entatrig's thread has been an interesting one because it has provided a platform for the discussion of the plusses and minuses of each size MBP. I would be surprised if other posters here didn't think so, too.

+1

Ever since 3lionbecks has come around, I have just experienced negativity. With the exception of this person, MR has always been an open and supportive community.

 

[gwsat]

i was thinking i7. he said the cost was not a factor. i7 and even i5 have to have advantages in general computing over c2d? the c2d was in mbp back in 2006 there has to have been significant improvement.

Even the speed differential between the i7 and the C2D is going to be virtually indiscernable in real world operations to most users. The kind of stuff that makes the folks who obsess over benchmarks simply doesn't start to mean anything until a newer chip is at least twice as fast as the old one. I suspect that in the kind of uses the OP has told us he is interested in, the i7's performance is going to be far less than twice as fast as the C2D's. The C2D is a solid performer, even by curent standards, so it seems to me to be a mistake to tell others that it is obsolete, when it's not. Indeed, that's why Apple decided to stick with it in the 13 inch MBP.

 

[skiltrip]

Any of them will do the trick, and the trade-offs are the obvious ones. But from what you describe, I'd definitely go 15". I'd only get a 17" if I used it at a desk 75% of the time.

I have a 13" and it works for me, though when doing audio recording/editing I'm not going to lie and say it doesn't feel cramped. Though I love the portability of the 13", so I live with it.

 

[gwsat]

That is completely true. But I think in resale value down the line (since the OP seems to shift from set up to set up), he might as well go for the new core processors. I did read some places that the core 2 duos are "faster" in processing than the core i3/i5. In the end he should take these things into consideration.

You could certainly be right that the use of the C2D chip could reduce the resale value of a 13 inch MBP at some future time. Frankly, I have never worried much about that kind of thing because I tend to keep my computers for a long time. Indeed, my 7 year old 17 inch Powerbook G4 proves the point. Laptop design is a series of compromises. By sticking with the C2D Apple was able to also incorporate the excellent NVIDIA 320M GPU. Otherwise, they would have had to use the woefully underperforming Intel graphics incorporated in its i series chips. On balance, I think the 13 inch MBP is brilliantly designed and a solid performer. As noted in earlier posts, if I were buying a new MBP today, the 13 inch would be my choice.

+1

Ever since 3lionbecks has come around, I have just experienced negativity. With the exception of this person, MR has always been an open and supportive community.

Yeah, I don't know what it is that brings the socially challenged out of the woodwork in the MBP Forum but I have seen it ever since I started posting here.

 

[3lionsbecks]

That is completely true. But I think in resale value down the line (since the OP seems to shift from set up to set up), he might as well go for the new core processors. I did read some places that the core 2 duos are "faster" in processing than the core i3/i5. In the end he should take these things into consideration.




+1

Ever since 3lionbecks has come around, I have just experienced negativity. With the exception of this person, MR has always been an open and supportive community.

Hilarious Peapody, because I've noticed that all you tend to do it jump into treads that i comment on and act holier than thou. You seem to think that everyone has to agree with the OPs in threads....whats the point of that. A discussion should have 2 sides.

My points were valid because the OP made a thread that he/she doesn't even really need advice on. But its for entertainment, fine I get it.

And as for gwsat, well I've read you in other threads too and its funny how you've been ripped for your weird point of view. There are about 6 or 7 other threads that already talk about the pluses and minuses of each size of MBP. So you really think this is the first one? I really don't want to deal with a person like you.

As for the OP....He should get the 15" (as the poll suggests) it is the compromise of all the MBPs and the obvious choice.

 

[peapody]

Hilarious Peapody, because I've noticed that all you tend to do it jump into treads that i comment on and act holier than thou. You seem to think that everyone has to agree with the OPs in threads....whats the point of that. A discussion should have 2 sides.

.

Yep every discussion has 2 sides but this is the third time I have read you belitting the OP. Not cool.

And if you judge by my post count, I do more than troll for you. Sorry.

 

[gwsat]

Yep every discussion has 2 sides but this is the third time I have read you belitting the OP. Not cool.

And if you judge by my post count, I do more than troll for you. Sorry.

Not cool, indeed! I started to respond the You-Know-Who's nastiness but decided in the end that it would be simpler and cleaner to just put him on my Ignore List. Come to think of it, my digestion would have been better if I had done so earlier. Over the years, he and one other are still the only residents of my List. Anyway, I have appreciated that everybody else who has posted to this interesting thread has been goodnatured and insightful.

 

[entatlrg]

You could certainly be right that the use of the C2D chip could reduce the resale value of a 13 inch MBP at some future time. Frankly, I have never worried much about that kind of thing because I tend to keep my computers for a long time. Indeed, my 7 year old 17 inch Powerbook G4 proves the point. Laptop design is a series of compromises. By sticking with the C2D Apple was able to also incorporate the excellent NVIDIA 320M GPU. Otherwise, they would have had to use the woefully underperforming Intel graphics incorporated in its i series chips. On balance, I think the 13 inch MBP is brilliantly designed and a solid performer. As noted in earlier posts, if I were buying a new MBP today, the 13 inch would be my choice.

gwsat - Would you then use the 13" MBP in place of or together with your 17" MBP? I know you are fond of your 17", I can see why the screen gets me every time.



Yep, I'm here for good conversation, thanks to the many positive and helpful posts by all but one or two above it's what keeps this forum great. The good always outweighs the not so good

I agree with the statement I read that the 17" MBP maybe best suited to be used say 75% of the time at a desk.

I spend probably 90% of my time away from a desk and on the go with my notebook so I've ruled out the 17" MBP.

For business/casual users who prefer a notebook over a blackberry/ipad to keep in touch it is a tough decision.

For me it's simply screen real estate versus compact size. As gwsat and peapody mentioned both are powerful enough for my needs for sure. Future proofing and value for dollar (C2D / i5/7) isn't a high priority, my notebooks get passed on to my eagerly waiting staff, everything gets put to good use.

Actually my decision is already made, I'm crystal clear on the notebook I want ... only one problem, no one makes such a notebook - yet Give me a 15" MacBook Air under 4 lbs, with 4gb ram, 2 USB ports, decent battery life half decent graphics performance and I'd never made a "which notebook should I buy post again! This notebook will come some time in the future for sure.

Until then, I'm either carrying a 15" and loving the screen but disliking the weight, or carrying a 13" loving the size and weight but sometimes or often longing for a larger screen.

 

[gwsat]

entatrig -- I will no doubt keep my 17 inch MBP when I buy a new computer next year. By that time, I suspect that I will have concluded that it's time to retire my ancient Powerbook G4 for good. As a primary computer, though, a 13 inch MBP, upgraded with 8Gb of RAM and an SSD, is the most likely primary replacement of the 17 inch MBP as my every day computer. I haven't completely written off getting an MBA instead, though. I won't consider an MBA, though, unless it is significantly redesigned and has a lot more horsepower than the current version does. That's a discussion for a thread in the MBA Forum, though.

I have had the opportunity to use my grandson's 13 inch MBP, which his mother bought for him as a high school graduation gift. It has throughly impressed me. It is at least as fast as my 17 inch Santa Rosa MBP and its relative lack of screen real estate and lower resolution haven't inconvenienced me at all. No Mac is bargain priced, to say the least, but the 13 inch MBP seems to me to provide more bang for the buck than any other model in the MBP lineup.

 

[tim100]

gwsat - Would you then use the 13" MBP in place of or together with your 17" MBP? I know you are fond of your 17", I can see why the screen gets me every time.



Yep, I'm here for good conversation, thanks to the many positive and helpful posts by all but one or two above it's what keeps this forum great. The good always outweighs the not so good

I agree with the statement I read that the 17" MBP maybe best suited to be used say 75% of the time at a desk.

I spend probably 90% of my time away from a desk and on the go with my notebook so I've ruled out the 17" MBP.

For business/casual users who prefer a notebook over a blackberry/ipad to keep in touch it is a tough decision.

For me it's simply screen real estate versus compact size. As gwsat and peapody mentioned both are powerful enough for my needs for sure. Future proofing and value for dollar (C2D / i5/7) isn't a high priority, my notebooks get passed on to my eagerly waiting staff, everything gets put to good use.

Actually my decision is already made, I'm crystal clear on the notebook I want ... only one problem, no one makes such a notebook - yet Give me a 15" MacBook Air under 4 lbs, with 4gb ram, 2 USB ports, decent battery life half decent graphics performance and I'd never made a "which notebook should I buy post again! This notebook will come some time in the future for sure.

Until then, I'm either carrying a 15" and loving the screen but disliking the weight, or carrying a 13" loving the size and weight but sometimes or often longing for a larger screen.

i want the same computer you want a bigger mba. i hope the mba gets updated. i think a combo of 13 and 17 makes sense. the trade offs between 17 and 15 for me make the 17 the best option of the 2.

 

[Blues003]

entatrig -- I will no doubt keep my 17 inch MBP when I buy a new computer next year. By that time, I suspect that I will have concluded that it's time to retire my ancient Powerbook G4 for good. As a primary computer, though, a 13 inch MBP, upgraded with 8Gb of RAM and an SSD, is the most likely primary replacement of the 17 inch MBP as my every day computer. I haven't completely written off getting an MBA instead, though. I won't consider an MBA, though, unless it is significantly redesigned and has a lot more horsepower than the current version does. That's a discussion for a thread in the MBA Forum, though.

I have had the opportunity to use my grandson's 13 inch MBP, which his mother bought for him as a high school graduation gift. It has throughly impressed me. It is at least as fast as my 17 inch Santa Rosa MBP and its relative lack of screen real estate and lower resolution haven't inconvenienced me at all. No Mac is bargain priced, to say the least, but the 13 inch MBP seems to me to provide more bang for the buck than any other model in the MBP lineup.

From your experience, does the 13'' look as if it's good enough for hours and hours of PPT/PDF/DOC file reading? I know I ask this a lot (in many threads ) but I want to be sure of the money I'm spending, before I do spend it!

 

[Azathoth]

15" Matte AG High-res

 

[entatlrg]

i want the same computer you want a bigger mba. i hope the mba gets updated. i think a combo of 13 and 17 makes sense. the trade offs between 17 and 15 for me make the 17 the best option of the 2.

Yes, a 13 and a 17" would be cool to own, sync both via DropBox / MobileMe, that's a 'no compromise solution!

But I'm trying to stick to my plan of using only one computer. I see why a lot of people suggest the 15".

If people had the choice to choose two notebooks I'd think the 17" and either the MBA or the 13" MBP.

It's tempting, I wonder how it goes for those who use two notebooks (another good idea for a new thread), quite a few have more than notebook in their signature.

 

[tim100]

Yes, a 13 and a 17" would be cool to own, sync both via DropBox / MobileMe, that's a 'no compromise solution!

But I'm trying to stick to my plan of using only one computer. I see why a lot of people suggest the 15".

If people had the choice to choose two notebooks I'd think the 17" and either the MBA or the 13" MBP.

It's tempting, I wonder how it goes for those who use two notebooks (another good idea for a new thread), quite a few have more than notebook in their signature.

thats my current set-up 17 i7 ag and base 13. i like both, the only concern is a new mba with 10 battery life and supper thin

Pros 17
1) big screen
2) great speakers
3) anti glare

pros 13
1) portable
2) battery

i understand the desire to have 1 machine i put up a poll a while back asking 13 vs 17, 13 won. 13 is hard to use as only machine too small to out 2 windows next to each other. the 17 screen is amazing.

 

[gwsat]

From your experience, does the 13'' look as if it's good enough for hours and hours of PPT/PDF/DOC file reading? I know I ask this a lot (in many threads ) but I want to be sure of the money I'm spending, before I do spend it!

How you use your computer will have a significant impact on how many hours of battery use you can expect before you have to recharge. If you use your screen at full brightness and keep Airport and Bluetooth turned on, you will have shorter battery life than you would if you reduced your screen to one-half brightness and turned off Airport and Bluetooth. In terms of actual hours of use, there is simply no way to predict what kind of battery life you can expect. Regardless of what it is, though, I think you may safely assume that you would get longer battery life from the 13 inch MBP than you would from any other computer I know about, including the 15 and 17 inch MBPs.

 

[tim100]

How you use your computer will have a significant impact on how many hours of battery use you can expect before you have to recharge. If you use your screen at full brightness and keep Airport and Bluetooth turned on, you will have shorter battery life than you would if you reduced your screen to one-half brightness and turned off Airport and Bluetooth. In terms of actual hours of use, there is simply no way to predict what kind of battery life you can expect. Regardless of what it is, though, I think you may safely assume that you would get longer battery life from the 13 inch MBP than you would from any other computer I know about, including the 15 and 17 inch MBPs.

what is the difference in battery life between high res 15 and 17?

 

[Blues003]

How you use your computer will have a significant impact on how many hours of battery use you can expect before you have to recharge. If you use your screen at full brightness and keep Airport and Bluetooth turned on, you will have shorter battery life than you would if you reduced your screen to one-half brightness and turned off Airport and Bluetooth. In terms of actual hours of use, there is simply no way to predict what kind of battery life you can expect. Regardless of what it is, though, I think you may safely assume that you would get longer battery life from the 13 inch MBP than you would from any other computer I know about, including the 15 and 17 inch MBPs.

Thanks for the answer. However, I didn't make myself too clear, sorry! I was questioning you screen-size-wise! Do you think it's comfortable enough for those purposes?

 

[gwsat]

Thanks for the answer. However, I didn't make myself too clear, sorry! I was questioning you screen-size-wise! Do you think it's comfortable enough for those purposes?

All I can tell you is that I have used my grandson's 13 inch MBP for extended periods on a couple of occasions. I was surfing the Web, doing email, and posting here and to another couple of special interest sites. At no time did I feel constrained by the size of the 13 inch MBP's screen. Be warned, however, that I have never have been one to have several open windows on the desktop, at least not windows that had to be very large.