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Which screen size suits you?

  • 13"

    Votes: 156 39.7%
  • 15"

    Votes: 177 45.0%
  • 17"

    Votes: 60 15.3%

  • Total voters
    393

mrklaw

macrumors 68030
Jan 29, 2008
2,685
986
15" so far.

I had a 13" macbook and the dock started to take up quite a lot of space, and it wasn't very nice to edit photos on in photoshop elements.

15" is a nice luxurious space for web browsing, and it has enough space to work reasonably well.

17" would be great but too big for me. If I need more space than 15" I have an external monitor I can use.
 

Minimoose 360

macrumors 65816
Jul 7, 2008
1,072
0
NY
17" for screen resolution alone.


Also, it's very very portable. People who say it's not haven't been carrying one around campus for about a year. I have no troubles.



I would say the 15" is the sweet spot for most people, and the 13" is a cheap alternative for people who may have bought a MacBook before the branded them "Pro", simple as that.
 

Kenzembo1

macrumors 6502
Dec 22, 2008
361
0
Youngstown, OH
13". It's definitely the most portable version and screen size really isn't that much of an issue for me because I have a cinema display for home use.
 

quadG5guy

macrumors member
Jan 26, 2010
96
0
Richmond, VA
15" is ideal. 13" is too tiny to be productive on, and 17" severely compromises the portability of the machine. Ever tried using a 17" notebook on an airplane? It's cumbersome, you can't move, and you look like a fool.
 

mikes70mustang

macrumors 68000
Nov 14, 2008
1,591
0
US
15" is ideal. 13" is too tiny to be productive on, and 17" severely compromises the portability of the machine. Ever tried using a 17" notebook on an airplane? It's cumbersome, you can't move, and you look like a fool.

I think someone leaning in to see the screen would look more a fool.
 

FnuGk

macrumors regular
Aug 6, 2009
134
0
ill go for the 13inch as my 10inch netbook is just too small to do anything other than taking notes but it does that great as it is so easy to carry with you.
15" is just a little too unhandy so 13" hits the perfect sweetspot between screen size and portability. Prize is not a factor
 

Hexero

macrumors regular
Feb 2, 2010
124
0
Would love a 15" because the 13" gets a little bit too small when it comes to video editing, etc.
 

mattgoldey

macrumors member
Jan 19, 2010
89
0
Rowlett, TX
I have a 13" aluminum MacBook that I plan on upgrading to a MacBook Pro as soon as the MPB hardware is refreshed. I voted 13" in the poll because I really like the screen on my current machine. However, when I buy my MBP, I may have to go to the 15" if the GPU options are similar with the updated units because I want the extra GPU that you don't get with the 13" MBP.
 

entatlrg

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Mar 2, 2009
3,385
6
Waterloo & Georgian Bay, Canada
No doubt the low price of the 13" MBP helps in the Poll ... if price were equal between the 13 and 15" for the purpose of this Poll then I'd guess it would be some distance ahead of the 13".....
 

Scorch07

macrumors 6502
Dec 16, 2007
337
48
I purchased the 15" because it is the balance between portability and screen size. I use FCS on my machine while on the go, so I needed a larger screen, and dedicated GPU. I have a 24" display at home I use for most of my work though.

same situation for me, except it's a 20 at home :rolleyes:
 

maldoblaz

macrumors member
Sep 2, 2004
41
0
Mexico City
Vote in the Poll and tell us how/why you chose the screen size you have.

As a FCP and Logic heavy user, I always carry out a DVI and a VGA converter for my MBP. I have a 17" monitor at home and a 19" at work, and there is always an extra screen everywhere I go to work. Problem is that when you get used to dual screen It's very hard to go back to just a 15" view...

Anyway, 15" is the best for me.
 

patthecat

macrumors newbie
Aug 31, 2009
6
0
I bought the 13" to replace a 2 month old 15.6" widescreen PC. Having the bigger screen was nice but it wasn't nearly as portable. The screen resolution was nearly as nice as the Mac. I travel daily and pulling the desktop replacement out all the time was getting old.
 

auero

macrumors 65816
Sep 15, 2006
1,386
114
15" but I'm going back to a 17" next revision. The resolution is much needed (for me personally) and I like being able to have a portable "desktop". Yeah you can have a monitor attached but that means you have to work at your desk where that screen is. When I had a 17" I was able to setup anywhere I go and not have to be pestered with cables and calibrating monitors. If you're doing any design work or photography the 17" is the way to go. For everything else, the 15" is suitable.

I wonder what some of you are complaining about when you say the 17" is too big. It's width is only 1.12 inches more and its depth is only 0.69 inches more. Thats hardly a difference to say it's way too big and clunky. The previous aluminum 17" which I had did feel bulky but with this new unibody design its beautiful.

4d19j9
 

NATO

macrumors 68000
Feb 14, 2005
1,702
35
Northern Ireland
17" for me due to the increased pixel density. I think Mac OS X really shines on the higher-res screens like those of the 17" MBP and the new 21.5/27" iMacs
 

ozreth

macrumors 65816
Nov 5, 2009
1,362
97
15", because it's not any less portable than the 13".

QFT. I can't think of many instances where somebodies bag would fit a 13" but not the 15", and you would hardly notice the weight difference, especially with paperwork/books/etc.
 

hellfire88

macrumors 6502
Apr 28, 2008
383
9
I've used both the 13" and 15" unibodies. I commute daily on the train and although the weight of the 15" isn't bad at all, the extra width is a bit cumbersome when trying to use it on a commuter rail seat. The 13" is better in that respect.

For my use I mainly just use my Macbook as a "portable Mac Mini" really lol, shuttling it back to-from work and hooking it up to an external keyboard + mouse + monitor at home & work. I do use it sometimes on the train but find that I'd rather nap on the train than watch a movie lol. So for me 13" and 15" is both fine. 15" would is a very nice compromise in portability screen real-estate since I do use my laptop at home in the bed or lounging around, and the 13" screen is a bit small. a 15/17 would be much better :). My solution for myself is to cart around my 13" (for portability and also lower price) and to buy a cheap 15/17" PC laptop (Dell/Gateway, etc.) to leave at home for couch/bed surfing. In the end its actually the same price if not cheaper than 1 higher-end 15" MBP lol.
 

entatlrg

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Mar 2, 2009
3,385
6
Waterloo & Georgian Bay, Canada
True the 17" doesn't 'measure' much larger than a 15" MBP -but- it seems a LOT bigger open on a desk or on your lap, large footprint ... does have a beautiful screen though, personally I chose the 15" can still view two pages side by side and a little easier to maneuver.
 

Nein01

macrumors 6502
Dec 1, 2009
307
1
Germany
15" but I'm going back to a 17" next revision. The resolution is much needed (for me personally) and I like being able to have a portable "desktop". Yeah you can have a monitor attached but that means you have to work at your desk where that screen is. When I had a 17" I was able to setup anywhere I go and not have to be pestered with cables and calibrating monitors. If you're doing any design work or photography the 17" is the way to go. For everything else, the 15" is suitable.

I wonder what some of you are complaining about when you say the 17" is too big. It's width is only 1.12 inches more and its depth is only 0.69 inches more. Thats hardly a difference to say it's way too big and clunky. The previous aluminum 17" which I had did feel bulky but with this new unibody design its beautiful.

4d19j9

i agree 100%. what's the point of even buying a pro-grade laptop if every time you need to work on it, you go and hook it up to a monitor on your desk??

unless all you do is browse the web/word process/listen to music/etc, the 13 and 15" models shouldn't even cross your mind as reasonable purchases. when it comes to professional applications, it's all about resolution. and as per the image above, how is portability even an issue between the 15 and 17"?

i think people just like to argue the point that their laptop is "just right", rather than admit the fact that they could've gotten a far superior machine for just a few hundred dollars more. ;)
 

entatlrg

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Mar 2, 2009
3,385
6
Waterloo & Georgian Bay, Canada
True, to do professional work on a 'laptop' a bigger screen is better so you're not forced to continually go sit at a desk and plug into an external monitor.

It's why I stopped carrying my Air and went back my 15 MBP ... the Air's screen is small, fan's blazing when doing work tasks, files spread across multiple computers ... it sucked ... true there's a trade off in size/weight but at least with a larger screen/more powerful computer you truly have a mobile /work anywhere office ... smaller / underpowered notebooks aren't as good for this purpose of course.
 

mscriv

macrumors 601
Aug 14, 2008
4,923
602
Dallas, Texas
I started out with a 15" Powerbook, then moved to a 14" iBook and now have a 17"MBP. I always thought that the 17" screen would be too big and not portable. I was wrong and having this computer with it's beautiful screen is going to make it hard for me to ever get a laptop that is smaller. Portability is no problem with my messenger style laptop bag. To each their own, but this is what works for me. :)
 

mousouchop

macrumors 6502a
Oct 22, 2008
814
118
New York
15" for me.

Had a 13" Blackbook, told myself I would get a 15" MBP the next time around because I wanted the aluminum casing, keyboard and dedicated graphics...

Then along came the uMB, suckered me in with it's somewhat fulfillment of the above outlined aspects. In less than I year I can to find that I should have just bought the 15"-- so I sold it and here I am.

I feel that my next Mac could be a 17" MBP (in a couple of years)... Though maybe I would just get an iMac for a higher resolution experience at home. The res on the 15" isn't so bad. Especially when compared to the 13".
 
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