Who is coming over from the 13" to the 16"?

[MrGunnyPT]

I have finally decided to ditch my 13" TB 2017 due to it's low performance in a single Parallels VM, not only that but the keyboard repairs every 6 months are driving me insane and it ALMOST ALWAYS HAPPENS when I'm on a client!

Either way decided to go with the base model 16" to have a Windows and Linux VM going.

Thoughts from those who moved from a 13"?

 

[vseera]

It’s going to feel huge and heavy. At least the first few days.

Looking at the experiences of people moving front the 15 to 16, they’re finding it bigger and heavier. So for you, that difference is going to be massive.

You probably will get used to it. I personally did consider a move from my 2017 13 too, but decided to hold off for the 2020 13/14 pro that they do.

 

[gpat]

I've been using 13" laptops for 8 years now.
The 16" really feels enticing, but I don't know how I'll deal with the extra size and weight, even though I would benefit from the screen real estate.
Also the sheer size would be problematic for my college desks. The 12" Retina was really good for that, but hated it for anything else.
Putting it in perspective, it would weigh as much as my old 2011 13" Pro, so not really prohibitive.
But still I think I'd miss out if there is a redesign as good as the 16" for the 13" Pro, with 10nm CPUs and maybe 14" screen. That would grind my gears.

 

[matram]

I came from a 2014 13" to a 2016 15" and now the 16".

I felt that the difference was quite small in the backpack between the older 13" and the newer chassis (15/16").

It does take more space on the desk, so if you want to work on a plane you have to fly business

On my minimal desk at home I think it works OK.

 

[badsimian]

I am coming back to a larger laptop after going through a marathon of other laptops. I just sold my 2019 13" MBP because although it brought me back into the Mac fold, it was just too small. It was useful on trains and travelling but it gave me RSI with continued use due to the reduced sized deck to rest wrists on. Also the screen size meant I could never see enough content at once e.g. for coding, scripts and so on. Just can't quite decide on spec which is why I haven't ordered yet.
I spent years travelling with the 2013 15" with no real issues so I think I should get used to the 16" pretty quickly.

 

[The Samurai]

As much as I like the 16", it aint gonna happen for me. The weight and size are crucial for my needs and heck, the way we are going - a 14" won't help either as I assume too that it will be heavier than the current 13" 2016 which I have.

Macbook Air or ARM 12" will win me over.

But all the best to those who do go over, if it weren't for traveling then I would be in the 16" club.

 

[MacBookGamer]

It’s going to feel huge and heavy. At least the first few days.

Looking at the experiences of people moving front the 15 to 16, they’re finding it bigger and heavier. So for you, that difference is going to be massive.

You probably will get used to it. I personally did consider a move from my 2017 13 too, but decided to hold off for the 2020 13/14 pro that they do.

It felt massive for a few days but feels pretty small now. Looking back at my 13” and it feels tiny.

 

[PeterJP]

I'll do it. I've been trying to do VM work on my 8/256GB 13" for far too long. As soon as the company implements the new IT plan and approves a 32GB/1TB 16" for me, it's mine. And the good news is that I am both the implementer and the approver 😀

I actually found the 13" already uncomfortably heavy to commute with. I replaced it with an iPad Pro 11". I work a lot on the train, so the reduced footprint is a necessity. For those few occasions when I do have to take the laptop, I don't mind the extra 3-400gr. It's a trade-off against the fact that I won't have to bend into the laptop as much.

 

[Dominus Mortem]

Either way decided to go with the base model 16" to have a Windows and Linux VM going.

Thoughts from those who moved from a 13"?

I had a 2018 15.4" for use at home and a 2017 13" for use out-and-about. I sold both and now I use the 16" for both purposes.

While I liked the 13" for its ease of carrying around and it's weight (which I only notice now if I actually stop and think about it), the screen always felt cramped. It sat on my lap decently, unlike the 12" I had before it, (which wasn't quite wide enough)—but was never perfect. The screen was always a bit low too. For what I do the performance mattered not.

My thoughts now, after using it for a week+ is that I would never go back to the 13" for working out of the house. The 16" screen is a thing of beauty that allows me to have Word open on one half and Safari open for research on the other, something I could never do on the 13". The keyboard just... works. It feels neither better or worse than the 13" keyboard, it's just there and you don't think about it. But, one big thing, it's very quiet. My 13" keyboard would clack and make a racket in quiet places. I'd never take it to a school library, I'd get stern looks with that noisy laptop.

The 16" is an ideal size for those who need multiple apps open and want a streamlined workflow. The 13" was never able to handle that kind of thing well. 15.4" did it OK, but that extra .6" makes a huge difference in workflow (for me).

The only place now that I can think of the 13" being an advantage is on those tiny flip-up writing surfaces in lecture auditoriums. I used to use a 2015 MBP and it was sometimes a bit precarious on those, although I made it work. The other place the 13" would be better would be on a plane. I'm not sure I could use my 16" in coach on most airlines.

 

[MrGunnyPT]

I'll do it. I've been trying to do VM work on my 8/256GB 13" for far too long. As soon as the company implements the new IT plan and approves a 32GB/1TB 16" for me, it's mine. And the good news is that I am both the implementer and the approver 😀

I actually found the 13" already uncomfortably heavy to commute with. I replaced it with an iPad Pro 11". I work a lot on the train, so the reduced footprint is a necessity. For those few occasions when I do have to take the laptop, I don't mind the extra 3-400gr. It's a trade-off against the fact that I won't have to bend into the laptop as much.

Yeah my 13” doesn’t cut it anymore for virtualization
[automerge]1575285700[/automerge]

I had a 2018 15.4" for use at home and a 2017 13" for use out-and-about. I sold both and now I use the 16" for both purposes.

While I liked the 13" for its ease of carrying around and it's weight (which I only notice now if I actually stop and think about it), the screen always felt cramped. It sat on my lap decently, unlike the 12" I had before it, (which wasn't quite wide enough)—but was never perfect. The screen was always a bit low too. For what I do the performance mattered not.

My thoughts now, after using it for a week+ is that I would never go back to the 13" for working out of the house. The 16" screen is a thing of beauty that allows me to have Word open on one half and Safari open for research on the other, something I could never do on the 13". The keyboard just... works. It feels neither better or worse than the 13" keyboard, it's just there and you don't think about it. But, one big thing, it's very quiet. My 13" keyboard would clack and make a racket in quiet places. I'd never take it to a school library, I'd get stern looks with that noisy laptop.

The 16" is an ideal size for those who need multiple apps open and want a streamlined workflow. The 13" was never able to handle that kind of thing well. 15.4" did it OK, but that extra .6" makes a huge difference in workflow (for me).

The only place now that I can think of the 13" being an advantage is on those tiny flip-up writing surfaces in lecture auditoriums. I used to use a 2015 MBP and it was sometimes a bit precarious on those, although I made it work. The other place the 13" would be better would be on a plane. I'm not sure I could use my 16" in coach on most airlines.

Thanks for the feedback I imagine the same applies to me!

 

[gxxr]

I am currently moving from the 13" mbp from 2017 to the 16" as well.
Yes, the 13" is a lot more portable, but I'm not going back anytime soon. I'm loving the bigger screen and the power of the 16".
Transport wise it's fine, it still fits into my laptop backpack. I can't work so well from the couch anymore, the bigger size of the 16" means that my wrist bends at an awkward angle that probably isn't healthy.
However, I will be pairing it with an iPad pro 11" for when I really do need something smaller.

 

[Ma2k5]

As much as I like the 16", it aint gonna happen for me. The weight and size are crucial for my needs and heck, the way we are going - a 14" won't help either as I assume too that it will be heavier than the current 13" 2016 which I have.

Macbook Air or ARM 12" will win me over.

But all the best to those who do go over, if it weren't for traveling then I would be in the 16" club.

I would be tempted by an Icelake MacBook Air over my 16" not only due to size, but not having to deal with the Touch Bar. I do like the power of the 16" though but I guess I could live with some slow downs (as I mainly do dev work and not graphic rendering). However I would only go that route if they got rid of butterfly keys on the Air, which I think is unlikely.

 

[MrT-Man]

I got my MBP 16 a couple of days ago, coming from a 13" 2014 rMBP. All I can say is, wow. The screen is *so* much nicer, and I'm finding it so much easier to get work done when I'm on the road. Together with my 12.9 iPad and sidecar, I now have an awesome mobile workstation.

I've gotten adjusted to the size very quickly (more quickly than I thought I would) and I can't see myself ever going back to a 13". The only downside is, of course, the weight, but I'm not finding it to be such a big deal. I'm noticing it on my lap--I'm not noticing it so much when I'm carrying it around in a bag.

I haven't tried it on a plane yet, but I've never been able to get much work done on a plane, anyway (and I have an iPad for media consumption) so that wasn't really a consideration for me.

I bought it not knowing if the size would be right for me, and figuring I'd just give it a try during the return period. Now that I've used it, I'm a lot happier with it than I was expecting to be.

 

[Velin]

Either way decided to go with the base model 16" to have a Windows and Linux VM going.

Base model 16" is a lot of machine for the money. It will have significant overhead for these tasks, and many others. It's a workhorse and a great release.

Thoughts from those who moved from a 13"?

Got mine, still have the 2013 13" Macbook Pro I was upgrading from. If you are doing real work, you won't be going back to the 13". New keyboard, bigger screen, good ventilation/thermals, it's a real joy to work on. Battery life is good too. Having worked on the 16" for a couple weeks now, I can't go back to the 13" for anything more than web browsing and a quick email.

So you will be happy. Having said that, I also have a wifi iPad, and the iPad is the go-to device when traveling in cars, planes, airports, etc. The 2019 16" isn't that much heavier than the 2013 13", but it definitely is bigger and needs a bit of room to work comfortably. I also have a laptop tray, and I can easily and comfortably use the 16" with the tray in a chair.

 

[MrGunnyPT]

Base model 16" is a lot of machine for the money. It will have significant overhead for these tasks, and many others. It's a workhorse and a great release.



Got mine, still have the 2013 13" Macbook Pro I was upgrading from. If you are doing real work, you won't be going back to the 13". New keyboard, bigger screen, good ventilation/thermals, it's a real joy to work on. Battery life is good too. Having worked on the 16" for a couple weeks now, I can't go back to the 13" for anything more than web browsing and a quick email.

So you will be happy. Having said that, I also have a wifi iPad, and the iPad is the go-to device when traveling in cars, planes, airports, etc. The 2019 16" isn't that much heavier than the 2013 13", but it definitely is bigger and needs a bit of room to work comfortably. I also have a laptop tray, and I can easily and comfortably use the 16" with the tray in a chair.

I'm really happy with my 16" I don't mind the weight at all and the performance is absolutely amazing! So far so good besides getting a bit too hot... Around 65c.