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Will a 13" MacBook Pro Do The Job?

P

pictures

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 22, 2007
49
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I'll want to use Adobe CS5 products on it, mostly Photoshop & Dreamweaver and sometimes both at the same time. I won't usually be working with huge files, but in the event my iMac ever fails, it would need to step up.

I don't think I can afford the 15", so I'm looking at the 13".

Or maybe I could get a refurb... is there any benefit to getting the previous model 15" over a new 13" (other than screen size)?
 
pictures said:
I'll want to use Adobe CS5 products on it, mostly Photoshop & Dreamweaver and sometimes both at the same time. I won't usually be working with huge files, but in the event my iMac ever fails, it would need to step up.

I don't think I can afford the 15", so I'm looking at the 13".

Or maybe I could get a refurb... is there any benefit to getting the previous model 15" over a new 13" (other than screen size)?
Click to expand...

i use gimp , i know its not the same thing but i use my macbook pro 13" for everything! its perfect for me . i don't see why it wouldn't work for you as well. its an amazing machine :D :apple:
 
That's what I used my old 13" MBP for, and it's what I'm using my current MBP for as well. It does fine for pictures. Occasionally I'll wish I had a bigger screen, so I'll connect it to my 23" LCD. But the vast majority of the time the 13.3" screen works just fine.
 
You will want an external display for sure. Especially for Dreamweaver's cluttered UI.
 
but it's got the power to handle those programs well enough?

I've got a display I used for a PC I had before the iMac, but I expect I'd used the MBP for when I have to go to clients or can't be at my desk.
 
pictures said:
but it's got the power to handle those programs well enough?

I've got a display I used for a PC I had before the iMac, but I expect I'd used the MBP for when I have to go to clients or can't be at my desk.
Click to expand...

Yes. I have CS4 on mine.

You'll want to upgrade the RAM ASAP. I have 8 gigs. However, I ran off only 2 for forever and had no problems with multiple apps open.
 
thanks for the replies... I was looking at Apple site and saw the hi-res option on the 15" and started doubting my earlier decisions for the 13", thinking maybe I'd like the higher res more. But reading other threads I see that people feel the 13" screen is just fine. Does anyone notice any difference in quality for, say, photographs?
 
pictures said:
thanks for the replies... I was looking at Apple site and saw the hi-res option on the 15" and started doubting my earlier decisions for the 13", thinking maybe I'd like the higher res more. But reading other threads I see that people feel the 13" screen is just fine. Does anyone notice any difference in quality for, say, photographs?
Click to expand...

Anti-glare(only available as high res) will have better colour reproduction if you print what you're working on. Otherwise it's a toss up between the two if you ask me. I can't stand the reflections on the glossy MBP's, some people say it's not a problem to them.
 
I really thought I would hate the glossy screen on my iMac after coming from matte screens. But I really don't hate it at all. But I usually work with that with the lights off. I would also probably not print from the MBP.
 
i still use my 07 black macbook to do photoshop and illustrator you will be more than able to.
 
it runs fine on my 2010 model with a 5400rpm drive. the extra processing power of the 2011 will get it done quicker and if you upgrade your hdd you will see significant increases in those programs (mainly hdd -> sdd)

i'm looking at about 12 secs boot time for photoshop cs5 on a cold startup. i do a some work with a quite a few layers and it doesn't really lag at all. 2011 13'' shouldn't see any stuttering or anything for sure. only thing that it does is if you go to the menu bar and hit "quit photoshop" it hangs for maybe 2 secs or so before closing, but that's only sometimes.
 
Other than the screen size/pixel real estate, the video card would be the main difference between a 13 and 15 inch, but for what you're doing, a 13 should be plenty. Did some similar stuff on a 2008 15" MBP 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo and that did the job just fine. Max out the RAM (about $75 for 8GB, third-party), and you'll be set.
 
I thought i should jump in here.

I have just sold my 2010 iMac 21. Was a lovely machine etc massive screen looks the nuts and everyone comments. BUT it wasn't portable. I dont mean portable like a MBA i just mean i couldn't pick it up and take it to my mums house or sit in the garden etc etc.

So anyway - i deliberated for quite a while, 11" MBA, 13" MBA, 13, MBP, 15" MBP.

In the end i opted for the 13" MBP and heres why:

I can upgrade the HD to an SSD and upgrade the RAM, thus making it faster than the MBA (ok not as slim but seriously this thing is hardly a brick!)

It really is a perfect size. I use Photoshop, iTunes, App Store, Google Chrome, Microsoft Office almost extensively and i have yet to find the screen to small. The 11" would of been this is a happy medium.

I dont have the bulk of the 15". Yes the 15" is portable but its still big and heavy.

The sound is PLENTY loud enough for a laptop. Personally the sound of a laptop should be loud enough for me to hear it not loud enough for the neighbors. If i wanted to blast music id buy something that blasts music. I expect my Mac to be able to operate PC functions - not blow out my windows.

I have the option to connect a screen or 2 to view a large display if i want to. By having the 13" i now have an ultra portable machine with the ability to have 2 27" screens side by side. The 15" doesn't have any advantage for this. They can both do it so i might as well have the smaller lighter machine to lug.

The resolution ... sigh ... what is the problem? This screen is higher than many i have seen before? Sure its not top of the mac league. But i bought a base model MBP i didnt pay £1000 more for the highest end. Did i expect to be able to spot wally? Not really. Does it look sharp, crisp with good colour? Yes. Stop moaning.

All in all £859 later (student discount) its an awesome machine and i couldn't be more thrilled that i have one!

Only thing is now im lazy and CBA to plug in my time machine every day so i need to get a proper Time Capsule
 
Danny133 said:
I thought i should jump in here.

I have just sold my 2010 iMac 21. Was a lovely machine etc massive screen looks the nuts and everyone comments. BUT it wasn't portable. I dont mean portable like a MBA i just mean i couldn't pick it up and take it to my mums house or sit in the garden etc etc.

So anyway - i deliberated for quite a while, 11" MBA, 13" MBA, 13, MBP, 15" MBP.

In the end i opted for the 13" MBP and heres why:

I can upgrade the HD to an SSD and upgrade the RAM, thus making it faster than the MBA (ok not as slim but seriously this thing is hardly a brick!)

It really is a perfect size. I use Photoshop, iTunes, App Store, Google Chrome, Microsoft Office almost extensively and i have yet to find the screen to small. The 11" would of been this is a happy medium.

I dont have the bulk of the 15". Yes the 15" is portable but its still big and heavy.

The sound is PLENTY loud enough for a laptop. Personally the sound of a laptop should be loud enough for me to hear it not loud enough for the neighbors. If i wanted to blast music id buy something that blasts music. I expect my Mac to be able to operate PC functions - not blow out my windows.

I have the option to connect a screen or 2 to view a large display if i want to. By having the 13" i now have an ultra portable machine with the ability to have 2 27" screens side by side. The 15" doesn't have any advantage for this. They can both do it so i might as well have the smaller lighter machine to lug.

The resolution ... sigh ... what is the problem? This screen is higher than many i have seen before? Sure its not top of the mac league. But i bought a base model MBP i didnt pay £1000 more for the highest end. Did i expect to be able to spot wally? Not really. Does it look sharp, crisp with good colour? Yes. Stop moaning.

All in all £859 later (student discount) its an awesome machine and i couldn't be more thrilled that i have one!

Only thing is now im lazy and CBA to plug in my time machine every day so i need to get a proper Time Capsule
Click to expand...

Done exactly the same thing (just finished popping the RAM into mine actually) and can confirm that the 13" is fine. It belts along with Photoshop as far as I can make out (CS5) but I've not used it a massive amount less.

I kept the iMac though so my Time Machine still works wirelessly ;)
 
thanks, you guys. I just came from looking at them at Best Buy and I think you're right. For what I need it would be perfect.

They had MB on sale, but I really did not like it.
 
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