Would I be disappointed in a 12" MB coming from an rMBP?

[one1]

I really like those 12' ultra portables. I have a 13" 2.7ghz 8gb 2015 rMBP - standard configuration. I do occasionally use Photoshop for very small tasks, Office, iWork. No video processing, no garage band.

I'm thinking of putting my rMBP on Craigslist for trade for a 12" MB. It seems like a huge step backwards, but is it? I have heard the 12" are pretty snappy for a mobile ultra portable book. My rMBP is instant and snappy and I've become accustomed to instant gratification. Maybe I should look for a specific MB by year and would it then be a good swap? I'd hate to get the MB and it feel slow and useless compared to my rMBP. I don't need both so I'd have to make a decision.

 

[Bending Pixels]

The latest 12" MacBooks are actually pretty speedy. I compared one to my late 2013 15" rMBP, and it's pretty quick at starting and running app's like FCPX.

I would suggest avoiding Craigslist due to it's less than stellar reputation of people getting ripped off, robbed, or worse

 

[Jerion]

The 12” MacBook will be a bit easier to carry around. If that matters to you in a big way, then going by your description it might be worth the effort/hassle to swap to it. If it’s only really going to be a machine for office-type work and the occasional bit of photo editing, then there probably isn’t a compelling reason why it wouldn’t be suitable. Just be sure that you’re not solely tempted to make the jump because of the Oh Shiny(tm) factor.

 

[one1]

I can tell the difference in the ram speed of my rmbp and my 2010 iMac with 1333 Ram. So what I basically want to make sure of is that the MB does not run like my iMac and have that one second delay when trying to open an app. The MB seems to have the same Ram speed as my rmbp. Just want to make sure the little mb processor keeps it moving.

 

[estabya]

I went from a 2014 13" rMBP (2.6GHz i5, 8GB) to a 2016 rMB (1.2GHz m5) and haven't had any issues. My main uses are Safari, Mail, and Photos (with some light editing). I do occasionally use iMovie for some family videos and Pycharm/CLion for coding/compiling.

Speed wise it has been perfectly fine. Day to day tasks are just as fast as they were on my Pro. Compile/render times might be somewhat slower, but I haven't used a timer and it hasn't bothered me in the least.

The extreme portability and silent operation have been more than worth it for me.

 

[ixxx69]

I really like those 12' ultra portables. I have a 13" 2.7ghz 8gb 2015 rMBP - standard configuration. I do occasionally use Photoshop for very small tasks, Office, iWork. No video processing, no garage band.

I'm thinking of putting my rMBP on Craigslist for trade for a 12" MB. It seems like a huge step backwards, but is it? I have heard the 12" are pretty snappy for a mobile ultra portable book. My rMBP is instant and snappy and I've become accustomed to instant gratification. Maybe I should look for a specific MB by year and would it then be a good swap? I'd hate to get the MB and it feel slow and useless compared to my rMBP. I don't need both so I'd have to make a decision.

I have the 2015 rMB, and it's actually quite zippy... I even use Garage Band for light duty. For the tasks you suggest, it's fine for processing power. The 2017 rMB would be a nice step up... so I don't think you'd have too many worries on that front. However, if you're looking for it, yeah everything might seem just a tick slower if you were switching back and forth.

Portability, size, weight are its main selling points. A rMB has got it beat everywhere else.
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I can tell the difference in the ram speed of my rmbp and my 2010 iMac with 1333 Ram.

Just a little FYI - actually, no you can't tell the difference due to ram speed. The speed differences you've experiences are 95% due to other factors like CPU, GPU, having an SSD, etc.

 

[futurejetblackowner]

I'll never understand why anyone would go for a 12 inch macbook unless money is an issue.

I've gone from a '13 to a '15 and portability is not an issue.

 

[EugW]

I'll never understand why anyone would go for a 12 inch macbook unless money is an issue.

I've gone from a '13 to a '15 and portability is not an issue.

I went from a 13" Pro (old one) to a 12" and I'm MUCH happier. The portability of the 12" is unparalleled. The 15" is way, way too big for my preferences, and even the current 3 lb 13" is too big. It just feels so much more awkward to carry around, and on the plane, the footprint of a the 13" is simply annoying when you're sitting in economy class. The 12" just fits better.

As for money, the entry level 12" actually costs the same as the entry level 13" Pro (although the Pro comes with only a 128 GB SSD).

Ironically, I started with a 15" way back, moved to a 13", and now have the 12".

 

[thadoggfather]

I went opposite route, 2015 rMB to 2016 nTB rMBP

I think I would be disappointed with a MacBook at this point. The keyboard I prefer on pro's too, feels better.

But the small form is obviously great

 

[EugW]

I went opposite route, 2015 rMB to 2016 nTB rMBP

I think I would be disappointed with a MacBook at this point. The keyboard I prefer on pro's too, feels better.

But the small form is obviously great

The keyboard and trackpad on the Pro are better than on the MacBook.

However, the keyboard on the 2017 MacBook is a big improvement over the 2015 MacBook. I despised the 2015 MacBook's keyboard. The 2017 MacBook's keyboard is now OK, although the 2017 MacBook Pro's keyboard still has a somewhat better feel.

 

[redheeler]

I'll never understand why anyone would go for a 12 inch macbook unless money is an issue.

I've gone from a '13 to a '15 and portability is not an issue.

I had a 13" Retina from Late 2013 and a slightly older 15" Retina from Mid 2012. Also opted to keep the 15" and sell the 13".

Granted, the screen size wasn't only the reason; also found it nice to have the 512 GB SSD (vs. 256 GB, which my particular 13" had), and a quad-core processor.

I went from a 13" Pro (old one) to a 12" and I'm MUCH happier. The portability of the 12" is unparalleled. The 15" is way, way too big for my preferences, and even the current 3 lb 13" is too big. It just feels so much more awkward to carry around, and on the plane, the footprint of a the 13" is simply annoying when you're sitting in economy class. The 12" just fits better.

I don't fly very often, but did get a chance to try out my 15" on the plane very recently. It was a little inconvenient, but perfectly usable.

I'd like to see Apple release another 17" MacBook Pro, but admittedly I'm not sure if I'd been able to use one of that size. The 15" is a good balance of screen size and portability, so if Apple increases the resolution for the 2018 models I'll be happy.

 

[futurejetblackowner]

The keyboard and trackpad on the Pro are better than on the MacBook.

However, the keyboard on the 2017 MacBook is a big improvement over the 2015 MacBook. I despised the 2015 MacBook's keyboard. The 2017 MacBook's keyboard is now OK, although the 2017 MacBook Pro's keyboard still has a somewhat better feel.

I love the new MacBook Pro keyboards. Although they take awhile to get used to and are prone to failure. I've only had my 2017 pro for a little over a week, but I love everything about it, even the Touch Bar.

I had a 13" Retina from Late 2013 and a slightly older 15" Retina from Mid 2012. Also opted to keep the 15" and sell the 13".

Granted, the screen size wasn't only the reason; also found it nice to have the 512 GB SSD (vs. 256 GB, which my particular 13" had), and a quad-core processor.

I don't fly very often, but did get a chance to try out my 15" on the plane very recently. It was a little inconvenient, but perfectly usable.

I'd like to see Apple release another 17" MacBook Pro, but admittedly I'm not sure if I'd been able to use one of that size. The 15" is a good balance of screen size and portability, so if Apple increases the resolution for the 2018 models I'll be happy.

If Apple made a '13 Mac with quad-core for cheaper, I would go with that model. For me, the quad-core processor is what sold me on the '15. I want to keep this computer for 6-7 years and do not want to be hampered by slow speeds, which is also why I opted for the 16gb ram and 4gb of vram.

My sister bought the cheapest 2012 MacBook Pro and it only lasted her 3 years before the performance significantly diminished.

 

[redheeler]

If Apple made a '13 Mac with quad-core for cheaper, I would go with that model. For me, the quad-core processor is what sold me on the '15. I want to keep this computer for 6-7 years and do not want to be hampered by slow speeds, which is also why I opted for the 16gb ram and 4gb of vram.

In the not-so-distant future, hex-core will be the new quad-core and quad-core will be the new dual-core. Apple will make a quad-core 13", but you still get two more cores by stepping up to the 15". And even the 12" MacBook will likely have a quad-core ARM processor in 2019 or 2020.

Hard to believe my 15" MacBook Pro is approaching six years old. I did notice some UI lag in High Sierra caused by Apple not properly optimizing the OS for the Nvidia GeForce GT 650M GPU, despite the GPU being new enough to support Metal. I've installed Mojave and surprisingly saw a mild improvement even in the very first beta, but there is still some lag, especially when switching between Spaces with multiple apps open.

The battery life is probably the worst aspect of this older MBP; at this point I'm lucky to get 2-3 hours out of it depending on the usage, while the 13" I had could last twice as long. Apple improved the battery life with subsequent generations of the Retina MacBook Pro.

My sister bought the cheapest 2012 MacBook Pro and it only lasted her 3 years before the performance significantly diminished.

Does it still have the original mechanical drive? If so, that is very likely the reason for the slowdown. Fairly easy to swap it out for an SSD, at which point the 2012 Mac will once again feel like new.

 

[one1]

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Just a little FYI - actually, no you can't tell the difference due to ram speed. The speed differences you've experiences are 95% due to other factors like CPU, GPU, having an SSD, etc.

You may cannot, but take 1867 out of your macbook and stick 1333 in and I can see the difference. Anyone could in fact. The latency is obvious.

RE: 17" Macbook - My favorite of them all. I had one until it was just not relevant in todays environment and I needed better. I was terribly sad to let it go. I think apple would shed so much weight on them they'd be useable if they did another one. Clearly the biggest reason they won't is because they can't get a processor that will run a Retina display that big in a laptop and make it work in the big picture. Given that, even with how good the latest processors are, I doubt they will bother.