Resolved Which Macbook Pro to Get?

[briantrisno]

Macbook Pro 13

Processor
3.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 4.0GHz

Memory
16GB

Storage
1TB PCIe-based onboard SSD

Graphics
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650

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Macbook Pro 15

Processor
2.9GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.9GHz

Memory
16GB

Storage
512GB PCIe-based onboard SSD
(Upgrade to 1 Tb is also possible with an addition of 400 US Dollars)

Graphics
Radeon Pro 560 with 4GB of GDDR5
Intel HD Graphics 630


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[MadDane]

What do you need it for? And what is more important - portability, screen size, raw power?

 

[ducatiti]

Coming from a 2013 13”, I’ve always wanted a 15” due to the screen size and raw power. Now, I have a 2017 15”, I envy my daughter when I see her with her 2017” 13”. That thing is so slim and compact compared to the previous gen lol.

 

[briantrisno]

What do you need it for? And what is more important - portability, screen size, raw power?

I am using it for university, i am taking international business, most likely this is a laptop i would use for 4 years straight.

The only thing that is keeping me from choosing between the 13” and 15” is the difference in storage. I want a 1 Tb ssd option however i also do not want to lose the raw power provided by the 15 inch and the extra screen size would be nice. I am just afraid that the 512 GB storage in the 15 inch would not be enough and thus require the purchase and usage of an external hard disk.

What would you have taken if you were given these two choices?
[doublepost=1514450516][/doublepost]

Coming from a 2013 13”, I’ve always wanted a 15” due to the screen size and raw power. Now, I have a 2017 15”, I envy my daughter when I see her with her 2017” 13”. That thing is so slim and compact compared to the previous gen lol.

Congrats on getting the 15 inch 2017! It is a powerful laptop indeed, how much storage do you have in your 15 inch Macbook Pro?

 

[MadDane]

I am using it for university, i am taking international business, most likely this is a laptop i would use for 4 years straight.

I assume that you will mainly be using a web browser, Word, Excel, PDF's and so forth. Am I right? If I am right, I would definitely choose the 13", unless you have a strong desire to have a 15" screen with you.

The only thing that is keeping me from choosing between the 13” and 15” is the difference in storage. I want a 1 Tb ssd option however i also do not want to lose the raw power provided by the 15 inch and the extra screen size would be nice. I am just afraid that the 512 GB storage in the 15 inch would not be enough and thus require the purchase and usage of an external hard disk.

Well, that settles it. You want enough internal storage (so do I), so you should definitely go with the 1TB option regardless of the machine.

What would you have taken if you were given these two choices?

Short answer: 13"

Long answer: I hold a masters in Engineering. All through university I have used a 13" MBA (back when basically the same hardware was used for MBA and MBP) and later on a retina 13" MacBook Pro (late 2013, 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD). When doing renders and so forth I got in on its knees, which was fine because I didn't need it all that often. But most of the time I was researching online as well as researching academic papers, while writing in Word or InDesign. And for me the 13" is the perfect size for a notebook, as it is small and light enough to easily fit in a backpack, yet big enough to have a decent screen size and a full-size keyboard and trackpad.

After I graduated I actually got a 15" MBP with Touch Bar. I wanted to consolidate my 27" iMac with a laptop, and figured that the 15" was a good in-between. I would then get an external display for it. However, I ended up selling it again before even getting the screen. The 15" is simply the wrong size for me for multiple reasons. So keep in mind that I am biased towards the 13".

 

[briantrisno]

I assume that you will mainly be using a web browser, Word, Excel, PDF's and so forth. Am I right? If I am right, I would definitely choose the 13", unless you have a strong desire to have a 15" screen with you.


Well, that settles it. You want enough internal storage (so do I), so you should definitely go with the 1TB option regardless of the machine.


Short answer: 13"

Long answer: I hold a masters in Engineering. All through university I have used a 13" MBA (back when basically the same hardware was used for MBA and MBP) and later on a retina 13" MacBook Pro (late 2013, 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD). When doing renders and so forth I got in on its knees, which was fine because I didn't need it all that often. But most of the time I was researching online as well as researching academic papers, while writing in Word or InDesign. And for me the 13" is the perfect size for a notebook, as it is small and light enough to easily fit in a backpack, yet big enough to have a decent screen size and a full-size keyboard and trackpad.

After I graduated I actually got a 15" MBP with Touch Bar. I wanted to consolidate my 27" iMac with a laptop, and figured that the 15" was a good in-between. I would then get an external display for it. However, I ended up selling it again before even getting the screen. The 15" is simply the wrong size for me for multiple reasons. So keep in mind that I am biased towards the 13".

Thank you for your answer! How tall are you? I also find the 13” size ideal for a laptop. Through your response, i am more convinced to get the 13” instead of the 15”, regardless the absence of a dedicated GPU and a higher screen size.

 

[maflynn]

The 13" is more then you need for your stated purposes, but I will say I think the 15" offers better long term usage, given the quad core processor and lets not forget the 15" display is superior then the 13" at least in terms of real estate.

 

[briantrisno]

The 13" is more then you need for your stated purposes, but I will say I think the 15" offers better long term usage, given the quad core processor and lets not forget the 15" display is superior then the 13" at least in terms of real estate.

The additional 400 dollars is a bummer. do you think i would be fine for 4 years with 512 gb of ssd instead of 1 Terra?

 

[maflynn]

The additional 400 dollars is a bummer. do you think i would be fine for 4 years with 512 gb of ssd instead of 1 Terra?

For office apps/pdfs and what not yeah.

 

[yang88she]

Keep in mind, portable external drives are cheap, 4tb for sub $100 usd. As much as I would like the 15" with the dedicated GPU, when I was debating the same topic, I opted for option 1. I'm not a small guy, but I know I did not want to lug a 15" laptop to and from the office every day.

 

[Naimfan]

The 15" just for the screen size. I'm much more productive with the larger screen, and it's a lot easier to look at.

 

[Strelok]

For your usage the 13" is fine. As for external storage, I've used a 1TB external HDD and multiple 64/128GB flash drives for a while now to store any important files. My MBPr has a 256gb SSD and I've never had issue with space, but obviously YMMV

 

[ducatiti]

I am using it for university, i am taking international business, most likely this is a laptop i would use for 4 years straight.

The only thing that is keeping me from choosing between the 13” and 15” is the difference in storage. I want a 1 Tb ssd option however i also do not want to lose the raw power provided by the 15 inch and the extra screen size would be nice. I am just afraid that the 512 GB storage in the 15 inch would not be enough and thus require the purchase and usage of an external hard disk.

What would you have taken if you were given these two choices?
[doublepost=1514450516][/doublepost]

Congrats on getting the 15 inch 2017! It is a powerful laptop indeed, how much storage do you have in your 15 inch Macbook Pro?

Although I think I don’t need a powerhouse, I would like to futureproof and keep the 15 a little longer. To me, it’s like comparing a 4 cylinder car to a V8. I purchased the 512gb version. I’m still thinking if I should store my 200gb picture and video library locally or purchase a Samsung 500gb T5. This is only my opinion as most of say it’s a waste of money for me

 

[Fishrrman]

Perhaps the most important question to ask yourself:
Do you really want to carry around the extra bulk of a 15" laptop for several years?

No one here can answer that.
Only you can.

 

[MadDane]

Thank you for your answer! How tall are you? I also find the 13” size ideal for a laptop. Through your response, i am more convinced to get the 13” instead of the 15”, regardless the absence of a dedicated GPU and a higher screen size.

I am 1.8m (5'11 or so). But what does your gut tell you? In the end, you are the one who is going to lug it around all through college

 

[Freyqq]

So, I had a 15" in university all 4 years. Screen size is great for writing papers, etc. But, you have no need for the GPU, as per your stated needs. I don't think you'd need more than 8gb of ram either. So, I'd recommend getting the 13" and investing in a large external monitor for home use.

 

[ZapNZs]

Are you going to be using any of the Apps used for economic impact modeling/forecasting?

If so, will any be Apps that only have a Windows version?

 

[bjet767]

Get then one with the most memory and largest HD (SSD) you can afford. Screen size is a matter of need, portability compared to size, and CPU difference will not be noticed unless you are using CPU/GPU intensive programs (rendering video/photo/graphics).

In the end it’s the pocket book (and personal desires) that decide.