Which MacBook? (Uique dilemma)

[InsightsIE]

Hi there,
I'm currently a user of a 15 inch 2012 Retina MacBook Pro 10,1 (Quad Core 2.3GHz 16GB, 256GB, 650M 1024MB) machine and I love it. It has a perfect size screen but it really is showing it's age but surprisingly enough, not performance wise - this thing still runs fast but the battery doesn't last, the feet has fallen off the machine and the rubber around the bezel is starting to wear off. It turned 5 years old the past September.

Now it might seem like a straight forward get the new 15" MacBook Pro with Touch Bar but my circumstances has changed. I'm at a stage in my life now where I need to carry a Laptop regularly: this could be around 4-5KM each day and this Laptop is too heavy at 4.5 Pounds. Even though the new one is half a pound lighter I don't think it'll make enough of a difference. I'm also carrying around the power supply because the Laptop barely lasts without it. I'm also recovering from an injury so I'm not in a suck it up and build muscle position. I'm also not a big guy at 165cm so I hope this helps paint a picture on why even though the 15" I know for a fact is my goldilocks size of a Laptop, it just isn't practical for me in anyway anymore.

So I need to downsize and I'm torn between the 12 inch MacBook and the 13 inch MacBook Pro with Touch bar.

It would be a spec'ed out 12 inch i7 MacBook with 16GB of Ram and 512GB SSD
OR
13 inch 3.1 i5 MacBook Pro with TB and 16GB Ram and 512GB SSD.

So what do I do with this machine and what have I been using my current machine for in-order of frequency:

MOST OFTEN:

1) Well, circumstances changed and now as a Second Year Economics and CS student, I've never spent more time in Microsoft Word typing Essays. Usually I know a lot of Reviewers say for basic things the 12 inch is fine but the 15 inch has been a huge benefit for me since I can browse Google Scholar and have Word open on screen at the same time. I don't think there's gonna be a huge difference between the 12" and 13" when it comes to this use case but I may be wrong. I'd love to hear your thoughts incase anyone has surprising angles. But I'm also grouping into this eMail, web browsing, watching Movies etc. "Regular stuff". Also Powerpoint and Keynote for pitches and presentations.

2) I also code. Front end web development, rapid prototyping, I am doing UX/UI design stuff and I'm getting my feet wet with XCode and Swift. I use Visual Studio Code, XCode and Sketch and I'd like to hear those who use any of these Apps what it's like on the 12 inch MacBook and 13 inch MacBook Pro W/TB. Not only for projects to be deployed but also up-skilling and this is the machine I'd be learning on.

3) Video Editing: Not as much as I used to but there is time to time when I do need to do it. Design thinking pitches, Rapid-prototyping, technical mockups but Still 1080P, I haven't needed to do 4K but I don't know what the future holds. Mostly Final Cut Pro X now, I used to use After Effects nearly at 60/40 but it'd be much lower however if I ever needed to use After Effects it's nice to know if the machine can run it at "Decent" performance.


LESS OFTEN:
This is where anything after is definitely not as important.

4) Photoshop: I don't do this professionally and I only ever use Photoshop if I need to make assets to assist either UX/UI or for video editing and again making assets for pitches and mockup demos etc.

5) Games on Bootcamp: I know this is probably almost going to have everyone yell MBP but I own a Switch and Xbox so I'm probably not playing Triple A games. If anything, it'd be getting my feet wet with game development and if any game needed playing, I don't mind playing on lowest of the low settings. Also for running Excel as Excel on Mac can't do Macros or VBA very well.


My hypothesis on things I need:

1) Portability - so big and why I'm very biased towards 12 inch MacBook, that thing is light and judging from YouTube videos, doesn't seem too underpowered I saw it render video at relatively fine speeds and I think that was the older model.

2) Battery - Their nearly same same but I have a feeling I'll probably get more battery on the MacBook Pro during more intensive tasks as it's less strain on the system resources.

3) STILL GOOD Performance - I checked GeekBench and both machines score higher than my current Laptop but it'd be nice to buy a new computer after 5 years and have it feel faster. But I don't know how accurate Geekbench is for determining day to day usage. Even though 12 MacBook scored higher could it still run slower than my 5 year quad core MBP? I'm shocked after 5 years the Pros still only offer 16GB of Ram on the Pros but they were able to get 16GB into that tiny 12 inch model. In fact I was holding out for as long as I could on a 32GB MBP which would swing me that direction but I can't hold out any longer.
---

Since these Machines are smaller I'm going to be eventually buying a 27" 4K monitor, my eye particularly on the LG 27" UD88 as it has USB C charging so it's why I think I can sustain myself with a much smaller notebook but I particularly want to know from users of any of these Laptops how well the Apps I mentioned above work on their machines on their screen sizes and without an external monitor.
(Xcode, Visual Studio Code or an online IDE, Sketch, Final Cut Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, Office, Safari)


So where am I currently leaning: Towards that Spec'ed out 12 inch MacBook. What's currently stopping me from a guaranteed win? How feasible are using the apps I mentioned above on this machine. What's the win/loss I guess. Would the 13 inch MBP offer me a much more better experience that it's worth carrying that whole extra pound or would the MacBook work. And also do you's think either machine will get me another 5 years before needing another upgrade?

I also feel like after 5 years Apple hasn't really done anything major with the MacBook Pro. It still looks exactly the same as the one I'm typing this on right now. At least with MacBook they squeezed a whole lot of Computer into basically a tablet weighted Laptop.

HOWEVER, I heard the screen on the new MacBook Pros are fabulous and these are things that may benefit the apps I'm going to be working with even more.

These are my thoughts, I'd love hearing advice so I can see the forest through the trees. Thanks!

 

[Bart Kela]

Based on your coding and video editing use, the clear choice would be the MacBook Pro.

When Apple removed the fan from the MacBook they basically capped performance. When the temperature reaches a certain threshold, the system will throttle processes; in other notebook lines, the fan will kick in instead to provide additional cooling.

This design choice makes the MacBook unsuitable for tasks that feature prolonged high CPU loads. I transcoded the same video file on my maxed-out MacBook 2017 and a four-year old MacBook Air and the latter processed the video about 10% faster. Plus the user interface on the MacBook gets sluggish when you have multiple high CPU activities. Upgrading to the fastest CPU in the MacBook isn't all that beneficial nor is the higher Turbo Boost clock speed worth much.

The MacBook is fine for ordinary consumer usage which is 95% of what I do with it. If there's anything I need to do that demands extended CPU loads, I know that I need to let it run overnight or go grab a bite to eat.

 

[vbctv]

I use the 12 inch MacBook on a 2K Monitor. I personally run an Online TV Network and have to work with photo editing & video work all the time. I also use Xcode & Android Studio with no issues on my 12inch MacBook. I think it would work for most tasks. The only negative is the dongle and seeing it hang there when connected to a monitor.

 

[ZapNZs]

IMHO...

I love my MacBook - for me, it's the perfect portable machine, but for my needs it would not work as my primary system for numerous reasons. In your case, I think the MacBook Pro is the better machine by far. (unless you are open to purchasing a 4k iMac, in which case I would say the MB is golden.) The upgraded CPUs on the 2017 MacBook is a huge investment for no real gains (all same chip with very close performance in continuous benchmarks). Ultimately, the MacBook is limited by having just a single port that uses a legacy USB protocol (and its lack of Thunderbolt) - if you are going to want a 4k60hz display, you are looking at USB 2.0 data speeds, and IMO the system is not nearly as responsive doing 4k60 as with a touchbar MBP (which, IMHO, I feel again is a better decision over the nTB when 4k displays are involved.) Further, if you are going to combine a 4k display (GPU) with editing (CPU+GPU), you are probably going to experience more issues with thermal throttling than Users doing only one of the above (with normal usage and even somewhat intense usage, there is minimal effect here - but some of your tasks are potentially on the more intensive side of things.) If down the future you edit with beyond 1080p, this is obviously going to be even more problematic. Gaming on a MB while driving a 4k display, even on Atari-era resolution settings, will probably be a miserable experience.

The MacBook does do an outstanding job of both dual booting and virtualizing Windows for standard-use software such as Excel. I can't speak to gaming, but in regards to other CPU-intensive Apps, it doesn't do nearly as well IMO.

 

[canuckRus]

rMB-screen & weight (2lbs), the clinchers. Also fits my minimalist needs.

 

[paultman]

Ok, I registered just so that I could reply to this thread.
I've had lots of macs, 12" 2016 m5 macbook, the 13" 2015 macbook pro, late 2013 15" macbook pro, and have played with the 2017 MBP's.
Where to start... well I'll simply jump to the end. best of everything... the late 2013-2015 15" macbook pro. I know it's heavy, but the single screen real estate is the best. It's got better keyboard/trackpad then the current models and PORTS. The last post said something about being a minimalist, well u'll need to carry around a bunch of dongles if u have 2016 and newer.
What I like about the 15" is: the screen size. I have an external 2k and also 4k monitor, but often just use the machine on my lap on the couch, or in bed, or with my feet up in a recliner. Or if I'm on a train, or coffeeshop, whatever. Having the 15" screen is great for those occasions. Also the keyboard has key travel, and the trackpad is not super sensitive like in the newer models where it's huge and has lots of accidental touches which jump the cursor/pointer when typing.

Next, I can plug whatever I want directly into the machine rather then carrying around a little bag of dongles.

Last, the battery life is actually not bad. In my case, i've got a new battery from apple, and the machine lasts 4-6 hours. not full day, but really, are u far from an outlet more then 4-6 hours?

I used my 2016 12 macbook for a year and really liked the ability to use usb c power, but it was just too small for serious work.

Now i'm using the 15" and am very happy. It's also got 16gb which helps. If you can find a used 16gb late 2013-2015 I'd say go for that, sure it's a pound or two heavier but it's worth it. If you buy it used, u can always replace the battery and it will be good as new.

 

[InsightsIE]

Ok, I registered just so that I could reply to this thread.
I've had lots of macs, 12" 2016 m5 macbook, the 13" 2015 macbook pro, late 2013 15" macbook pro, and have played with the 2017 MBP's.
Where to start... well I'll simply jump to the end. best of everything... the late 2013-2015 15" macbook pro. I know it's heavy, but the single screen real estate is the best. It's got better keyboard/trackpad then the current models and PORTS. The last post said something about being a minimalist, well u'll need to carry around a bunch of dongles if u have 2016 and newer.
What I like about the 15" is: the screen size. I have an external 2k and also 4k monitor, but often just use the machine on my lap on the couch, or in bed, or with my feet up in a recliner. Or if I'm on a train, or coffeeshop, whatever. Having the 15" screen is great for those occasions. Also the keyboard has key travel, and the trackpad is not super sensitive like in the newer models where it's huge and has lots of accidental touches which jump the cursor/pointer when typing.

Next, I can plug whatever I want directly into the machine rather then carrying around a little bag of dongles.

Last, the battery life is actually not bad. In my case, i've got a new battery from apple, and the machine lasts 4-6 hours. not full day, but really, are u far from an outlet more then 4-6 hours?

I used my 2016 12 macbook for a year and really liked the ability to use usb c power, but it was just too small for serious work.

Now i'm using the 15" and am very happy. It's also got 16gb which helps. If you can find a used 16gb late 2013-2015 I'd say go for that, sure it's a pound or two heavier but it's worth it. If you buy it used, u can always replace the battery and it will be good as new.

I already have a 15 inch Retina MacBook Pro that's within the generation your recommending... I think you need to really think about why it's a unique dilemma. Again see above Re: injury.

I have to say, the forum as myself is really divided according to the poll. But I think it says a lot about the MacBook Pro that it isn't such a slam dunk anymore and that lets face it, it should be. Yes it does perform better, something bigger will always perform better but 5 years later and no matter what 13" or 12" Mac laptop I'm gonna go with, it'll still be slower than the 15 inches I have now...

 

[Samuelsan2001]

I already have a 15 inch Retina MacBook Pro that's within the generation your recommending... I think you need to really think about why it's a unique dilemma. Again see above Re: injury.

I have to say, the forum as myself is really divided according to the poll. But I think it says a lot about the MacBook Pro that it isn't such a slam dunk anymore and that lets face it, it should be. Yes it does perform better, something bigger will always perform better but 5 years later and no matter what 13" or 12" Mac laptop I'm gonna go with, it'll still be slower than the 15 inches I have now...

Next year you’ll get a 30% performance bump with low power quadcore chips in the mbp plus the possibility of on chip amd graphics you could be best off waiting for that. We are reaching the limits of what we can do with silicon it’s that simple huge performance gains are a thing of the past in clock speed, it’s all about cores and efficiency now, and that takes software updates to use those cores the best way possible, which some companies (adobe i’m Looking at you) are very reluctant to invest in.

 

[Supertaff]

Well I just had to change from a MacBook 12 to a MacBook Pro 15 inch, as I was doing Xcode work and the MacBook is just to slow for it with the processor it has it is just not fast enough. The compile time and also the tuning of the emulator was just taking way to long for me.

The MacBook Pro I have while it is the 15inch has a 512GB SSD, 2.9 Ghz i7, 16GB Ram and Radeon Pro 560. The difference in xCode and other processor intensive areas is huge, so I would definitely say based on your Use Cases that the 13inch Pro would be the better option for you.

 

[mk313]

If you like your current machine, why not just replace the battery for a couple of hundred $ 7 keep using it. I bought a 2015 MacBook & love it, but prior to that, I had a 2013 MacBook Pro (which my wife still uses) & it's plenty fast for us. If you want something newer or money is no object, I'd probably say go with the MacBook Pro, based on your needs, but you may like keepoing the 15" screen for using multiple apps at once.

 

[InsightsIE]

So I thought I would update everyone, this came about rather uniquely but I found my solution and why I was having a hard time choosing a Mac.

Basically the reason I found it hard to decide was that both Macs are slower than what I'm using now and when your handing over such a huge sum of money you should both want and need it like I did with that 15" back in 2012.

The solution is to wait for that Quad Core 13 MacBook Pro with 32GB which would definitely be a slam dunk but who knows when that's coming. So I need something to keep me going in the mean time that's absolutely portable but it's not gonna be a long term investment but a short term one until Apple gets back in the ring.

So I said why not purchase a Used 12" MacBook Retina and today I picked up a 2015 MacBook 12" with 1.3GHz Processor for ....€600!!! Also $700 or £530. In nearly perfect condition this will do what I need it to do until that holy grail 13 inch MacBook Pro.

So I think the reason why I was so divided was that neither Laptop at this point in time was what I particularly needed but when it comes to Apple, because their so expensive you always think Long term investment which is why it was hard to choose but it took an epiphany and a change of mindset to go ahead and get the used MacBook 12" until a newer and better MacBook Pro!

 

[Tech198]

Go for the Pro, if its video editing.

Probably 12' inch is ligher, but you gotta decide..... because the 12-inch is fan-less.

 

[David58117]

So I thought I would update everyone, this came about rather uniquely but I found my solution and why I was having a hard time choosing a Mac.

Basically the reason I found it hard to decide was that both Macs are slower than what I'm using now and when your handing over such a huge sum of money you should both want and need it like I did with that 15" back in 2012.

The solution is to wait for that Quad Core 13 MacBook Pro with 32GB which would definitely be a slam dunk but who knows when that's coming. So I need something to keep me going in the mean time that's absolutely portable but it's not gonna be a long term investment but a short term one until Apple gets back in the ring.

So I said why not purchase a Used 12" MacBook Retina and today I picked up a 2015 MacBook 12" with 1.3GHz Processor for ....€600!!! Also $700 or £530. In nearly perfect condition this will do what I need it to do until that holy grail 13 inch MacBook Pro.

So I think the reason why I was so divided was that neither Laptop at this point in time was what I particularly needed but when it comes to Apple, because their so expensive you always think Long term investment which is why it was hard to choose but it took an epiphany and a change of mindset to go ahead and get the used MacBook 12" until a newer and better MacBook Pro!

Just be careful with the 2015 model, as the battery seems to degrade pretty quickly. I was getting around 4 hours on mine after a year or so. The newer ones seemed to have corrected that, if I remember. And they handled throttling better.

Not to be a killjoy, just the 2015 model isn't the one to get..

 

[mk313]

Just be careful with the 2015 model, as the battery seems to degrade pretty quickly. I was getting around 4 hours on mine after a year or so. The newer ones seemed to have corrected that, if I remember. And they handled throttling better.

Not to be a killjoy, just the 2015 model isn't the one to get..

While the newer models are faster, I have a 2015 retina MacBook and it’s been the best computer I’ve ever owned. I think the op will love it.

 

[InsightsIE]

Just be careful with the 2015 model, as the battery seems to degrade pretty quickly. I was getting around 4 hours on mine after a year or so. The newer ones seemed to have corrected that, if I remember. And they handled throttling better.

Not to be a killjoy, just the 2015 model isn't the one to get..

While the newer models are faster, I have a 2015 retina MacBook and it’s been the best computer I’ve ever owned. I think the op will love it.

Definitely good points and the one I bought had 380 cycles already. But again, this is just to keep me going till that holy grail MacBook Pro 13 inch that will supposedly have a Intel U Quad Core chip coming this Summer or so. I didn't buy this as a long term investment like my 15 inch MacBook Pro Retina which I got back in 2012, I'm awaiting for it's worthy successor.

 

[TekAdvice]

Go with the MacBook Pro. They are much better than the MacBooks. They have more powerful processors and are designed for performance rather than size like the MacBook.

 

[ZapNZs]

delete

 

[MacGizmo]

I also feel like after 5 years Apple hasn't really done anything major with the MacBook Pro. It still looks exactly the same as the one I'm typing this on right now. At least with MacBook they squeezed a whole lot of Computer into basically a tablet weighted Laptop.

You're talking about the appearance. The MacBook is nowhere near the power of the MacBook Pro. The only similarity between the two is the similar appearance and the fact that they run macOS.