MBP Retina - 13 or 15"

numnutz

numnutz

numnutz

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Hi people,

I'm starting a new contracting role in a few weeks and need to organise my own computer to do the work on. I'm currently torn between getting a 13 or 15 Macbook Pro Retina.

Is the 15" really that much more powerful then the 13" with it's better graphics options, and quad i7 vs dual i7? Obviously you get a little more screen real estate too, but connectivity is the same (2 x USB3 etc) on both models? Both will take 16Gb RAM (unlike my air which was maxed out at 8gb).

Any real justification for the £400 extra, or just use it towards a decent screen to use with it?

Thanks!
 
I have had both and yes the 15" is noticeably more powerful under the right conditions.

I use FCP, Windows 8.1 under parallels and the 15" is much faster.
 
It really depends what you're going to use it for.

I have a 13" Late 2013 Haswell rMBP (i7 2.8GHz / 16GB RAM / 512GB SSD) and that is perfect for personal use at home, taking out and about (rarely though). I do think this model could have been perfected with an Iris Pro GPU but for light use the Iris is fine. This is also offset by the fact I have a high spec desktop for anything non 'light use'

Work provided me with a 15" Early 2013 rMBP (i7 2.8GHz / 16GB RAM / 768GB SSD) which is more ideal for my work stuff. I do wish it was 13" when lugging it to and from work though :)
 
As above it depends what you use it for. I carry my laptop around a lot and as such I'm very glad I went with the 13" as it offers more than enough power for what I'm doing with it. If I didn't carry it around all over the country as much as I do and/or if I needed more power then I wouldn't have cared so much and would have got the 15".

As such though, for my usage profile, the 13" was the better option by far.
 
How likely are you to get an external monitor at your new job?

I can just about be productive on a 15" screen but 13" feels way too constrained.
 
If issues of compatibility matters, I recommend the 13" model, as the 15" is quite bulkier. And if you plan to work sitting at one place (and without an external monitor), the 15" is an excellent choice.
 
KevinGeek said:
If issues of compatibility matters, I recommend the 13" model, as the 15" is quite bulkier. And if you plan to work sitting at one place (and without an external monitor), the 15" is an excellent choice.
Click to expand...

I woudn't say its a lot bulkier. Its something over time I dont think you'd actually notice. The 13" just looks a lot smaller when next to the 15".

I think someone needs to carry out a blind fold test, once carrying a 13" under your arm and once carrying a 15" under your arm.

I think its going to be very hard to actually notice the .5kg weight difference, I also don't think an extra inch in depth and near two inches in width will make carrying it uncomfortable. Its just that you know the 13" is smaller...

The 13" is nice but if you are going to be doing any work on that screen, aside from browsing, then I wouldn't recommend it. If you will be carrying it from work to home and have an external to work on at both locations then it may be worth considering because you may nmot need the power of the 15" for your spreedsheets and word processing - but only then if you plan to get it out on the train (as above the difference when both are in a rucksack on your back, I can't really seeing it making that much difference in reality - a smaller lighter bag would be more noticable)

The 15" screen is a big step up to do work on if you haven't got the option of an external screen. The extra power of the bigger machine, better speakers are also welcoming.

I so nearly ordered a 13" based on the way it looked and how I thought it would be easier to transport. Then I came to the conclusion that I would only ever being doing work on it at a desk, where the size didnt matter and the extra weight of less than a pint didnt concern me. The 13"s screen was too small to do any proper work so any task it would be doing on the move could be completed on my phone or tablet - emails etc.
I'm so glad I picked the 15". Just my 2 cents of course. Totally depends on the budget, if you can go up to the 15" then I say go for that.
 
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Thanks guys, input all welcome and good to hear. I currently commute with a Macbook Air 13" which I'm quite in love with. However, new role is going to be no commuting hence I'd happily get something a little more powerful, and whilst I may not need the power right now, It'll help extend it's lifespan if I spend a bit more now.

I'm swinging towards a 15" now, but need to work out if I can afford the extra cost as getting the 16Gb Ram and 512GB SSD pushes it over the £2000 mark which is a heavy investment! I'm going to head into the Apple store too and see if they'll let me hold each one under arm as suggested to see whether the weight really is noticeably different!

Thanks guys :)
 
I'd get the 15 mate. If I was going for 13 i'd just get an air... which it sounds like you already have. Bigger screen size for sure if less commuting and you should see the extra power bonuses :)
 
I went with integrated graphics on the grounds that battery life was more important than 3D performance, and 13" because it looked large enough.

Since then I've been working almost exclusively on it, without external monitors attached. The various screen swiping gestures of OSX coupled with the ridiculously high resolution has proven to be sufficient.

I'm probably less productive than I am on dual 30" screens, but this is somewhat offset by having exactly the same working environment in the office / on the train / at home. It's viable at least despite being 13" across.
 
I spent a month trying to decide between 13 and 15. I plumped for the 15 in the end as i needed the extra grunt, to me the 13 was the nicer form factor though. It would have been a no-brainer for me if they would only make the 13 with a quad and some dedicated gfx.
 
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