2017 MacBook Pro 13 Base model

Soldato
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Hi all. Have just purchased the new MPB 13 as it was on sale in Argos for £1099. I had toyed with buying it at £1249 but I just thought for the 128gb version that was a bit steep, however for this price I bit!

I haven't actually opened it yet as I am still not 100% whether I want to keep it or not. I currently have the 2014 128gb MBP and it's a great machine although I damaged the screen slightly so it's been bugging me for a while.

Has anyone else made the jump from '14 to '17 and have they noticed a significant improvement? In an ideal world you would get the 256gb I guess for the extra SSD speed but storage wise 128gb has always been plenty for me, I still have 60gb free on my 2014 model.

Main uses are photoshop/lightroom as well as the usual web browsing and videos etc.
 

GeX

GeX

Soldato
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I went from a 2012 to a 2017 and noticed a massive difference with the screen being P3 colour space. But for that money you could buy a nice monitor to use with your 2014
 
Soldato
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I went into the apple store this past weekend to get a new screen fitted to my 2014 MBP. While I was waiting in the store I had a chance to play with the newer modles. I have to say they are nice. I love the large trackpad area and the key layout. If you're unsure, maybe have a play with one in an apple store.
 
Soldato
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Ooh, out of interest how much did the screen repair cost? I already had a screen replaced due to staingate but then somewhere along the line I managed to damage the second one :(
 
Soldato
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I love my '16 it's a fantastic bit of kit. I don't think it'll be any different for watching videos and browsing the web though, and if you edit photos a lot, there's no SD card slot which is a negative compared to the '14.

Having said that, the new MBP chassis just feels a lot nicer than the old one. Lighter, smaller, thinner... call me shallow :D
 
Soldato
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Yeah the SD card slot would be a loss but not a total one. I have an SD/USB card reader as my desktop pc doesn't have a card reader so I can get by with that anyway.
I have had a play with one in my local Currys but it would be great if they had a 14 or a 15 beside it to compare. I have heard in comparison the screen is excellent which I think I'll enjoy the most, I do like the big trackpad too, I've read it's supposed to make Photoshop/lightroom easier to use but maybe that's wishful thinking.
 
Associate
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Cheers for highlighting the Argos price. I ordered an iPad Pro 10.5 to compliment an iMac for portability but once add the keyboard and pencil it'll take me into MB or MBP territory. Strongly thinking of returning the iPad and grab this or the Macbook Retina M3 as my portable driver.

Why not sell the 2014 model? The 2017 chassis seems a major step up over the previous design.
 
Man of Honour
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The issue for me would be a combination of 128gb storage and no SD card slot. 128gb is a little small now and the old trick of supplementing it with a 128gb SD card (one that sits flush with the case) isn't possible with the current 2017 models.
 
Soldato
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I got an offer for my 2014 and decided to move it on in the end, typing this on my 2017 now :D. I see it's now back up to £1249 in Argos again although it's available for same price in currys but with £100 cash back. Interestingly the 256gb is available with £150 cash back making it effectively £1300.

Anyhoo, really enjoying the 2017 model and I got a 7in1 hub thingy from the rainforest for £29.99 and it seems to be working very well, including the HDMI out. I'm on 93gb free space still left so here's hoping that continues!
 
Soldato
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I recently went from a 2014 15" Pro to a 2016 13" Pro with touch and the screen is considerably better. Not sure on the touch bar yet but the larger trackpad is nice. As above best to go to a store and have a play see what you think.
 
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