Screen size dilemma - MB 13 vs MBP 15

Sad Professor

This is a well-beated horse, I know, but I'd appreciate some fresh thoughts especially as it relates to the aluminium Macbooks.

I'm warming up the credit card for when the MBs get a speed-bump in (hopefully) early June. I was all set to get the 13 inch Macbook but looking at it in-store the other day it seemed so small that I'm having second-thoughts and considering maybe going for the 15" Macbook Pro instead.

It's waaaay beyond what I planned to spend though.

I always found my 12 inch iBook big enough for most things but I'm going to be using the Macbook a lot more frequently so I'm thinking it might be worth going that bit extra.

Any thoughts, advice? Is there anyone with the 13 inch who regrets not getting the MBP?

silvine

Some thoughts:

1 If you're going to be using it a lot then you'll appreciate the bigger screen size to work on unless....
2 You're going to be moving around with it a lot,in which case you'll appreciate portability.
3 Have a look at the Apple refurb store; there's always a few good deals there.
4 Laptops are difficult to upgrade, get the best model you can afford.

redenemyjoe

Yeah it also depends on what kind of work you're doing. I had the previous model MB in a 13" and I upgraded to 15". I'd be lost without it.

J-blk

I went from a previous gen. MBP 15.4" to a unibody MB 13.3" and personally, I do find it difficult to get any real work done on the smaller screen, though TBH, the vertical resolution on my MBP (1440x900) was pretty poor for a screen of that size. If I'm doing any coding, I end up with about 15 windows open and even using Spaces, the 13" just does not cut it so I always end up doing such work with my external 24" connected - the MBP was better in that area, but not by much (come on Apple, why no 15" @ 1920x1200 as an option?).

On the other hand, the 13" feels a lot more portable than my MBP and I find it much easier to take it with me everywhere, plus it has been plenty powerful for what I need done (though I did upgrade HDD and RAM pretty much right off the bat).

So if you have a good external display that you would use a lot when you need to get some serious work done, I'd go for the MB, but if you will be doing everything on the laptop's screen, you'd probably be much happier with the MBP (besides the screen size, I'm sure you're aware of the massive quality difference between the MB and MBP screens - the MB is particularly poor in comparison).

Sad Professor

Yeah I think I'll stick with the 13 inch Macbook. Tbh I was just momentarily flirting with the idea of getting a MBP. While the larger screen would be nice, I can't really justify the extra cost. Plus, portability is probably more important to me.

Thanks for the advice, guys.

pleasant Co.

The screen on the MBP also looks quite a bit better than the one on MB, which would sway me more than the size...but sure head to a shop and check the two out side by side

Elessar

Before you buy check out prices on Misco.ie - often you'll get a macbook for a good deal less than Apple charge.

Melange

I'm having a similar dilemma myself: I'm looking to buy an Apple laptop sometime over the next few months. The Macbook would be absolutely ideal for what I need (light, portable), but the low screen resolution is really putting me off. I'd almost consider paying the premium for a Macbook Pro just for the larger screen with higher resolution.

Really, it'd hardly kill Apple to include a 1440x900 BTO option for the Macbook, or to bump up the standard resolution to that. 1280x800 just doesn't cut it anymore.