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Can't Decide Between 14" and 16"
- Thread starter StoneCold X
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16 sounds good given the reasonable price difference. Unfortunately for me the footprint size is too large and there’s a lot of discomfort when my wrist is pressed against the front edge
Not sure if I’m going to regret this but I’m living from a 16” Pro Max 32 to a 14” Pro 16.
I spent a week with the 16 and it’s firmly anchored to my desk. Battery life is about 14 hours so I’ll prob get less with the 14.
Anyway I want something I can move around with.
I spent a week with the 16 and it’s firmly anchored to my desk. Battery life is about 14 hours so I’ll prob get less with the 14.
Anyway I want something I can move around with.
Not much I’m not one to measure - seems things ar stretched larger and longer on the 16 to me
That’s very odd regarding hand discomfort ! Should be the opposite! Because on the 16 you have much more room to rest your palms! A lot of people know this and get the larger computer due to this!
Last year I was not sure which iphone to get - the Iphone mini or the Pro Max - so my wife advised me to take both.
Now our daughter owns the IPhone mini.
So I decided to be a little bit more clever this year buying the 16“ M1 Max … but I am again not sure if it was the right choice.
Now our daughter owns the IPhone mini.
So I decided to be a little bit more clever this year buying the 16“ M1 Max … but I am again not sure if it was the right choice.
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This is interesting, I think it confirms that the "high power mode" being present only in the 16 inch is because in normal operation it's running slower than it could to match performance of the 14 inch model, with the added benefit of lower fan noise and running cooler. Presumably high power mode stops this behavior, and if that's the case the reason why the 14 inch doesn't have it is because for all intents and purposes it's already always enabled on the 14 inch.
Odd indeed. The thickness creates this angle whereby no matter how parallel my forearm is to my desk, my wrist is pressed against the sharp edge.
Nah, that comparison is never realistic for daily usage of most people. Its basically maxing out the entire duration. Their onky consideration is sustsined performance of certain work loads.
People forget how heavy the old pre-retina macbooks were. When they changed ~ 2013, the new 15" models ended up weighing about the same as the old 13.3" non-retina models.
Example: My 2011 macbook pro 13.3" weighs 4.5lbs, while the new 2021 16" weighs 4.5-4.8lbs depending on your configuration!
Table of examples:
All that said, less weight was nicer. We're ending up settling somewhere in between now.
Example: My 2011 macbook pro 13.3" weighs 4.5lbs, while the new 2021 16" weighs 4.5-4.8lbs depending on your configuration!
Table of examples:
| Model | Weight |
| 2011-2013 non-retina 13" | 4.5lb |
| 2011-2013 non-retina 15" | 5.6lb |
| 2019 13" weight | 3.02lb |
| 2019 16" weight | 4.3lb |
| 2021 14" weight | 3.5lb |
| 2021 16" weight | 4.5 (pro) - 4.8lb (max) |
All that said, less weight was nicer. We're ending up settling somewhere in between now.
That explains why my current laptop feels heavier than the 16". Because it is ?
I'll actually gain portability, power, battery and screen real estate. That's a proper upgrade!
I have a 5 monitor setup (work, stocks, and gaming) - just ask yourself the question: If you are going to be working at a desk 90% of the time, I'd opt for the 16" display. If that is MY ONLY DISPLAY. Otherwise if you are to be at a desk you'll most likely have access to an AC socket for power anyway so the larger batter don't matter.
If you have multiple monitors or another larger display you might as well plug it in clamshell mode. If that's the case then why bother with the 16" model if you're not going to fully utilize it. For the other 10% of the time away from an actual work desk the portability/size factor is huge. Honestly a 14" is really nice because the footprint is smaller, the weight is greater for portability but it doesn't really matter at a desk 90% of the time, battery life for on the go but also don't matter either at a desk, and best of all the 14" you can still connect to multiple monitors and it will fit on your desk (vertically or horizontally).
If you want a clean work desk without any external monitors to connect to the 16" is legit. I'd pick that over the 14" any day. But once you have a larger display and/or multiple displays, you'll find out soon that it doesn't even matter the built in display anymore. If I can justify the costs I'd also get a 32" XDR from apple and connect to my 14" but it's too expensive and unnecessary for my personal work flow.
edit: I have an m1 16GB/512GB model connected to two displays as well. I'm using that so much more than the new laptop 14". But I also have a 2021 IPP 12.9 and that guy is going to be sold off. Honestly if they made a new M1 Pro with the Mac mini chassis I'd get that over all the new MBPs.
If you have multiple monitors or another larger display you might as well plug it in clamshell mode. If that's the case then why bother with the 16" model if you're not going to fully utilize it. For the other 10% of the time away from an actual work desk the portability/size factor is huge. Honestly a 14" is really nice because the footprint is smaller, the weight is greater for portability but it doesn't really matter at a desk 90% of the time, battery life for on the go but also don't matter either at a desk, and best of all the 14" you can still connect to multiple monitors and it will fit on your desk (vertically or horizontally).
If you want a clean work desk without any external monitors to connect to the 16" is legit. I'd pick that over the 14" any day. But once you have a larger display and/or multiple displays, you'll find out soon that it doesn't even matter the built in display anymore. If I can justify the costs I'd also get a 32" XDR from apple and connect to my 14" but it's too expensive and unnecessary for my personal work flow.
edit: I have an m1 16GB/512GB model connected to two displays as well. I'm using that so much more than the new laptop 14". But I also have a 2021 IPP 12.9 and that guy is going to be sold off. Honestly if they made a new M1 Pro with the Mac mini chassis I'd get that over all the new MBPs.
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I just don't get how they can get the ports so right on the mini, and not see that as an incredible solution for the pro laptop user. From an functional perspective, obviously it works. From an engineering perspective, They've had more ports on a laptop in the past.
If you're talking about the USB ports and ethernet, I think they may be too large to spec inside the new 14"s. But on the 16"s perhaps they can. Apple Marketing runs the engineering team. With Jony Ive's gone perhaps now the engineering team is pushing back more. If you honestly look at the m1 mini it 2 usb-c, one HDMI and 2-usb A ports. and an ethernet jack. The new laptops get one additional usb-c. Apple marketing at its finest!
the 2021 16 M1 has been the first apple product since the 2018 IPP redesign that when i initially saw it i was in that "i gotta have it mode". Ive owned a lot of apple products since i bought my 2018 12.9 IPP - M1 MBP, Series 7 AW, Iphone 12 pro max and they are nice and def better than the ones before them but this 16 is special.
The mini is monitor-less, so the HDMI is a wash. Also, the mini has a dedicated power supply. I would have bought an M1 MacBook Pro, with a dedicated power supply port (preferably mag-safe), an ethernet, two Tbolt ports, two USB-A ports, headphone, HDMI and SD card reader in a heartbeat. Release the rumored consumer Monitor, and I'd go for that instead of upgrading to a 16". I don't know about you, but I look at monitors constantly. Searching for that performance/utility/quality/cost combination. To me, nothing touches the monitor on the iMac 24" (8-cpu, 8-gpu) at this point. I just don't have use for a stationary computer. C'mon Apple! Don't fumble on the one yard line!!
Ha, I just stopped back at the Apple store again to try to decide. I think you're right that the 16" does feel more special. The 14 is nice but feels very similar to the M1 air or old 13" pro to me.
After looking at the font sizes on the 14" with default resolution I think I'm going to end up sticking with the 16" for these 41 year old eyes.
It's proportionate to the screen size - at default resolution around 15% smaller or so. It's not horrible by any means, but contacts don't work the best for me (astigmatism) so a little larger is nicer. With my glasses on everything is super sharp though.
I've been using the 14" for the past 5 days or so and I love it but I wanted to check out the 16" so I went to the Apple Store and I have to say the 16" screen is impressive but the footprint is huge. I didn't find it too heavy or bulky or anything but I don't think it would be comfortable using on the sofa, bed, etc (for me anyway). It's a tough call for just a $200 difference from what I have now for the same specs but I am coming from a 15" and got sort of tired of hauling that thing around or using it on the bed/outside on my porch or whatever and wanted to get a smaller form factor but always thought the 13" was too small for me.
Anyway, if you don't care about size, for $200, I think the 16" is a good call for the better screen, battery, cooling, etc.
Anyway, if you don't care about size, for $200, I think the 16" is a good call for the better screen, battery, cooling, etc.
Not sure whats special about it, except the chunkiness and the heft.
I think some people may not have thought this through when choosing 16. Usage at a desk would be completely fine, but the size and weight makes it oretty much completely infeasible to use on a lap, or laying back on a couch, etc. And probably wikl have a hard time fitting it onto a small coffe table at various cafes.
Its a desktop replacement, pretty much an iMac portable edition. I can never see my self using something like that on the go.
I use a 16" intel model on my lap now and it is a little big but not horrible. It's kind of too big to use comfortably in bed though. It would be annoying to use on a plane/bus/etc as well.
In general, fine for normal couch+lap usage, but the newer 2021 models will be a touch bigger and heavier. I'm going to let me order go through and try it for a week to decide.