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Can't Decide Between 14" and 16"
- Thread starter StoneCold X
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Honestly i thought the same thing as you but have used it on the sofa and loved it. Yes it obviously is bigger and heavier but i haven't noticed any issues over my 13.
Yeah, perhaps for a few people they could deal with that, but in my experience and a lot of people that I know, the 16" is a no go for most scenarios away from a proper office desk.
I mostly work in a weWork in geenwich village these days, since offices are closed, and the favorite place is on one of their wide comfy couches. I actually tried the old 16" a year ago, but the extra size and weight from the 15" just made it a far less enjoyable experience if you have to do it hours on end. 15" is about the maximum size most people can comfortably work in a large selection of scenarios, the old 16" I can make do with some difficulty, the new 16" is just out of the question.
Very similar with going to work at a starbucks or something, the 15" fits well but very snugly at both the bar style window seats as well as some of the smaller coffee tables, anything larger would be make it a dodgy affair. Same with on an airliner, I could barely get some work done on the 15" with some difficulty, I think the 16" would definitely be out of the running in that scenario. There are just way to many places where the 15" -> the new 16" makes the experience far worse.
On the 14 inch, you can do with minimal loss in sustained performance, and I do normally need all the performance I can get, since I am an AI/ML researcher, and mostly work in Reinforcement Learning settings, and have to run considerable training and inference sessions quite frequently on the local machine, and of course VMs all the time. The 14" M1 Max with 64GB has so far done everything I need and more in the last 3 days that I've had it, need to put it further through the paces though. For the 14 inch, the only real downside is battery life. If you want a good view of how the 14" performs, here is a pretty thorough review:
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i love the 14 and the 16 they are both very nice! I was able to do most of the things i needed to on the 13 m1 and had no issues. I do have to say though using this 16 has been amazing and with all the side by sides i did at the apple store of the 14/16/13 m1s I just felt that for my use case the 14 was not enough of an upgrade to really make me feel like i was upgrading. Just like when i was debating the 12.9 with the new display iPad vs my 2018 I really didn't think there was a need over the one i had it was the same size but just a nicer screen. I also still use and love the 12.9 iPad pro from 2018.
After using the 16-inch for 4 days, went and bought the 14-inch yesterday and within 24 hours, its clear that for me, the 14-inch is a much better form factor. I use the laptop as a laptop- of the sofa, in bed etc. Its never connected to a monitor and I take it around with me. Plenty of power for me on the 14-inch and still on the charge that came out of the box.
I thought the same thing, after having used the 14 now it just doesn't have the "new" factor for me. I have a 13in Surfacebook 3 so that may be why I'm leaning towards the 16.
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In general, I feel like my eyes get tired more quickly with smaller displays. I found the 14 slightly too small coming from a 15.4.
I always use it on my lap and the 14" is perfect for that. I think 16" would be too cumbersome for long periods
the 16 is thick, chunky, heavy and arguably ugly. excellent screen, very immersive, and great battery life, but it's a desktop machine and will be sitting on your desk 99% of the time. Imagine you're on the go in the bus, train, or plane, and trying to take out your 16 out of your large backpack and place it on your knees or the tiny food tray while trying not to bump elbows with your neighbor. it's ridiculous. And if you're simply taking the 16 from one work station to another, and you need the extra screen real estate, I think the guy in this video presents an intriguing alternative utilizing the iPad 12.9 though I think you can use any iPad.
another thing to note is using Macs while standing at desk. I find that sitting around on couches is terrible for my posture, muscles/nerves and health even though im fit. So usually someone like me will use a MacBook on a stand as a desktop setup with occasional chair or couch use. So its also nice to have a portable desktop solution. The question is, how often do your really take your MacBook outside the house for real work. If you dont, than you probably should get the 16"
I stand in front of raised 16" and when im in the kitchen cooking, I also stand while watching something on this screen. I can only work when im isolated so its not like im going to Starbucks for a romantic laptop experience. Sorry to ramble on but I encourage either standing or using a desk treadmill (which I also have). My long term researching testing has me convinced that sitting in front of a computer is a bad life choice.
as much as I disliked iPads, I do have the mini and and currently testing if its a good portable computer replacement when on the go. I keep questioning myself if I should just go for an iMac and an upcoming MacBook Air but the air was only great for travel and couches, which i've been avoiding all year.
I stand in front of raised 16" and when im in the kitchen cooking, I also stand while watching something on this screen. I can only work when im isolated so its not like im going to Starbucks for a romantic laptop experience. Sorry to ramble on but I encourage either standing or using a desk treadmill (which I also have). My long term researching testing has me convinced that sitting in front of a computer is a bad life choice.
as much as I disliked iPads, I do have the mini and and currently testing if its a good portable computer replacement when on the go. I keep questioning myself if I should just go for an iMac and an upcoming MacBook Air but the air was only great for travel and couches, which i've been avoiding all year.
The weight isn't an issue, your forearms laying across the thing is a little awkward.
It is indeed a tough decision. I do love the form factor of the 14”, but it also feels a little cramped while using the keyboard. The 16” gives me plenty of space to rest my wrists and makes the typing experience more enjoyable IMO. The downside is obviously the heft.
I don’t travel much, so portability, as fantastic as it is with the 14” is not as important. I feel as if I could get by with a 16” portability wise if so had to in a pinch.
Still have both on hand and will make a decision over the next couple of days. My Apple Card is itching for a credit back though. Lol.
I don’t travel much, so portability, as fantastic as it is with the 14” is not as important. I feel as if I could get by with a 16” portability wise if so had to in a pinch.
Still have both on hand and will make a decision over the next couple of days. My Apple Card is itching for a credit back though. Lol.
And uncomfortable. Part of my forearm and wrist stays pressed against the sharp front edge. If I had very large hands or freakishly long fingers, maybe it wouldn't be such an issue.
Hey folks,
If I see it correctly, most of the posts in this thread are more in favor of the 14 inch model. I thought exactly the same and that is why I ordered a 14 inch base MBP shortly after announcement. I however also wondered if there are any further differences than the size. I found the following video on YouTube, comparing the 14 inch with the 16 inch:
Short summary:
- 16 inch has a bigger battery (I guess this is clear to all of us)
- 16 inch has slighty better speakers (personally I don’t bother about this)
- 16 inch has a better cooling system, resulting less noise as the fans are not needed that often
- Performance seems to be nearly identical, even though temperates of the 14 inch are definitely higher
I find the battery and the better cooling system definitely arguments for the 16 inch. Question of course is whether these arguments are more important than the mobility of the 14 inch. Personally my current 15 inch laptop is even bigger and heavier than the 16 inch MBP. So I guess it really depends on from where you are coming.
Update: Just saw that this video has already been posted In this thread. Sorry about that.
If I see it correctly, most of the posts in this thread are more in favor of the 14 inch model. I thought exactly the same and that is why I ordered a 14 inch base MBP shortly after announcement. I however also wondered if there are any further differences than the size. I found the following video on YouTube, comparing the 14 inch with the 16 inch:
Short summary:
- 16 inch has a bigger battery (I guess this is clear to all of us)
- 16 inch has slighty better speakers (personally I don’t bother about this)
- 16 inch has a better cooling system, resulting less noise as the fans are not needed that often
- Performance seems to be nearly identical, even though temperates of the 14 inch are definitely higher
I find the battery and the better cooling system definitely arguments for the 16 inch. Question of course is whether these arguments are more important than the mobility of the 14 inch. Personally my current 15 inch laptop is even bigger and heavier than the 16 inch MBP. So I guess it really depends on from where you are coming.
Update: Just saw that this video has already been posted In this thread. Sorry about that.
Just came out of the store and traded in my Intel 16 for a 16.2". Compared the 14 and 16 by scaling to smallest size and opening apps as I usually do. It was night and day difference. the 14 feels bulky with less screen space. I just know it was a bad decision to go with 14. I rather go 13 with an Air weight. Originally had a 14 on order but wanted to be honest with myself and screen sizes. I don't like looking around large monitors and don't like to be glued to one space. I used to swear by the 12" because I traveled a lot for work but I feel like I can do that now with the iPad mini since its rare. I love resolution because I love sharp letters and don't mind small letters. going from 16 to 16.2 feels special. The new keyboard has a slight nicer click to it and wow I'm loving the extra resolution and extra space I'm getting.
When lifting the 14 and 16 in store, I didn't see that much difference. they are both kinda bulky and both meant to sit on a table or lap. I can lift both with one hand but I wouldn't carry either with one arm. you need a bag for both.
so here is my opinion regarding sizes.
14" if you go mobile 50% of the time and use pro software
16" if you go mobile 10% of the time and mostly use Mac around the house.
16" if you find that even though you have a big monitor, you still stare at the MacBook screen mostly.
Upcoming Air if you just go mobile or do light stuff in bed, on couch etc.
I don't even need the pro features of this Mac. I just want the resolution and screen size. the whole talk about these Macs being fat doesn't matter. who cars how fat they look when sitting on a table? they don't really look fat to me at all looking down at keyboard. But its a shame to skip this nice large display. Also get AppleCare cause I called apple to find out screen repair costs out of warranty and its way over $1k
also apple let me keep my intel 16" adapter. FYI I rubbed off some of the space gray color on my MacBook but the guy still gave me the full trade offer. The color changed when I put this strong tape on the Mac to cushion my palms. wasn't going to upgrade my MacBook but I was getting fed up with the stutter UI of the intel.
SO if you buy this Mac, buy apple care and pay with an American Express. This will give you 3 years of damage protection and an additional year of basic warranty from Amex. Only use Amex since they have their own insurance instead of going through another party. Thats 4 years of warranty. if the logic board fries on year 4, you're covered probably will get a new MacBook.
If you are debating between Macs because of price, stop it. Everyone has their thing. My friends like to spend a lot of money on eating out. Another friend likes cars. Another pays $16 a drink regularly to stand by the bar. You probably don't do that but you probably use your Mac every day. If I drove many miles every day, id buy a Tesla.
When lifting the 14 and 16 in store, I didn't see that much difference. they are both kinda bulky and both meant to sit on a table or lap. I can lift both with one hand but I wouldn't carry either with one arm. you need a bag for both.
so here is my opinion regarding sizes.
14" if you go mobile 50% of the time and use pro software
16" if you go mobile 10% of the time and mostly use Mac around the house.
16" if you find that even though you have a big monitor, you still stare at the MacBook screen mostly.
Upcoming Air if you just go mobile or do light stuff in bed, on couch etc.
I don't even need the pro features of this Mac. I just want the resolution and screen size. the whole talk about these Macs being fat doesn't matter. who cars how fat they look when sitting on a table? they don't really look fat to me at all looking down at keyboard. But its a shame to skip this nice large display. Also get AppleCare cause I called apple to find out screen repair costs out of warranty and its way over $1k
also apple let me keep my intel 16" adapter. FYI I rubbed off some of the space gray color on my MacBook but the guy still gave me the full trade offer. The color changed when I put this strong tape on the Mac to cushion my palms. wasn't going to upgrade my MacBook but I was getting fed up with the stutter UI of the intel.
SO if you buy this Mac, buy apple care and pay with an American Express. This will give you 3 years of damage protection and an additional year of basic warranty from Amex. Only use Amex since they have their own insurance instead of going through another party. Thats 4 years of warranty. if the logic board fries on year 4, you're covered probably will get a new MacBook.
If you are debating between Macs because of price, stop it. Everyone has their thing. My friends like to spend a lot of money on eating out. Another friend likes cars. Another pays $16 a drink regularly to stand by the bar. You probably don't do that but you probably use your Mac every day. If I drove many miles every day, id buy a Tesla.
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I have this problem with both 14" and 16" if I have it in my lap or in bed. On a desk with proper typing it doesn't happen though.
yea but I did stick strong tape on it and I personally dislike the new silver with black keys. chose space gray again
you need to level proper table height. all Macs can be like this other than that Air slide design. Apple should have made the top smooth just like the bottom.
Turn those around.
I have a 16" M1 Pro, a 11" iPad Pro M1, and an iPhone 13 Pro Max. Each device is about 5" away from the next and all of them have distinct uses. This greatly reduces the choice paralysis I had when deciding to pick up my 13" M1 MacBook Pro or my 12.9" iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard case.
I just went up to the 16" and want to chime in on this one. I can completely lap the laptop on my legs easily. The extra space on the palm rest area is nice and even sitting at a desk I do not have a problem with the edges cutting into my wrists. the display is just so great - it's really worth it because the 14" even though it is larger is a bit cramped and this display is just soooo nice. I have multiple monitors and initially I even said that if you are going to connect the monitors to this laptop you might as well go for the smaller size since it's in clamshell mode. I am still standing by that but unfortunately the 14" thermals aren't good enough resulting in some aggressive fans coming on early on and just spinning extremely fast. It's not annoying bad but it's still something I do not wish to have part of my work flow.
I am giving up portability when I sit at a smaller area/desk. I am giving up obviously the lighter weight but it's not that bad, honestly. I can't and probably won't be able to use this as conveniently as I can the 14" in a car. But all of those things are not my #1 priority - this display is so good and the battery is significantly better but the best part is the thermal headroom in this larger design chassis - the heatsinks, the fans, they make a huge difference because the fan noise/rpm is LOW and it's just exactly what I wanted in the 14" but it just wasn't possible.
the display is so good I'm going to just use this as my primary display and attached 2 more displays as a supplement when I really need it. I am very happy to make this decision to go up to the 16" model because it's just sooooooo good.
Good luck deciding folks!
I am giving up portability when I sit at a smaller area/desk. I am giving up obviously the lighter weight but it's not that bad, honestly. I can't and probably won't be able to use this as conveniently as I can the 14" in a car. But all of those things are not my #1 priority - this display is so good and the battery is significantly better but the best part is the thermal headroom in this larger design chassis - the heatsinks, the fans, they make a huge difference because the fan noise/rpm is LOW and it's just exactly what I wanted in the 14" but it just wasn't possible.
the display is so good I'm going to just use this as my primary display and attached 2 more displays as a supplement when I really need it. I am very happy to make this decision to go up to the 16" model because it's just sooooooo good.
Good luck deciding folks!
I got the M1 12.9 2021 because I wanted it to be my laptop since I already own an M1 16GB/512GB cto mini. but I wanted the touchscreen (I'm not an artist) but wanted the pencil for math work. soon after getting that model I found out that from my previous past history of owning multiple iPads that iPad OS is really not up to par with macOS. I also realized that I can just use my Wacom tablet at my desk for all the equation writing.
I sold it off and got these new laptops instead which is just so great for my personal work flow. I really didn't need touch screen at all and like I said I don't draw so it's not a deal breaker without touch on the MBP's.
After trying out the 14" coming from a i9 16" I decided to return it and go with the 16" again. If I was a student and running around with it all day everyday I would probably of kept the 14", but I don't travel with my laptop that much and with how good these new screens are I had to go with the 16" again. Both are fantastic options. If you keep your laptop at home mostly I'd sway towards the 16" and if you travel a lot then think about the 14" more. Just buy one either way because this is the best laptop I've ever owned so far.