Can't Decide Between 14" and 16"

[Beau10]

Generally buying base models is the correct approach. I will say though I highly doubt that 3nm or any machine in the next 5 years is going to be wildly different. Maybe at best we see 20% gains year over year?

For most people we're getting to a point where the performance doesn't make too much difference. Less heat and fan noise is always welcome of course, though.

The rumor is 40 cores in 2023. But that's only one aspect... what if we're at micro-LED, higher nits, Face-ID, 32 gig base RAM, etc?

All I'm saying is value is value - if I only get 5% realized gains for say 50% more cost, that is highly diminished returns (if it makes sense from a business case absolutely spend the $$ though - it's worth it for sure). Over time, I feel you get far more value getting a spec that is targeted for what you need at the moment you need it, and upgrade more often to take advantage of the latest and greatest provided by commoditization and advances in tech. It might not make much sense cycle to cycle, but invariably every 2 cycles there are appreciable advancements worth considering. And we're in the Apple silicon era now, no longer constrained by Intel face palming over and over again.

 

[nquinn]

The rumor is 40 cores in 2023. But that's only one aspect... what if we're at micro-LED, higher NITs, Face-ID, 32 gig base RAM, etc?

All I'm saying is value is value - if I only get 5% more realized value for say 50% more cost, that is highly diminished returns. I feel you get far more value getting a spec that is targeted for what you need at the moment you need it, and upgrade more often to take advantage of the latest and greatest provided by commoditization and advances in tech. It might not make much sense cycle to cycle, but invariably every 2 cycles there are appreciable advancements worth considering. And we're in the Apple silicon era now, no longer constrained by Intel face palming over and over again.

Probably 40 cores in a desktop not laptop though. At 5nm these machines with 10 cores are doing around 40w total. 3nm or 2nm at 4x the cores isn't going to suddenly break the lows of physics and still be at 40w or less.

Generally agree though that overbuying to "future proof" is mostly a bad idea unless you keep machines 5yrs+ (which I tend to do). If you'll actually use the extra power though, something like moving to 32gb for $400 only would cost 22c a day in usage.

 

[Appltsla]

Checked out the 14" and 16" in apple store today. The 14" definitely looks like something Apple made the design for, everything looks beautifully proportional. The 16" feels like Apple designed the 14", then stretched out the design to make it 16", definitely feels a lot more awkward. However, the 16" didn't feel that heavy/big for me.

Side by side though, definitely the 16" screen feels awesome, and 14" screen feels small. But this is only if you put it next to a 16". I imagine if you just have the 14" the screen size won't really be an issue.

 

[UltimateSyn]

Checked out the 14" and 16" in apple store today. The 14" definitely looks like something Apple made the design for, everything looks beautifully proportional. The 16" feels like Apple designed the 14", then stretched out the design to make it 16", definitely feels a lot more awkward. However, the 16" didn't feel that heavy/big for me.

Side by side though, definitely the 16" screen feels awesome, and 14" screen feels small. But this is only if you put it next to a 16". I imagine if you just have the 14" the screen size won't really be an issue.

If only there was a Goldilocks 15.2"...

 

[archi penko]

I wonder if anyone can give with some pointers for my use case....

A bit of crowdsourcing help... should I get the 14" or 16"?

I've had a 15" TiBook, then I had the 11" Air, then a 13" MBP 2012, I thought the new 13" 2017 was the perfect size all around... yet still dreamed one day of something graphically powerful in a small package. Yes I am one of those eye-rolling people that was down for the Jony Ive pursuit of new thinness and weightlessness. In fact, invisible would be great ?. But always thought one day if only the 13" can have the power ... why_not_both.gif

So I went to the Store the other day just to confirm my 14" decision and it is for sure big but wow, yes that 16" big screen is absolutely amazing. While I was testing them out, I tended towards using the 16" because I think we all naturally go towards a big screen. Its only $200-$300 more, I started wondering if I could manage the 16", or supplement with another HDR iPad screen, etc... because that screen is fab. I still tested out both sizes and could not for the life of me decide.

Some extra info: Apple here does not allow returns/exchanges, therefore I cannot get both and decide later. I am under 5' 5". I am not worried about battery life or thermals. I code, and also do creative work.

Habits:

@home use

• 60% Mostly work on my lap at my home office, but with my legs up on a cushioned table, office chair reclined. The laptop rests on my thighs. It might not be the most healthy but this is soooo comfortable for me (the legs love being elevated). Even I have a bangin' external monitor, I naturally choose to work on my lap in this position more. The heat didn't bother me too much. So I really want to ask lap users what they think of the 16"? or 14"?
• 30% Rest of time I use an Ultrawide monitor (b/t 32-34"), single USB-C cable docked, with a sit/stand desk. Often in clamshell mode, rarely open.
• 10% Use it around the house, dining table, tv area/sofa, coffee table/floor, and bed. Often for a change of pace. One day if I can ever have a balcony, hopefully there.

@Outside

• Do not use it on planes or trains, muchprefer an iPad mini, but mostly iPhone or nothing at all (it is time for sleep).
• Do not use it at coffee shops, never get any work done there.
• If it’s short-haul travel, I prefer to leave the MBP at home and travel with an iPad mini & Microsoft Universal Foldable Keyboard (I find better and more versatile & handy than the Apple Keyboards) and will try to make that happen when possible (load up all I need).
• However, long haul… will travel with the MBP and use in hotels if need be....I would 50/50 take an MBP on air travel if I can’t make it happen with just an iPad. Therefore always carry-on usually a backpack. There are occasions that being near a laptop is necessary: sometimes just in case for work, sometimes just for access to certain sites or booking information when using a laptop screen is just easier (although less these days). Trips are 1-2x per year, average about 2 weeks - 4 weeks and include several destinations. Especially if its an extended trip, I worry about being away from my machine too long.
• Bring it out to meetings or a presentation, about 1x every month/two months. At the moment, using a backpack.
• Seminars/talks, I take my iPad mini/iPhone for notes

I have thoroughly read this thread ?, and it seems there are a lot of people in the deciding phase who by now may have decided.

I hope someone might have reviews & pointers from those who have real-world used it in these scenarios & tested both or have similar use cases.

 

[msRN2021]

I am not worried about battery life or thermals.

I think you will be ok with the 14. The reason I exchanged my 14 to the 16 is due to the battery life, thermals, speakers, & screen. I didn’t care about the weight & I’m only 5’2 ?

 

[Betonmischer]

I am sitting in the same boat - can't decide between 14 or 16 inch. I already placed 8 orders in total and cancelled all of them as I simply do not know which one to take.

My setup:
- Currently I am working 100% from home, using a desktop station with two external monitors (27", 34").
- When working at the companies place, there will also be external monitors available.
- I like to use the MBP mostly on the couch or in the living room when having the kids around. At any point in time, I can move into my home office for intensive working where my external screens are available.
- Mostly I am doing light stuff, such as conference calls or using office applications. I am coding as well, but only as a hobby.
- I do not travel that often (one or two times a year).

First of all, I know that a MBP is totally overkill for my workflow. The MB Air would be perfectly fine for me, however being able to only connect one external screen is a showstopper for me (yes I know there are ways via displaylink, but I am not in favor of these workarounds).

For this reason I decided to go with a base model. To be honest: I do not think that 8/14 vs. 10/16 cores make a difference for my workflow, so the performance increase most likely can be ignored. However I find it important to limit the fan noise as much as possible.

I am leaning towards the 14 inch as
a) it seems to be the perfect fit for working on the couch
and
b) it gives me portability if needed.

On top of that, I feel if really doing intensive work, I would plug in my external screens anyhow - no matter whether I would go for 14 or 16 inch.

What makes me a bit thinking are the thermals. I am currently on an Intel Windows laptop and the fans just drive me crazy even in an idle state. I doubt that my workflow would be challenging for the 14" base, but am not really sure because of the external screens.

What do you think? Would you go for 14" or 16"?

Thanks for any recommendations.

 

[rhaatou]

I'm also having trouble:

My previous set-up until a week ago:
- Mac Mini M1 for office stuff. Reason I sold it was the high resale value (only cost me about 100$ net after a year of ownership).
- MBP 16 i9 that I hated because of the heat. I also found it fairly difficult to type on because it was a bit fat, so mainly used it as a desk computer. Basically didn't use it for weeks because of that. Regardless, I have bluetooth keyboard which would be used going forward.

Current set-up:
- MBA M1 8-core 512. Love how portable and light it is. Getting a fan-less Macbook was a main reason I went for this instead of MBP 13. I do get slowed down on a very regular basis on a few of my tasks.
-Have 2 27 inch screens that I will probably replace by a 32 and use the new MBP as second monitor.

Going forward:

- I'd need more GPU/CPU than I have for games, video editing, photo edits.
- I'm wondering if a MBP 14 could replace the MBA (I really don't mind hanging on to the MBA though for travel) in terms of portability and form factor.
- I'm worried about the fan and heat on the MBP 14 though (heat/fan is something I do notice, care and annoys me)
- I'm attracted by the MBP 16 screen and how it would be immersive (it was something I liked on the i9). Heat seems to be better too.
- I like using laptops laying down on my couch.
- Obviously, the 16 is the type of computer that you probably don't haul around with you.
- Regardless of the screen size, I'd go for the M1 Pro 10 CPU /16 GPU. From all the reviews and tests on youtube I don't see much gain for my usage in getting a M1 Max.

 

[justinf77]

I am sitting in the same boat - can't decide between 14 or 16 inch. I already placed 8 orders in total and cancelled all of them as I simply do not know which one to take.

My setup:
- Currently I am working 100% from home, using a desktop station with two external monitors (27", 34").
- When working at the companies place, there will also be external monitors available.
- I like to use the MBP mostly on the couch or in the living room when having the kids around. At any point in time, I can move into my home office for intensive working where my external screens are available.
- Mostly I am doing light stuff, such as conference calls or using office applications. I am coding as well, but only as a hobby.
- I do not travel that often (one or two times a year).

First of all, I know that a MBP is totally overkill for my workflow. The MB Air would be perfectly fine for me, however being able to only connect one external screen is a showstopper for me (yes I know there are ways via displaylink, but I am not in favor of these workarounds).

For this reason I decided to go with a base model. To be honest: I do not think that 8/14 vs. 10/16 cores make a difference for my workflow, so the performance increase most likely can be ignored. However I find it important to limit the fan noise as much as possible.

I am leaning towards the 14 inch as
a) it seems to be the perfect fit for working on the couch
and
b) it gives me portability if needed.

On top of that, I feel if really doing intensive work, I would plug in my external screens anyhow - no matter whether I would go for 14 or 16 inch.

What makes me a bit thinking are the thermals. I am currently on an Intel Windows laptop and the fans just drive me crazy even in an idle state. I doubt that my workflow would be challenging for the 14" base, but am not really sure because of the external screens.

What do you think? Would you go for 14" or 16"?

Thanks for any recommendations.

You won't have to worry about thermals or fan noise on the 14" with the work that you do, even when plugged in to external monitors.

In your case, it just comes down to whether or not you want the bigger screen when doing work on your laptop. Personally, I love the 16" for working on the couch and in my lap, I actually find it more comfortable than the 14", but this is very much based on personal preference.

 

[Betonmischer]

You won't have to worry about thermals or fan noise on the 14" with the work that you do, even when plugged in to external monitors.

In your case, it just comes down to whether or not you want the bigger screen when doing work on your laptop. Personally, I love the 16" for working on the couch and in my lap, I actually find it more comfortable than the 14", but this is very much based on personal preference.

Thanks for the advise. That was also my impression. Yeah, I guess you are right. I think I will give the 14" a chance. In a worst case, I will bring it back and change it to a 16" one. If the 14" will work out fine, I save ~450 € - which is also quite a lot of money I could invest in an earlier upgrade.

From a performance perspective, I do not think that the two additional cores each (CPU, GPU) would bring ANY value for my very basic workflow.

 

[dmccombs]

I am sitting in the same boat - can't decide between 14 or 16 inch. I already placed 8 orders in total and cancelled all of them as I simply do not know which one to take.

My setup:
- Currently I am working 100% from home, using a desktop station with two external monitors (27", 34").
- When working at the companies place, there will also be external monitors available.
- I like to use the MBP mostly on the couch or in the living room when having the kids around. At any point in time, I can move into my home office for intensive working where my external screens are available.
- Mostly I am doing light stuff, such as conference calls or using office applications. I am coding as well, but only as a hobby.
- I do not travel that often (one or two times a year).

First of all, I know that a MBP is totally overkill for my workflow. The MB Air would be perfectly fine for me, however being able to only connect one external screen is a showstopper for me (yes I know there are ways via displaylink, but I am not in favor of these workarounds).

For this reason I decided to go with a base model. To be honest: I do not think that 8/14 vs. 10/16 cores make a difference for my workflow, so the performance increase most likely can be ignored. However I find it important to limit the fan noise as much as possible.

I am leaning towards the 14 inch as
a) it seems to be the perfect fit for working on the couch
and
b) it gives me portability if needed.

On top of that, I feel if really doing intensive work, I would plug in my external screens anyhow - no matter whether I would go for 14 or 16 inch.

What makes me a bit thinking are the thermals. I am currently on an Intel Windows laptop and the fans just drive me crazy even in an idle state. I doubt that my workflow would be challenging for the 14" base, but am not really sure because of the external screens.

What do you think? Would you go for 14" or 16"?

Thanks for any recommendations.

For you, I would recommend the 14". My workflow sounds a little more intensive that yours (all your things plus Lightroom and Photoshop editing of 50mb images). My fans never go on and never gets hot. I use the 14" often on my lap wearing shorts, and the laptop is actually cool most of the time.

 

[nquinn]

@home use

• 60% Mostly work on my lap at my home office, but with my legs up on a cushioned table, office chair reclined. The laptop rests on my thighs. It might not be the most healthy but this is soooo comfortable for me (the legs love being elevated). Even I have a bangin' external monitor, I naturally choose to work on my lap in this position more. The heat didn't bother me too much. So I really want to ask lap users what they think of the 16"? or 14"?
• 30% Rest of time I use an Ultrawide monitor (b/t 32-34"), single USB-C cable docked, with a sit/stand desk. Often in clamshell mode, rarely open.
• 10% Use it around the house, dining table, tv area/sofa, coffee table/floor, and bed. Often for a change of pace. One day if I can ever have a balcony, hopefully there.

@Outside

• Do not use it on planes or trains, muchprefer an iPad mini, but mostly iPhone or nothing at all (it is time for sleep).
• Do not use it at coffee shops, never get any work done there.
• However, will travel with it and use in hotels if need be.... Mostly long-haul air travel, and therefore always carry-on usually a backpack. I prefer to travel with an iPad & Microsoft Universal Foldable Keyboard (I find better and more versatile & handy than the Apple Keyboards) and will try to make that happen when possible (load up all I need). But there are occasions that being near a laptop is necessary. Sometimes just in case for work, sometimes just for access to certain sites or booking information when using a laptop screen is just easier (although less these days). Trips average about 2 weeks - 4 weeks and include several destinations. Especially if its an extended trip, I worry about being away from my machine too long.
• Bring it out to meetings or a presentation, about 1x every month/two months. At the moment, using a backpack.
• Seminars/talks, I take my iPad mini/iPhone for notes

I have thoroughly read this thread ?, and it seems there are a lot of people in the deciding phase who by now may have decided.

I hope someone might have reviews & pointers from those who have real-world used it in these scenarios & tested both or have similar use cases.

I'm very similar to you and work from my lap quite a lot for comfort, but also because at the moment I don't have a home office. I don't have the new 16" yet, but I can tell you that the intel 16" model is perfectly comfortable on my lap. I do dislike using it if I'm curled up in bed though, it's just huge to use that way.

How often do you do the 2-4 week trips with a laptop? If more than once a year I think the 14" is an easy decision.

I've been rotating between my personal 13.3" intel macbook and 16" work intel laptop at home to try to get a sense of screen size and it's difficult. The 13.3" isn't horrible when you're using it by itself for a bit, maybe a tiny bit cramped, but once you switch to the 16" it's just massively more screen real estate. Unfortunately on a 16" you still don't really get 2 full windows side-by-side very well unless you are using the 'more space' option.

My intel 16" feedback in general - new M1 will be slightly worse because slightly larger and 0.5lb heavier with MAX (which is actually a LOT if you are lugging it around).

Lap use at home on couch: Good to great, will be even better if cooler
Bringing to coffee shops: Acceptable but not ideal, heavy to carry, but short distances
Planes/trains: Poor, too large of a footprint
Extended travel: Poor, large and heavy, especially when you have to pack other items as well
Home office: Irrelevant if you are using clamshell mode, which would be my preferred mode. I dislike keyboards to be offset with other monitors that are to the side/back/etc. If I'm going to pair my macbook with a screen I plan to get 1 large 4k screen and apple wireless keyboard.

I ordered the 16" M1 Max to try out and can give you feedback on the week of 22-29 or so.

 

[Nikhil72]

I ended up with both and am returning the 16". The screen is MESMERIZING but I live in a city and portability is so important. I have three great bags with laptop slots including a splurge one from a luxury brand and they all comfortably fit the 14" and not the 16", plus even the weight of the 14" is notable after a while on the back while trudging up streets, down subway stairs, etc. Battery is a bit better on the 16" but not by enough, especially with fast charging. I imagine for those where portability is chiefly via car to an office and back where the laptop will largely reside on a desk, the 16" is a no-brainer. For those needing all the real estate too, no brainer. I'm mainly text entry based with intermittent Lightroom use and could get by on an M1 laptop but wanted the miniLED/speaker system/webcam and can afford either of these tiers, so the 14" it is, M1 Pro.

 

[kp98077]

So, if I were looking for something that performs in the new MacBook line up but budget friendly, the 16" seems to be the one? So many reviews! ($2499 USD). Any thoughts or experience with this one? I do medium based level task..

 

[kp98077]

How many are going for Silver vs Gray in the 16?

 

[archi penko]

I'm very similar to you and work from my lap quite a lot for comfort, but also because at the moment I don't have a home office. I don't have the new 16" yet, but I can tell you that the intel 16" model is perfectly comfortable on my lap. I do dislike using it if I'm curled up in bed though, it's just huge to use that way.

Thanks! This is all pretty helpful — knowing how a fellow lap user manages I can imagine the 16” size being uncomfortable curled up in bed.

How often do you do the 2-4 week trips with a laptop? If more than once a year I think the 14" is an easy decision.

In the BeforeTimes, it was about 1x or 2x a year. The rest were short where I left the MBP at home.

Lap use at home on couch: Fine, will be even better if cooler
Bringing to coffee shops: Acceptable but not ideal, heavy to carry, but short distances
Planes/trains: Poor, too large of a footprint
Extended travel: Poor, large and heavy, especially when you have to pack other items as well
Home office: Irrelevant if you are using clamshell mode, which would be my preferred mode. I dislike keyboards to be offset with other monitors that are to the side/back/etc. If I'm going to pair my macbook with a screen I plan to get 1 large 4k screen and apple wireless keyboard.

I ordered the 16" M1 Max to try out and can give you feedback on the week of 22-29 or so.

This is useful.

I can imagine if using the 16” for long enough would encourage me to use my iPad mini (or upgrade to an Air) more than I already do. I like it’s lighter, small & very handy. I’m sure I would start relying on it more for being mobile and when I go out if I had the 16”.

 

[nquinn]

For you, I would recommend the 14". My workflow sounds a little more intensive that yours (all your things plus Lightroom and Photoshop editing of 50mb images). My fans never go on and never gets hot. I use the 14" often on my lap wearing shorts, and the laptop is actually cool most of the time.

Do you have the m1 pro or max? I may switch to the 14" but worried about fan noise on the max model. Tempting to spend the modest +$180 (edu discount) to get a better gpu, but if Apple adjusted the fan profile for that machine to always be super loud or let the laptop run super hot it could be quite annoying.

 

[nquinn]

I can imagine if using the 16” for long enough would encourage me to use my iPad mini (or upgrade to an Air) more than I already do. I like it’s lighter, small & very handy. I’m sure I would start relying on it more for being mobile and when I go out if I had the 16”.

For travel uses, if you can get away with no laptop (if just need web browsing/office/email and not coding or video editing), one solution I am considering is buying an iPad Air when a new model comes out and pairing it with the new ipad keyboard. A coworker brought that combo to a conference recently and it looked amazing nice & light to travel with. PLUS you can re-use the iPad for just reading ebooks for pleasure.

Costly though - $600 for air + $300 for keyboard. I'd probably try to find both used for like 30% off though. Easily found for 20% off on ebay now. The sad thing there is also at $900 you are basically at Macbook M1 Air base pricing. Still feels like a nice little combo. Have also seen the keyboards sell for $150.

iPad Air is currently ~ 1yr old though and seems to release on roughly 2 year cycles so might just watch until next year. Not interested in paying for a pro.

 

[dmccombs]

Do you have the m1 pro or max? I may switch to the 14" but worried about fan noise on the max model. Tempting to spend the modest +$180 (edu discount) to get a better gpu, but if Apple adjusted the fan profile for that machine to always be super loud or let the laptop run super hot it could be quite annoying.

I have the M1 Pro 10/16/16GB with 1TB SSD. Even when I take Lightroom images into photoshop (leaving Lightroom open), and use Topaz Plugins, the fans never come on.

 

[Appltsla]

Do you have the m1 pro or max? I may switch to the 14" but worried about fan noise on the max model. Tempting to spend the modest +$180 (edu discount) to get a better gpu, but if Apple adjusted the fan profile for that machine to always be super loud or let the laptop run super hot it could be quite annoying.

From some benchmark testings I've seen on youtube, thermal performance isn't that different between 14" and 16". For 14" it's only significant at 32 gpu cores, if you are getting the 24 cores it seems to be insignificant.

 

[tis]

That’s not how it works. Apple probably gets the same amount of profit, or close to it, from each machine. The MacBook Pro’s cost so much more because they actually cost so much more to produce. And if Apple thought that there was a market for people who wouldnt shell out for a large screen MacBook Pro, but WOULD shell out for a 15” Air, you’d hope they’de provide that solution. Certainly, I’d be a customer. I’m looking to buy a base level 16” MacBook purely because I need that larger screen and I can afford to pay the price for it.

Almost every manufacturer has a higher margin on more expensive products.

Nonetheless, you proved my point exactly. You are willing to buy the more expensive product simply because you want a bigger screen.

 

[Pokolasko]

Hello. I'm almost determined to go to version 16 for the display and better thermal.

But I've been trying both sizes for a very long time in the store and writing on version 14 seems more comfortable to me. At 16, the problem is the height of the computer in combination with sharp edges. Writing on version 16 seems to be less comfortable for me. I know that correct writing should be without leaning wrist, but at the same time it seems to be high too much.

I'm coming from a Macbook 15 2013 and I've never felt uncomfortable writing.

Is there anyone who feels such a problem even after longer use?

I'm going to write a lot on Macbook, among other things.

Thank you.

 

[cababah]

Hello. I'm almost determined to go to version 16 for the display and better thermal.

But I've been trying both sizes for a very long time in the store and writing on version 14 seems more comfortable to me. At 16, the problem is the height of the computer in combination with sharp edges. Writing on version 16 seems to be less comfortable for me. I know that correct writing should be without leaning wrist, but at the same time it seems to be high too much.

I'm coming from a Macbook 15 2013 and I've never felt uncomfortable writing.

Is there anyone who feels such a problem even after longer use?

I'm going to write a lot on Macbook, among other things.

Thank you.

14" and get nice external monitor with money saved. You get a powerful base station computer and better portability when you're on the go.

If you really want the 16" due to the bigger screen and better cooling, get that and then add the Magic Keyboard for a better typing experience.

 

[Appltsla]

Hello. I'm almost determined to go to version 16 for the display and better thermal.

But I've been trying both sizes for a very long time in the store and writing on version 14 seems more comfortable to me. At 16, the problem is the height of the computer in combination with sharp edges. Writing on version 16 seems to be less comfortable for me. I know that correct writing should be without leaning wrist, but at the same time it seems to be high too much.

I'm coming from a Macbook 15 2013 and I've never felt uncomfortable writing.

Is there anyone who feels such a problem even after longer use?

I'm going to write a lot on Macbook, among other things.

Thank you.

I came from mbp 15 2013 as well, and the 16" is almost the same as 15" in terms of weight and dimensions. I picked the 14" because I have external monitors in all my offices and I plug my 15" in almost all the time. When I'm not plugged in, I do wish the laptop is lighter frequently. Not that I have problem carrying the 15", but usually you don't just bring the laptop around, but tons of other stuff, like a cup, a headphone etc, and a lighter laptop really helps even if it's just moving around the house.

You only really want the 16" when you look at the big screen and compare them in store. At home when you are looking at your 14" laptop it probably doesn't matter.

 

[tekksan]

14" and get nice external monitor with money saved. You get a powerful base station computer and better portability when you're on the go.

If you really want the 16" due to the bigger screen and better cooling, get that and then add the Magic Keyboard for a better typing experience.

This is what I did and I'm very happy. I went from a 15"/27" external monitor to a 14"/32" external monitor. To me you get the best of both worlds with that combo.