Does a 2015 MacBook Pro still cut it in 2024?

[rwh63]

not comparing one to the M-series laptops. but, i believe the 2015 (whose design i believe was available new through about 2018) was lauded as the peak of that generation. i have a 2011 13" still running, and was considering either a new one or a 2015. obviously, the new one is best in most ways, but the price would be substantially different, and i like the heavier build and design of the 2015 over flat and flimsier 2024. i only use a laptop for regular duty (document creation, internet stuff, streaming, photo/video storage, email, etc).

should i give up this idea, and move into the newest generation?

 

[Ben J.]

The 2015 MBP is OK, I guess, but won't run newer macOS, has much slower ports, etc. I think you shouldn't pay more than $200usd for one. I just upgraded from my 2017 MBA to a M1 MBA. People are selling them en masse now to get the M2/M3s so you should be able to get one for no more than $500usd. Plenty more power and speed over the 2015 MBP, and support for a few more years. It's really one of Apple's finest creations ever. Get one with good battery condition. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Bigwaff]

Not necessarily but dependent on your budget. A 2020 MacBook Air M1 will service your described computing needs but will probably cost several hundred more than 9-yr old 2015 MBP, which will service your computing needs as well, with the caveat it no longer receives OS or security updates. If your budget is $1K US or more, don’t even consider an Intel Mac.

 

[rwh63]

The 2015 MBP is OK, I guess, but won't run newer macOS, has much slower ports, etc. I think you shouldn't pay more than $200usd for one. I just upgraded from my 2017 MBA to a M1 MBA. People are selling them en masse now to get the M2/M3s so you should be able to get one for no more than $500usd. Plenty more power and speed over the 2015 MBP, and support for a few more years. It's really one of Apple's finest creations ever. Get one with good battery condition. Just my 2 cents.

one thing i like is built in ports, which the air is seriously lacking, even the 2024. that means adding an external hub. plus, i believe they have become all "soldered", so no more user friendly internal swaps.

 

[Ben J.]

seriously lacking

OK, it has two ports only, but then, they are both Thunderbolt 3 (40Gb/s, up to 6GB/s), and USB 3 (20Gb/s, up to 3GB/s) appx. Do you have lots of devices to plug in? If so, you'll have lots of cables anyway, and a hub would maybe even help tidy things up.

 

[padams35]

2015 still works if you:
a) already own one.
or
b) are good with LibreOffice.

[edit] or c) are good with OpenCore[/edit]

The biggest problem for document creation is that while Apple will let existing users upgraded to the newest supported version, Apple only makes the newest release available for new installs... and Monterey is too old for current verisons of Pages/Numbers/etc.

The biggest advantage are DIY upgradable SSDs. If you only need 256GB you should probably be looking at an M1, but if your photo/video storage needs require 1TB then that does make an old 2015 a bit more attractive.

 

[russell_314]

It’s nine years old at that point. I’m pretty sure it can’t run the current version of macOS so that means it’s not going to be as secure. This may not be a factor for you because maybe you’re only using it to watch videos and web browsing not logging into anything. You’re using a 2011 now so I guess that’s not bothering you.

Walmart is selling the M1 air for $649. That is lightyears ahead of a 2015 Mac but then it’s $449 more expensive so maybe over your budget. Make sure if you’re buying online it’s the actual Walmart listing and not some third-party listing on the Walmart website for a used model.

I’m curious because you mentioned lack of ports on the new model. Are you using it as a desktop in clamshell mode? If so, consider a refurbished or slightly used M1 Mac mini. It would be relatively cheap and has lots of ports.


I’d say if it’s under $200 then sure but don’t pay more than that. It’s going to be a step up from your 2011 and might do what you need.

 

[rwh63]

my 2011 is working ok. the usb ports are frustratingly dead. the bluetooth can come and go. the keyboard is losing some functionality (using an A1314 instead). track pad a little flaky. surfs and streams fine. like an old car that still gets you there. but, am looking to upgrade. am willing to buy new/newly new/refurb. don't mind the weight of the Pro. i use it as my only computer, so both desk and portable.

 

[Ben J.]

Please, what do you want. You say your 2011 is ok... but you're looking to upgrade...
What are you looking for in your upgrade? And what is your budget?

I wouldn't say that a 2015 MBP would be much of an upgrade at all. A second hand M1 MBA, if you can afford it, I promise you, would be a revelation. Super snappy response, completely silent, cool, battery lasts forever, and the latest versions of macOS and apps.

 

[Minghold]

Does a 2015 MacBook Pro still cut it in 2024?

Yes, because I said so. (Also read this.)

i only use a laptop for regular duty (document creation, internet stuff, streaming, photo/video storage, email, etc). should i give up this idea, and move into the newest generation?

Absolutely not. (Your "next generation" machine will be some flavor of Mac-like Linux in a few years.) Install Chromium-Legacy on all intel Macs, and throw Safari off the dock. Backgrade the OS to Mojave running in a HFS+ partition with MRT disabled. Above all, stop giving this enshattified company your money. Other than the ability to run the latest revolving-door/artificial-obsolescence subscription-model software, its new product is demonstrably worse than its 10yo product in almost every conceivable way. (Well, DDR4 ram waits for the human faster, but that's about it.)

 

[ThunderSkunk]

Yeah for light duty the 2015 is hard to beat. You're talking about the maxed out model with the 2.8 & 16GB of ram for what, $350-$400... plus useful ports, plus a swappable SSD & battery... They're pretty great. I know people are running the latest OS on them and that's fine, but a 2015 running Mojave light and fast is purely enjoyable to use without all the bloat & cantankerous screwing around that's come with the past few years of Mac OS. I work with a national award-winning arch photog, and was surprised to find she still prefers one for her work, as do most of the professors where I teach. The utilitarian aspect and low cost of replacement make it a winner.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

...and the latest versions of macOS and apps.

yes but that's all it will run. If you have files and software in use going back to 2011 a new AS mac will only work with that which has current versions of the software written specifically for these new AS macs. We're supposed to be so awed at the speed of a chip that we're happy just throwing our long term projects out the window?

If OP makes a list of his actual uses for a laptop that a 2011 serves, there's a good chance there's going to be some glaring omissions that an Mx mac will even do at all. If a new mac is a non-starter because of it, then yeah, a 2015 is probably the pinnacle of Mac notebooks.

 

[hooks]

*New* MBA M1's are being sold for under $700 now (there was a main page post only a few days ago). Second hand ones should go for even less. Honestly, if you can afford that, do it, and save yourself the pain of incremental updates every 2 years. The speed upgrade from Intel is huge, and your battery life will be much longer. Don't worry too much about your ports - I don't miss them much. Yes, it's nice to have them in there, but I much rather have a slimmer machine, and a hub really isn't the hassle I imagined it to be.

 

[MBAir2010]

i recently got tired of my M1 Macbook doing what apple wants
like dimming the screen when i typing, auto screen saver popping up and other annoyances.
(after adjusting everything to my satisfaction again and again)

therefore i went back to using all my  products from 2010-2012 running Mountain Lion with successes and a much better experience for me.

that 13" 2012 MBP can be faster and more responsive than the M1 MBA at times.
what amazed me the most was Thursday watching cycling highlights on you-tube on the MBP 2012
that blocked every ad then played the video while the MBA M1 played 5 seconds of 2 ads then i need to click the arrow to play the race recap.

oh i'm typng this on a dinosaur MacBook air 2010 11"

 

[maerz001]

i like the heavier build and design of the 2015 over flat and flimsier 2024. i only use a laptop for regular duty (document creation, internet stuff, streaming, photo/video storage, email, etc).

should i give up this idea, and move into the newest generation?

There is nothing flimsy on a 14 or 16“. When u look for a M1 pro you can find them used for less than half the price.
This should last u another 10years.
And u get all the ports a 2015 has (except USB A)

 

[chas_m]

i recently got tired of my M1 Macbook doing what apple wants
like dimming the screen when i typing, auto screen saver popping up and other annoyances.

Why would "Apple" want any of that to happen?

I have a 2012 MBP (no longer online, but still occasionally used) and a 2019 MBP (last of the Intels), and neither one of them does anything even REMOTELY like dim while I'm typing, or start a screensaver (at all).

Something is seriously wrong with your older machines if they are actually doing that and you're not just exaggerating.

 

[profcutter]

I went from a 2015 to an M1 Max, and it’s a totally different computing experience. If you’re doing anything serious on the 2015, the fans sound like a Cessna taxiing for liftoff. Things that took 10 to 20 seconds on the 2015 are instant on the M1 Max. I only got the max because I needed multiple displays, and I wanted the larger laptop screen. My wife’s M1 Air is more than adequate for anything she does, and she’s figured out workarounds for the two ports that make the issue essentially moot. I’d say stick with your 2011 until you’re ready to upgrade to either an apple silicon machine, or something else entirely. The jump from 2011 to 2015 just isn’t that impressive, but the jump to apple silicon is. Just my two cents, but as someone who uses the machines for video editing, zoom calls, and daily business related to teaching and research.

 

[MBAir2010]

Something is seriously wrong with your older machines if they are actually doing that and you're not just exaggerating.

my older macs are performing much better that the M1.
as an avid cycling fan i had to use the Macbook Pro 2012 over the 2020 M1 air
to get a better, consistent Tour De France stream this month.

i understand, as this is a revaluation than complaint
and will stop typing about how these older macs and osx are VERY still usable in 2024.

 

[profcutter]

my older macs are performing much better that the M1.
as an avid cycling fan i had to use the Macbook Pro 2012 over the 2020 M1 air
to get a better, consistent Tour De France stream this month.

i understand, as this is a revaluation than complaint
and will stop typing about how these older macs and osx are VERY still usable in 2024.

I’m not sure I get it but perhaps you laid it out in detail above and I missed it. Aside from windows and 32 bit software, why would a 2012 machine be any better than an m1? It’s certainly not my experience in daily use. Sure, I miss being able to upgrade the components, but that’s not something I do daily, just once or twice when necessary.

 

[Elusi]

Yeah the 2015s are good enough for general stuff, still. Not as snappy as the new ones of course but it browses the web just fine.

The 15" packs severely more performance than the 13" due to being quad core and available with a dedicated GPU. But even the 13" is okay for aforementioned light tasks.

The big problem is that Monterey, their last officially supported OS, likely won't be getting many more security patches after Sequoia is released. So you'll need to get comfortable with OCLP.

Most sound purchase is still probably an M1 Macbook Air at current pricing, though.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I may consider for free, but personally wont spend any money on a 9 year old device which doesn’t run latest security updates. Sure I can spend time with custom firmware but that’s wasting my time. Time is money.

 

[russell_314]

Why would "Apple" want any of that to happen?

I have a 2012 MBP (no longer online, but still occasionally used) and a 2019 MBP (last of the Intels), and neither one of them does anything even REMOTELY like dim while I'm typing, or start a screensaver (at all).

Something is seriously wrong with your older machines if they are actually doing that and you're not just exaggerating.

I have a M2 MacBook Air and it doesn’t do any of this either. There is a setting to adjust the screen for ambient light so maybe it’s just not understanding how it works?

 

[bzgnyc2]

my 2011 is working ok. the usb ports are frustratingly dead. the bluetooth can come and go. the keyboard is losing some functionality (using an A1314 instead). track pad a little flaky. surfs and streams fine. like an old car that still gets you there. but, am looking to upgrade. am willing to buy new/newly new/refurb. don't mind the weight of the Pro. i use it as my only computer, so both desk and portable.

I think our definitions of "working ok" are different. It sounds like your current laptop is ready for a service award and retirement party.

In any case a "gently used" MacBook Pro from 2015/2016 is still a solid computer. I have a family member using a loaded 2016 model and it's more than quick enough for browsing and word processing while driving 2x4K monitors. I installed Mojave and Catalina on it and used it enough to say it was solid with those OS.

I also installed Monterey on it and don't remember it being noticably slower than those two. However only used that OS on it for a short time (they are in a different state) so won't atest to its overall snappiness in that configuration.

 

[DaveEcc]

It's not that the 2015 was lauded for being particularly amazing, but that it was the last model before the butterfly keyboard. Until 2020 if you wanted a keyboard that worked, you looked for a 2015 MBP. As Apple relented in 2020, there is no particular reason to stick to that 2015 machine... you can either get the very last Intel model from 2020 if you need Intel, or any one of the Apple Silicon chips.

 

[profcutter]

It's not that the 2015 was lauded for being particularly amazing, but that it was the last model before the butterfly keyboard. Until 2020 if you wanted a keyboard that worked, you looked for a 2015 MBP. As Apple relented in 2020, there is no particular reason to stick to that 2015 machine... you can either get the very last Intel model from 2020 if you need Intel, or any one of the Apple Silicon chips.

Yep. I was a strong advocate of the 2015 and earlier machines until Apple finally relented and killed the butterfly keyboard. The problem is that even if you find a 2016 that is fully loaded, it’s going to run more slowly than a 2015, have the stage lighting problem, and have the atrocious keyboard.