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mbp 14 with 27" monitor OR mbp 16 only

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Love-hate 🍏 relationship

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Sep 19, 2021
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should i rather get the base 14 and hook it to my 27" monitor (i copy the display anyway ,so i just use the monitor to get things bigger and more ergonomic)



or get the base 16 and return my monitor



i want to point out that i dont need portability this much ,and while it does indeed come in handy to be able to put the 14 in any backpack,i can pretty much deal with the extra space its gonna take when i need it.



2 things to consider of using the 16 only :



1)bad ergonomics,because of neck strain i beleive ,tho the 16's display is higher than that of the 13/14.also how does the trackpad feels? dont u have to bend your hand in order to use it ?



2)doing so i will always be using the best display (4k120hz basically on these new macs) ,plus getting 10c CPU compared to mbp 14 ,as well as better cooling ,and much better battery
 
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Personally, I would never settle for a laptop display for my primary work area or home office. There's probably a more technical term for this, but essentially a laptop can't fit a typical typing position while aligning the display nearly at eye level. It's one of those things that sounds like manageable, and probably is, until one considers the long-term consequences of a posture that doesn't align with what I would call the "hand-to-eye distance" for 99% of users. I inevitably find myself slouching in an awkward position after 15-20 minutes of laptop desk use, and begin to feel the effects on my posture after a little more time.

I would definitely recommend an external display for extended use, reserving the laptop display for mobile or temporary desk use. If you expect that you'll be in the latter most of the time, and don't mind the weight and size considerations of the 16", the larger laptop would probably be slightly more ergonomic (but not sufficient for long-term use). If you expect that you'll spend even a portion of your time at a dedicated desk, I would highly recommend an external monitor for the size and ergonomic benefits, or at least an external keyboard/mouse with a laptop stand for the ergonomic benefits.
 
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Used M1 Air + 27" display for 1 year before buying the new 16".
It was hell. You're going to have a bad time anytime you are away from your monitor.
Now I'm finding that the 16" has enough estate for my use so I'm selling my monitor and getting some money back.
Also I'll have the same workflow wherever I am, which should be the point of having a laptop.
 
vinay427 said:
Personally, I would never settle for a laptop display for my primary work area or home office. It's one of those things that sounds manageable, and probably is, until one considers the long-term consequences of a posture that doesn't align with what I would call the "hand-to-eye distance" for 99% of users. There's probably a more technical term for this, but essentially a laptop can't fit a typical typing position while aligning the display nearly at eye level.

I would definitely recommend an external display for extended use, reserving the laptop display for mobile or temporary desk use. If you expect that you'll be in the latter most of the time, and don't mind the weight and size considerations of the 16", the larger laptop would probably be a little more ergonomic. If you expect that you'll spend even a portion of your time at a dedicated desk, I would highly recommend an external monitor both for the size and ergonomic benefits.
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i may test it but honestly getting so much money out in so little time does bother me.

yes there are studies about it,because u cant have both the reachability to the keyboard,and the good viewing distance/angle thats normally recommended.

tho i used to use a 15.6 laptop only,im not sure if its worth it overtime

i will indeed be most of the time on my desk .

what i consider is that for about 400 euros ,i get the true m1 pro with full amount of cpu (dont care about gpu tho) + MUCH better battery + well,the huge display,which might spoil me and disgust me from using my monitor :)
 
gpat said:
Used M1 Air + 27" display for 1 year before buying the new 16".
It was hell. You're going to have a bad time anytime you are away from your monitor.
Now I'm finding that the 16" has enough estate for my use so I'm selling my monitor and getting some money back.
Also I'll have the same workflow wherever I am, which should be the point of having a laptop.
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im not afraid for the estate honestly,only questionning about the ergonomics ig
i wont travel that much but when i do the bigger screen will always be welcome
 
0089294 said:
tho i used to use a 15.6 laptop only,im not sure if its worth it overtime
Click to expand...

I would always choose the slightly less convenient setup away from a desk (which IMO is largely compensated for by the greater portability of the 14") over a significantly less ergonomic setup at a dedicated desk. Even if you went for the 16", I would recommend an external monitor.
 
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vinay427 said:
I would always choose the slightly less convenient setup away from a desk (which IMO is largely compensated for by the greater portability of the 14") over a significantly less ergonomic setup at a dedicated desk. Even if you went for the 16", I would recommend an external monitor.
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thanks.i didnt.i ordered the 14 only ,and tbh its already overkill for my needs. but you know how it goes,i thought while im at it while not add and use 4k120hz mini led display solely,which i cant do on the 14 lol

i just hope heat and battery life are manageable on the 14

as i said its either 14 and keeping the monitor and 16 and selling it. guess ill go with the former :)
 
Well, I just have done the exact same thin :) Just sold my 32 inch Apple XDR nano display which was connected to MacBook Pro. I am all in on purely MacBook Pro 16 inch screen from now on. To be fair I only work a few hours a week ( I charge a LOT ) so I not at desk all day every day BUT I do still spend a fair bit of time surfing, playing etc. So fa its working well and you can of course put the laptop on a little stand to raise it higher for prolonged periods :) I also am going dual laptops!! I have the new 14 inch base model and the 16 i9 2019 ( the new 16 inch 32 core max 64gb 2TB is on order ) So I still have lots of screen estate this way. Watching music videos on the 14 while I type this on the 16 :) Life is good!!!!!
 
Philllllip said:
Well, I just have done the exact same thin :) Just sold my 32 inch Apple XDR nano display which was connected to MacBook Pro. I am all in on purely MacBook Pro 16 inch screen from now on. To be fair I only work a few hours a week ( I charge a LOT ) so I not at desk all day every day BUT I do still spend a fair bit of time surfing, playing etc. So fa its working well and you can of course put the laptop on a little stand to raise it higher for prolonged periods :) I also am going dual laptops!! I have the new 14 inch base model and the 16 i9 2019 ( the new 16 inch 32 core max 64gb 2TB is on order ) So I still have lots of screen estate this way. Watching music videos on the 14 while I type this on the 16 :) Life is good!!!!!
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"i charge a LOT" ,haha ,so funny put in that way

well but if you put it on a stand that means youll have to use external keyboard ,as well as external trackpad...

i hear that but i surely cant afford both lol
 
HI, The stand I use is a very low one and dead easy to type on still :) It raises the screen by about 12cm which is good
and the front of laptop remains virtually touching the desk so you just lean your hands on the laptop and type
 
There you go :)
 

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Philllllip said:
Clean and simple and NO WIRES!!
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Whoa looks sick !!
How does it feel to type /move the cursor with that? Not too high? On par with normal flat position, nay better ?

As compared to the way u stare at a monitor ,which we will call the 0° angle,how much does thr laptop screen differ from it ,and how much does it help ?
The desk (where you hands rest) being 90° from the monitor angle,I would say that when using the internal display,I bend my neck by about 30-35% (which is bad ).

Do u still have your neck bending towards the display (particularly the bottom ,with dock and folders/elements) ?

also would u have a link for that elevator (idk I like the word haha)
 
I bend my neck a whole lot less when I use it. I find that when I am doing my photo editing/work I don't use it, I just hunker over laptop like normal for a little while but then when I done with that I put it on stand to do normal surfing typing playing etc. Its a Parkslope by Twelve south. Its a solid lump of aluminium and is a gorgeous solid lump :) I have rearranged my whole study lately and its lovely to get rid of big speakers, big screens, big chair, big desks etc!! Fab. Minimum and clean that me know. Check out my wobble stool! Its awesome!! Had a massive lather one before. This is SO comfy and helps use your core more :)
 

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Biggest disappointment for me is lack of 4k resolution so a 4k monitor would be appealing, for me at least
 
Bear in mind that if your 27" monitor is not 4K or better, it's going to look awful.
 
Aggedor said:
Bear in mind that if your 27" monitor is not 4K or better, it's going to look awful.
Click to expand...
It is 4k my man,however 60hz with bad ghosting (tho perhaps not as bad as mbp's ghosting ,which ,just like mac's response times,is always awful idk why apple makes such **** )

So 60hz+ips+ not as good brightness...

On the other hand,very high contrast and high Brightness aren't rly necessary when I work .I suppose I will mostly miss the refresh rate ...4k120/144hz are very hard to find and.not cheap at all
 
toobravetosave said:
Biggest disappointment for me is lack of 4k resolution so a 4k monitor would be appealing, for me at least
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I cannot use 4k res on my monitor anyway, usually I use 1080p because Its easier on my eyes and I don't have more than 2 windows opened side by side (I can manage it like that I mean)
Btw u can have 2160p res I believe ,using apps such as switchres (even 2* retina apparently).I used it and it's good ,but 4k on 13.3 is definitely too hard haha
 
Philllllip said:
I bend my neck a whole lot less when I use it. I find that when I am doing my photo editing/work I don't use it, I just hunker over laptop like normal for a little while but then when I done with that I put it on stand to do normal surfing typing playing etc. Its a Parkslope by Twelve south. Its a solid lump of aluminium and is a gorgeous solid lump :) I have rearranged my whole study lately and its lovely to get rid of big speakers, big screens, big chair, big desks etc!! Fab. Minimum and clean that me know. Check out my wobble stool! Its awesome!! Had a massive lather one before. This is SO comfy and helps use your core more :)
Click to expand...
Gosh you're a madman,sure it looks good but no back support !! How long do u usually spend like that?

Otherwise I agree with you,having minimal setup is sooo good,u already have excellent screens,superb speakers,awesome keyboard ,and other superlative which I'm lazy to use lol
 
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I used a Rain Design mStand for awhile with my MBA and a mouse and keyboard, and that worked great, ergonomically speaking. With either a 14" or 16" laptop, that would be a solid solution (my MBA was 13").

Then I added a 2560 X 1440 24" monitor, and that improved the experience immensely.
 
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Philllllip said:
I bend my neck a whole lot less when I use it. I find that when I am doing my photo editing/work I don't use it, I just hunker over laptop like normal for a little while but then when I done with that I put it on stand to do normal surfing typing playing etc. Its a Parkslope by Twelve south. Its a solid lump of aluminium and is a gorgeous solid lump :) I have rearranged my whole study lately and its lovely to get rid of big speakers, big screens, big chair, big desks etc!! Fab. Minimum and clean that me know. Check out my wobble stool! Its awesome!! Had a massive lather one before. This is SO comfy and helps use your core more :)
Click to expand...
Unfortunately your Mac stand is out of stock ..
 
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