Hey guys,
I'm considering to buy a brand new MBP 15 inch. However I have some questions regarding the models.
So I am a software engineer who's coding a lot. Right now I'm using top of the line iMac 5K 27 inch 2017 at home (i7 4.2Ghz, 64GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Radeon Pro 580) bought in June 2018 recently as I was working remotely for half a year and saw that as a good opportunity to buy very powerful desktop. I do all intensive work on it, like video / photo editing (I am currently into making videos on youtube), heavy projects code compiling, playing games (I was really amazed it handled StarCraft 2 and Diablo 3 at 60+ FPS easily for me, also my GF plays Sims 4 on it as well).
Prior to that I was working in the office and I had MBP 13 inch 2015 MF840 model (i5 / 8GB RAM / 256GB SSD), which the company gave me and I was only using that one for coding, meetings etc, I didn't even use the external monitor in the office, I really liked small factor and portability and speed. Laughed when other guys who had 2016+ models had to connect a lot of external adapters to insert USB stick or connect external monitor. But anyway I didn't use ports that much at all, I was just using the laptop to code and talk in meeting calls. I really love to use laptops without external monitor, be it 13 inch or 15 inch. So whatever, that little 13 inch MBP from 2015 was a perfect machine for me, was very happy about it.
However right now it's time to get out of my house for doing work, since I just got a new job with a requirement to work at the office. I since I don't plan taking my iMac out of house and transporting it to the office (I've been considering that but landed on the decision it should be a home machine), I need a new laptop (I don't have any right now, since that MBP 13 inch was taken away back by the company, when I left it last April).
So here's the deal, I am considering to buy either brand new models from 2015 or 2018, which are available in stock in the local stock.
2015 15 inch:
MJLU2 - i7 2.8GHz, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Radeon R9 M370X, Intel Iris Pro 5200
Z0RG00001 - i7 2.8GHz, 16GB RAM, 1TB SDD, Intel Iris Pro 5200
As you can see the difference is in dedicated GPU, plus the second model is 2017 with macOS High Sierra installed, while the first one has older macOS installed.
I am considering buying this model, because I am very unhappy with new butterfly keyboard feel and since I am a software engineer, who's typing all day with a keyboard, it's very important to me. I'll be taking this new laptop to the office daily and working from there. However I wonder how are heat issues on these models with both dGPU and iGPU? I wouldn't want it to get too hot, that's uncomfortable for me, because when I used MBP 13 inch 2015 it wasn't getting hot while I was coding, web browsing and watching youtube. Those are not really intensive tasks.
Also considering to buy new MBP 15 2018:
i7 2.6GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Radeon Pro 560X ($2760-2780)
or
i9 / 32GB RAM / 1TB SDD, Radeon Pro 560X ($4850-5100)
Money isn't really an issue to me, however both 2015 and 2018 cost more than in the US, since I am in another country which doesn't have official Apple Store (Ukraine), and we're getting Apple hardware from resellers which buy in the US and then deliver it to their local stores in Ukraine.
The best deal seems like (i7 2.6 / 16RAM / 512SDD / 560X), since it costs less than 2015 and hardware is newer. However 2015 has better keyboard to me, hands down, I used 2016 / 2017 models and couldn't stand it. I might consider buying Magic Keyboard + Magic Trackpad to use in conjunction with 2018 MBP when in the office, but that neglects my love for using exclusively laptop without any other external devices, since we have really great terrace on the roof and I plan working there time to time. Plus it seems like MBP 2018 gets really hot (do base models and 13 inch models also get hot?), that's an issue for me.
What would you do in my place? What can you advise on what I need to buy? I would really appreciate any replies, since I've been reading these forums for like past 3 weeks along with Reddit, exploring all the issues with new MBPs (throttling, kernel panicks, speakers crackling). I just want to buy a machine and forget about it while I'm using it, like my current iMac which has NO ISSUES at all, and I had no issues with MBP 13 inch 2015. I'd consider advise on buying any 13 inch as well (2015 / 2018).
Important factors to consider in no particular order:
1. Battery.
2. Portability.
3. No heating during common work (coding / web browsing / youtube watching).
4. Power (gonna get into Java development in upcoming years, which is heavier from what I'm doing right now in terms of coding).
5. Good keyboard (defining "good" as 2015 or magic keyboard).
I'm even considering to buy both 13 and 15 inch at the same time, since all those factors seem not to fit into one laptop. So yeah, any advice on any buying combination will be very helpful.
I'd love Apple to take 2015 design + insert newer hardware into it lol. But that won't happen. So I need to make choice soon anyway.
I'm considering to buy a brand new MBP 15 inch. However I have some questions regarding the models.
So I am a software engineer who's coding a lot. Right now I'm using top of the line iMac 5K 27 inch 2017 at home (i7 4.2Ghz, 64GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Radeon Pro 580) bought in June 2018 recently as I was working remotely for half a year and saw that as a good opportunity to buy very powerful desktop. I do all intensive work on it, like video / photo editing (I am currently into making videos on youtube), heavy projects code compiling, playing games (I was really amazed it handled StarCraft 2 and Diablo 3 at 60+ FPS easily for me, also my GF plays Sims 4 on it as well).
Prior to that I was working in the office and I had MBP 13 inch 2015 MF840 model (i5 / 8GB RAM / 256GB SSD), which the company gave me and I was only using that one for coding, meetings etc, I didn't even use the external monitor in the office, I really liked small factor and portability and speed. Laughed when other guys who had 2016+ models had to connect a lot of external adapters to insert USB stick or connect external monitor. But anyway I didn't use ports that much at all, I was just using the laptop to code and talk in meeting calls. I really love to use laptops without external monitor, be it 13 inch or 15 inch. So whatever, that little 13 inch MBP from 2015 was a perfect machine for me, was very happy about it.
However right now it's time to get out of my house for doing work, since I just got a new job with a requirement to work at the office. I since I don't plan taking my iMac out of house and transporting it to the office (I've been considering that but landed on the decision it should be a home machine), I need a new laptop (I don't have any right now, since that MBP 13 inch was taken away back by the company, when I left it last April).
So here's the deal, I am considering to buy either brand new models from 2015 or 2018, which are available in stock in the local stock.
2015 15 inch:
MJLU2 - i7 2.8GHz, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Radeon R9 M370X, Intel Iris Pro 5200
Z0RG00001 - i7 2.8GHz, 16GB RAM, 1TB SDD, Intel Iris Pro 5200
As you can see the difference is in dedicated GPU, plus the second model is 2017 with macOS High Sierra installed, while the first one has older macOS installed.
I am considering buying this model, because I am very unhappy with new butterfly keyboard feel and since I am a software engineer, who's typing all day with a keyboard, it's very important to me. I'll be taking this new laptop to the office daily and working from there. However I wonder how are heat issues on these models with both dGPU and iGPU? I wouldn't want it to get too hot, that's uncomfortable for me, because when I used MBP 13 inch 2015 it wasn't getting hot while I was coding, web browsing and watching youtube. Those are not really intensive tasks.
Also considering to buy new MBP 15 2018:
i7 2.6GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Radeon Pro 560X ($2760-2780)
or
i9 / 32GB RAM / 1TB SDD, Radeon Pro 560X ($4850-5100)
Money isn't really an issue to me, however both 2015 and 2018 cost more than in the US, since I am in another country which doesn't have official Apple Store (Ukraine), and we're getting Apple hardware from resellers which buy in the US and then deliver it to their local stores in Ukraine.
The best deal seems like (i7 2.6 / 16RAM / 512SDD / 560X), since it costs less than 2015 and hardware is newer. However 2015 has better keyboard to me, hands down, I used 2016 / 2017 models and couldn't stand it. I might consider buying Magic Keyboard + Magic Trackpad to use in conjunction with 2018 MBP when in the office, but that neglects my love for using exclusively laptop without any other external devices, since we have really great terrace on the roof and I plan working there time to time. Plus it seems like MBP 2018 gets really hot (do base models and 13 inch models also get hot?), that's an issue for me.
What would you do in my place? What can you advise on what I need to buy? I would really appreciate any replies, since I've been reading these forums for like past 3 weeks along with Reddit, exploring all the issues with new MBPs (throttling, kernel panicks, speakers crackling). I just want to buy a machine and forget about it while I'm using it, like my current iMac which has NO ISSUES at all, and I had no issues with MBP 13 inch 2015. I'd consider advise on buying any 13 inch as well (2015 / 2018).
Important factors to consider in no particular order:
1. Battery.
2. Portability.
3. No heating during common work (coding / web browsing / youtube watching).
4. Power (gonna get into Java development in upcoming years, which is heavier from what I'm doing right now in terms of coding).
5. Good keyboard (defining "good" as 2015 or magic keyboard).
I'm even considering to buy both 13 and 15 inch at the same time, since all those factors seem not to fit into one laptop. So yeah, any advice on any buying combination will be very helpful.
I'd love Apple to take 2015 design + insert newer hardware into it lol. But that won't happen. So I need to make choice soon anyway.
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