The Definitive 2017 Macbook Pro 13 inch or 15 inch Thread

[Macshroomer]

I really wish Apple would stop bending over power users who really want the smaller form factor of the 13" in that the overall computing power is less than the 15" and we don't have the option for the new 2TB PCIE drive.

That being said, my eyes have started to get a little weary since my last upgrade so I suspect the 15" will be easier to work on, especially now that I am doing these 15' to 25' foot high res murals for clients.

So it goes.....

 

[gooseta]

In terms of portability, I've been carrying a razer blade 14 which weighs about 100g more and has basically the same footprint, and it's definitely portable.

 

[ckWTB]

Hi OSXCrusader,

I also tend to over analyze and over think these sorts of decisions, so I can sympathize with the struggle. How about approaching this decision from a different perspective by breaking the choice down into desires vs practicality?

Most decisions and purchases are made based on desire and emotion. Part of your conundrum could be that you desire both the smallest laptop possible and the most powerful laptop possible. I share your desire, but these two desires are in conflict, as more power requires larger processors, larger cooling systems, larger power supplies, and an overall larger chassis/platform. Just look at PC gaming laptops that include more powerful GPUs and are setup for extended usage, they are massive in both size and weight.

Unfortunately, the laptop market isn’t like the supercar market, and we don’t have hundreds of exotic brands and models to choose from. Instead, the laptop market is consumer driven with mass-appeal designs optimized for high-volume production. I would love a 13-inch model that exchanged smaller speakers, smaller trackpad, and no TouchBar for a more powerful CPU/GPU setup that rivals the 15-inch, but that probably isn’t going to happen with Apple (maybe Razer at some point in the future).

Within the Apple ecosystem the MacBook Pro line offers the best performance, and both the 13-inch and 15-inch models pretty much offer the most performance for a given thickness, size and weight. That was Apple’s goal with the new 2016/2017 platform, and if you are in that market then you have excellent options to choose from. If you want more power than the 13-inch, then the 15-inch is the next smallest platform possible. However, if the 15-inch is too large, then you can rest assured that you are pretty much getting the best performance possible within the 13-inch platform.

Does that help make the 13-inch or the 15-inch more appealing?

No, then how about this: Is your desire to have the most powerful laptop in the smallest platform stronger than the desire to have the best regardless of other factors? If so, then that is easy because a new maxed out 13-inch Pro is likely the best laptop per inch/pound available. If not, and you need to have the best-of-the-best from Apple, then get the 15-inch.

Feeling like there’s a winner now?

No, then try this exercise: Imagine pulling out your new laptop from its case, will the cool factor be higher if it is an ultra slim and sleek 13-inch? Or will your pulse race knowing it is a 15-inch rocket ship, the baddest machine in the place? That might sound silly, but since money and usage are not huge variable, you should go with whatever pulls on your heart strings the most.

Okay, so you know which laptop you want now, right?

No, well lets take a look at the practical side of the decision: For starters, consider that the 2017 15-inch model is so much thinner, smaller and lighter compared to your 2010 15-inch model that it offers a reduction even compared to 2010 13-inch models. Basically, it’s a win-win with a new 15-inch that is thinner, smaller and lighter for mobile usage, plus infinitely more powerful than your old laptop.

There you go, 15-inch for power, all good?

No, well then get go for a 13-inch and still get a performance upgrade but in a radically thinner, smaller and lighter platform because based on your usage, the 13-inch is the laptop model I would recommend. I usually recommend a 13-inch over the 15-inch unless running high-demand applications for extended periods of time (gaming, photo/video editing, 3D model work/rendering, virtual machines, data processing, etc) or using multiple 4/5K external displays. An eGPU will help to mitigate some of those issues in the future, but it’s still not clear how well it will be implement and when it will become a simple off-the-shelf plug-and-play user experience.

Based on your usage, you are a good candidate for a 13-inch over 15-inch. You can save some money, space and weight by going 13-inch, but you can save even more money by going 1TB. I recommend adding up your current storage requirements and doubling it to future proof and allow plenty of room for travel photo downloads. If money is less of an issue, and you want to keep older archived data on your laptop, then 2TB is a good option.

So there you go, some additional thoughts and recommendations from someone who also over analyzes and over thinks these sorts of things. Whatever your choice, you will be in for a serious treat with overall experience when moving to either the 2012-2015 Retina generation or 2016-2017 Touch Bar generation MacBook Pros. Enjoy the upgrade!

 

[AustinIllini]

I went 15" but if I needed any more portability, I would almost certainly have gone 13". I keep my machine at home most of the time.

 

[jerryk]

Get the 13 MBP or 12 MB. Your usage is light and either will meet you needs. Also you said that you travel and portability is a concern.

 

[OSXCrusader]

thanks

 

[alias99]

Does anybody have a picture or the appropriate machines, to show the 2015 13" MBP on top of the 2017 15" MBP?

I wanted to see the size difference, when bought my 13 I considered the 15 but found it to big at the time.

 

[debabrata]

Was in the same boat - however my primary purpose was:
1. portability
2. browsing (20+ tabs)

In that case 13" wins hand down - which I bought eventually.

 

[pallymore]

Was in the same boat - however my primary purpose was:
1. portability
2. browsing (20+ tabs)

In that case 13" wins hand down - which I bought eventually.

Initially I was totally going for the 15inch purely for its computing power. (gotta have the latest)
Then i decided to calm down and think about how i'm going to use it:

13in vs 15in: (same ram & disk space)

1. Software development (web, full-stack, ios, some vms maybe but not always)
I guess it's almost a tie for me - my workflow does not benefit from a quad core very much. I'm currently on a 2013 13inch (2.5G dual core), and I've rarely hit the limit of the cpu.

2. NO 3d or video editing work
and I don't play games on Mac - so the d-gpu is worthless to me.

3. I work on external monitors for 99% of the time on work days.
so the larger screen doesn't benefit me too much. I have dual monitor setup @ office, and 34inch at home.

4. I travel a lot (by air & train) - and I intend to use this laptop on planes (and unfortunately I'm usually found in the lowly economy cabin)
I tried to use my 13inch during my last flight - and I realized how tight the space it already was. it's probably not possible to use a 15inch in the economy cabin especially when the guy in front of you decides to take a nap on a reclined seat.

5. I have a main work/entertainment desktop at home. Well it's a hackintosh but it's so much more powerful (less the SSD speed) than the top spec 15inch already. I guess I won't be using the 13inch too much when I'm at home.

So - I guess a top spec 13-inch is more suitable for me.

But in your case - if you plan to use it:
1. as your primary computer
2. often without a monitor
3. to play some games, or to do some creative work
and you definitely want the best from apple.
15-inch is a must.

 

[OSXCrusader]

Alright guys, after lots of debating: I have finally made a decision and put my order in last night. See above to see what specs I got:

I basically maxxed out the specs on the base model 13" with touch bar. I decided to spec out the base because 256GB is more than enough for me. I can't remember ever using upwards of 100GB of storage. Everything I have in terms of files are in the cloud or Google Photos and I just stream.

Here were things I thought about when I made my purchasing decision:

-Most people recommended the 13" to me in general. The 15" was recommended only if I do a lot of intensive tasks like video editing, gaming etc (which I don't)

-Once people understood my usage profile: streaming netflix, word, PPT, excel, email, browsing (but 20+ tabs open) and I travel a lot, the 13" was even more strongly recommended

-The bottom line was: yes, 2" of extra screen real estate is nice but I definitely don't need a dGPU or all the other bells and whistles on the 15".

-At the end of the day, I am saving REAL money. Sure, I could have afforded a 15" (maxxed out in specs) but I don't really need it and now I can instead look for a nice flight to Iceland or somewhere with the $700 or so that I just saved.

-Again, to remind everyone, my current computer (until the 13" arrives) is a a maxxed out mid-2010 15" MBP. Most of you have more recent generations. i think I am going to love the the portability of the 13" when it arrives and I think my adjustment from 15" to 13" should be fine. So much has changed since 2010, size, volume, thickness, screen, trackpad, ports. At one point, I even considered the 12" MB because of the insane thinness. I suppose I am just one of those people that's very black and white: It either needs to be the best in specs or the best in portability. The 13" is the compromise in the middle but maybe that's exactly what I need.

-I'm definitely not like a lot of you with multiple computers and devices: MBP for home, MB for travel, and an iPad and an iPhone and etc etc...I have iPhone 7 Plus and will keep one computer. I do like the idea of getting an external display or TV if I ever need that.

-I think the people who had comments such as " I'm laying in my bed or couch typing this on a 13" right now and it feels so easy compared to 15" which is bulky" won me over. In the end, I think I will be just as productive on the 13" if not more. I may be more inclined to pull it out at airports or cafes to look something up or buy tickets etc than to try on my phone.

-A few other things: I'm comforted by knowing that if I don't like AT ALL for some reason: moving from a 15" to a 13", I can always return in 14 days after using in various settings.

-Most of my friends (professionals, consultants, PHD students) also recommended 13". One of them is my younger brother still in college: worse comes to worse, I hand this to him since he is more than happy with his current 13" from 2014.

-I also think I am probably going to have to move to a more frequent upgrade cycle. I know there are others on here with 2010/11 MBPs and yes, I feel like I got insane value out of my MBP but I think a better strategy might be doing base models and upgrading more frequently.

-All in all, I'm pretty excited to get my hands on a new form factor (13") and see how life goes.

-Also, please check out my specs. I definitely wanted to max out RAM, I probably could have saved an additional 300 or so dollars my sticking with the base CPU vs upgrading but hey- I'm getting education pricing and a free pair of wireless beats (as crappy and overrated as they are) so I feel like it evens out.

-I know I will miss the 15" for watching netflix or seeing pics/video/youtube in full screen but oh well.

Also, the poll shows 60% prefer 15" and 40% prefer 13". Its stayed pretty stable over the duration of the thread. Also, I did a little research and in the industry as a whole, 15" is the most common size as opposed to 13".

I will update on this thread about my experiences with the 13" after 14 days and whether I decided to keep or return.

 

[pallymore]

View attachment 708991

Alright guys, after lots of debating: I have finally made a decision and put my order in last night. See above to see what specs I got:

I basically maxxed out the specs on the base model 13" with touch bar. I decided to spec out the base because 256GB is more than enough for me. I can't remember ever using upwards of 100GB of storage. Everything I have in terms of files are in the cloud or Google Photos and I just stream.

Here were things I thought about when I made my purchasing decision:

-Most people recommended the 13" to me in general. The 15" was recommended only if I do a lot of intensive tasks like video editing, gaming etc (which I don't)

-Once people understood my usage profile: streaming netflix, word, PPT, excel, email, browsing (but 20+ tabs open) and I travel a lot, the 13" was even more strongly recommended

-The bottom line was: yes, 2" of extra screen real estate is nice but I definitely don't need a dGPU or all the other bells and whistles on the 15".

-At the end of the day, I am saving REAL money. Sure, I could have afforded a 15" (maxxed out in specs) but I don't really need it and now I can instead look for a nice flight to Iceland or somewhere with the $700 or so that I just saved.

-Again, to remind everyone, my current computer (until the 13" arrives) is a a maxxed out mid-2010 15" MBP. Most of you have more recent generations. i think I am going to love the the portability of the 13" when it arrives and I think my adjustment from 15" to 13" should be fine. So much has changed since 2010, size, volume, thickness, screen, trackpad, ports. At one point, I even considered the 12" MB because of the insane thinness. I suppose I am just one of those people that's very black and white: It either needs to be the best in specs or the best in portability. The 13" is the compromise in the middle but maybe that's exactly what I need.

-I'm definitely not like a lot of you with multiple computers and devices: MBP for home, MB for travel, and an iPad and an iPhone and etc etc...I have iPhone 7 Plus and will keep one computer. I do like the idea of getting an external display or TV if I ever need that.

-I think the people who had comments such as " I'm laying in my bed or couch typing this on a 13" right now and it feels so easy compared to 15" which is bulky" won me over. In the end, I think I will be just as productive on the 13" if not more. I may be more inclined to pull it out at airports or cafes to look something up or buy tickets etc than to try on my phone.

-A few other things: I'm comforted by knowing that if I don't like AT ALL for some reason: moving from a 15" to a 13", I can always return in 14 days after using in various settings.

-Most of my friends (professionals, consultants, PHD students) also recommended 13". One of them is my younger brother still in college: worse comes to worse, I hand this to him since he is more than happy with his current 13" from 2014.

-I also think I am probably going to have to move to a more frequent upgrade cycle. I know there are others on here with 2010/11 MBPs and yes, I feel like I got insane value out of my MBP but I think a better strategy might be doing base models and upgrading more frequently.

-All in all, I'm pretty excited to get my hands on a new form factor (13") and see how life goes.

-Also, please check out my specs. I definitely wanted to max out RAM, I probably could have saved an additional 300 or so dollars my sticking with the base CPU vs upgrading but hey- I'm getting education pricing and a free pair of wireless beats (as crappy and overrated as they are) so I feel like it evens out.

-I know I will miss the 15" for watching netflix or seeing pics/video/youtube in full screen but oh well.

Also, the poll shows 60% prefer 15" and 40% prefer 13". Its stayed pretty stable over the duration of the thread. Also, I did a little research and in the industry as a whole, 15" is the most common size as opposed to 13".

I will update on this thread about my experiences with the 13" after 14 days and whether I decided to keep or return.

Congrats on your purchase

Although i'd say the CPU upgrade is almost definitely not worth it.
There are no real differences between the i7 (7567U) and the i5(7267U) other than the 0.4 ~ 0.5G CPU and 0.1G iGPU speed bump. They have the exact same number of cores, same threads, same cache, same iGPU, and same everything else.
you are gaining about 10 - 12% performance (ONLY when CPU is running at 100%) for $300 ($230 in your case)
I'd use that money to get 512G SSD - even though you don't need that much space now, but it will definitely benefit you more than the CPU upgrade.

 

[comptr]

So true, you could not have described it any better! Let's start consolidating the difference.

-> We know the 15" is more powerful in terms of better 4 quad core processor, discreet GPU, 4 equal thunderbolt ports, slightly louder speakers and of course, 2 EXTRA diagonal inches of screen size.

-> We know that it is less portable.

-> We know that the 13" has a dual core, asymmetric thunderbolt ports, no discreet GPU and 2" inches less of screen

-> It is more portable and really a "laptop"

->The price difference between the 13" (maximum upgradable specs) and the 15" (maximum upgradable specs) is about $300, not much at all considering all the additional goodies (that I will probably never need LOL, but some people may) and when considering the total price of both laptops

-> I know that a lot of people have suggested that not maxxing out on specs in either model but we have to control for something here.

-> To me the question really comes down to the following two things:

// Whether the additional $300 is worth paying which I think everybody agrees on: That is YES! You get so much for an additional $300!

//Is the 15" MacBook Pro a "comfortably" PORTABLE machine? Again, We need to really understand ease of use and portability here. Is it portable? sure. I am still lugging around my Macbook Pro 15" from 2010 with optical drive. That thing is one heavy brick especially when you consider moving around with the accompanying power cable and adapter.
I have gone into the store and held and played around with 13" and 15". There is a striking difference between both but the 15" has obviously gotten so much lighter in years.

15" owners, what has your experience been owning and carrying around 15" MBPs (2016 and later), especially thru airport security, to cafes, in backpack, in classes. Do you wish you had a 13"? or do you really not carry it around that much? What about the 15" (aside from being able to do video editing) makes it worth owning and the extra cost and reduction in portability.

Uggh, I still can't make a decision lol!

Well I have only used the 15" models? It's not big so far I am on my 7th mac book pro been using Macs since 2006. I use mine to run final cut, lightroom & photoshop.

 

[ttusomeone]

Congrats on your purchase

Although i'd say the CPU upgrade is almost definitely not worth it.
There are no real differences between the i7 (7567U) and the i5(7267U) other than the 0.4 ~ 0.5G CPU and 0.1G iGPU speed bump. They have the exact same number of cores, same threads, same cache, same iGPU, and same everything else.
you are gaining about 10 - 12% performance (ONLY when CPU is running at 100%) for $300 ($230 in your case)
I'd use that money to get 512G SSD - even though you don't need that much space now, but it will definitely benefit you more than the CPU upgrade.

Good insight. I've got two questions I'm hoping you can help answer. Is it worth the $100 to upgrade to the 3.3 GHz processor, and/or is it worth $200 to upgrade to 16 GB of RAM?

Like the OP, I'm really looking to future proof the laptop as much as possible. I'm still using a 2012 MacBook Air and it does most everything I need, but am ready to get something new and my wife's Windows laptop needs replacing, so I'm thinking she'll get the Air and I'll get a new MacBook Pro.

 

[pallymore]

Good insight. I've got two questions I'm hoping you can help answer. Is it worth the $100 to upgrade to the 3.3 GHz processor, and/or is it worth $200 to upgrade to 16 GB of RAM?

Like the OP, I'm really looking to future proof the laptop as much as possible. I'm still using a 2012 MacBook Air and it does most everything I need, but am ready to get something new and my wife's Windows laptop needs replacing, so I'm thinking she'll get the Air and I'll get a new MacBook Pro.

So if cost is not a concern, go for the i7 and the RAM.
If you only got $300 to spend on upgrades - 16G RAM is a much better choice. And it is definitely more "future proof" than the dual core i7.

in terms of the 3.3GHz i5 - I believe it's a i5-7287U, which is only a minor speed increase comparing to the base model. Comparing to the i7 upgrade, this gets you a little bit more value for your dollar (relatively speaking), but I don't think anyone would notice the difference between the two - I would save the $100 here (or maybe get some dongles / hubs instead).

 

[ttusomeone]

So if cost is not a concern, go for the i7 and the RAM.
If you only got $300 to spend on upgrades - 16G RAM is a much better choice. And it is definitely more "future proof" than the dual core i7.

in terms of the 3.3GHz i5 - I believe it's a i5-7287U, which is only a minor speed increase comparing to the base model. Comparing to the i7 upgrade, this gets you a little bit more value for your dollar (relatively speaking), but I don't think anyone would notice the difference between the two - I would save the $100 here (or maybe get some dongles / hubs instead).

Awesome - thank you for the advice!

 

[Patcell]

View attachment 708991

Alright guys, after lots of debating: I have finally made a decision and put my order in last night. See above to see what specs I got:

I basically maxxed out the specs on the base model 13" with touch bar. I decided to spec out the base because 256GB is more than enough for me. I can't remember ever using upwards of 100GB of storage. Everything I have in terms of files are in the cloud or Google Photos and I just stream.

Here were things I thought about when I made my purchasing decision:

-Most people recommended the 13" to me in general. The 15" was recommended only if I do a lot of intensive tasks like video editing, gaming etc (which I don't)

-Once people understood my usage profile: streaming netflix, word, PPT, excel, email, browsing (but 20+ tabs open) and I travel a lot, the 13" was even more strongly recommended

-The bottom line was: yes, 2" of extra screen real estate is nice but I definitely don't need a dGPU or all the other bells and whistles on the 15".

-At the end of the day, I am saving REAL money. Sure, I could have afforded a 15" (maxxed out in specs) but I don't really need it and now I can instead look for a nice flight to Iceland or somewhere with the $700 or so that I just saved.

-Again, to remind everyone, my current computer (until the 13" arrives) is a a maxxed out mid-2010 15" MBP. Most of you have more recent generations. i think I am going to love the the portability of the 13" when it arrives and I think my adjustment from 15" to 13" should be fine. So much has changed since 2010, size, volume, thickness, screen, trackpad, ports. At one point, I even considered the 12" MB because of the insane thinness. I suppose I am just one of those people that's very black and white: It either needs to be the best in specs or the best in portability. The 13" is the compromise in the middle but maybe that's exactly what I need.

-I'm definitely not like a lot of you with multiple computers and devices: MBP for home, MB for travel, and an iPad and an iPhone and etc etc...I have iPhone 7 Plus and will keep one computer. I do like the idea of getting an external display or TV if I ever need that.

-I think the people who had comments such as " I'm laying in my bed or couch typing this on a 13" right now and it feels so easy compared to 15" which is bulky" won me over. In the end, I think I will be just as productive on the 13" if not more. I may be more inclined to pull it out at airports or cafes to look something up or buy tickets etc than to try on my phone.

-A few other things: I'm comforted by knowing that if I don't like AT ALL for some reason: moving from a 15" to a 13", I can always return in 14 days after using in various settings.

-Most of my friends (professionals, consultants, PHD students) also recommended 13". One of them is my younger brother still in college: worse comes to worse, I hand this to him since he is more than happy with his current 13" from 2014.

-I also think I am probably going to have to move to a more frequent upgrade cycle. I know there are others on here with 2010/11 MBPs and yes, I feel like I got insane value out of my MBP but I think a better strategy might be doing base models and upgrading more frequently.

-All in all, I'm pretty excited to get my hands on a new form factor (13") and see how life goes.

-Also, please check out my specs. I definitely wanted to max out RAM, I probably could have saved an additional 300 or so dollars my sticking with the base CPU vs upgrading but hey- I'm getting education pricing and a free pair of wireless beats (as crappy and overrated as they are) so I feel like it evens out.

-I know I will miss the 15" for watching netflix or seeing pics/video/youtube in full screen but oh well.

Also, the poll shows 60% prefer 15" and 40% prefer 13". Its stayed pretty stable over the duration of the thread. Also, I did a little research and in the industry as a whole, 15" is the most common size as opposed to 13".

I will update on this thread about my experiences with the 13" after 14 days and whether I decided to keep or return.

Congrats! I think you made the right choice based on your needs. Enjoy the machine! You should be able to get many years out of your new Pro, just as you had with your previous model.

 

[OSXCrusader]

My 13" MBP just arrived today. Typing this post on it! Honestly, first impressions are great!

> Space Gray Color is gorgeous!

> I love the touch bar. A lot of people have called this gimmicky but I for one actually love it! the controls do dynamically change to functions that are quite intuitive! I found myself almost immediately taking advantage of it! For people that are into super customizing, I can only see them loving it. The touch bar does not distract from the screen at all, and in fact most buttons retreat to the right corner and I do enjoy this! Again, I've found myself having fun with it and I suspect that even when the initial novelty wears off, touching the brightness or volume buttons feels pretty great on the touch bar! as does scrolling on them (which is an option)

> Screen is amazing! Man! 7 years and I certainly missed the whole retina bandwagon. This display is crisp as hell compared to the 2010 15". I believe the 13" PPI is slightly better than 15"? Is this an observable difference?

> New keys are pretty awesome! They do feel nice and sturdy but I am definitely having a few errors typing so sounds like its going to take some time getting used to! Maybe a day or so?

>Overall, loving the 13" form factor. It is so ridiculously light! Easy to hold and move around. It truly is a "laptop". I really don't know why anyone would go for the 12 inch macbook given the difference in price points right now. Yes, the macbook is super light but the 13" is definitely an ultra portable machine! and so much more capable but then again - coming from mid 2010 15" MBP, anything is a drastic improvement for me. This truly is the right machine for me!

>I have long been waiting to move away from bulk, be more agile, use my computer more often (outdoor, cafes, airports) so this is definitely a step in the right direction.

BUT...(Haha)

>So my friend (one of many people who asked me to go in the 13" direction) just bought a 15" MBP. He previously had a 2015 13". Apparently, his reason to me was - "I didn't realize how thin and light the 15 inch had become"

>Of course, I met him and played around with his 15" in a natural setting (his apartment on couch, on carpet etc). Weirdly, the experience is so much more different than in Apple Store where these things are tied down and in a sterile environment. Somehow the decision of the judging the product and differences (like 13" vs 15") is even better in these more natural environments than in a neutral environment with people around (Apple Store)

>And guys, I HONESTLY don't know. The 15" is super light and fun! and at the end of the day, it just feels like MORE computer for my money.

>Here's what's going on: The 13" feels amazing. I maxxed out the processor upgrade on the base 13" (256 GB, I don't care about storage, I throw everything in the cloud anyway), upgraded RAM to 16 GB, so this is the most spec'ed out 13" MBP you can buy minus storage. It's a great machine and feels awesome. I have fully inspected it - no dings, scratches, build seems just fine, screen seems fine, currently testing out battery, trackpad and keys just seem fine. It was custom built because of the upgrades so took a week and half to arrive. I am happy. I could just decide to keep this and continue and if this was the only MBP and the best MBP available today, I would be more than happy.

>However, inside my head, I am just a bit uneasy, uncomfortable. I mean I am spending upwards of $2000 on a laptop and my last laptop (mid 2010 15" MBP, I ended up using for 7+ years). For that kind of money/investment, I don't want to have any buyers remorse.

>The lowest end/base model of 15" is still $200 or so more expensive than this maxxed out 13" but for that $200 or so, I would get 2 extra inches of screen, a quad core (even though yes, many of guys have said that I will never even notice the difference for things I do, Word, PPT, Youtube, Netflix, 20+ tabs), a dGPU.

>And the little things like
- asymmetric Thunderbolt 3 USB C ports (even though I will never drive 4 4K displays)
-When changing the desktop background, the settings open (which cannot be resized) and when I change to another picture, on the 13", I can't . even see half or more of the desktop background that I am changing to lol

>Did I mention that the 15" is ridiculously light? especially compared to my dinosaur 2010 15" MBP? One hand, I say I want more portability - I want to take my MBP everywhere and use it more (so 13"). On the other, the truth is: I never really take my current/previous laptop anywhere or on short weekend trips since iPhone 7 plus is enough to navigate in new cities, do research, communicate etc.

So yeah, there you go. I'm obviously terrible at making decisions. I obviously want the best of both worlds.

I am going to say: I still think maybe Apple should one make one kind of MBP (a 14" that has a 15" screen, minimal or no bezels and keeps dGPU etc and has options to upgrade processor, RAM, storage)

Reason/information says: Keep this computer. It is the most appropriate for you (portability, power, price.) Someone earlier in the thread even mentioned after I ordered that the $300 processor upgrade that I made was almost certainly worthless for the tasks I am trying to do.

- which almost makes me think, return this anyway and buy base 13" and only upgrade RAM to 16 GB

Emotion/instinct says: Return and buy base model 15", have no buyers remorse and just deal with lugging around 15 inch. I will still pay $200 or so more just for the base. It is still way thinner and lighter than my 2010 15"

What do you guys think?

Current plan is maybe play with 13" for 14 days and I still haven't had a drastic change of heart, then return and and buy 15"

Remember, I will get free Beats Solo3 wireless headphones either way (so there's some value proposition in spending extra)
[doublepost=1500945398][/doublepost]

BTW, This is the current polling results, 86 votes cast so far. I really wish more people would vote. I would feel so much more confident if the number of votes was close to the number of views on this thread.

I realize that I should consider what's best for me, not just the opinion of the masses but certainly would have helped.

Definitely seems like there is a consensus around 15.

I wonder what the results would look like if I changed the poll to :

= Choose between a 2017 maximum spec 13" and base 2017 15"

 

[reserves]

13" all day long for me, I had both. Just getting the 15" out in a coffee shop and plane once was enough, 13" is the sweet spot.

I never noticed performance difference between the two, I have the 13" plugged into to a separate monitor for most of the day.

 

[pallymore]

My 13" MBP just arrived today. Typing this post on it! Honestly, first impressions are great!

> Space Gray Color is gorgeous!

> I love the touch bar. A lot of people have called this gimmicky but I for one actually love it! the controls do dynamically change to functions that are quite intuitive! I found myself almost immediately taking advantage of it! For people that are into super customizing, I can only see them loving it. The touch bar does not distract from the screen at all, and in fact most buttons retreat to the right corner and I do enjoy this! Again, I've found myself having fun with it and I suspect that even when the initial novelty wears off, touching the brightness or volume buttons feels pretty great on the touch bar! as does scrolling on them (which is an option)

> Screen is amazing! Man! 7 years and I certainly missed the whole retina bandwagon. This display is crisp as hell compared to the 2010 15". I believe the 13" PPI is slightly better than 15"? Is this an observable difference?

> New keys are pretty awesome! They do feel nice and sturdy but I am definitely having a few errors typing so sounds like its going to take some time getting used to! Maybe a day or so?

>Overall, loving the 13" form factor. It is so ridiculously light! Easy to hold and move around. It truly is a "laptop". I really don't know why anyone would go for the 12 inch macbook given the difference in price points right now. Yes, the macbook is super light but the 13" is definitely an ultra portable machine! and so much more capable but then again - coming from mid 2010 15" MBP, anything is a drastic improvement for me. This truly is the right machine for me!

>I have long been waiting to move away from bulk, be more agile, use my computer more often (outdoor, cafes, airports) so this is definitely a step in the right direction.

BUT...(Haha)

>So my friend (one of many people who asked me to go in the 13" direction) just bought a 15" MBP. He previously had a 2015 13". Apparently, his reason to me was - "I didn't realize how thin and light the 15 inch had become"

>Of course, I met him and played around with his 15" in a natural setting (his apartment on couch, on carpet etc). Weirdly, the experience is so much more different than in Apple Store where these things are tied down and in a sterile environment. Somehow the decision of the judging the product and differences (like 13" vs 15") is even better in these more natural environments than in a neutral environment with people around (Apple Store)

>And guys, I HONESTLY don't know. The 15" is super light and fun! and at the end of the day, it just feels like MORE computer for my money.

>Here's what's going on: The 13" feels amazing. I maxxed out the processor upgrade on the base 13" (256 GB, I don't care about storage, I throw everything in the cloud anyway), upgraded RAM to 16 GB, so this is the most spec'ed out 13" MBP you can buy minus storage. It's a great machine and feels awesome. I have fully inspected it - no dings, scratches, build seems just fine, screen seems fine, currently testing out battery, trackpad and keys just seem fine. It was custom built because of the upgrades so took a week and half to arrive. I am happy. I could just decide to keep this and continue and if this was the only MBP and the best MBP available today, I would be more than happy.

>However, inside my head, I am just a bit uneasy, uncomfortable. I mean I am spending upwards of $2000 on a laptop and my last laptop (mid 2010 15" MBP, I ended up using for 7+ years). For that kind of money/investment, I don't want to have any buyers remorse.

>The lowest end/base model of 15" is still $200 or so more expensive than this maxxed out 13" but for that $200 or so, I would get 2 extra inches of screen, a quad core (even though yes, many of guys have said that I will never even notice the difference for things I do, Word, PPT, Youtube, Netflix, 20+ tabs), a dGPU.

>And the little things like
- asymmetric Thunderbolt 3 USB C ports (even though I will never drive 4 4K displays)
-When changing the desktop background, the settings open (which cannot be resized) and when I change to another picture, on the 13", I can't . even see half or more of the desktop background that I am changing to lol

>Did I mention that the 15" is ridiculously light? especially compared to my dinosaur 2010 15" MBP? One hand, I say I want more portability - I want to take my MBP everywhere and use it more (so 13"). On the other, the truth is: I never really take my current/previous laptop anywhere or on short weekend trips since iPhone 7 plus is enough to navigate in new cities, do research, communicate etc.

So yeah, there you go. I'm obviously terrible at making decisions. I obviously want the best of both worlds.

I am going to say: I still think maybe Apple should one make one kind of MBP (a 14" that has a 15" screen, minimal or no bezels and keeps dGPU etc and has options to upgrade processor, RAM, storage)

Reason/information says: Keep this computer. It is the most appropriate for you (portability, power, price.) Someone earlier in the thread even mentioned after I ordered that the $300 processor upgrade that I made was almost certainly worthless for the tasks I am trying to do.

- which almost makes me think, return this anyway and buy base 13" and only upgrade RAM to 16 GB

Emotion/instinct says: Return and buy base model 15", have no buyers remorse and just deal with lugging around 15 inch. I will still pay $200 or so more just for the base. It is still way thinner and lighter than my 2010 15"

What do you guys think?

Current plan is maybe play with 13" for 14 days and I still haven't had a drastic change of heart, then return and and buy 15"

Remember, I will get free Beats Solo3 wireless headphones either way (so there's some value proposition in spending extra)
[doublepost=1500945398][/doublepost] View attachment 709951

BTW, This is the current polling results, 86 votes cast so far. I really wish more people would vote. I would feel so much more confident if the number of votes was close to the number of views on this thread.

I realize that I should consider what's best for me, not just the opinion of the masses but certainly would have helped.

Definitely seems like there is a consensus around 15.

I wonder what the results would look like if I changed the poll to :

= Choose between a 2017 maximum spec 13" and base 2017 15"

Yes, you do get more "computer" out of the 15inch because you are also spending more.
you should not just spend $2k+ to follow other people's choices.
I guess it comes down to if cost is a concern for you.
If you have all the money to throw away, go get the maxed out 15inch.
You might not need 50% of it, but if it makes you sleep well at night comparing to having a few hundred more dollars in the bank.

Otherwise - ask yourself if you really need a 15inch, or you just want to make an expensive purchase to show off.
Computers are tools.
If you don't need a forklift to move your stuff around, don't buy a forklift.

 

[RickG]

If I had better eye sight I would prefer the 13 it's a great size but the extra room on the 15 is now really nice for me as my eyes don't work as well as when I was younger

 

[OSXCrusader]

So put in an order for a 15". The only upgrade I made was the the $90 for 4GB graphics card. I kind of wanted something custom built as opposed to the base readily available at stores. Should arrive by Friday. Going to have both the 15 inch and the 13 inch together in my home for a period of time. The more time I do spend with the 13 inch, I do really like it. Did a little photo editing on the 13 inch today, that was fun. typing on this today.

But I'm excited for 13". I just could sit at ease when I only had 13". Knowing that the 15" is coming is giving me comfort.

I'm probably going to end up returning the 13". I'm a little sad because I feel like I didn't give the portability a chance.

 

[Bennyy55]

13 AIR in 2012, 15 rMBP in 2013, 13 rMBP in 2014, 12 rMB in 2015, 13 AIR in 2016, 13 NT MBP in 2016 and now i have base 15 TB MBP 2017 and it's the best macbook i ever have (2nd was 12 rMBP). Im project engineer and now I realise how much I doesn't need external display with 15". I have 15" over 1 month and thinking about switch to 13" because portability, but after all I'm very happy with 15 and 2 extra inch without need that much exteranl display (except drawings in CAD - 3-5x a month). Sorry fow bad EN

 

[bd4]

I currently have a 13" MBP 2016 without TouchBar and bought a 15" MBP 2016 since I got some discount on the 2016 model and been struggling with the two USB-C ports on my 13" machine. It's a great MacBook, but there is one thing that is bothering me with the 15" model. The two fans are constantly running at about 2000 rpm. It's not loud, but I can definitely hear it in a quiet environment. It gets even more distinguishable when working with closed lid (using external displays, which I do often). My 13" machine has just one fan which is off (0 rpm) most of the time (about 90% of my usage). Even if it turns on under load, it's barely noticeable. So at the end, I think I'm going to return the 15" MBP and staying with my 13" machine, which is completely silent most of the time. I expected the 15" model to turn off the fans when it's in idle and running from the internal GPU, but apparently it doesn't. I wonder how the 13" TouchBar model behaves, which also has two fans, but no dGPU. Does someone know if fans are turning off on this machine?

 

[reserves]

I currently have a 13" MBP 2016 without TouchBar and bought a 15" MBP 2016 since I got some discount on the 2016 model and been struggling with the two USB-C ports on my 13" machine. It's a great MacBook, but there is one thing that is bothering me with the 15" model. The two fans are constantly running at about 2000 rpm. It's not loud, but I can definitely hear it in a quiet environment. It gets even more distinguishable when working with closed lid (using external displays, which I do often). My 13" machine has just one fan which is off (0 rpm) most of the time (about 90% of my usage). Even if it turns on under load, it's barely noticeable. So at the end, I think I'm going to return the 15" MBP and staying with my 13" machine, which is completely silent most of the time. I expected the 15" model to turn off the fans when it's in idle and running from the internal GPU, but apparently it doesn't. I wonder how the 13" TouchBar model behaves, which also has two fans, but no dGPU. Does someone know if fans are turning off on this machine?

I had both the 13" & 15" 2017 models.

I heard the fan on the 15", on the 13" the fan is either silent or has never come on.

 

[Patcell]

So put in an order for a 15". The only upgrade I made was the the $90 for 4GB graphics card. I kind of wanted something custom built as opposed to the base readily available at stores. Should arrive by Friday. Going to have both the 15 inch and the 13 inch together in my home for a period of time. The more time I do spend with the 13 inch, I do really like it. Did a little photo editing on the 13 inch today, that was fun. typing on this today.

But I'm excited for 13". I just could sit at ease when I only had 13". Knowing that the 15" is coming is giving me comfort.

I'm probably going to end up returning the 13". I'm a little sad because I feel like I didn't give the portability a chance.

Good luck! I have a feeling you are going to like the 15" model. Far better performance in still a relatively small footprint. I am absolutely loving my 2017 15"; I upgraded from a 2014 15" last month and it is much smaller/ easier to carry.

Either way, though, great machines! Let us know what you decide when you get the 15" in your hands.