Would 16" be much more useful as a third monitor than 14"?

[hahahohoho]

Hi!

I'm currently using a 2017 27" iMac for software development,

and I'm thinking of buying a new Macbook (m1pro 32gb 1TB).

Like many people, I'm having a hard time between 14" and 16".



In my situation it's too hard to decision.

- 16" is quite heavy, but I'll probably use it 95-98% of the time in my house.

- 16" has a big screen, but most of the time it will be paired with two external monitors (one apple studio display, one dell ultrasharp 27" 4k).



When the studio display arrives, I'm thinking of placing my dell monitor vertically next to the studio display.

And I plan to put my MacBook under the studio display and use it with my mechanical keyboard.

I want to use my MacBook screen as a third screen (email or calendar or notion...), but I wonder if the 16" will be much better than the 14" in this case.



Everyone knows that the 16" has a bigger display, but I think the usefulness of that larger display will diminish if I connect to external monitors a lot of the time.

As I said above, I rarely take my MacBook out of the house, and I use it mostly on my desk, but while using the iMac, I sometimes want to use it in bed or on the sofa.

So I'm going to buy a 14" because it's lighter and easier to move even around the house,
and for me, 14" looks better.
But when people say how cool a 16" display is, I'd like to buy the 16".

Unfortunately, I don't have the option to buy both..



There is a way to try both and return the one of them, but it is a difficult due to the current MBP delivery situation.



As I was writing this post, I thought that I could use mac studio for desk and IPP or MBA for bed or sofa.

In this case I don't have to worry about my MacBook's battery always charging, but I'd lose one great monitor.

It's a very difficult time for me, who has a decision problem.

Please help me with your experience and advice.

 

[pshufd]

I have my desktop setup in the basement with 4 27 inch monitors and 1 25 inch monitor.

I use my MacBook Pro 16, mainly in the living room but sometimes in other places. This means that I don't have to plug/unplug the laptop when I am at my desk.

It is easier to use monitors that are similar or even the same so that you don't have to do resolution adjustments with your eyes.

 

[Fishrrman]

"...but most of the time it will be paired with two external monitors (one apple studio display, one dell ultrasharp 27" 4k)."

Get the 14", for portability.
You'll always have the 2 extra displays at home.

 

[wilberforce]

16" is going to be slightly better, not much better, than 14" as a third monitor.

I think go with your initial plan (14" with two 27" monitors) and don't look back or second-guess yourself. It seems a good plan. No matter what you get, it will be a compromise in some respect.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

In the before times (pre covid) I had 2 twenty-something monitors at my desk, and a 15" mbp as a 3rd monitor. Usually it was used for slack, sometimes as a screen for reference, but I never had more than one program open at once on the screen. 1/2 the time I'd move slack to the 2nd screen, and the 3rd screen would be empty. There was no need for it. So to answer your question, 14" is just as useful as 15" or 16" for slack, teams, documentation, or even surfing.

I'd use one or two large monitors, and IMHO it really doesn't matter if you get a 14" or 16" laptop to accompany them.

 

[Arctic Moose]

I would choose 14”, without hesitation, in this situation. As a tertiary monitor, for glancing at calendars or e-mail, I would say the difference between 14” and 16” is negligible.

 

[GrumpyCoder]

- 16" is quite heavy, but I'll probably use it 95-98% of the time in my house.

When I use both hands to pick them up, I can barely feel a difference in weight between the 14" and the 16". The 16" has a larger footprint though, so picking it up one handed at the edge it feels heavier, but it really isn't that much.

I want to use my MacBook screen as a third screen (email or calendar or notion...), but I wonder if the 16" will be much better than the 14" in this case.

It's 2" better.
For emails or calendar it probably won't make a difference.

Everyone knows that the 16" has a bigger display, but I think the usefulness of that larger display will diminish if I connect to external monitors a lot of the time.

Or the other way around, the few times you use if on the go you will appreciate the larger screen size. It really depends on how you look at it.

As I said above, I rarely take my MacBook out of the house, and I use it mostly on my desk, but while using the iMac, I sometimes want to use it in bed or on the sofa.

Worrying about size and weight is the last thing you should do when moving it around the house. If anything, it becomes much more of a issue if you go on long hikes and have to take it with you, maybe you do a photoshoot somewhere up on a mountain.

There is a way to try both and return the one of them, but it is a difficult due to the current MBP delivery situation.

Check them out in an Apple store side by side. Again, weight isn't an issue, but the 16" has a much larger footprint, the 14" seems tiny right next to it.

As I was writing this post, I thought that I could use mac studio for desk and IPP or MBA for bed or sofa.

In this case I don't have to worry about my MacBook's battery always charging, but I'd lose one great monitor.

Well, if you don't need to be mobile, the Mac Studio is a much cheaper way to go.

You also shouldn't worry about the battery always charging, because it won't. It's going to learn your usage pattern and optimize charging for best battery health.

Other than that, the 16" has longer battery life (larger battery), it also has the better cooling system (heat pipes and fans). If you're using it like a desktop system, then ask yourself how often you push to the limit (CPU&GPU) and how long you keep it running there. If you do this over longer periods the 14" fans will approach 6000RPM, while the 16" will stay around 3000RPM. In general, when under stress the 14" fans are running about twice the speed of the 16", which when it comes to noise, the 14" will go up to over 49dB(A) and the 16" will stay at around 37dB(A). For a desktop system, that would be the deciding factor for me. If you don't plan to constantly stress it for long tasks, it becomes a moot point.

 

[jav6454]

I would choose 14”, without hesitation, in this situation. As a tertiary monitor, for glancing at calendars or e-mail, I would say the difference between 14” and 16” is negligible.

Agreed. Heck, even moving from 13" to 16" I would find the difference too subtle to notice.

 

[hahahohoho]

Thank you all so much. Thanks to your advice, I'm leaning to 14" now.

 

[Chancha]

Is your Studio Display a adjustable / VESA variant or do you have a high stand it sits on?

We got both 14" and 16" here in my workplace, I have tried putting both underneath a 3rd party 27" display that came with its built-in adjustable stand, the top edge of the 14" about perfectly flushes with the bottom edge of the display. Whereas the 16" will block some parts of the screen and will need to incline backwards more to keep its top edge lower.