Remember back in the day when everybody had the 13" MacBook?

[Rakehellion]

Now with Retina, it seems like everyone's going 15". Is dual core not enough anymore? Or is it the weight difference?

 

[rugby]

Now with Retina, it seems like everyone's going 15". Is dual core not enough anymore? Or is it the weight difference?

I use a 12" Macbook all day long and it's great.

 

[purbeast0]

i just got a macbook a couple months ago and the 13" was never even on the plate. it's too little and has too little screen real estate for me to get any real work done. as a dev i need all the space i can get.

i'm really loving the multi-desktop though, and with the three finger swipe, it makes switching between them such a breeze. it's very close to being as efficient as having multi monitors set up in a desktop environment.

 

[Eug]

I currently have a 13" white MacBook in the kitchen, and a 13" MacBook Pro for myself (non-Retina).

When I upgrade, it will be either a 12" MacBook, or else a 13" MacBook Pro with Retina (esp. if there is a form factor update).

I have little interest in a 15" or larger laptop.

 

[Ice_Dragon]

The way I see it, which is from a purely economic standpoint, the base 13" rMBP starts at $1,300 with a dual-core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM (which can be upgraded to 16 GB for $200 more), and a 128 GB PCIe SSD that cannot be upgraded.

The mid-range 13" MBP starts at $1,500 with the same dual-core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM (also can be upgraded to 16 GB for $200 more), and a 256 GB PCIe SSD which again cannot be upgraded. The processors in these machines can be upgraded to faster i5 and i7 dual-cores for $100 and $300 respectively.

Meanwhile, I can have a way faster quad-core machine with 16 GB of RAM already included for just a few hundred more and it has faster onboard graphics.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I think we're getting older and the 15" is just more doable as we grow our incomes.

I went from a 13" white macbook to a 15" rMBP about a year and a half ago. It was a good upgrade.

 

[Beer4Me]

I think we're getting older and the 15" is just more doable as we grow our incomes.

I went from a 13" white macbook to a 15" rMBP about a year and a half ago. It was a good upgrade.

What this guys says. Also, unless you get Lasik (considering it this year depending on finances), having the larger screen def helps as you get older.

TBT, the weight difference between the two is not very significant. I gave my wife my 2013 13' MBPro Retina, and upgraded to a 2014 15' MBPro Retina.

 

[Eug]

What this guys says. Also, unless you get Lasik (considering it this year depending on finances), having the larger screen def helps as you get older.

TBT, the weight difference between the two is not very significant. I gave my wife my 2013 13' MBPro Retina, and upgraded to a 2014 15' MBPro Retina.

The pixel densities of the 13" Pro and 15" Pro are very similar, although it is true the 15" is a bit lower. Also, the pixel density of the 12" is the same as the 13" Pro.

The ones with the squint-inducing small text are the Airs. Those are the ones to avoid for older eyes, not the Pros or the 12" MacBook.

 

[Rakehellion]

...

 

[Rakehellion]

I think we're getting older and the 15" is just more doable as we grow our incomes.

I went from a 13" white macbook to a 15" rMBP about a year and a half ago. It was a good upgrade.

I've seen young college kids replace their 13" MacBooks from 2009 with the new 15" Retina. Apple discontinued the 17" because it wasn't selling. Maybe it's time to bring it back.

 

[rugby]

I've seen young college kids replace their 13" MacBooks from 2009 with the new 15" Retina. Apple discontinued the 17" because it wasn't selling. Maybe it's time to bring it back.

Having lugged one of those 17's around for a few years (my oldest son is using it now). It's a monster. No way will people carry something that big. The reason they were so popular was that you couldn't really get a bigger screen cheaply for a laptop. Now I"m sitting here at my desk with my 12" Macbook powering a 28" monitor and it's a great setup.

 

[Eug]

I hated the 17". Way, WAY too big.

 

[TheStu]

I prefer the smaller systems. I've had an OG MacBook, 12" PowerBook, 11" Air, and now a 12" rMB. Anytime I use a 15" MBP, I feel like it's way too gigantic for my use cases. If I was only ever going to use it on a desk, then sure it'd be fine.

 

[MongGrel]

Must have missed that, never had one.

After my time in school I guess.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I had a 13" MB for 4 years and have (amazingly, at least to me) had a 13" MBP for 6 1/2 years. The latter is still going strong (albeit on a replacement battery and with an aftermarket SSD), and when the time comes to replace it I expect I will go with a 13" rMBP. I just really like the 13" form factor.

 

[StinkyPinky]

I have the 13" and find it great. Great screen, perfect size (for me) and it's a fully working laptop unlike the 1 port 12" model which i find to be more of a model for casual users. I don't need quad core and would rather have it be more portable and have the extra battery life. To each their own.

 

[phillyTIM]

I'm keeping my claws firmly entrenched into my 2011 13"MBPro for as long as I possibly can. I've upgraded the hard drive to 1Tb (which I may eventually upgrade to a 1Tb SSD) and I've maxed the RAM to 16GB.

The thought of upgrading to a new MacBook that I can no longer upgrade just sickens me. I do not want to spend money on one of those types of machines.

I'll be forced to either buy a Windows laptop or expense for a combination of a NAS plus some Macbook.

But I will add that should I ever take up my interest of programming, I'd probably want to have a 15" machine; else, the 13" is a perfect size that I'd stay with.

 

[v-600]

I have a 13" rMBP. I also have a 17" desktop replacement gaming laptop. They serve different purposes.

 

[Subyman]

My 13" is perfect. I love it.

 

[boomhower]

I have a 13" retina and will not be buying another 15". I have the 15" prior to the retina and much prefer the smaller one. I don't take it anywhere other than trips out of town a few times a year so portability isn't an issue either way. Just prefer the smaller computer.

 

[Artdeco]

I use a 12" Macbook all day long and it's great.

This

 

[GregGreen]

i just got a macbook a couple months ago and the 13" was never even on the plate. it's too little and has too little screen real estate for me to get any real work done. as a dev i need all the space i can get.

i'm really loving the multi-desktop though, and with the three finger swipe, it makes switching between them such a breeze. it's very close to being as efficient as having multi monitors set up in a desktop environment.

It's entirely this. I had a 13" MBP for a few months before my company upgraded me to the 15" rMBP and I was hurting for space on the screen so much. I was usually using a multi-monitor setup, but when I was working away from my work or home desk, I couldn't get anything done dev wise.

Although one of my coworkers says it's good because you can't see more than one method and that makes you think harder about what you're doing, you just can't see enough code to get things done.

It was bad enough I would use my mid-2010 15" MBP over the mid-2013 13" MBP when I had the chance -- even with npm installs taking foreeeeevvverrrr.

Even now, I have the 15" rMBP set to "1680x1050" mode for more screen real estate.