Macbook Pro screen size or price matter?

[Rottie]

I have seen a lot of people on this forum use Macbook Pro 13 inches than 15 inches..I check with Apple website and at the Apple store to test drive...Is size really matter or the price is important? I find 15 inches is bit heavier but I like bigger screen for real room to work on. I am very patience with Dell Mini netbook for long time (That is when my rig see below was held hostage last year). I am not able to use Photoshop and Premiere Element in large screen with netbook.
Anyway what do you think?

 

[RobertPters77]

Apple is apple. They charge what they want and people will pay for it.

Case in point. My Gf's best friend went out and bought the baseline 15" MBP. I admit it's a damn nice laptop(Love the Matte Screen), but she only uses Logic 9, Final Cut, and Photoshop. Her older 2010 15" MBP is still a very capable machine. At most she might save a few minutes here and there when editing.

But hey if you want the bigger screen go for it. You could look online and buy a brand new 2010 15" MBP for under 1.5k.

I'm borrowing a Thinkpad from work. Can't remember which model exactly. But it's great. Although the 16:9 aspect ratio sucks compared to 16:10 with documents and such. It's still a very nice laptop. 15" 1600x900 screen.

 

[TheStu]

Split the difference, get the 13" Air. Has the res of the 15" model, but the size of the 13" model, and it is lighter than the both of them.

But if you were to do that, I would wait for the refresh, the performance difference between Core 2 Duo and Sandy Bridge Core iX is a little too great.

 

[Rottie]

i5 and i7 quad core I saw them at the store but it doesnt say about Sandy Bridge. the only core 2 duo cpu i can find is white macbook and air.

 

[dmw16]

I wouldn't be able to stand the lower resolution on the 13" screen. I need to be able to spread my work out and even with the standard 15" resolution I find myself wishing I'd gone for the high-res version.

If this will be your primary machine and you won't be connected to an external display definitely get the 15" over the 13" MBP.

However, if you can either A) live with the Core2Duo or B) wait for the update to the MacBook Air, then the 13" Air may be your best bet. You'll get the same screen resolution as the 15" MBP and even lighter weight than the 13" MBP.

 

[TheStu]

i5 and i7 quad core I saw them at the store but it doesnt say about Sandy Bridge. the only core 2 duo cpu i can find is white macbook and air.

If it is Core 2 Duo then it is Core 2 Duo, if it is Core i5/i7 then it is Sandy Bridge, assuming you are buying it new. Otherwise you have to look carefully on the refurb store.

I am really looking forward to when the Air and Pro lines merge, so that there is no more differentiation, the 13" Air becomes the 13" Pro, so it gets the 1440*900 screen by default, and then the 15" gets the 1680*1050 by default.

 

[Rottie]

thanks guys.

 

[Emulex]

yeah i have two 17's now and can't stand the low res of the two macbook air's i have. that's some first world problem there.

 

[kyrax12]

I regret not getting the 13" MBP since I find the 15" very heavy and quite big.

Didn't seem that big in the apple store.

 

[rugby]

I have a 17" and a 13". I use the 17" for daily work and the 13" for testing. I really like the matte display on my 17".

 

[kyrax12]

I have a 17" and a 13". I use the 17" for daily work and the 13" for testing. I really like the matte display on my 17".

What do you like about the matte display?

I always thought the Glossy display shows the colors more vibrantly.

 

[secretanchitman]

13" was too small, 17" was too big, 15" is just right (matte, 1680x1050). after using this resolution, i just cant use anything else. i would pay any price for matte and a 16:10 display.

 

[wantedSpidy]

You guys do realize that you can connect your 13" macbook pro to an external screen right?

I love the macbook pro's but even I think that all the models except for the base 13" are overpriced. My 13" drives 1920x1080 just fine (it doesn't drive the 30"), and I do all my productivity work when I'm at my desk anyway.

 

[Zen0]

What do you like about the matte display?

I always thought the Glossy display shows the colors more vibrantly.

The Matte display was horrendous. I returned my loaded MBP with Hi-Res anti-glare screen as the screen had horrible whites, grain, and uneven colors (what people call "yellowing") due to the viewing angles.

Comparing my 13" Macbook Air's screen to it was like..... a Ferrari against a Corolla.

 

[TheStu]

What do you like about the matte display?

I always thought the Glossy display shows the colors more vibrantly.

Glossy screens do have more vibrant colors, which some complain about as it doesn't accurately display them. The reply to that is, you can calibrate it with the built in tools in the OS, and if you really need color accuracy for your work, you should have a pro calibration tool, so who cares what it looks like out of the box.

What is a valid complaint is that glossy screens have more glare and refection than matte screens which bothers some people (every now and again it gets me on my MBA).

 

[kyrax12]

13" was too small, 17" was too big, 15" is just right (matte, 1680x1050). after using this resolution, i just cant use anything else. i would pay any price for matte and a 16:10 display.

how did you get 1680x1050 on your 15"?

I can only set mine to 1400x900

 

[TheStu]

how did you get 1680x1050 on your 15"?

I can only set mine to 1400x900

They have been selling high res panels as upgrades for the 15" for about a year or more now.

 

[Zen0]

how did you get 1680x1050 on your 15"?

I can only set mine to 1400x900

That's the high resolution screen on high end configs or configured to order.