Macbook Pro 15" or 17"?

Question

macbook

It so happened that I have been using a 17" laptop for a long time and finally the moment is approaching when the old and hardened laptop will give way to a new one. I stopped at buying a MacBook Pro and so far I think that it is better - 15" or 17". How comfortable they are with a mobile lifestyle ?

I understand that the 15" version is more mobile than the 17", but to what extent? Subjectively - is the 17" inconvenient/convenient? Isn't a 15" screen (anti-glare) too small for you in daily use?

PS Oh yes, the laptop will be for work and at leisure for working with 3d and Starcraft 2 (the last two as a hobby).

Result:After some thought and advice that I read here, I decided to take a 15 "model. As a result, I am very pleased with my choice. The screen is not small (although after 17" I thought that it would be lacking in size) and at the same time the laptop itself is quite mobile in size and weight. Great choice for me anyway. :) In the store, receiving an educational discount as a graduate student, I found out that the sellers, having read "graduate student", thought that I was an assistant professor. Maybe this question on Habré will help someone to make the right choice too.

Thanks everyone for the replies!

Answer 1

Recently I wrote on the topic in my blog :
For almost two years now, my main working tool is macbook pro. First, I bought a used simple macbook for testing. I used it for six months and realized that macbook is definitely a handy thing. Sold macbook and bought brand new macbook pro 13 (2010). He was amazing, as expected. I used it for another six months and realized that it also has disadvantages that interfere with work:
Glossy screen. I have long noticed that it is much more comfortable to work with code on a matte screen. Gloss, although more contrast, is not so comfortable for the eyes.
The 13 inch screen is too small for eclipse - my main IDE for everything (java, php, javascript, erlang, flex, etc.). I constantly have to expand the tab to full screen so that it is convenient to view all the code and so that the current line fits properly in width , change the location and size of the panels. It is also not enough for NeoOffice (OpenOffice), in which I also write a lot of various texts for work.
Slow processor. Here, of course, everything is subjective, but for 2010 Core2Duo was not enough, as it seemed to me then. Now I understand that it was, of course, a slow hard drive - when switching to core i5, I did not notice a strong difference in performance in everyday tasks, except when working with video (iMovie) and virtualization (VirtualBox).
After NG, I caught fire with ideas about the macbook pro 15. The 2011 models just came out, in which there were changes from a gulkin's nose, and the prices for the 2010 models dropped significantly, including models with a matte screen. I bought an mbp 15 2010 with a matte screen and sold my mbp 13 - I didn’t have to pay that much on top. It turned out to be good for everyone, but it also had disadvantages:
1. The main disadvantage, surprisingly, is that the screen resolution is too high. All models with a matte screen have a higher resolution matrix (1680*1280) and now many interface elements look too small. And most importantly, unlike Windows 7, there is no way to solve this problem at the root. DPI cannot be changed, you can only change the size of far from all interface elements.
2. Small interface elements
3. Small interface in eclipse
4. Quite a lot of weight. However, what else to expect from an aluminum case.
5. Under heavy load, the left side of the keyboard noticeably heats up.

Answer 2

In any case, it's better to have a separate monitor, so IMHO it's better to take 13 for mobility, as the second screen 13 is enough.

Answer 3

From my own experience - 17 "is a solution that is unbearable in a weight board. You can forget about mobility. But the screen is still not enough. I will join the general opinion about the optimality of 13" + a good external monitor where needed.

Answer 4

You need mobility - you can immediately forget about 17, this is not an option for a laptop. 15 is the golden mean for your case.

Answer 5

17 is not much more than 15shka - 3cm long and 2cm wide. Macbook 17 easily fits into most bags / backpacks for the usual 15NIS. Its advantages compared to 15:
* large screen
* 3 USB, ExpressCard which can be connected to an external screw at high speed via an eSATA card
* the speakers are slightly larger, due to this the sound is a little louder and better quality
* the black frame around the screen is thinner

Answer 6

I think it's more reasonable to choose between 13 "and 17", because, as already said, the difference is small.
I have 13", fits well into bags and is easy to use on the go. A friend has 17", sometimes it is difficult to put it in a bag or use it on my knees, it also takes up too much space in a cafe.
My choice is for 13", but since working with graphics you need a large display ... so ... a difficult question. But if specifically about 17" or 15", then 17" is definitely.
Good luck with your purchase!

Answer 7

in general, from my own experience, I noticed that the screen of the 13 macbookpro looked almost the same as the 15 laptop that was before it. And I did not notice discomfort during the transition.
compare by resolution, not diagonally. there are 15" models with huge resolution, and there are 17" models with coarse grain. if you take a macbook with a matte display, then it has a finer grain -> higher resolution.
and in any case, an external monitor is better. if you have money, then a monitor from Apple is better for a macbook. It is of high quality, and it is extremely convenient to connect a laptop to it (one cable and usb, and laptop charging)

Answer 8

I had both 17 "and 15"
In my opinion - 17 is not much more than 15 ", and the screen may still be missing. That is, it still cut off the external monitor
. But carrying 17" is noticeably harder than 15 ".
That's it.

Answer 9

Get the one with the matte screen.
Otherwise, you will still suffer - with the purchased 15 "you will regret that you" did not get enough "; with the purchased 15" you will regret that it is "heavy".

Answer 10

Like it or not, but having a 15 behind your back, you don’t feel much discomfort. And you can work anywhere. And 17 already requires attention, you need to adapt to it

Answer 11

15" - weight 2.5 kg and resolution 1680x1050
17" - weight 3.0 kg and resolution 1920x1200
After my current 4.6 kg, both options from Apple look tempting.
I don’t consider the 13" option, because unfortunately they have a built-in video card, which is not particularly suitable for graphics and the resolution is only 1280x800, which after my 1440x900 will be perhaps unusual.
When I buy it, I’ll unsubscribe what I chose as a result. :)

Answer 12

I decided to buy a 15" model with a regular resolution (glossy) of 1440x900. I looked at others (and matte) - I completely agree with you about small pixels. In the future I plan to buy an external screen.
I refused the MacBook Pro 17" because it is clearly not a mobile solution. Moreover, 15 "and 17" have the same characteristics of CPU / GPU / RAM / HDD. It turns out that I do not lose anything and by changing my current 17" laptop of 2006 (in which 1440x900) I get a slightly smaller size and weight, and at the same time a decent version!

Answer 13

MacBook Pro are miserable, I really regret that I took a laptop. My friend has an iMac, so with the same hardware (even a little weaker - i5 processor, not i7 as on my laptop), subjectively the OS works much faster and more responsive. Macbook about the feeling that the processor there is not i7, but some old dual-core stump.