<p>I'm having trouble between deciding which one is best. I sometimes feel like the 13" screen is too small but then I think that I could get used to it. I also wonder if the 15" loses the portability that the 13" has. Also, I think that the 13" may be all I need, I basically just play the sims and run a home design program (which is quite large though). I wonder though if in the future, it may be better to get a faster processor and more RAM just to be safe. While I can afford both (through working and savings) it would be nice to save $400 but I dont want to regret it later. At the same time, I dont want to spend an extra $400 and regret it later either. Which is the better laptop for college students to use on a daily basis?</p>
<p>13" might in lenght be hurtfull to your eyes if your gonna be in front of the laptop alot. I always personally thought 15" was alot, but when I then saw one in real I saw that its actually nothing over rated but more like… Acceptable.</p>
<p>I would go for the 15" at all times.</p>
<p>you will get used to the 13".</p>
<p>The 13" isn’t “too small”. It’s very easy to get used to, if there is even any transition at all.</p>
<p>I have the 13", and I think it’s perfect. It’s actually bigger than I thought.</p>
<p>Granted, I have used my mom’s 12" thinkpad for a long time, so it could just be by comparison, but my desktop is a 20" monitor and I really don’t find the screen too small at all. In fact, I like it because the 15" might be a bit hard to fit on the tiny flip out desks they have in classrooms.</p>
<p>A 15 inch Macbook basically weighs the same as most other companies’ 13.3 inch laptops plus it has fantastic battery life. I’d go with the 15 inch. It also has the option of a dedicated graphics card which would help you play Sims 3.</p>
<p>i just got a 13’ its not bad at all. Although you may say to yourself, “a 13’ inch screen for over a thousand is a waste”, it really isn’t. I thought the screen was going to be small, but I played around with one in the Apple store and it basically feels like a 15’ regular laptop. You honestly won’t notice unless you compare it to the bigger macbook pros. I think this may be due to the black frame and led backlit quality.
As for speed, all current macs are incredibly fast. However as you go up the line, you won’t notice much difference in speed (even if there is more RAM) unless you are an above average user (extreme gamer, scientist doing intensive research, digital media artist working with final cut pro).
For college any mac is good. if you’re comparing the 15’ and 13’, the only thing that really makes the money worth while is the extra graphics card in the 15’ (battery life is about the same, harddrive is customizeable online, so is ram, but don’t buy ram from apple!).</p>
<p>Apple shouldn’t have made all of the unibody Macs “Macbook Pros”. It confuses people into thinking they have a professional grade machine when they really don’t. Also, just get the 13 inch one. The 9400m integrated card should be plenty enough to play the Sims on it.</p>
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<p>It would suggest that they’re phasing out the MacBook line as to make room for something new. </p>
<p>Anyone who needs a “pro” machine knows what to get in a computer, even without it having a “pro” moniker, and anyone who buys the computer just for its “pro” moniker doesn’t need a pro machine anyways. It works out fine.</p>
<p>(One could also just say that they didn’t make the UMB’s into UMBP’s. They simply discontinued the UMB’s, and introduced a new line of 13" UMBP’s with slightly higher spec’s 
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<p>And as to be on topic, the 13" is more than enough. The 15" isn’t necessarily “unportable”, but it’s not really necessary for you. The 13" isn’t as small as you’d think. I personally feel it’s the perfect size for a portable machine (in terms of screen size, weight, and total size).</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry about the processor speed. For regular users, the difference is negligible. You can upgrade the RAM and HDD in the future if you feel the need to (or you can do a BTO machine through their online store and get the upgrades done through them).</p>
<p>Whatever you go with, they’re great machines!</p>
<p>i have the 13. my kids have the 15. i think the 15 is a beast (heavy) compared to mine. i do a lot on mine and i find the screen plenty big enough.</p>
<p>i also have a big desktop imac. love that!</p>
<p>According to the Apple website, the weight difference is only .5 pounds. The 13 inch weighs 5 pounds and the 15 5.5 pounds. I wouldn’t exactly call that a “beast” but to each his own.</p>
<p>Size and Weight both have to be taken into consideration when determining portability. I personally don’t like laptops with a screen larger than 13", as I feel it’s too large for me.</p>
<p>A 15in laptop is kind of difficult to fit into a normal-sized (i.e. not a huge high school monstrosity) backpack. 13 inch fits fine.</p>
<p>I wish Apple would go back to making 14in screens. THAT would be the perfect size, imo.</p>
<p>FYI, Apple recently revamped most of its laptop line. The only Macbook left is the white plastic one, slightly upgraded in terms of RAM and processor speed.</p>
<p>All of the aluminum laptops now have the ‘Pro’ label. They all have bigger non-removable batteries that allegedly can run for 7 hours. All have Firewire 800 ports and an SD card slot. Here is an article: [Apple</a> updates, adds to MacBook line | Laptop | Macworld](<a href=“Apple updates, adds to MacBook line | Macworld”>http://www.macworld.com/article/141026/2009/06/macbookrefresh.html?lsrc=top_1)</p>
<p>Speaking for myself, while I would prefer a larger screen, I don’t want to lug it around. The new 13" aluminum MBPs are quite thin and light, and seem like an ideal compromise. As others have noted, you can get a keyboard, mouse, and riser (to get the laptop screen to the best ergonomic height for desktop use) to use your laptop on your desk. More ideal would be a larger-size desktop monitor that you plug into when you are at your desk.</p>
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<p>I can vouch for it. I’ve gotten over 7 hours, surfing the web and listening to music, half volume, half brightness. Bluetooth off, keyboard backlight off. All things considered, I’ve been extremely impressed by the battery.</p>
<p>I had this SAME question when I was trying to pick which mac to get. I picked the low end 15", and I would NEVER go back! After seeing it next to my friends 13", I am so glad i picked the 15. It has seems like it has soooo much more screen space, and in terms of portability, it can go anywhere the 13" can… Just my .02</p>
<p>I have the 13 inch White MacBook. It’s nice but if I were to get a new MacBook, I’d get the 15 inch. The very slight difference in weight is well worth the additional screen real estate.</p>
<p>yeah most people definitely go for the 15’ given the chance. who wouldn’t. The main difference though is the portability as you said. The 13’ is the perfect size for a travel computer, though i would say that a 15’ wouldn’t be much more to carry and the screen size would more than make up for the weight. Accessories like bags and sleeves for carrying your laptop usually go up to 15’ so i think that would be the cut off point for an acceptable portable computer. After 15’, it really turns into a hassle to carry anything bigger.</p>