MacBookPro 13" vs. 15"

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>I already have done a large amount of research on the differences between the two, and I know that the 15" has the better CPU (quad vs. dual-core) and comes with an additional graphics card. </p>

<p>I'm doing a double major in business and poly-sci, and I have no idea what kind of computing I'll have to do, but I know it won't be too heavy. I can see myself bringing my computer everywhere in college.</p>

<p>What I'd use the computer for:
Web browsing
Word Processing
Powerpoints
Excell (lots of it)
Light photoshopping
Light gaming (heaviest is Starcraft II)
Multitasking (Pandora, Starcraft, Microsoft office, web browsers opened at the same time)
Any other stuff that you'd need as a business major that I don't know of yet.</p>

<p>My questions:
In the 13" is the i7 upgrade worth it?</p>

<p>How convenient is the added portability that the 13" provides?</p>

<p>Will the lower-spec 13" significantly hurt the computer's longevity? (I need 4-5 years out of this computer)
-Specifically, will not having the (currently) mid-range graphics card that's in the 15" hurt longevity?</p>

<p>My goal with the laptop is to make the best investment possible. I want enough technology overkill to make the computer future proof so that it will still be fine 5 years from now, but not so much to the point where I am wasting money on unnecessary upgrades. </p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>As I wrote in another thread, as good as the high end MBP’s or any high end laptops are, they can’t get around Moore’s Law. Mrs. Turbo got a new laptop yesterday from work (i5) and it’s so much better than her 3 year old Core 2 Duo it’s not even worth considering keeping the thing for more than a couple of years. If you’re used to high performance personal computing, in two years even an i7 will look puny by comparison to what will be out there. 4-5 years from any computer is pushing it, especially considering the overall cost of getting an education and the efficiency of a fast system.</p>

<p>In terms of 13" vs 15", get an external monitor. 22-24 inch LCDs are dirt cheap and well worth the cost and space. </p>

<p>I upgrade or sell my desktops every couple years and have found that good quality systems or components can hold their value very well. Check used prices of MBP’s and see how they depreciate.</p>

3

<p>^^^
What he said,
“My goal with the laptop is to make the best investment possible.”
Computers don’t make good investments, a well spec-ed Apple Refurb
should cost a little less now but still sell well in a few years. Selling it before it gets
hopelessly out of date (3+ yrs) will be cheaper than holding it until the bitter end.</p>