Moving to a smaller laptop screen
 

Anyone gone from say a 15" laptop down to something smaller, say 13"? Regrets?

Certainly there are benefits/issues in doing this and I'm trying to compile what I think are important.


I have a CD MacBook Pro (circa 2006) that I am trying to put out to pasture and of course will be buying another MBP. But the challenge is whether I want the 15", which comes with the i5 or downsize a bit, go with the 13" and, this can be debated, stay on CD2 chip technology which is "old", "outdated", etc... --- Getting that from various reviews, Apple fanboys/haters, etc.

My needs... Not much. Most photos, videos, etc are done on my CD2 iMac. Machine is mostly used for basic crap. I just don't know if I can live with a smaller screen. If I did go with the 13" MBP, I'd probably just get the "low end" and throw in an intel SSD. May consider the same on the 15", but the thought of spending more than $2K on a laptop disgusts me. Even being a guy who likes apple stuff.

I think core2 Duo is fine for basic laptop duty. I have one, W7, though. It boots in about 45 seconds and I can go from sleep to surfing in about 10 seconds. Really, how much power do you need for basic applications? The investment in the SSD for battery life and boot speed is probably more valuable than the processor upgrade.

As far as screen size, only you can be the judge. I'm a big guy, so the weight of a 16" doesn't mean much to me, so I bought the biggest size that would fit in my old Tumi bag. If 17" or 18" fit I would have went bigger. If I was a air traveler, though, I would probably get 13" since they fit way better on a tray table. Might do the same if I was using it for school. I use mine as a "kitchen table" computer, so it doesn't get moved much.

I know this doesn't directly answer your main question, but you sort of had several questions implied in your post.

Edit: one more thing--this is one of the sucky parts about Apple--so few choices. Not knocking the OS, or the experience, but as a consumer the lack of choices can cause issues.

I just went from a 17 to a 15.6". Got used to it very fast :dunno:

i could do it. after using iPad for a while, it doesn't feel any smaller than my 15" MBP when coming from the 27" iMac I use all day.

Would you go with CD2 technology or kick yourself for not going i5?

get a 7200 RPM HD, and worry not about your processor IMO.

I use a 13.3 inch MacBook everyday and love it. You just have to learn how to optimize screen space doing thing like moving the dock to be vertical left or right really brings back a ton of space. I was hoping they would bump the 13" unibody processor more though as i've had my current one for 4 years and would like something new that will last the same amount of time.

For your needs, I'd say just go for the 13" and if you're worried, just beef up some of the components. Maybe a bigger hard-drive if you store a lot of photos on it.

I have a 15" just because I personally like the size, but I'm sure I could get used to a 13" if I had to.

Be cool if the computer could connect via bluetooth to a HD TV, then you would have the best of both worlds.

I've got a 13.3" Fujitsu touch tablet and wouldn't want it any larger, perfect size to do anything with.

I used to have a 15.4" HP, but prefer the 14.1" Lenovo I have now, even for watching videos.

I've been sort of nervous about the same thing since I just pulled the trigger on a 12.1" Thinkpad x201. I've got a couple of conferences on my agenda for the remainder of the year (usually don't go to any) and I wanted something smaller and lighter than my 2006 15.4" MBP to carry with me all the time. BTW, going to a Windows box because the Entourage on the Mac wasn't really cutting it for offline email against my Exchange account at work.

How's your vision...Im serious.

I switched my work computer, which I use at least 8 hours a day, from a 14.1 in to a 13.3 in. It took me about a week to get used to it.

What is the screen res of your current MBP? If it's more that 1280X800, that's the only thing that may take some getting used to.

IMO, it doesn't make sense to pay for the extra features of the 15", if you aren't going to use/need them.

Or an Intel SSD. :)

20/15

IIRC it's 1440 x 900.

went from 15.4 to 14.1 or 14.2...something like that.

no problem or regrets.

i just use it for internet and watch soccer matches that i download.

most of the time, it's hooked up to the 22" monitor, but even when i watch matches on the laptop screen, it's no biggie.

I did the opposite. Went from a 14" IBM to a 17" Dell. Love the bigger screen and since I never take the laptop out of the house, it's perfect. I had a HP Mini 10.1 and it was way to small. 13" should be fine as long as you're not using it for hours.

As I've said to you before, I went from a 15" to the 13" and I have no regrets. I love my 13"

And like me, you have a 24" iMac to use when you need it.

I am with Will, I think the 14" size is a sweet spot if you get a light enough chassis.

Totally agree. Even if going to 7200 means lower capacity. Speed > size to a degree anyway...

I got the 17" macbook pro, I don't feel the need to have it any smaller. I'm sure I could get used to it, but why would you want to have to? And if I need a bigger screen I just use my Mac Pro.

I would get an SSD.

17" laptops are a bitch to carry around.

waste of money right now.

Would not be immediately. And would not be an apple-install.

Yeah, maybe for a bitch...OOooh!

lol, they really aren't that bad to carry.

My 12" laptop and my wife's 15" laptop both have the same resolution (1280x800). It's not enough vertical pixels for me to use all the time.

you scared me for a minute

1280x800 on a 15" laptop would be brutal.

+1 on the ssd..

:sure:
I guess I just don't find them practical for portable use. If it's a desktop replacement, I wouldn't mind. But using it on the go... :thumbsdow

I went down from a 15" screen to my current 13" screen. I don't regret it at all. The only thing that's really important for me is keyboard size.

This is why I probably wouldn't want a netbook. Not only is the screen so small that you'll never get to view a full page on the monitor without having to scroll, but the keyboard is too small to type comfortably, along with the fact that some buttons are placed in awkward locations.

almost the same... but from a 15.4 Dell.

prefer 14.1 much more.

Which model do you have, Will?

I wish I could get a ipad with OSx and a keyboard.

L3000-Y410, with Core Duo T5450 and 3 GB RAM (needs 4 GB :doh: ).