You probably were not around during the early days of "portable" computers. That was when moving computers around required some effort. I say this half kidding though today's laptops are amazingly light for what they do.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Can't Decide Between 14" and 16"
- Thread starter StoneCold X
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Touché, my first point of reference was my Mother's PowerBook G3.
I had the opportunity to look around the archives of my CS dept. Late 80's "portable" tech was fascinating.
Coming from the 15 inch, I went with the 14 inch. I can always connect it to a monitor. But I already use my iPad Pro more than my MacBook because I like how much smaller it is.
I might be in the market for an upgrade for my MBP M1 Pro once the M4 comes to the next gen air.
I'm glad I chose 14 for the pro. But the 15 Air is as light for a chunk of extra screen real estate ... tempting.
I'm glad I chose 14 for the pro. But the 15 Air is as light for a chunk of extra screen real estate ... tempting.
My 14" MB Pro arrived today. I have to say it was the right choice for my setup, the 16" would be too big. It's heavier than I thought it would be but is nice and compact enough. I like it and it will do what I want, kinda glad I got it over the Studio again for my setup and the fact it's an M3 Max. Next for me will be the new OLED iPad Pro. Although directly next is a stand Apple keyboard and trackpad for my new laptop.
Reason a laptop works is I have a 28" monitor, my works Dell laptop is on one side on a stand and my new MB Pro will be on the other side, during my working hours I can use my works laptop and monitor but still use my new Mac.
I've so far just used my new Mac after setting it up to listen to You Tube, and I don't think the battery life has moved! I haven't plugged it in yet. Also I'm pretty sure the fans haven't even come on yet. Amazing.
Reason a laptop works is I have a 28" monitor, my works Dell laptop is on one side on a stand and my new MB Pro will be on the other side, during my working hours I can use my works laptop and monitor but still use my new Mac.
I've so far just used my new Mac after setting it up to listen to You Tube, and I don't think the battery life has moved! I haven't plugged it in yet. Also I'm pretty sure the fans haven't even come on yet. Amazing.
Last edited:
The Max is a beast of a machine. I have the M2 Max 14" and that's plenty enough for me. Enjoy
I have the 14 inch M3 Pro currently.. I have had 13inch 2010 MBP, then M1 Air 13inch(too small), then 13inch M2 Air then 15 inch M2 Air before upgrading to 14 inch pro.
I am missing now the larger display of M2 Air 15, as I find 14 inch bit too small. Next time I am getting a bigger MacBook surely, 16 inch Pro or 15 inches Air at least.
my MacBook barely gets out of the house. The larger screen MacBook have better battery life, larger immersive screen, larger trackpad for effortless scroll, larger wrist rest area for comfort. I think if 15inches Air gets some mini led it would be dope, otherwise 16 inches would be okay but it comes with a heft surely.
I am missing now the larger display of M2 Air 15, as I find 14 inch bit too small. Next time I am getting a bigger MacBook surely, 16 inch Pro or 15 inches Air at least.
my MacBook barely gets out of the house. The larger screen MacBook have better battery life, larger immersive screen, larger trackpad for effortless scroll, larger wrist rest area for comfort. I think if 15inches Air gets some mini led it would be dope, otherwise 16 inches would be okay but it comes with a heft surely.
I think your use case demands something big. I also didn’t care about smaller size when mine was almost desktoped.
Right now, my 14 doesn’t add meaningful real estate for added bulk compared to m1 air.
Next upgrade cycle, i will go for 13 air m4 with upgraded ram and ssd, cause connected at home to 27” it doesn’t really matter, but on the go i have to work from cramped spaces and 13 in air size helps a lot.
yes makes sense, if you are out all day or less, portability is key. You're right tho not much difference b/w 14 and 13 screen real estate. Altho 15 feels a big step up certainly.
I just set up my new 14 inch Pro yesterday. I think I made the right decision not getting the 16. I love how compact this thing feels compared to my old 15 inch MBP. That felt massive in comparison. Will I miss the larger screen size? Not really honestly, because I mostly work with apps in full screen mode anyway. And I have a 4k 27 inch monitor if I need more space.
And I'm so glad I got the M3 Pro chip over the base model. This thing is so snappy.
And I'm so glad I got the M3 Pro chip over the base model. This thing is so snappy.
Last edited:
Nice choice. I only think about pro cpus because regular version fits better the air - why would i haul 14 pro size if cpu is equal one found in air laptop.
After the better part of the last 2 years trying out 14" m1 and m2 base models,(almost kept the 16" i9 but returned it) I kept using my base m1 macbook pro from 2020 (i liked the touchbar) that got me through 2 post grad degrees. My earlier 2013 macbook pro got me through my undergrad! However my eye sight is getting bad with squinting and my glasses help but i wish i had a bigger screen since 13" is not the best for multitasking with my work flow. However, I lucked out. I won at an storage locker bid, a 16" Macbook Pro fully spec'ed 96gb ram and 4tb 12/38c model. 35cycles battery. I called apple to verify the machine to make sure it was unlocked and good to go and It was. I paid 3000$ cdn all in. My work is remote but heavy with windows in parallels, adobe, and video work. The m1 struggled alot with memory swap being at around 10gb all the time and free space at 40gb. Typing on this 16" is like a beauty and smooth as butter except my fingers skip a few keys trying to get used to the large typing space. The best part is i can use my DAW audio plugins not worrying about space and get back to using my music hobby. I can use my m1 as backup( give it some memory swap rest).
I agree, I don't consider the 16" to be too big or too heavy. I either carry it in a backpack or in my Ted Baker laptop messenger bag.
No doubt it's obviously bigger and heavier than the 14", but does that make it too big or too heavy, no.
It's a similar scenario to the 11" and 13" iPads.... it's not like the 11" fits in a jeans pocket, and the 13" needs a wheelbarrow to take it anywhere.
My opinion is the same of both... if you really can't or won't carry the larger device, get the smaller device. In any other scenario, the larger devices are better in every way.
I think this is a great perspective. Smaller & lighter devices will always impress in a comparison scenario, but I’ve found that I get used to the larger sized devices in no time once actually using them. Once used to them, I vastly appreciate the added functionality of a larger screen over the small gains in portability.
An exception would be if I were working on flights constantly - 16” is a bit big for tray table work imo.
Another exception is the iPhone - while I have tried the max, I greatly appreciate the easier one-handed operation of the regular Pro. The smaller the device, the more impactful size difference becomes.
Last edited:
I lugged around a Mac SE and an Osborne Executive...the Osborne weighed 28lbs!
When choosing between the 14" & 16", I chose the 14", and haven't looked back.
Coachingguy
Last edited:
I briefly analyzed why my tastes have changed: I used to like the bigger the better, but recently became a fan of small size.
Back in 00’s to 2009, standard laptop was 15.6” 6+ lbs and that was fine. I liked bigger screens because dedicated lcd external would also run you 800-1000 dollars. In this case, I really like an idea of having a larger screen on the go.
Later, prices of 4k 27 and such big displays came down, ports have moved from old sockets to display port or usb c, resolution of the laptop screen now allows to have more icons due to high dpi - it is safe to say i see more data on my 13 Air versus my old 1366(720p) 15-17 inch laptop’s screen.
With all the tech boom, i became thrilled to have a technology on palm of my hand in an 13” Air size. In fact i moved from 17.3” Windows to 13” Air, and was astonished on how equally powerful this tiny piece of tech is.
Though i also fell in love with 144hz 17.3” beautiful screen on a windows laptop. But moving that was a pain even around the table.
So it is a strange world where i admire 17.3+ inch screens for home laptop use and settle on a ultra portable 13” Air.
Waiting for 11-12” macbook reboot with M chips.
Back in 00’s to 2009, standard laptop was 15.6” 6+ lbs and that was fine. I liked bigger screens because dedicated lcd external would also run you 800-1000 dollars. In this case, I really like an idea of having a larger screen on the go.
Later, prices of 4k 27 and such big displays came down, ports have moved from old sockets to display port or usb c, resolution of the laptop screen now allows to have more icons due to high dpi - it is safe to say i see more data on my 13 Air versus my old 1366(720p) 15-17 inch laptop’s screen.
With all the tech boom, i became thrilled to have a technology on palm of my hand in an 13” Air size. In fact i moved from 17.3” Windows to 13” Air, and was astonished on how equally powerful this tiny piece of tech is.
Though i also fell in love with 144hz 17.3” beautiful screen on a windows laptop. But moving that was a pain even around the table.
So it is a strange world where i admire 17.3+ inch screens for home laptop use and settle on a ultra portable 13” Air.
Waiting for 11-12” macbook reboot with M chips.
I initially got the 14" version with 18/512 but I noticed this morning Best Buy discounted the 16" version by $600, making it $1899. I could not pass up that deal and exchanged the 14" for a 16" this morning. Just got it up and running and the screen size difference is impressive. I am loving this machine so far.
What do you think of the screen size difference between your old 15 in and the new 14 in? I went from a 15 to a 13 and regretted it.
I’m now working with an iPad Pro and 27 in iMac. But, I may go back to a laptop for travel even though I’m able to work very well on the iPad when I travel.
If you are looking for a travel machine, I think the MBA 15" is great. Larger footprint than the 13" but still thin and light. Regarding the 15" vs 14", me personally, I found it to be a substantial difference. The 14" felt small. It's much closer to the 13.6" air at 14.2".
I guess it all depends on how much power one needs for travel. In my opinion even the 14" pro is noticeably chunkier than the air. If one needs sustained power for on the go, then the pro is the clear choice.