only for multi-core supported application such as video editing etc. other than that, u may not be able to benefit from the multi-core processor too.

like the author said, the most attracting portion of the 13-inch rMBP is its form factor and it is really a lot more portable than 15-inch if u want to carry it all day long.

and unless u really something intensive, else u may not be benefited from the power of the 15-inch as well not to say it is a lot more cheaper expensive.




For me, i only prefer the 13-inch rMBP or 12-inch retina macbook (more towards this one).







This post has been edited by westlife: Dec 22 2015, 11:56 PM

Have a feeling my graphics card has busted... Some times the MBPr freeze like this:



But most of the time it just hangs despite multiple restarts. Tried the option D or just D during startup to test hardware but pointless as it gets stuck even during the process!
This is leaving a bad taste in my mouth on Apples laptops..

I think high chance that yr set is lemon set.

Having personally used the first gen 15" Retina for 2 years, then switching to the 13" Retina for about 1 year, and now finally back to a 15" Retina again, I have to say that screen size does really matter. It's just perfectly sized for side-by-side app usage, photo-editing, and graphics creation. Surfing the web is also a better experience.

On the portability front, yes, the 13" Retina is undoubtedly the best everyday-carry winner here. You basically will not feel it much. However, I also carry the 15" Retina a lot everyday on a messenger-style sling bag, and I don't really feel it too since it's only 2.04 kg. I normally do not bring the charger with me since it is rated for 9-hours wireless web and the performance does not disappoint. The 13" Retina is rated for 10-hours so technically it should have even better battery life than the 15" Retina.

The last bit that I like more on the 15" Retina is its dual fan design. The 13" Retina used to have a dual mini-fan design, but it was reengineered to a single large-fan design. Each design has their own pros and cons, but its just a personal preference for me.

That's all I can that I can think for now apart from the already-mentioned differences in CPU cores and graphics hardware.

Happy deciding.

Whoa! That's bad.

Time to backup all your data and prep your 13" Retina for a warranty claim. Do update us on the process.

When I claimed warranty for my first gen 15" Retina back in 2013 due to a screen defect, they replaced a brand new display for me and I could collect the machine back in just 3 days time.

All the best!

It was doing fine for 5 months though... quite a bummer

Contacted Apple support, went through their troubleshoot looks like i really need to send it in sigh... i'll just try to reinstall the OS X as a last ditch attempt

Since it is really problem now. U have no choice but to send ur machine in for diagnosis.

Sometimes prob does surface out only after a while. It is better to check to confirm the problem with apple now instead of own self trying means to make it work so it saves the trouble for sending in.

My first 15-inch mid 2015 MacBook pro, the logic board got problem within two weeks of purchase, which the thermal sensor had problem. End up the stoopig reseller replaced it, but end up I make a comlaint and demand for a new unit instead due to the same problem I faced.

i feel bad for you.. quite a rare case.

You mean they repaired and still get the same problem? How long did it take for them to repair/decide to give you a new unit?

I personally had owned the latest mid 2015 15-inch for 8 months and I sold it away after that.

Pros about 15-inch
More screen real estate for video editing
Greater and faster processing power (only MBP with i7 quard core) for video rendering
More default ram size (16GB)

Cons about 15-inch
Heavy - 2.04kg (despite that it is around half a kg heavier than 13-inch) but it does feel a lot more heavier. Probably due to the fact that the weight of 13-inch is already at the max before one considered it as heavy, so anything above it, it is real heavy.
Bulkier - due to the bigger screen, the form factor is a weak point compare to 13-inch.
Power adapter is heavy, and it is a lot heavier, it is 2x the weight of the power adapter for 13-inch model.
Battery life - it is not excellent and it is not really near to all day of usage as claimed. If u use it as work, it definitely cannot last for the entire day without charging. So power adapter unlikely that something can be forgotten at home unless it is not for work purpose but just on the go for some casual usage that is meant for full day usage, it is still ok. For web surfing it may be able to reach 8 to 9 hrs on OS-X but if it is to do slightly more intensive tasks, realistically it is at most 3 hrs plus for video editing etc. if ur model is the one with discreet graphic card, it is even more battery drain.
Cost against perceived value is low, given the price for 13-inch and the tech it comes with, it is a value buy, but when it comes to 15-inch, it has a great drop in value due to expensive price of 15-inch.
Heat - 15-inch is a power haus with desktop power, but it is a lot hotter during operation.
Fan operation and fan noise - it is noticed that the fan is on almost most of the time even on normal tasks. Thus fan noise could be a irritating for this laptop.
PPI - it is lower than 13-inch.

As an ex-owner for the 15-inch, I will only recommend the 15-inch to those who really needs the extra power such as for video editing or rendering, else for normal users who only uses word processing, web surfing, video watching etc, it is a waste to get this machine, unless u really want to the bigger screen. Else it is a waste of money.

I hardly even able to use more than 20% of the cpu and ram power of the laptop most of the time.

Repair is within a week. New unit is I demand one, as the unit is less than 2-weeks old and motherboard is replaced, so I can demand for a new replacement as I made complaint to apple that the reseller should not even repair my machine and give me a new replacement instead as it is less than 2 weeks old.

anyone using thule bag? thinking to get one, 299 at mac store

Not using. Prefer Timbuk2.

15-inch price is steep and heavy.

I would prefer to go for 2x machine instead of buying 1x retina MacBook pro 15-inch unless u are really doing video rendering.

From the reviews, it has proven that 13-inch is a powerhouse that is more than capable to edit 1080p video and decent for 4k video editing except the rendering time is slower than 15-inch.

12-inch 256gb based model retina MacBook + 128gb version of retina 13-inch MacBook pro is about the same price as the highest end retina MacBook pro 15-inch.

Worth to buy rMBP 13' now or wait for upcoming new one (although not sure when will the new model will be announced), macrumors said 'don't buy' though.

if you need one for work or study just get it.. i own a late 2013 rMBP and it still rocks despite how many versions until now.. and i bought it just before the mid 2014 model come out (processor speed bump).. and i do a lot of photo and video editing (only time fan kick in when i do video rendering, other than that perfectly normal tho).. still powerful for my usage.. at the time of writing this i have 183rd cycles of my batt.. i own this about 1y 6m so i expect it can perform for a couple of years more.. if you play the waiting game, chances that you will spend the money allocated for the purchase to other things while waiting.. but decision is yours

I am in the same situation as u. I just sold away my only laptop mid-2015 15-inch. It is my only main machine at home so I am lacking of a power haus machine for daily work.

I am waiting for either rmbp 13-inch or retina MacBook 12-inch as replacement. However, I worry that it will only be out at the very late stage.

According to Macrumour, yes it is not advisable to get now.

Thanks for sharing ur experience. Can I know ur rMBP configuration? I am heavy user of lightroom (raw files) and photoshop, my current laptop 4gb ram can't cope with it, I can't do other things when I am exporting raw to jpeg.

Is true what u said, IT products hard to play catching games, just buy wisely and enjoy the product.

Why sold ur 15inch mid 2015? Underpowered?
When will the new rMBP announced is still a mystery, possible early or late march, but all still rumours at this stage, is a waiting game.

I might consider to get one soon if there is a price drop..xD