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I never understood why the 13" version is such a second class citizen? Is it that different of a footprint that Apple can't fit the same technology in it... or

I never understood why the 13" version is such a second class citizen? Is it that different of a footprint that Apple can't fit the same technology in it... or is this Apple's plan?

cjeane 16y ago
The main driving factor here is not making the technology smaller, it's running those chips on a smaller battery. All of the MBPs achieve a claimed 7 hours battery life.
borism 16y ago
plan. remember that 13" didn't even have Pro in it's name at first - it was called Aluminum Unibody MacBook when first introduced.
maggit 16y ago
The footprint is that different. The volume is smaller, but the HDD, optical drive, keyboard, trackpad, and several other parts stay the same size. Of course the smaller laptop is going to be less stocked with features.
- smallegan 16y ago
  And people expect to pay less for a 13" version...
Stormbringer 16y ago
Probably because of overlap between it and the MacBook and the MacBook Air? Frankly, I'm amazed they still offer a 13 inch MBP (which is not to say that it isn't a good little machine, but that Apple likes to segment their market clearly) I can't see the prices and options at the moment, but it may be that the MBP is just a couple of hundred bucks more than the top end MacBook, which means that some people might stretch that little bit extra.... but the Apple lineup is becoming very cluttered around that small portable computer strange attractor.
- benjoffe 16y ago
  > Frankly, I'm amazed they still offer a 13 inch MBP (which is not to say that it isn't a good little machine, but that Apple likes to segment their market clearly) While true, it is their best selling laptop, I can imagine it happening in a few years once the air gets a few spec bumps and lowers in price.
- demoo 16y ago
  There is indeed this overlap and clutter on the 13". I think this is because much within the Air is still pretty new stuff for most people: SSD, ditching optical drives. So if people want to pay for performance as they now know it, they'll go for the Pro version. But I doubt there will be a next generation of 13 inch Pros.
  - stuhacking 16y ago
    More like, so much within the Air is still bloody expensive. I'd rather have space than SSD speed for the associated price. I want to be able to watch DVDs or burn off a quick disk. I don't want to have to step up to a bulky 15" machine just to retain these features. The Air is not, in my opinion, a really useful machine.
    - ryanwaggoner 16y ago
      Totally depends on what you use your computer for. I use my optical drive about once every 12 months and all of my important files fit easily into 128GB. With the proliferation of media services in the cloud, that number continues to drop...I now listen to Pandora 10x as much as my iTunes collection.
    - demoo 16y ago
      So you are one of the reasons there is still a 13 inch Pro. In a couple of years, with a new Air with bigger SSD and more of your data in the cloud, it might make more sense to you.
      - Stormbringer 16y ago
olefoo 16y ago
It's the entry level MBP, it's also by far the most popular model; Apple just wants to make sure that you have something to upgrade _to_ from the the 13" model.
- stuhacking 16y ago
  I never plan to upgrade from 13" to 15"/17". For me the main feature of a laptop is the small form factor and the 13" is just really neat in that respect. I have my desktop for when I need more power.
  - tomkarlo 16y ago
    Why not get the Air then?
    - stuhacking 16y ago
      http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2258395 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2258395
      - tomkarlo 16y ago
        So basically, you still use your optical drive. I've had my current work Macbook for about 6 months and I've yet to use the optical drive.
abhikshah 16y ago
Space might be an issue but it's also strategic. I need the higher-resolution screens and have bought (and will continue to buy) the 15" versions even though I don't really need the better CPU or GPU. I'm sure there are many others like me who grudgingly or not will fork over the extra cash.

I never understood why the 13" version is such a second class citizen? Is it that different of a footprint that Apple can't fit the same technology in it... or is this Apple's plan?

cjeane 16y ago

The main driving factor here is not making the technology smaller, it's running those chips on a smaller battery. All of the MBPs achieve a claimed 7 hours battery life.

borism 16y ago

plan. remember that 13" didn't even have Pro in it's name at first - it was called Aluminum Unibody MacBook when first introduced.

maggit 16y ago

The footprint is that different. The volume is smaller, but the HDD, optical drive, keyboard, trackpad, and several other parts stay the same size. Of course the smaller laptop is going to be less stocked with features.

smallegan 16y ago
And people expect to pay less for a 13" version...

Stormbringer 16y ago

Probably because of overlap between it and the MacBook and the MacBook Air? Frankly, I'm amazed they still offer a 13 inch MBP (which is not to say that it isn't a good little machine, but that Apple likes to segment their market clearly) I can't see the prices and options at the moment, but it may be that the MBP is just a couple of hundred bucks more than the top end MacBook, which means that some people might stretch that little bit extra.... but the Apple lineup is becoming very cluttered around that small portable computer strange attractor.

benjoffe 16y ago
> Frankly, I'm amazed they still offer a 13 inch MBP (which is not to say that it isn't a good little machine, but that Apple likes to segment their market clearly) While true, it is their best selling laptop, I can imagine it happening in a few years once the air gets a few spec bumps and lowers in price.
demoo 16y ago
There is indeed this overlap and clutter on the 13". I think this is because much within the Air is still pretty new stuff for most people: SSD, ditching optical drives. So if people want to pay for performance as they now know it, they'll go for the Pro version. But I doubt there will be a next generation of 13 inch Pros.
- stuhacking 16y ago
  More like, so much within the Air is still bloody expensive. I'd rather have space than SSD speed for the associated price. I want to be able to watch DVDs or burn off a quick disk. I don't want to have to step up to a bulky 15" machine just to retain these features. The Air is not, in my opinion, a really useful machine.
  - ryanwaggoner 16y ago
    Totally depends on what you use your computer for. I use my optical drive about once every 12 months and all of my important files fit easily into 128GB. With the proliferation of media services in the cloud, that number continues to drop...I now listen to Pandora 10x as much as my iTunes collection.
  - demoo 16y ago
    So you are one of the reasons there is still a 13 inch Pro. In a couple of years, with a new Air with bigger SSD and more of your data in the cloud, it might make more sense to you.
    - Stormbringer 16y ago

olefoo 16y ago

It's the entry level MBP, it's also by far the most popular model; Apple just wants to make sure that you have something to upgrade _to_ from the the 13" model.

stuhacking 16y ago
I never plan to upgrade from 13" to 15"/17". For me the main feature of a laptop is the small form factor and the 13" is just really neat in that respect. I have my desktop for when I need more power.
- tomkarlo 16y ago
  Why not get the Air then?
  - stuhacking 16y ago
    http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2258395 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2258395
    - tomkarlo 16y ago
      So basically, you still use your optical drive. I've had my current work Macbook for about 6 months and I've yet to use the optical drive.

abhikshah 16y ago

Space might be an issue but it's also strategic. I need the higher-resolution screens and have bought (and will continue to buy) the 15" versions even though I don't really need the better CPU or GPU. I'm sure there are many others like me who grudgingly or not will fork over the extra cash.