15 ms·

I'll be sticking with my 2015 Macbook Pro Retina 13". Great machine, not too thin, heavy enough, no stupid touch screen, usb ports, great keyboard. Everything a

I'll be sticking with my 2015 Macbook Pro Retina 13". Great machine, not too thin, heavy enough, no stupid touch screen, usb ports, great keyboard. Everything apple has done since hasn't compared.

sebmellen 6y ago
Same here, I love this machine. Everything after 2015 went downhill in my view.
- acomjean 6y ago
  Same. This is the best machine I've owned. I heard yesterday that Apple does not offer a battery replacement for 2014s and you have to go third party. This is an unfortunate development and I'm wondering if I should inquire about getting mine replaced.
  - mikeklaas 6y ago
    I replaced the battery in my 2013 about 11 months ago, FWIW.
cyrialize 6y ago
Used Apple products maintain their value very well. The 2015 MBP Retina can be found on Ebay between $700-$1000. I've thought about getting one myself.
pgrote 6y ago
>2015 Macbook Pro Retina 13" How long will OS updates be distributed for it?
- bromuro 6y ago
  Luckly Big Sur is supported! I just bought a second hand 2015 ... better than the 16” of the last year!
- kccqzy 6y ago
  Since the current Big Sur release supports 2013 MacBook Pros, I'm guessing maybe another two or three years?
ellipticaldoor 6y ago
I had that macbook and I was very happy with it. Now I have the latest i7 macbook air without nonsense touchbar and it's been a great replacement. Now with the new model being even faster and without a fan things look even better for the future.
shrimpx 6y ago
I have this machine, it’s a super portable and reliable powerhouse. I recently upgraded to a 2019 15”, mostly to go up to 32G ram, and it feels like a downgrade in terms of design and usability.
Thorentis 6y ago
Also have this one. It was my first macbook, and I think I got really lucky with getting in when I did. Been going strong for 5 years, and has no difficulty doing anything I need it to do. Only thing I wish I did was get more storage (only got the 128GB model).
- nicoburns 6y ago
  FYI the storage is upgradable on these machines (and it's very straightforward to do). It's a nonstandard SSD interface, but you can official modules 2nd hand on ebay quite cheaply these days.
  - coredog64 6y ago
    $20 will get you an adapter that allows standard m2 NVMe. I have one on my Amazon wishlist, just haven’t pulled the trigger yet.
    - davidcollantes 6y ago
      Could you share a link to it? Thanks!
  - ValentineC 6y ago
    Adding on: this forum thread should be able to get most people started: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/upgrading-2013-2014-macbook-pro-ssd-to-m-2-nvme.2034976/ https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/upgrading-2013-2014-mac...
  - stjohnswarts 6y ago
    Do your research on the adapters though and drives. Some have issues with suspend. Make sure the hardware you add has been tested by some brave youtuber or blogger before buying anything. It looks like the actual act of repacing it isn't that bad though.
    - nicoburns 6y ago
mFixman 6y ago
You are missing out if you don't have 4 USB-C ports in both sides of your laptop. You can charge your laptop and connect a display with a single cable and without caring about putting the computer in the right direction.
- egypturnash 6y ago
  My 2017 13” Pro (no touch at) has two USBC ports, both on the same side. It is annoying. Especially after it turned out there is a design flaw in the 2017 Pros where charging on one side tends to trash your battery - guess which side both ports are on? It’s nice to only have to plug in one cable when I dock it at my desk but I would have greatly preferred not having to replace the battery twice in the three years I owned it due to this. Especially since only one replacement was covered under the warranty thanks to the ‘rona shutting down all the authorized service centers in my city.
- rplnt 6y ago
  Yeah, but the new MB Pro is a joke, again. > And it features two Thunderbolt ports with USB 4 support to connect to more peripherals than ever,
- AlexandrB 6y ago
  But I can't get photos off of an SD card without a dongle, and if I trip on the power cord: bye, bye laptop. It's all relative I guess.
- cactus2093 6y ago
  Looks like the just announced 13" MBP only has 2 usb-c/thunderbolt ports and they're both on the same side. Never occurred to me they would go backwards on this, I bet this is one of those overlooked details that will get a lot of notice once people actually start receiving these new laptops.
  - brandonmenc 6y ago
    There are two models of 13" MBP - based on the other specs of this new machine, it occupies the lower tier - which in the Intel models also only has two ports. Presumably, when they fill the higher tier with the new chip it will also have more RAM and more USB ports.
0xFFFE 6y ago
I returned my brand new top spec 2019 model to IT and took the 2015 model from their retired stock.
christiansakai 6y ago
I have this machine as well, currently going slow, is it the OS? or do I need to open the machine and clean the fan? I'm going to install Linux on it.
christian008 6y ago
I am in the same boat. I love this Laptop, but Lightroom (CC) is really slow compared to how it runs on iOS. I would assume the new M1-based machines could run the iOS version of Lightroom almost out of the box.
yoz-y 6y ago
The only bad thing about the current 16" is the Touch Bar. There is a lot to like about the rest though.
- werber 6y ago
  I use the 2020 macbook air personally and 16in professionally and the keyboard drives me insane, to the point I bought a magic keyboard to be able to function without screaming at my computer for accidentally turning my video camera on yet again during a meeting. I really wish they would have a no touch bar option, because I could use more power but still be able to touch type. Touch bar is the worst technological "improvement" I've ever come across.
  - fastball 6y ago
    I'm genuinely surprised you are accidentally touching the TouchBar. I have had the 16" for 8 months and haven't done that once.
    - baggy_trough 6y ago
      Must be finger positioning. I hit the TouchBar accidentally several times a day, each of which was infuriating, until I managed to semi-disable it by turning it into a row of inferior function keys.
  - a_c_s 6y ago
    Did you know that you can change what buttons are on the Touch Bar? You can make it almost behave the same as other keyboard by having it always show F-keys. https://support.apple.com/en-qa/guide/mac-help/mchl5a63b060/mac https://support.apple.com/en-qa/guide/mac-help/mchl5a63b060/...
    - asdff 6y ago
      the difficulty isn't the content but the fact you can't blindly hit the key reliably. reminds me of back in the day where you could send a composed complete text message from your phone without taking it out of your hoodie pocket in class. not the case anymore in our touch screen world without tactile feedback.
weystrom 6y ago
Have the same machine, it's starting to chug. Modern web is too heavy for the old dualcore i5, unfortunately.
- lethologica 6y ago
  I have the same machine too, and I'm starting to notice this as well. It's absolutely ridiculous that LinkedIn for example makes my machine slow down to the extent it does.
- qayxc 6y ago
  > Modern web is too heavy for the old dualcore i5, unfortunately. It's a shame that the web has become this borderline unusable mess. I shouldn't need a quad-core machine with multiple gigabytes of RAM to just read the news online.
Aloisius 6y ago
> not too thin, heavy enough Wait. What? I can honestly say that I've never thought to myself that a laptop was too thin or too light.
- spartanatreyu 6y ago
  If a laptop is too thin and doesn't have weights in it, just having it in your lap while lightly typing makes it wobble around like a boat in a storm.
- rdw 6y ago
  The Macbooks that were for many years the smallest and lightest Apple laptops, would be imbalanced and knocked off your lap by placing your hands on it slightly asymmetrically.
- callamdelaney 6y ago
  I think these super thin laptops are ugly, too hot and not ergonomic - also this sacrifices the keyboard. I actually think this model represents the perfect mix of all of these things - thickness (being the thinnest thing I can buy is not a feature for me) - weight (I really don't mind 1.3kg) and keyboard.
p0rkbelly 6y ago
I've been waiting to upgrade my 2015 for 5 years now! It's funny, when I bought it I only went with 8GB ram because I figured I would replace it in 2 years-ish. It has served me well, but, it's struggling with only 8GB these days. Now I'm ready for 32GB, because I'm planning on keeping the next one for another 5 years. Let's hope the 14" MackBook Pro in 2021 (with mini-LED secreen) rumors have legs to it. Hoping this is only the interim state of the 13" Pro and is due to really needing a different ARM cpu that is not available yet.
sesuximo 6y ago
I have this generation air and a recent pro... call me crazy, but somehow the hard edges of the pro are super uncomfortable when the laptop is on my lap. Maybe an air vs pro thing rather than generation thing
lavp 6y ago
Same boat as you, but for some reason with the new MacOS update my computer kept getting the most random freezes to the point where I gave up and gave it a fresh Linux install. Haven’t looked back and I’m extremely happy with the work I’ve been putting into it.

I'll be sticking with my 2015 Macbook Pro Retina 13". Great machine, not too thin, heavy enough, no stupid touch screen, usb ports, great keyboard. Everything apple has done since hasn't compared.

sebmellen 6y ago

Same here, I love this machine. Everything after 2015 went downhill in my view.

acomjean 6y ago
Same. This is the best machine I've owned. I heard yesterday that Apple does not offer a battery replacement for 2014s and you have to go third party. This is an unfortunate development and I'm wondering if I should inquire about getting mine replaced.
- mikeklaas 6y ago
  I replaced the battery in my 2013 about 11 months ago, FWIW.

cyrialize 6y ago

Used Apple products maintain their value very well. The 2015 MBP Retina can be found on Ebay between $700-$1000. I've thought about getting one myself.

pgrote 6y ago

>2015 Macbook Pro Retina 13" How long will OS updates be distributed for it?

bromuro 6y ago
Luckly Big Sur is supported! I just bought a second hand 2015 ... better than the 16” of the last year!
kccqzy 6y ago
Since the current Big Sur release supports 2013 MacBook Pros, I'm guessing maybe another two or three years?

ellipticaldoor 6y ago

I had that macbook and I was very happy with it. Now I have the latest i7 macbook air without nonsense touchbar and it's been a great replacement. Now with the new model being even faster and without a fan things look even better for the future.

shrimpx 6y ago

I have this machine, it’s a super portable and reliable powerhouse. I recently upgraded to a 2019 15”, mostly to go up to 32G ram, and it feels like a downgrade in terms of design and usability.

Thorentis 6y ago

Also have this one. It was my first macbook, and I think I got really lucky with getting in when I did. Been going strong for 5 years, and has no difficulty doing anything I need it to do. Only thing I wish I did was get more storage (only got the 128GB model).

nicoburns 6y ago
FYI the storage is upgradable on these machines (and it's very straightforward to do). It's a nonstandard SSD interface, but you can official modules 2nd hand on ebay quite cheaply these days.
- coredog64 6y ago
  $20 will get you an adapter that allows standard m2 NVMe. I have one on my Amazon wishlist, just haven’t pulled the trigger yet.
  - davidcollantes 6y ago
    Could you share a link to it? Thanks!
- ValentineC 6y ago
  Adding on: this forum thread should be able to get most people started: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/upgrading-2013-2014-macbook-pro-ssd-to-m-2-nvme.2034976/ https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/upgrading-2013-2014-mac...
- stjohnswarts 6y ago
  Do your research on the adapters though and drives. Some have issues with suspend. Make sure the hardware you add has been tested by some brave youtuber or blogger before buying anything. It looks like the actual act of repacing it isn't that bad though.
  - nicoburns 6y ago

mFixman 6y ago

You are missing out if you don't have 4 USB-C ports in both sides of your laptop. You can charge your laptop and connect a display with a single cable and without caring about putting the computer in the right direction.

egypturnash 6y ago
My 2017 13” Pro (no touch at) has two USBC ports, both on the same side. It is annoying. Especially after it turned out there is a design flaw in the 2017 Pros where charging on one side tends to trash your battery - guess which side both ports are on? It’s nice to only have to plug in one cable when I dock it at my desk but I would have greatly preferred not having to replace the battery twice in the three years I owned it due to this. Especially since only one replacement was covered under the warranty thanks to the ‘rona shutting down all the authorized service centers in my city.
rplnt 6y ago
Yeah, but the new MB Pro is a joke, again. > And it features two Thunderbolt ports with USB 4 support to connect to more peripherals than ever,
AlexandrB 6y ago
But I can't get photos off of an SD card without a dongle, and if I trip on the power cord: bye, bye laptop. It's all relative I guess.
cactus2093 6y ago
Looks like the just announced 13" MBP only has 2 usb-c/thunderbolt ports and they're both on the same side. Never occurred to me they would go backwards on this, I bet this is one of those overlooked details that will get a lot of notice once people actually start receiving these new laptops.
- brandonmenc 6y ago
  There are two models of 13" MBP - based on the other specs of this new machine, it occupies the lower tier - which in the Intel models also only has two ports. Presumably, when they fill the higher tier with the new chip it will also have more RAM and more USB ports.

0xFFFE 6y ago

I returned my brand new top spec 2019 model to IT and took the 2015 model from their retired stock.

christiansakai 6y ago

I have this machine as well, currently going slow, is it the OS? or do I need to open the machine and clean the fan? I'm going to install Linux on it.

christian008 6y ago

I am in the same boat. I love this Laptop, but Lightroom (CC) is really slow compared to how it runs on iOS. I would assume the new M1-based machines could run the iOS version of Lightroom almost out of the box.

yoz-y 6y ago

The only bad thing about the current 16" is the Touch Bar. There is a lot to like about the rest though.

werber 6y ago
I use the 2020 macbook air personally and 16in professionally and the keyboard drives me insane, to the point I bought a magic keyboard to be able to function without screaming at my computer for accidentally turning my video camera on yet again during a meeting. I really wish they would have a no touch bar option, because I could use more power but still be able to touch type. Touch bar is the worst technological "improvement" I've ever come across.
- fastball 6y ago
  I'm genuinely surprised you are accidentally touching the TouchBar. I have had the 16" for 8 months and haven't done that once.
  - baggy_trough 6y ago
    Must be finger positioning. I hit the TouchBar accidentally several times a day, each of which was infuriating, until I managed to semi-disable it by turning it into a row of inferior function keys.
- a_c_s 6y ago
  Did you know that you can change what buttons are on the Touch Bar? You can make it almost behave the same as other keyboard by having it always show F-keys. https://support.apple.com/en-qa/guide/mac-help/mchl5a63b060/mac https://support.apple.com/en-qa/guide/mac-help/mchl5a63b060/...
  - asdff 6y ago
    the difficulty isn't the content but the fact you can't blindly hit the key reliably. reminds me of back in the day where you could send a composed complete text message from your phone without taking it out of your hoodie pocket in class. not the case anymore in our touch screen world without tactile feedback.

weystrom 6y ago

Have the same machine, it's starting to chug. Modern web is too heavy for the old dualcore i5, unfortunately.

lethologica 6y ago
I have the same machine too, and I'm starting to notice this as well. It's absolutely ridiculous that LinkedIn for example makes my machine slow down to the extent it does.
qayxc 6y ago
> Modern web is too heavy for the old dualcore i5, unfortunately. It's a shame that the web has become this borderline unusable mess. I shouldn't need a quad-core machine with multiple gigabytes of RAM to just read the news online.

Aloisius 6y ago

> not too thin, heavy enough Wait. What? I can honestly say that I've never thought to myself that a laptop was too thin or too light.

spartanatreyu 6y ago
If a laptop is too thin and doesn't have weights in it, just having it in your lap while lightly typing makes it wobble around like a boat in a storm.
rdw 6y ago
The Macbooks that were for many years the smallest and lightest Apple laptops, would be imbalanced and knocked off your lap by placing your hands on it slightly asymmetrically.
callamdelaney 6y ago
I think these super thin laptops are ugly, too hot and not ergonomic - also this sacrifices the keyboard. I actually think this model represents the perfect mix of all of these things - thickness (being the thinnest thing I can buy is not a feature for me) - weight (I really don't mind 1.3kg) and keyboard.

p0rkbelly 6y ago

I've been waiting to upgrade my 2015 for 5 years now! It's funny, when I bought it I only went with 8GB ram because I figured I would replace it in 2 years-ish. It has served me well, but, it's struggling with only 8GB these days. Now I'm ready for 32GB, because I'm planning on keeping the next one for another 5 years. Let's hope the 14" MackBook Pro in 2021 (with mini-LED secreen) rumors have legs to it. Hoping this is only the interim state of the 13" Pro and is due to really needing a different ARM cpu that is not available yet.

sesuximo 6y ago

I have this generation air and a recent pro... call me crazy, but somehow the hard edges of the pro are super uncomfortable when the laptop is on my lap. Maybe an air vs pro thing rather than generation thing

lavp 6y ago

Same boat as you, but for some reason with the new MacOS update my computer kept getting the most random freezes to the point where I gave up and gave it a fresh Linux install. Haven’t looked back and I’m extremely happy with the work I’ve been putting into it.