MacBook Size for Coding - 13" Neo vs 14" Pro vs 15" Air vs 16" Pro vs 28" 4K Monitor
I wish someone posted something like this when I was shopping for a new laptop.
My main use is coding, both at home and on the go. At home I got a 28" 4K monitor and external keyboard and mouse but I also like to bring my work with me to doctor appointments, cafes, and weekend trips. I wanted to find a good mix of portability and productivity.
Here are my quick thoughts on them:
16" Pro The obvious choice for work, built like a tank but its so heavy. Carrying it with one hand by the corner strains your wrist, and I don't even want to move this thing around the house. It has the biggest screen, but for serious work I'd still prefer a real monitor and mechanical keyboard anyway. 3 panels of code, or 2 with side panel.
15" Air Night and day difference with the weight. Carrying it is super easy but it definitely feels a lot more fragile. When I hold it by the corner while its open, I hear a few creaks here and there. Nothing broke, but it feels fragile. Closing the lid also feels like there is less gap between screen and keyboard. The screen size and keyboard are basically the same as the Pro though. Plus its cheaper. It doesn't have fans, but you can fix that with a thermal mod if you really need to. Same 3 panels, or 2+1 like 16" Pro.
14" Pro Same great build quality as the 16" Pro, and the portability is close to the 15" Air, but the screen is noticeably smaller. I could easily use 3 panes in VSCode before, but on this I'm down to 2. That basically means just one usable pane if you keep version control open on the side.
13" Neo Honestly there is surprisingly little difference in screen and keyboard size compared to the 14" Pro. If you are on a tight budget and can survive with 8GB of RAM (no docker lol), this machine can easily replace the 14" Pro.