Should You Purchase the 14" or 16" MacBook Pro?

The MacBook Pro is the computer of choice for countless creatives who need high levels of power for advanced editing tasks in a portable device. Now in the M2 generation, the lineup offers a variety of options, but perhaps no choice is more fundamental than size: should you get the 14" or 16" version? There is more to the decision than just size and price. This insightful will show you everything you should consider to ensure you pick the right computer for you. 

Coming to you from ArtIsRight, this useful video will help you choose between the 14" and 16" MacBook Pro. I have always preferred bigger computer simply for the screen real estate, as I often prefer to work with two windows side by side or want to be able to check fine detail as closely as possible when editing. Nonetheless, despite the two-inch difference in size, a 16" laptop is noticeably bigger than a 14-inch, and if you are someone who values staying highly mobile, you may find you prefer the smaller version; after all, a 14-inch screen is still plenty of room on a laptop. On top of that, the 14" version is significantly more affordable. It all comes down to a balance of needs, budget, and what you value in a computer. Check out the video above for the full rundown. 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

Log in or register to post comments
3 Comments

I got my M1 Max 14' for the unique reason that it fit my backpack.
The screen is smaller thn my past 15', but I wouldn't change my backpack.

I'm very happy with the 14'. Versatile and powerful.

I would go for a USED 16"... photography is not as a demanding task in these laptops specially the editing for the most part... video is a totally different animal.
You can find "affordable" 16"s in the used market that will more than comply with your needs plus have what most of us really need screen real estate with amazing quality.

I’ll say my older M1 16” has no problem running DxO. Exports can take a while (uniquely for DxO, Photoshop is fine) but editing is absolutely zippy with 50Mb raws.