Ableton Forum

I'm looking to get a Macbook Pro for live performance with Ableton + an APC40. I was just wondering, in the experience of you many fine Live users, what screen size would be ideal for the Macbook? There's the 13", 15", & 17" to choose from of course. I was thinking of getting the 13" because it's cheaper and it's the smallest (easy for transport). I've got a monitor to hook up to it @ home so that's not an issue. I'm wondering if that will be too small for playing out though. Should I go for the 15" instead? The 17" just seems way to expensive to me. What do ya'll think?

I fancied a 17" but was looking at trying to get a 15" to save some money, but figured if I'm spending the kinda money for top of the range 15" (including the hi-res screen), the 17" isn't that much more once you've upgraded the 15" to the hi-res.

If you can get a lot of control over your live set through controllers, then the screen size isn't important at all during the show. Put another way, it's best if you aren't looking at the screen much anyway while you're performing. I put mine off stage and talk to it from controllers. I know another performer who uses a mac mini with no monitor attached for his show...

-Luddy

Craving much more screen with the 13" will be upgrading soon for more screen real estate

luddy wrote:If you can get a lot of control over your live set through controllers, then the screen size isn't important at all during the show. Put another way, it's best if you aren't looking at the screen much anyway while you're performing. I put mine off stage and talk to it from controllers. I know another performer who uses a mac mini with no monitor attached for his show...

-Luddy

Excellent points Luddy. I shouldn't be looking at it much to begin with. I think that's the way to go. The rest of you make good points as well but, yeah, I think 13" is it.

Thanks for tips.

ive always gone for 15.
13 is nice and portable but just too small to see everything
17 is good for screen realestate but its another bit of space that you need to fit in to you set up

15 is the happy middle

nafe wrote:ive always gone for 15.
13 is nice and portable but just too small to see everything
17 is good for screen realestate but its another bit of space that you need to fit in to you set up

15 is the happy middle

Yeah, it's the too hot, too cold, just right phenomenon. The cheapest 15" is $600 more than the cheapest 13" though. I wonder if it's worth it for those extra two inches. However, the extra processing power makes it more attractive since the 13" still uses the Core 2 Duo while the 15" has an i5.

My laptop is 15" and it is usable, but on the small side. The trouble is that one doesn't want to seem to be peering into it on stage.

What I wish is that someone would make an inexpensive, lightweight outboard monitor that could lie flat on a table top (or be tilted slightly). It would have to be designed to survive beer being spilled on it.

Then the laptop could be go in a safe place, with its lid closed, and be controlled via a separate mouse and keyboard.

15" here, the 13 screen is too small for me, and the 17 is a tad larger than I'd want to carry around.

ark wrote:My laptop is 15" and it is usable, but on the small side. The trouble is that one doesn't want to seem to be peering into it on stage.

What I wish is that someone would make an inexpensive, lightweight outboard monitor that could lie flat on a table top (or be tilted slightly). It would have to be designed to survive beer being spilled on it.

Then the laptop could be go in a safe place, with its lid closed, and be controlled via a separate mouse and keyboard.

I've thought that exact same thing. Only it would be great to use a monitor like that with the Mac mini instead. I've looked around but haven't seen anything suitable.

Thanks for everybody's two cents on the Macbook Pro. I decided to go with the 13" model. In the end the economics triumphed. I just could not bring myself to pay the $1,799 price tag for the 15". That is too much money for a laptop! Hopefully I made the right choice.

ark wrote: What I wish is that someone would make an inexpensive, lightweight outboard monitor that could lie flat on a table top (or be tilted slightly). It would have to be designed to survive beer being spilled on it.

There are some portable LCD displays that kind of fit this description, that are used by film guys when they shoot on location, for focusing, previewing etc. Sorry I can't give you a brand name, I've only seen them in use but I don't have one. From what I understand, if you don't insist on very high (HD) resolution, there are some that are pretty inexpensive...

-Luddy