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13 or 15" MBP + 24" IPS monitor vs 17" MBP?

Q

qwimjim

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 5, 2011
159
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pc user here, currently have a 17" laptop that weighs 8.5 pounds! time to upgrade, pretty convinced about getting a mac. not a student, don't travel with my laptop have an android for the internet on the go. the 17" MBP costs a lot more than the 13/15" models. my current 17" is a desktop replacement which i use about 50% at my desk and 50% couch/bed/kitchen table. i'm a relatively serious photography hobbiest but not a pro and no aspirations.

what do you reccomend? i can't make up my friggin mind :) anyone here face a similar dilemma once upon a time?
 
qwimjim said:
pc user here, currently have a 17" laptop that weighs 8.5 pounds! time to upgrade, pretty convinced about getting a mac. not a student, don't travel with my laptop have an android for the internet on the go. the 17" MBP costs a lot more than the 13/15" models. my current 17" is a desktop replacement which i use about 50% at my desk and 50% couch/bed/kitchen table. i'm a relatively serious photography hobbiest but not a pro and no aspirations.

what do you reccomend? i can't make up my friggin mind :) anyone here face a similar dilemma once upon a time?
Click to expand...

I recommend the 15" MBP along with the Dell 23" U2311H IPS monitor, it's a really great combo! :cool:
 
I had the same issue. I chose the 17" i7 and found a refurb deal which was cheaper than my student discount and a regular 15". So I maximized on the money I had to spend.

Side note: it came DOA, and I returned it to my AppleStore and they swapped it on the spot for a new model out of the box!

My MBP 17" feels lighter and easier to carry than my PC 17".
 
well i'm not too concerned with the weight of the 17" because it's still going to be two pounds lighter than my current notebook, and the 15" is 1lbs lighter than the 17". i guess it just comes down to, is it better to have a 17" screen 100% of the time, or a 15" screen 50% of the time and a 23" screen the other 50% of the time. there's also the whole hassle of plugging in the monitor everytime, having to switch the display everytime, using a seperate keyboard..

that dell monitor looks nice, and its on sale in canada, $239!
 
I do photography, and switched to the Mac to learn more serious tools to mock up video/web/code projects with friends or online >50% of the time on the go, so I appreciate the 17" for the real estate.

I also want to get Aperture later on, even though I am just a serious hobbyist.

If I was leaving it at home 50% of the time regardless of what I was doing, I would go with the 15" and as large a screen as I could get on my desk >24" for sure.

Just my two cents.
 
its actually at home 99% of the time, but i only spend about half my time at home at my desk
 
well i found a brand new 15" i5 2.53ghz 500gb/4gb at a store in my neighborhood, seems like a good deal. maybe i'll just get that
 
I'm a photographer. I had a 2009 27" iMac and a 13" 2010 MBP. I sold them in November and now have a 15" MBP and high end external monitor. It gives me the best of all worlds and extreme versatility - starting with sitting on my couch with my MBP and taking it anywhere. I can highly recommend this combo
 
I have a 17" MBP and hook up to a 24" monitor.

Im a graphic designer so (when at home) its a fantastic set up - two nice large screens to work on, BUT I do absolutely regret not getting the same specced machine as a 15".

The 17" is just a pain to transit around and do any work inconspicuously - stands out like a sore thumb when in the library or a cafe, plus I'm always terrified you can spot it a mile off on the streets - 17" satchels/cases hardly 'blend in'.

Perhaps those reasons wouldnt put you off if you work mainly in your home, but for sheer 'on the go' workability (although the 17" MBP is possibly the best/thinnest/lightest at what it does) I wont purchase a 17" machine again.

I may sell mine if any UK people are interested? PM me for the spec - its worth about 5k incidentally.

Cheers
N
 
well i picked up the 15", if the 17" had a numpad or room for a second ssd/hard drive i would have gotten it instead. what a beautiful machine, the touchpad is incredible
 
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