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15 or 17 for University

N

Nishi100

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
I am considering an i7 for my birthday, however I am stuck on whether to go for the 15 or 17 inch.

Is the 17 comftable to work on your lap?
Is the slight increase in weight for the 17 inch noticeable?
Do most people at Uni have 15,13 or 17
 
Most people in college/university will use 13" and 15"...rarely are 17" used since the desks are smaller. Portability is always a + in college/university since it's so cramped. I would go with 15" HR AG+i7 :]
 
Yeah I never see a 17" Laptop in my lectures.

Either 13" or 15"

But what is more popular in my lectures seems to be the netbooks.

I went for the 15".
 
Nishi100 said:
I am considering an i7 for my birthday, however I am stuck on whether to go for the 15 or 17 inch.

Is the 17 comftable to work on your lap?
Is the slight increase in weight for the 17 inch noticeable?
Do most people at Uni have 15,13 or 17
Click to expand...

Whichever Mac you end up getting, I hope you learn to spell "university" correctly, while in university. 😀
 
I use a 15" at college.

Only go with the 17" if you got a major that requires it (DMA, anything tech related I guess.) Yeah for liberal arts haha.
 
saxon48 said:
I use a 15" at college.

Only go with the 17" if you got a major that requires it (DMA, anything tech related I guess.) Yeah for liberal arts haha.
Click to expand...

I have seen two people in computer science with 17" notebooks, a MacBook pro. He thought was too big, but it was a present. Everyone else netbook to 15". Most are 13"s or 15"s.
 
Most people at my uni have the white 13 macbook or the 13 unibody pro. I chose to get the 15 because the 13 was kinda small and the 17 was way too big. my pc laptop is a 16.4 and its kinda bulky. The 15 is perfect for me, not too small, not too big. I look at the 17 as a mobile desktop replacement. To each his own. 🙂
 
...I'd go with either a 13" uni-whitebook or a netbook for college unless your major requires the extra horsepower of something better... you don't want to lose, break, have it stolen and not be able to afford to replace it once the tuition payments, etc... start coming into play...
 
Far more people that I have seen have a 13" of some variety, and I come from the largest (might be 2nd, but by an insignificant amount of people) campus in the country. I legitimately saw 1, maybe 2 17s all year, although there were a fair amount of 15s. If you aren't considering the 13 at all, get the 15, however I would recommend seriously reconsidering the 13. It's a great machine, and although I originally wanted the 15, I am glad I got the 13.
 
i took a toshiba x200 class everyday for two years (it's bigger than a 17 mbp). and i plan to take my 17" to class every day for the next two years. i've never found a seat i didn't fit into, because there aren't many lecture theatre seats i've come across that aren't 15-16 inches wide.

as for the weight, get yourself a knapsack that's designed for 17" lappy's, and it's no different than carrying another textbook. i vastly preffered the 17 for the increased screen real estate while i watched movies and did assignments. a lot of my floormates used to borrow my computer to watch movies with while in the dorm, also, it's better for gaming and other things of that nature if you're not getting a console. <--- you gotta think about that stuff if you're gonna be staying in res.

although i very rarely see another person with a 17", everyone always says they wish they had one like mine when they see me watching movies and what not on campus.
 
Sankersizzle said:
i took a toshiba x200 class everyday for two years (it's bigger than a 17 mbp). and i plan to take my 17" to class every day for the next two years. i've never found a seat i didn't fit into, because there aren't many lecture theatre seats i've come across that aren't 15-16 inches wide.

as for the weight, get yourself a knapsack that's designed for 17" lappy's, and it's no different than carrying another textbook. i vastly preffered the 17 for the increased screen real estate while i watched movies and did assignments. a lot of my floormates used to borrow my computer to watch movies with while in the dorm, also, it's better for gaming and other things of that nature if you're not getting a console. <--- you gotta think about that stuff if you're gonna be staying in res.

although i very rarely see another person with a 17", everyone always says they wish they had one like mine when they see me watching movies and what not on campus.
Click to expand...

Well, the problem with the 17" is when the course requires a textbook present at every class meet, the 17" will become a pest. It'll be hard to juggle between holding a text book in your lap and typing your notes or what not. I still believe the 15" will be easier to juggle, but preferences plays a role in this. 😛
 
Sankersizzle said:
i took a toshiba x200 class everyday for two years (it's bigger than a 17 mbp). and i plan to take my 17" to class every day for the next two years. i've never found a seat i didn't fit into, because there aren't many lecture theatre seats i've come across that aren't 15-16 inches wide.

as for the weight, get yourself a knapsack that's designed for 17" lappy's, and it's no different than carrying another textbook. i vastly preffered the 17 for the increased screen real estate while i watched movies and did assignments. a lot of my floormates used to borrow my computer to watch movies with while in the dorm, also, it's better for gaming and other things of that nature if you're not getting a console. <--- you gotta think about that stuff if you're gonna be staying in res.

although i very rarely see another person with a 17", everyone always says they wish they had one like mine when they see me watching movies and what not on campus.
Click to expand...

Well, the problem with the 17" is when the course requires a textbook present at every class meet, the 17" will become a pest. It'll be hard to juggle between holding a text book in your lap and typing your notes or what not. I still believe the 15" will be easier to juggle, but preferences plays a role in this. 😛
 
I have a 17 inch early 2008 MBP that I carry with me at college, it does not weigh too much when compared to the text books and notebook I carry with it. I also walk about three miles a day with that backpack on my back. I'd say get what you need. If you feel as though you need the 17 inch, then go for it. I don't notice the extra weight.
 
elpmas said:
Well, the problem with the 17" is when the course requires a textbook present at every class meet, the 17" will become a pest. It'll be hard to juggle between holding a text book in your lap and typing your notes or what not. I still believe the 15" will be easier to juggle, but preferences plays a role in this. 😛
Click to expand...

uga2014 said:
go with the 15. not too heavy and the 17's are a lot bigger than you think.
Click to expand...

Littlefields said:
As with any 17" laptop, you will regret lugging it around after a while. The 15" is the perfect medium.
Click to expand...

LOLWUT. the 17 is less than an inch deeper, one inch wider and 1 pound heavier. i routinely laugh at my friends with 15 inch laptops when they reference portability, because once you buy a backpack for a 17 inch (which are the same size as normal backpacks, only the weight becomes an issue. and if 1 extra pound is gonna trip you out, then you're doing something wrong. the increase in dimensions don't even come into play in cramped lecture theatres, as what lecture theatre seat isn't 16 inches wide? so unless you go to school in a thimble you should be O.K.

even when i had loaded my bag to the brim with books and my 17" i never regretted it, as the mbp wouldn't have made much of a difference. that's why i don't buy into the "OH MY LAWD THE 17 INCH WEIGHS AS MUCH AS AN ENTIRE ELEPHANT CONVENTION" that happens in some threads. if you want portability, get a 13". from what i experienced (as someone who lived with both a 15" mbp and two 17" notebooks), the 15 and 17 are much closer in terms of portability than the 13 and 15 are. i understand a difference between the 15 and 17 exists, but it's not as noticeable as you'd think. if you don't trust me, head down to an apple store and figure it out for yourself! 😱

now if it's price or excessive performance, i can understand those much more legitimate concerns. however, you should know, the 17" is a great conversation starter, and people really like it because it's so different. also, and i'm not joking here, shallow girls will dig it because they'll think you're rich 😛
 
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