15" or 17" MBP

[Octorox]

Hey, I'm going to college for film and photography next fall and I'm required to buy a MBP. I am already a fan of apple products and currently have a 20" alu imac (1st gen, 2.4 Ghz)

Basically, I'm debating between getting a top-of the line 15" MBP with a 7200RPM HDD or a 17" MBP with a 7200RPM HDD. When I get to school I will be editing Film (transferred from 16mm, idk to what digital format) with Final Cut Studio, as well as using MS Office to create essays and presentations, Photoshop work with DSLR images, maybe 35mm and also maybe some gaming. Don't talk me into a lower end model because I got a really nice scholarship which includes $2500 off a MBP with MS Office .

I'm basically weighing screen real estate vs. portability. Will a 17" laptop be too heavy to lug around from class to class? The campus is mid-sized but it does get cold. Also would it feel strange to edit on a 15" screen coming from 20"?

Another consideration is glossy vs. anti-glare. I'm perfectly fine with my 20" glossy imac which I use in my basement, but will glossy be annoying in classes or simply bad for doing color correction and whatnot on my films and photographs?

Thanks, for any help and also I'm going to Ithaca College in New York for anyone who might be wondering.

 

[miles01110]

If you're serious about doing video/photo/graphics in general as a career, a laptop screen isn't going to work for you in the first place. get the 15" and a nice external monitor.

Edit: and the glare/matte issue has been heavily debated many times. I personally don't find it very distracting.

 

[Hellhammer]

15". 17" will be too heavy and big when you have to carry it from class to class every day.

 

[Octorox]

If you're serious about doing video/photo/graphics in general as a career, a laptop screen isn't going to work for you in the first place. get the 15" and a nice external monitor.

Edit: and the glare/matte issue has been heavily debated many times. I personally don't find it very distracting.

Well I'll probably be using a lot of the school's equipment/editing labs. For now it's my field of study, not my career

 

[modular]

im in the same boat. top of the line 15" or 17". I do FCP, 3D, CS4 and Aperture. I'm leaning towards the 17 because of the high res screen for all the tool pallets. it's only a $200 jump from the high end 15 to the 17, so that's not really a problem. The issue i'm debating is if the 17" will be too big, but I don't think it will be. the footprint from the 15 to 17 isnt that big, but it is about a pound heavier. I'm also leaning toward the 17 because i really like the matte screen.

if you plan to dock the laptop to an external monitor get the 15. if you don't plan to work with an external monitor go for the 17. either way i dont think you'll be disappointed.

 

[Abstract]

Personally, I'd get the 17". I don't think the 17" is much bigger than the 15", but that's just me.