I just got my 15" and I love it, but it's totally an issue of personal preference. When you're spending that much money, it's just common sense to go to a store where they have display models and judge for yourself. Asking other people what they think doesn't do much if you don't agree with them.
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15" vs 17" Powerbook
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Vanilla said:
Most of my frustration is with the build quality of the 15" keyboard... if they could improve this, and give the display a higher resolution, I would be a super happy camper. There's a reason they released 12" and 17" together if you ask me... the 15" just lacks the refinement of the other two IMHO.
jxyama said:
jxyama is right, go and test drive them at your local apple store. Was going to buy the 17" but after test driving them at the apple store I realized the 15" was the best FOR ME.
Let us know what you decide!
Roz said:Anyone who thinks the 17" is too heavy needs to hit up the gym! Come on people! It's only 7 lbs. versus the 5.5 lb. 15"!
Sorry, I needed to get that off my chest
You're right! I am just too lazy...got to go hit the weights at the gym!! Yeah!!!
Hmm...maybe I'll just play Halo on my 15" PB instead...
wide said:
I see you've already started regurgitating Apple marketing lines...
First of all, Apple didn't release the 15" first... it came later, after the announcement of the 12" and 17". The current 15" Powerbook is actually Rev. C.
Second, the keyboards are not exactly the same. But more importantly, the poor quality of many 15" keyboards is from the weak adhesive. While I haven't examined the adhesive of the other models, the 15" suffers in particular with sticky keyboards.
I don't mean to sound hostile, or troll, but people need to know these things.
dferrara, as for wide saying the 15" came first, I think he meant the TiBooks, in which case he's correct.
personally, though, I don't think this was for some ergonomic-whatever reason, though that might be true for all I know, but rather because no one, PC or Mac, had yet released a widescreen 15" even, forget 17", at the time Apple debuted the TiBooks in January 2001. The market had not been shown to exist, and what seems obvious to us now was a bit daring at the time.
(By the way, I have often said on this forum that Apple was the first to sell a 15" widescreen laptop, and of course first with a 17". I have searched for information to the contrary, and never been able to find any. But if I am mistaken, seriously tell me, I'd be interested to know.)
personally, though, I don't think this was for some ergonomic-whatever reason, though that might be true for all I know, but rather because no one, PC or Mac, had yet released a widescreen 15" even, forget 17", at the time Apple debuted the TiBooks in January 2001. The market had not been shown to exist, and what seems obvious to us now was a bit daring at the time.
(By the way, I have often said on this forum that Apple was the first to sell a 15" widescreen laptop, and of course first with a 17". I have searched for information to the contrary, and never been able to find any. But if I am mistaken, seriously tell me, I'd be interested to know.)
I would get the 15" just because i think it looks better. It's roughly the same thing as the 17 hardware wise (besides the screen). Your not really getting anything more from the 17 besides a little more screen real estate. I just like the way the 15" looks, thats why i bought my 15" over the 17". I just couldn't justify the needs for a bigger screen.
I tend to lug my laptops around quite a bit. I've used a 12" for the last 6 years as a desktop replacement. Recently I decided to go with a new PB to replace my aging 12" sony vaio. I've two friends with 15" PBs, so I had to get into an apple store to compare the 17".
First, let me say that I've used a 12" laptop exclusively as a desktop replacement for the last 6 years at least-so a 12" screen doesn't bother me one bit.
The 15" seems balanced in all regards, with the speaker grills being modest. The handrest area is good, and the screen is a welcome change from a 12".
The 17" didn't seem balanced at all, with the speaker grills looking much too large for their own good. If you notice, Apple uses the same keyboard in all three PBs. What looks scrunched in the 12", looks tiny in the 17". I have no idea why Apple didn't use a larger keyboard in the 17". There is also the massivly large handrest area, and the wasted space between the trackpad and the latch. Finally, close that lid and what do you have? A cafeteria tray... perfect for college students who like to eat while they take notes. Seriously, the 17" screen is wonderfully large-but the overall asthetics of it made me feel as though I was settling.
I chose the 15", the most balanced of the three... and I belive also the most popular. My local Apple store in Colorado echoed that sentiment, suggesting that I order online since the brick -n- mortars couldn't keep the 15"s in stock.
First, let me say that I've used a 12" laptop exclusively as a desktop replacement for the last 6 years at least-so a 12" screen doesn't bother me one bit.
The 15" seems balanced in all regards, with the speaker grills being modest. The handrest area is good, and the screen is a welcome change from a 12".
The 17" didn't seem balanced at all, with the speaker grills looking much too large for their own good. If you notice, Apple uses the same keyboard in all three PBs. What looks scrunched in the 12", looks tiny in the 17". I have no idea why Apple didn't use a larger keyboard in the 17". There is also the massivly large handrest area, and the wasted space between the trackpad and the latch. Finally, close that lid and what do you have? A cafeteria tray... perfect for college students who like to eat while they take notes. Seriously, the 17" screen is wonderfully large-but the overall asthetics of it made me feel as though I was settling.
I chose the 15", the most balanced of the three... and I belive also the most popular. My local Apple store in Colorado echoed that sentiment, suggesting that I order online since the brick -n- mortars couldn't keep the 15"s in stock.
therevolution said:
To an extent I agree with the post quoted, however I think even better then going to the store would be to try and find a friend or some others who would let you try carrying it around a bit. I know it's most likely not possible, but when I was in the apple store looking atthe 2 I couldn't figure out which one would suit me more, the 15 in or the 17. After having used my 17 at school work and home, I know I picked the right choice, but at the apple store it wasn't able to mimick the useage I do at the 3 listed places.
Actually they are not the same exact keyboards. The 15 inch and 17 inch have key board brightness controls on the f keys. Where as the 12 inch does not. This effects expose key positioning.Michael8510 said:
Well apart from the horrendously unbalanced speaker setup (which I wont bore you with here, its on another "unbalanced sound" thread) I adore my new 15". Its a great portable machine and once I have the next revision of the 20" iMac at home I'll be all set.
However, if you just want ONE machine I'd still go for the 17" and work on your shoulder muscles.
Vanilla
However, if you just want ONE machine I'd still go for the 17" and work on your shoulder muscles.
Vanilla
can i get the 17 inch on a plane without problem?
my decision between the 15 or 17 totally rests on whether or not i can fit it inside my camera bag ( will have to inquire which one to get )
and whether or not airlines let it on without problems.
have anyone of you had problems getting it on the plane
abroad in asia etc etc??
thanks
my decision between the 15 or 17 totally rests on whether or not i can fit it inside my camera bag ( will have to inquire which one to get )
and whether or not airlines let it on without problems.
have anyone of you had problems getting it on the plane
abroad in asia etc etc??
thanks
wide said:Another thing to consider is keeping your 12" inch PowerBook until the next generation PowerBooks come out, which is probably between June (WWDC) and September (Apple Expo Paris). Who knows what will happen....I hope they get rid of the 12" PowerBook and replace it with a 13.3" inch widescreen
If you start waiting for the new model, you could end up without a computer at all. Remember what happend at MWSF2005? No new PBs and just later only .17 GHz increase.
Get 15 inch now!
You'll love it!Vanilla said:
No I don't agree. You don't have to carry around that big 17 incher all the time if you are going to buy this PB as your only computer. Get 15 incher and then a big monitor to hook it to your PowerBook at home.
Thats what my dad does with his AlBook 15" 1GHz
Get the 17"
I was in the same dilema last year... got the 17" and haven't regretted it at all!
The aesthetics of the 17" are uncomparable with any other laptop on the market, even the 15". This thing is DROP-DEAD GORGEOOUS.
I had to get rid of my Dell desktop/laptop, so I chose this.
You really don't notice the size on this thing. I mean, to those who complain:
"WAH WAH! It's too heavy!"
or
"WAH WAH! It's too big! (size)"
or
"WAH WAH! It's too ugly!"
I suggest you go to your local gym and workout. This is a 1-inch thick notebook.
BTW: This is comming from a person who travels quite a bit on airplanes/cars/trains. This baby WILL FIT on an American Airlines COACH tray-table, and no... the tray-table will NOT collapse...
Seriously... you won't regret getting the 17". If I recall correctly, it's not much of a difference in $$$$ to the 15". But the best way to tell? Go to your Apple Store.
I'll be expecting that you walked out with a 17"
I was in the same dilema last year... got the 17" and haven't regretted it at all!
The aesthetics of the 17" are uncomparable with any other laptop on the market, even the 15". This thing is DROP-DEAD GORGEOOUS.
I had to get rid of my Dell desktop/laptop, so I chose this.
You really don't notice the size on this thing. I mean, to those who complain:
"WAH WAH! It's too heavy!"
or
"WAH WAH! It's too big! (size)"
or
"WAH WAH! It's too ugly!"
I suggest you go to your local gym and workout. This is a 1-inch thick notebook.
BTW: This is comming from a person who travels quite a bit on airplanes/cars/trains. This baby WILL FIT on an American Airlines COACH tray-table, and no... the tray-table will NOT collapse...
Seriously... you won't regret getting the 17". If I recall correctly, it's not much of a difference in $$$$ to the 15". But the best way to tell? Go to your Apple Store.
I'll be expecting that you walked out with a 17"
I'm surprised nobody mentioned this, but if you're considering working with your Powerbook on the plane, and tend to travel economy class, you're probably best off with the 15".
The 15" is already a tight fit for an economy class seat, and I always worry about the person in front of me tilting his seat back rapidly, and having the tray table latch catch on the top lip of the 15" screen.
The 15" is already a tight fit for an economy class seat, and I always worry about the person in front of me tilting his seat back rapidly, and having the tray table latch catch on the top lip of the 15" screen.
diehldun said:
Heh, that was my excuse for picking a 12" iBook. I'm 4'11.5", so I'm very sensitive to laptop size and weight.
I'm going to echo jxyama. Go to the nearest apple store. Or, you can do what I did - borrowed several friends' laptops for a few minutes.
Roz said:Anyone who thinks the 17" is too heavy needs to hit up the gym! Come on people! It's only 7 lbs. versus the 5.5 lb. 15"!
Sorry, I needed to get that off my chest
it adds up -- laptop alone is okay
but throw in a bag full of camera equipment -- (body, lenses, filters, flashes, tripod), notebook,
i carry 25lbs of camera equipment as it is -- throw another 7 to that, every 1 or 2 lbs less feels like a HUGE weight is off the shoulders
also ... the gym reference ... if you are bench- pressing near your maximum, throwing on an extra 2.5 plate or two could be a difference between a few reps.
anyway ... as far as weight is concerned ... i also lug around a G3 Lombard which is supposadly around 5.9 lbs ... and after travelling with ALL my equipment i'm debating between a 12 and 15 inch for the simple reason that it's a difference of either .5lbs and 1.5lbs
I owned a 17" (last rev) and switched to a 12" because of the weight -- especially with all the other crap I carried (brick, extension, digicam, PB lock, taxi wallet, checkbook, iPod, etc.). But I realize now, that the problem was not that all of that is universally too heavy; the problem is it was too heavy to carry on one shoulder (which I tried to do) in a messenger bag setup. It doesn't matter how strong you are. If you have 15-20 pounds pulling down transversely on your trapezius muscles, it's going to hurt -- and perhaps do some permanent damage to your muscles or nerves. You have to go with a backpack. Personally, I think backpacks look very unprofessional. However, if Apple comes out with a 1920 x 1200 res 17" machine, I will switch back in a nanosecond and probably buy this to carry it in:
Does anyone have any more information on the rumored denser pixel 17"?
Ted
Does anyone have any more information on the rumored denser pixel 17"?
Ted
revenuee said:
hornandsaxguy said:
A very good point, doctor
. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and carry it like luggage with your hand; I find that I rely too much on my shoulder to carry the entire thing.
Also, it's curious but not all PC laptops have high resolutions. This HP 17" I'm using has the same resolution as a PB 17".
... here we go again...
Well, I've been absent from this forum for 8 months. I almost bought a 17" PB last year, but thanks to Apple Canada's horrendous and botched service, problems with Mac compatibility at work, I just gave up. But right on cue, the possible death throes of one of my Dell desktops - plus the revised PBs and new Tiger OS - means I once again need to re-evaluate my computing needs, and it gives me a chance to see if a Mac would fit the bill.
I figured I'd latch onto this thread because I'm once again trying to decide between:
1) A 12'" PB and some of docking/extra monitor setup at home and office.
2) A 15" PB and MAYBE some sort of extra monitor setup.
3) A 17" PB - likely forget about any need for an extra monitor.
My situation? Mostly between home and office. Occasional (1 or 2 times per month) travel. Used to haul around an 8 pound, 15" Compaq last year but have since switched to a 3.5 pound, 12" IBM Thinkpad (cheap off EBay) with docking station and have to admit I like carrying less around: all the accessories add up in weight. However, there's no accounting for the sex appeal of the 17" PB. Plus I can't really use my little Thinkpad for too long without wishing the keyboard was larger and the screen bigger: hence, the docking setup if I did go for the 12" PB. And on the other hand, it would be nice to just open the thing up and get going, without worrying about spanning settings, etc. To add more confusion, one of my colleagues last year got a 15" PB and said I should get the same, but this year wants a 17" PB for the extra screen for spreadsheets and templates when using MS Office. She's pushing me to get the 17" PB.
My preferences? I like having one main data location; that is, I don't want to be endlessly synching between two computers. The thought of getting one of the new iMacs G5 plus an iBook or cheaper, older PB, has some appeal but I would have to synch my data all the time. I'm not sure about this - unless somebody can give me a compelling reason.
My uses? Office, picture manipulation, some video: I do research and teaching. No games - couldn't care less what the latest shoot 'em up is, so I don't care much about extreme graphics performance.
I'm sure all you long time Mac users will laugh at me, but I even bought a Crumpler School Hymn sleeve last year in anticipation of the big day , and had to return it.
And yes, I probably have enough bags, etc. to carry properly whatever I buy.
Any insights into what I should get? Thanks.
Well, I've been absent from this forum for 8 months. I almost bought a 17" PB last year, but thanks to Apple Canada's horrendous and botched service, problems with Mac compatibility at work, I just gave up. But right on cue, the possible death throes of one of my Dell desktops - plus the revised PBs and new Tiger OS - means I once again need to re-evaluate my computing needs, and it gives me a chance to see if a Mac would fit the bill.
I figured I'd latch onto this thread because I'm once again trying to decide between:
1) A 12'" PB and some of docking/extra monitor setup at home and office.
2) A 15" PB and MAYBE some sort of extra monitor setup.
3) A 17" PB - likely forget about any need for an extra monitor.
My situation? Mostly between home and office. Occasional (1 or 2 times per month) travel. Used to haul around an 8 pound, 15" Compaq last year but have since switched to a 3.5 pound, 12" IBM Thinkpad (cheap off EBay) with docking station and have to admit I like carrying less around: all the accessories add up in weight. However, there's no accounting for the sex appeal of the 17" PB. Plus I can't really use my little Thinkpad for too long without wishing the keyboard was larger and the screen bigger: hence, the docking setup if I did go for the 12" PB. And on the other hand, it would be nice to just open the thing up and get going, without worrying about spanning settings, etc. To add more confusion, one of my colleagues last year got a 15" PB and said I should get the same, but this year wants a 17" PB for the extra screen for spreadsheets and templates when using MS Office. She's pushing me to get the 17" PB.
My preferences? I like having one main data location; that is, I don't want to be endlessly synching between two computers. The thought of getting one of the new iMacs G5 plus an iBook or cheaper, older PB, has some appeal but I would have to synch my data all the time. I'm not sure about this - unless somebody can give me a compelling reason.
My uses? Office, picture manipulation, some video: I do research and teaching. No games - couldn't care less what the latest shoot 'em up is, so I don't care much about extreme graphics performance.
I'm sure all you long time Mac users will laugh at me, but I even bought a Crumpler School Hymn sleeve last year in anticipation of the big day , and had to return it.
And yes, I probably have enough bags, etc. to carry properly whatever I buy.
Any insights into what I should get? Thanks.