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15" vs 17"

alphaod said:
Get the 15" :D
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I wish I had your resolute certainty in this situation, chap.

The will of the internet hive mind seems to err strongly towards 15", but my heart remains split. A few more days of this tension and I'm going to have to take a vow of silence, move to a monastery and go through seven years of introspection to uncover my true desires.

Or, rob a bank and get both. Problem solved for a couple of minutes!
 
if it helps, i'm going from 17" HP to 15" MBP

This is my first 17" and I have a tough time finding bags to fit and it's just not AS MOBILE as I want
 
alphaod said:
You gain more aluminium to carry, a bigger screen, and 4 speakers with woofers.
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Dont you lose abit on processor and gpu speed?
I thought you do....and i heard it runs cooler than the 15" !


Guess i'll just have to spontaniously decide WHEN the day comes
 
bubble27 said:
Dont you lose abit on processor and gpu speed?
I thought you do....and i heard it runs cooler than the 15" !


Guess i'll just have to spontaniously decide WHEN the day comes
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Maybe if you lucky they will be out of one size.

I was lucky with the new Iphone. They only had one size and color.

This lack of stress balanced the hour wait. :D
 
bubble27 said:
Dont you lose abit on processor and gpu speed?
I thought you do....and i heard it runs cooler than the 15" !


Guess i'll just have to spontaniously decide WHEN the day comes
Click to expand...

Go and sign up Personal Shopping at the store you plan to go to; then a guy or gal will help you decide what is best; of course the guy I asked help with tried to get me to buy a MacBook when I told him I wasn't sure which MacBook Pro to get… but it doesn't hurt to get some store advice.
 
I have a 15" and love it. Last week I went to Best Buy to check out an iMac. While I was there I compared the 15" with the 17" MBP's and as one poster said, the you'd have to stretch a bit compared to the 15" vs the 17".
I would have bought the 24" iMac, but they were out of stock. Instead, I bought a 26" Samsung monitor, My Book 750 external drive, apple keyboard and mouse and saved $1,200.00. Having my MBP and a 26" Samsung monitor ROCKS. Custom iMAC.... Planning on buying the kids (3) MacBook's for Christmas.....since I saved 1,200.00
 
Something to think about that I havent seen anybody post about is the fact that MacBook Pros have a higher res screen than other 15 inch notebooks, therefore, if it were my call, I would get the 15, save the doe, and use the left over doe for a sweet 22 or 24 monitor.
 
MagnumJoe said:
I would have bought the 24" iMac, but they were out of stock. Instead, I bought a 26" Samsung monitor,
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ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB

NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS with 512MB


Hey but do you think that these two gpus even compare to the 15" MBP??

Prob not yeh?
Have you ever tried to play a game on the external monitor?
Hope its good !
 
considering that the 17" can't handle 1920 x 1200, you really aren't getting that much more screen space.... I went from a 17" Alienware to a 15" MBP and would never consider a 17" laptop ever again...
 
I have both a 15" MBP and a 17" MBP that I use everyday. I've been using a 17" laptop ever since Apple released them and I don't find that its difficult for me to carry around but I'm really used to hauling lots of stuff with me. The 15" is definitely a nice amount smaller and the screen size doesn't bother me at all. I do things a little backwards because I carry my 17" and I leave my 15" at home but thats the way I like it. To put it simply, if you don't already have a love of a 17" laptop then I don't really see a huge reason to get one over the 15".
 
I do have the 17",

I really like it and have no real problems carrying it around in the house. If I would have it on the road with me a lot I would go 15" + external display.

What I don't like about it is that it doesn't feel comfortable on the lap. In the evening for surfing I use my iBook G4 14".

Cheers
LaForge
 
When I was about to purchase my MacBook Pro I had to decide if I wanted the 15-inch or 17-inch model and when it came down to it I chose the 15-inch because it really is the perfect size. It's really your preference.
 
I think it depends in how/where you plan on using it. I have a 17" and mon-fri 9-5 it sits on my desk with an external display plugged in. In the evenings and weekends it is on my lap at home. I don't find it too big for surfing/work when it is on my lap either. I seldom take it anywhere else (coffee shops, school etc.) so I find that the 17" is perfect for me.
 
I could use your opinions/Insight

I'm kind of in a similar boat. We had a fire/lighting strile and I lost my 24" iMac. I currently use a 2 year old 15.4" MBP for work (Mainly MS Office & Internet) but use my iMac for photo & video editing (FCE4 and PS Elements Primarily)

I'd like to use just one computer and I am torn between a new 15" and a 17" (they are sooo seductive). I plan on getting a large external monitor either way.

With regards to mobility I carry my 15.4" to and from work (by car) everyday in a laptop bag and use it one place (my desk) 95% of the time, I have never taken it to a Starbucks or anything like that. I use a cheap Windows machine when I want to surf while watching TV so I would not use it at home other than my home office desk most of the time.

Money is not a deciding factor in this so with the choice of going "all-out" what would you guys get in this situation?

Also, would you get a 30" Apple Cinema/Gateway XHD3000? or save $1000+ and get a really nice 24-26" monitor? I'm really struggling with that one too.

And last, would you buy now or wait for the updated models?

I'm in a good position here and I don't want to screw it up!

Thanks for your insights.
 
MacDawg said:
That's why I said a general rule of thumb and not an absolute ;)

It does take up the whole tray table, for sure... and I was on an RJ at that, but it was certainly manageable (and got me a conversation with the girl next to me on her 15")

Woof, Woof - Dawg
pawprint.gif
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It's settled then.... size does matter :D

Seriously though, the performance difference between even the least expensive 15" MBP and the 17" is completely unnoticeable. You'd never be able to tell.
 
Backing up what has basically been said: the difference is almost entirely in screen size. Improvements in power, resolution, etc. are fairly negligible.

I've never liked or personally owned the 17". My portable needs to actually be portable, and at 17" it isn't comfortable to carry or use in your lap. It's not worth the tradeoff or the extra money, IMO.
 
bubble27 said:
ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB

NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS with 512MB


Hey but do you think that these two gpus even compare to the 15" MBP??

Prob not yeh?
Have you ever tried to play a game on the external monitor?
Hope its good !
Click to expand...

The 2600 PRO is about the same and the 8800 GS a bit better [than the MBP's GPU].

xxMacAttackxx said:
considering that the 17" can't handle 1920 x 1200, you really aren't getting that much more screen space.... I went from a 17" Alienware to a 15" MBP and would never consider a 17" laptop ever again...
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What do you mean the 17" can't handle the resolution? :confused:
 
Get the 17" and you will never regret. It is not that much heavier than the 15". Plus, it is very good for presentation. You can see your ppt clearly while standing at a distance. You just need to get a light weight carrying case such as the ones from Incase.
 
First post. (I've been reading the forum for a few weeks in anticipation of my switch to a Mac). I took the plunge and got the 17". When you have the MBPs in a side-by-side comparison in front of you, there really is no comparison. The 17 blows the 15 out of the water. The 17 also looks better aesthetically -- because of its wider footprint, it looks slimmer compared to the squat looking 15.

Here's the backstory. Prior to making the switch I found myself undecided between an MBP and an MBA (power or portability). Once I actually had both in front of me, I found myself underwhelmed by the MBA, and overwhelmed by the 17" MBP. By contrast, the 15" MBP was so-so by comparison because it wasn't that much bigger than the MBA -- and I would gladly sacrifice some screenspace for the added portability of the MBA if forced to choose between the 15" MBP and the MBA. In short, the 17 made my choice an easy one.

A last point. Given the probable September-revision of the MBPs, many here have counseled that we wait before we buy. Unfortunately for those of us who need it before the school year starts, it's a tough wait. Still, I was leaning towards waiting it out. Seeing the 17 immediately persuaded me otherwise. (That's how much wow-factor it had.) I'm aware that the next revision might top the architectural aesthetics of the current-gen ones, even if it's difficult to see how much more it might be improved such as to justify the wait and hassle. Suffice to say that I won't be losing sleep over it . . .
 
If you can afford the 17 I would go for it. But it really depends on how mobile you are going to be with it. I wouldent want to carry around a 17 inch laptop all the time. 15 is muc more do able
 
alphaod said:
The 2600 PRO is about the same and the 8800 GS a bit better [than the MBP's GPU].
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2600 is the same as what?

Nah come on! the micro GPU does not compete with a normal size. Loses about 25% for sure!!
 
bubble27 said:
2600 is the same as what?

Nah come on! the micro GPU does not compete with a normal size. Loses about 25% for sure!!
Click to expand...

Since I'm comparing both to the MBP--the 8600M GT.

The GPU on the MBP is same size as a standard 8600 GT, just possibilty more aggressive power management. I have a 8600 GT on my desktop and the performance is very close between the two.
 
best thing to do is to check it out in one of the apple store or bestbuy
and see for yourself.
 
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