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17" Behemoth uMBP = Giant Lunch Tray?

M

midgetsanchez

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 9, 2009
174
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So I've been waiting to purchase a new uMBP ever since WWDC. Until now, I was 100% set on getting the 17", due to the sheer resolution. I'm currently using a 15.4" Asus Notebook running windows, and the resolution is 1680 x 1050. I was surprised that the new 15" uMBP's only have a 1440 x 900 screen, a step down from what I have now. So I decided to go for the 17", which is exactly the same weight as my current 15", but offers massive screen real estate.

Anyway, today I went to the apple store just to compare sizes. The 13" was a joke, no way I was going to be able to use photoshop on that *squints*. The 15" seemed great, although I do have qualms about the resolution. The 17", for whatever reason, DESPITE the fact that on paper, it's only an inch wider/longer, seemed MASSIVE. I don't know if it's because of the space for the speaker grilles, or because of the thinner black bezel, or what, but the thing felt like a...giant lunch tray, for a lack of better terms. Weight-wise it was absolutely fine, but surface area-wise just seemed so...big.

Maybe it was just the massive 1080p screen resolution next to the puny 15 inch's 1440 x 900 that made it seem so large. Now I'm having second thoughts whether I should change my mind and bump down to a 15", sacrificing screen room, expresscard/esata, SATA 3.0, and an hour extra battery life.

I'm a student and will most likely be carrying this around a lot, but I do love screen real estate and do frequent photoshop/etc. work. I'm now split between the 15" and 17" and just don't know what to do - sacrifice screen resolution for portability?

For those new 17" owners out there, do you find that it just takes up too much desk space? Are there issues when it comes to portability?(not while flying, I fly rarely)What are your thoughts?


EDIT: The decision has been made. 17" it is! Should be getting it next week!
 
I'd say, go for the 15", and save for an external monitor you could use for things requiring a greater resolution then the MBP's screen. The portability seems like a concern for you, and I would think that for most (though certainly not all) situations where you'd be lugging it around, the resolution should be just fine for you.

But I'm not you, so I can't really say.
 
It's also the issue of value. For less than $150 more(I have ADC discount), I get(by picking the 17):

- MUCH more screen resolution
- Extra USB port
- Expresscard interface
- Longer battery
- Louder speakers
- Better fans (silent maglev's in the 17")
- sata 3.0 (might be enabled in the crippled 13/15's later through firmware).

But, I also lose portability...

$1879 for the 15" vs. $2039 for the 17". (Both with 7200 rpm 500GB selected). Such a hard decision, argh. :mad:
 
Well where to start…
I have the new 17" MBP and that's coming from a 20" iMac and I also have had an iBook (14") and my girlfriend has the 13" MB (unibody). I really like the 17" MBP which is why I bought it but it also serves as my main computer. I travel every month and while a smaller Mac was great it also presented limits for me anyway when trying to adjust stuff in Aperture, using Flash for my cartoons and so on.
I have been lucky enough to have a few friends that have a 15" MBP that I could try things out on to see if the screen would be big enough yet just right to travel with. Travel with…nice size but the res. was good not great in the 15" and the iBook, well it had seen better days but runs like a champ so enough on the little guy.
I really put things of need such as anyone that uses a computer looks at the screen all the time and that's just a fact so to me the 17" won there. Next were the keyboards nice or not? I use the new Apple usb KB w/number pad at home because I hot key a lot with Flash and it just works better for me with my Wacom.
Next was what am I paying for? I didn't want to give up an extra usb port or the express slot so that really leaves the 17" or the former 15" MBP. On to the battery, well time will tell what this will pan out to be but so far the battery has been great in my 17" and the new 15" seems to be looking the same.
So the too big issue…not here and you may be disappointed with the screen res. on the 15" if you have a better res. currently. I know the 17" has a better res. than my iMac and it really is nicer even though I'm an iMac fan for what they are. How much PS will you be doing? What other stuff down the road will you be doing on any MBP? Everything is all about each persons taste but I'd get everything you want and not sacrifice on features that you have been accustomed to or will use in the future. An external screen and it's res. is great when at home but around town it won't be there.
Last about the size again, just make a cutout of the size and place it around where it would be sitting or where ever you think it will end up because 15x10 isn't really that big.
Good luck and enjoy whatever you decide :D
 
Go with the 17". You won't regret it. You're giving up way too much by going with the 15". That's all I'm saying.

I just got a 17" myself and have been slobbering over the ones in the Apple Store for the last couple of days. Yeah, they're big, but then, so's your screen space. It's a big reason why I'm upgrading from a 15".
 
go for the 17" cause remeber you wont have the 15" there to compare it to everytime you pick it up and carry it around. also it seems big and the 15" seems just right because you use are used to a 15" now. im sure you will get used to the 17" rather quickly. then when you encounter a 15" you'll be stunned by how small it seems.
 
This is so true ^^^ as one friend that has the 15" from his work came by today and was looking at my 17" saying, when it's time for me to buy it will be the 17" because of the extra screen size. Course I made sure the 17" was still here when he left and not his 15" ;)
 
I'm on my third 17" Apple Notebook, I wouldn't want to go any smaller in my job (design). My new unibody is slimmer, lighter and sleeker than the old style, and is a breeze to carry around.

I can assure you that after using one for a while you won't think it seems that big. Even next to my wife's 13" whitebook mine doesn't seem like a monster.

I keep it on a Griffin stand in my office so I can chuck stuff underneath it. If I need to put it on a different desk when visiting a client or whatever, I just sweep everything aside in a cavalier fashion and proudly plonk it down. Then flip it open, sit back and take in the 'wow' factor on their faces. :cool:
 
Yup the 17 unibody is probably the most luggable 17 incher on the market today. If you are used to high res then go for it. Its only slightly bigger and heavier then the 15 inch MBP.

Not to mention the 17 has quite a presence when you open it in a coffeeshop. You either get "Its huge!" or "Pretty" remarks from people. :)
 
I have two 17" MBPs and one 15". If its going to be your main machine the 17 is the way to go. The new uMBPs are light compared to the old 17 PBs. and there are backpacks and slingbags that easily fit the 17. It may seem big at first, but you'll get used to it.

If nothing else you'll get a work out carrying it around. Grow up be a man. 3kgs is nothing :D
 
Just get the 17". You will regret it if you don't. At the same weight as the Asus, and offering so much more than the 15" for $150, it's a no brainer. You will get used to the size after a couple of hours.
 
Yeah true, I work with someone who is 6ft 10" and he uses the 17" and it feels fine for him, me being slightly (alot) shorter I went for a 15" lol
 
Don't get a MBA, because their processing power is VERY limited to Internet and other included programs. Don't expect to run any good games or do any Photoshop work on there, because there is virtually no space inside the case for the internals to cool off, and the heat sinks are almost touching the inside of the case, therefore superheating the thing to temperatures high enough to scald you. Just a netbook with a larger screen and a slightly thinner profile.
 
w00t951 said:
Don't get a MBA, because their processing power is VERY limited to Internet and other included programs. Don't expect to run any good games or do any Photoshop work on there, because there is virtually no space inside the case for the internals to cool off, and the heat sinks are almost touching the inside of the case, therefore superheating the thing to temperatures high enough to scald you. Just a netbook with a larger screen and a slightly thinner profile.
Click to expand...

Er... OP wasn't even considering MacBook Air, and no one was suggesting he gets one, so... what's your point?
 
It is a wrenching argument between the 15" and the 17", I will admit the 17" is absolutely gorgeous, and the resolution amazing, and that alone may be worth the extra weight and size, but I chose the 15" because of power, size(not weight, as I have a very awesome crumpler bag and it was designed for the 17"(Beerback) the size issue came down to airplane, coffee shop and everyday use, practical use as a laptop, to be honest the 15" is more portable for me, i find that its size just fits better on the lap, the screen angle is more convenient and it is still a beautiful and powerful machine(the only external accessories i use are firewire devices, usb and SD cards very rarely, hence the express card not being needed). I will share my disappointment that Apple did not improve the resolution on the 15" and have no doubt that in three-six months or so they will to my ire, but I currently needed a laptop and had been using a blackbook(great machine) and the 15" is more than enough to meet my needs.

Another thing to consider, is that a maxed out 15" will outperform a maxed out 17" anyday, why, it is because of the high resolution, the higher the resolution of the screen, the more the GPU has to work, and if you look at the performance tests on cnet, macworld and various other sites, this is the case, I just plug my 15" into a bigger screen(such as the 24 LED) and there you go, high resolution without the size when travelling, and if you are a student, remember that the computer may have to be on a small desk, is it big enough for a 17"?

I love the 17" but i also love my 15"
 
I don't know which model you're using, but the footprint of Asus N50Vc is 14.53 x 10.87 while that of 17" uMBP is 15.47 x 10.51, i.e., your 15.4" Asus may be deeper. So, if you didn't compare 17" uMBP with your Asus notebook side-by-side, you might have got the wrong impression. Their footprints are almost the same; Asus is deeper while 17" uMBP is wider. Other Asus notebooks I know are also more or less of the same size in depth as 17" uMBP.
 
Get the 17. The 15 is great until you realize for about 1-1.5 inches and an extra pound--you'd have much more screen real estate. For me, it makes the difference between a machine I can use and a machine I can really get work churned out on (my 17 is my only machine).
 
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