I agree. The extra space is just so invaluable. I wish Apple brought it back
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17" MacBook Pro owners, what are you plans going forward?
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Right now for me portability and redundancy are more important, however should I need a 17" class portable I would look to the Windows OEM`s, likely a ThinkPad P70 with dual SSD`s in RAID, as Apple no longer produce a 17" portable nor are they likely to again. Apple`s focus has shifted to the mass consumer, although Apple`s price point very much works against it in this area.
Q-6
Q-6
Unfortunately, Apple seems to be heading in the opposite direction.
These days, Apple is all about selling fashionable toys. *cough* MacBook 12" *cough*
Since I use Avid and Adobe, I'm switching to Dell's 17" workstation with TB3, USB-C, 64GB RAM, 2TB SSD, (3840x2160) display, Nvidia® Quadro® M5000M w/8GB GDDR5, etc. Weight and thickness aren't an issue for me. Battery life is rarely an issue since I am almost always near an outlet. It's basically a Mac Pro with a screen that I can fit in my pack and go. I just can't wait anymore for Apple to get their **** together regarding actual computers.
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I own a late 2011 2.5ghz 17" Macbook Pro. 16gb Ram, 1TB SSD, 1TB SATA 2 HD in the optical Bay. Awesome Machine. My first Mac was a Mac Plus. I have owned so many Macs over the years that I don't remember them all. I owned an Apple Dealership (Reseller) for 17 years. I was an Apple Certified Technician from 1995 to 2012. I own an Apple Watch and an iPhone 6S Plus. I watched the Keynote earlier today. I am a Apple fanboy, that has lost his way.
I'm typing this on my 'new' Dell 7710 (5 Months old from Ebay). Xeon E3-1535M 2.9ghz Quad Core, 64GB Ram, 2 x 1TB SSDs, 1 x 2TB 5400 RPM HD. 4G LTE WWAN, '4K' Retina Display, Nvidia Quatro M5000M etc (Like the unit above, but mine does not have Thunderbolt.)
I have been (like everyone else) hanging out for a new 17" MacBook Pro. I really wanted one.. like really.
I came to the realization that this is never going to happen, and even if it did storage would be limited.. memory would be soldered, and the graphics card would be gimped. Apple has become a consumer electronics company.. not a computer company.
What do I need 64gb Ram for? Notepad.
How am I finding my Dell? Its about 1Kg heavier than my MacBook Pro, It is thicker. The trackpad is not as good. The display is awesome. Docking stations are awesome. Windows 10 is OK, but so many things annoy me. The case gets hand prints all over it. It plays Overwatch really well. I have an ethernet port (as did my 17" MBP.. but anything newer would not). I'm 41 years old BTW.. Old by some. Young by others. I miss Mac OS X.
Thinness is not everything. Neither is lightness. I'm not saying make another 16 pound Macintosh Portable (I own one BTW.. ), but don't sacrifice everything for the sake of aesthetics. Exactly the same dimensions and weight as a 2011 MacBook Pro would be fine, but with modern hardware. 'Pro' users want pro hardware.
I'm forcing myself to move 'forward'.. 5 year old hardware with known video faults.. the hardware has a death wish (3rd Logic board on mine). I love Apple products, but they no longer produce products for me. :-(
Photo Attached. My Dell 7710, MacBook Pro 17" Late 2011, Macintosh Portable (1991.. Backlit), Apple Techstep (Google it) and some Apple Channel Awards for my company.
Also, Far left are some Corvus Systems 5MB (Yes MB) Hard Disks for my Apple III.
I'm typing this on my 'new' Dell 7710 (5 Months old from Ebay). Xeon E3-1535M 2.9ghz Quad Core, 64GB Ram, 2 x 1TB SSDs, 1 x 2TB 5400 RPM HD. 4G LTE WWAN, '4K' Retina Display, Nvidia Quatro M5000M etc (Like the unit above, but mine does not have Thunderbolt.)
I have been (like everyone else) hanging out for a new 17" MacBook Pro. I really wanted one.. like really.
I came to the realization that this is never going to happen, and even if it did storage would be limited.. memory would be soldered, and the graphics card would be gimped. Apple has become a consumer electronics company.. not a computer company.
What do I need 64gb Ram for? Notepad.
How am I finding my Dell? Its about 1Kg heavier than my MacBook Pro, It is thicker. The trackpad is not as good. The display is awesome. Docking stations are awesome. Windows 10 is OK, but so many things annoy me. The case gets hand prints all over it. It plays Overwatch really well. I have an ethernet port (as did my 17" MBP.. but anything newer would not). I'm 41 years old BTW.. Old by some. Young by others. I miss Mac OS X.
Thinness is not everything. Neither is lightness. I'm not saying make another 16 pound Macintosh Portable (I own one BTW.. ), but don't sacrifice everything for the sake of aesthetics. Exactly the same dimensions and weight as a 2011 MacBook Pro would be fine, but with modern hardware. 'Pro' users want pro hardware.
I'm forcing myself to move 'forward'.. 5 year old hardware with known video faults.. the hardware has a death wish (3rd Logic board on mine). I love Apple products, but they no longer produce products for me. :-(
Photo Attached. My Dell 7710, MacBook Pro 17" Late 2011, Macintosh Portable (1991.. Backlit), Apple Techstep (Google it) and some Apple Channel Awards for my company.
Also, Far left are some Corvus Systems 5MB (Yes MB) Hard Disks for my Apple III.
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How do you like that Dell overall? Speed, performance, screen, etc? Seriously, my finger is on the Buy button.
I'm going to say, as a portable desktop, its awesome, but runs the wrong operating system. Speed is good/great. It runs mostly cool, and is quiet. Battery life is basically 3rs with the 91wh battery, dynamic graphics switching. Half that with the M5000M on full time. (Im not a big gamer (1 -2 hrs /week), but it is great for games.. (overwatch is my game of the moment). If Im gaming it is plugged into a dock (PR02X E-Port Plus II Advanced) so power really isnt a problem. As a 'laptop' its heavy. and feels bulky (Compaired to my 2011 17" MBP)
Specs wise.. got for it. Its really good. But then come the compromises. Apples hardware is better asthetically, but weaker in performance. I want Apple to make Dell specked hardware, with Apple finesse.. and Mac OS X. But that wont happen.
Well, as a media producer, time=money...so the fastest render I can get and a chip that plays with my software, I'll take it. I don't mind Windows 7 (an option on Dell's page for the moment. I just need a tool that works, not a piece of art. If I wanted art, I'd buy art. I'm looking for a tool that performs. And since Apple no longer gives me anything like that, I need to go elsewhere.
OK.. then avoid the UHD 4K screen and go for the standard 1080P screen. Windows 10 does an Ok job of dealing with HDPI screen resolutions. Windows 7 does not at all. Windows 10 on a 4k screen still has issues with scaling.
15" is the new 17". I remember when 15.4" was the standard for a notebook computer, then it became 14.1", and then 13.3", et cetera. With most people using 12-14" laptops these days, 15" is relatively large. I don't think we'll ever see Apple make a laptop with a 17" screen again, at least not for many years if the paradigm shifts.
Most backpacks aren't made to handle anything larger than 15", and if you really need the real estate, you'd be hooked up to a much larger external monitor anyway. The retina display also means you can display far more information on the current MacBook Pro screens than you could on pre-2012 MacBook Pros, thanks to advancements in graphical processing capabilities.
Most backpacks aren't made to handle anything larger than 15", and if you really need the real estate, you'd be hooked up to a much larger external monitor anyway. The retina display also means you can display far more information on the current MacBook Pro screens than you could on pre-2012 MacBook Pros, thanks to advancements in graphical processing capabilities.
I'm 6'4", 220lbs. I can handle carrying around a little extra weight. I also run a 34" 21:9 screen in my home office. When you're sitting on a box in Haiti after an earthquake or cutting a documentary in the mountains of Tibet, editing news packages, every inch of screen real-estate counts. Apple failed me at that.
Problem is Apple no longer serves your sphere of work, nor mine for that matter, preferring to serve the masses who have additional money for the "kudos" of owning a MacBook. The Pro aspect has long gone in the traditional sense of it`s meaning, and I am literally sat in a box in Papua new Guinea...
Q-6
Hence why my next notebook won't be an Apple one. I have a $6k budget to spend on a new portable workstation. Apple doesn't want that money apparently. There are other companies that do.
Same, I no longer trust Apple from a business perspective, for my own consultancy needs I am only looking at windows based systems as Apple no longer produces. Between multiple family businesses it a fair sum, equally Apple is clearly happy soaking up the $$$$ elsewhere.
Q-6
And now we know Apple's answer.. Nothing. I would love to be regretting my Dell now (seriously.. read above.. Mac user since 1986) but not today :-(
I ended up ordering Skylake 15";
My 17" just isn't up for tasks anymore and while I found quite a bit of PC units that I rather like, still, Windows, Plastic Case is what holding me from getting Windows Laptop;
What worries me is how am I going to live without physical function keys; Touch bar is cool, but terminal + bash + Midnight Commander are F-bound; Would really like to see 15" option without Touch;
My 17" just isn't up for tasks anymore and while I found quite a bit of PC units that I rather like, still, Windows, Plastic Case is what holding me from getting Windows Laptop;
What worries me is how am I going to live without physical function keys; Touch bar is cool, but terminal + bash + Midnight Commander are F-bound; Would really like to see 15" option without Touch;
If you hold the FN key, you get the F keys back again. I'm sure there's a setting in the options to make them the default.
As for the case holding you back... what about the Razer Blade Pro? They just updated it, and it is an absolute monster. Black aluminum unibody, 4k display, GeForce 1080, mechanical keyboard, PCI SSD RAID, Thunderbolt 3, under an inch thin and under 8lbs. $3700.
I have the 2010 17" with just the dual-core i5 and 8GB of RAM.
OSX performance is already pretty lacking in El Capitan. It's bearable for now, though. I wish I could get the 2011 17" with the i7 quad but the GPU issue makes that a very risky buy.
My solution is to run Windows on it instead. It runs much, much better than OSX, and if my only other option for 17" is a Windows machine, then I might as well use it on this.
Strangely, the motherboard supports 16GB of RAM in Windows and Linux, but only 8GB in OSX. When I finally give up OSX altogether on it, I may bump the RAM up and ride Windows/Linux out on it. I honestly don't think Windows is any worse than OSX at this point except that the auto-updating is brutal on a mobile device that's often tethered. Nothing like watching your battery and data get eaten up with little you can do to stop it... A page from Apple's playbook.
I absolutely love having the 17" screen at a native 1920x1200. I've tried the 15" retina twice and while I love the crispy detail, it's often blurry from scaling and it just doesn't have enough space when things are at a normal size.
I do like the Razer Blade Pro 17" but it costs a fortune, and the screen is 16:9 with massive bezels. I do like that the trackpad is in a more ergonomic spot, though.
OSX performance is already pretty lacking in El Capitan. It's bearable for now, though. I wish I could get the 2011 17" with the i7 quad but the GPU issue makes that a very risky buy.
My solution is to run Windows on it instead. It runs much, much better than OSX, and if my only other option for 17" is a Windows machine, then I might as well use it on this.
Strangely, the motherboard supports 16GB of RAM in Windows and Linux, but only 8GB in OSX. When I finally give up OSX altogether on it, I may bump the RAM up and ride Windows/Linux out on it. I honestly don't think Windows is any worse than OSX at this point except that the auto-updating is brutal on a mobile device that's often tethered. Nothing like watching your battery and data get eaten up with little you can do to stop it... A page from Apple's playbook.
I absolutely love having the 17" screen at a native 1920x1200. I've tried the 15" retina twice and while I love the crispy detail, it's often blurry from scaling and it just doesn't have enough space when things are at a normal size.
I do like the Razer Blade Pro 17" but it costs a fortune, and the screen is 16:9 with massive bezels. I do like that the trackpad is in a more ergonomic spot, though.
I am worrying about lack of mechanical feedback; Think about latest slot machines, especially Ballys, they started using small touch screens in place of mechanical buttons awhile ago; Check out button is pretty big yet I usually hit it few times because of lag, lack of response; I'll go for mechanical WMS any day ...
Razer Blad Pro ... I am not sure how I missed it; Doing research atm ... looks like it may be it! Many thanks for the lead
I own an old 2007 17" macbook pro.
love the higher screen res compared to my 13 inch macbook.
much more on the screen.
But as it is old the ccfl screen not match and led one so it not seeing use at moment.
plus the 2007 keyboard vs the 2009 there just no comparison!
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my 17" macbook pro has an express slot so CAN add a usb 3.0 card to it or an sd card reader without sticking out side of laptop.
love the higher screen res compared to my 13 inch macbook.
much more on the screen.
But as it is old the ccfl screen not match and led one so it not seeing use at moment.
plus the 2007 keyboard vs the 2009 there just no comparison!
edit:
my 17" macbook pro has an express slot so CAN add a usb 3.0 card to it or an sd card reader without sticking out side of laptop.
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typing from my:
MacBook Pro 17" mid 2010
2.8 GHz intel Core i7, 8GB, GeForce GT 330M.
...and a 5400 rpm hdd
I was waiting for a Skylake Macbook pro for the past 2 years and that's why I ordered a 15", 16GB, 512 SSD with 4GB Graphics card today.
I'm looking forward to this upgrade. It will be a huge step forward speed wise and I'm also looking forward to the retina display. I'm open minded about the toolbar. I'm a graphic designer so the demos I saw at the keynote were interesting.
I am not happy about the price paid (but it's the company I work for who bought the Macbook Pro for me)
I'm afraid this is the last Apple computer I will own. I really don't like what Tim Cook is doing with the company lately but I am not ready to go to Windows again after 12 years of using Apple computers...
MacBook Pro 17" mid 2010
2.8 GHz intel Core i7, 8GB, GeForce GT 330M.
...and a 5400 rpm hdd
I was waiting for a Skylake Macbook pro for the past 2 years and that's why I ordered a 15", 16GB, 512 SSD with 4GB Graphics card today.
I'm looking forward to this upgrade. It will be a huge step forward speed wise and I'm also looking forward to the retina display. I'm open minded about the toolbar. I'm a graphic designer so the demos I saw at the keynote were interesting.
I am not happy about the price paid (but it's the company I work for who bought the Macbook Pro for me)
I'm afraid this is the last Apple computer I will own. I really don't like what Tim Cook is doing with the company lately but I am not ready to go to Windows again after 12 years of using Apple computers...
I'm at sea.
I don't want to lose the big screen but the machine is struggling more and more and the battery is dead.
I was going to buy a new top spec MBP yesterday but that was before I saw what they had done to them.
I'm gutted.
I don't want an emoji strip and ports that don't fit anything I have or anything anywhere I work.
None of my software will support that strip and I've no inclination to spend more thousands on upgrades I don't need just so I can get an escape key back.
I want a really good top spec machine with excellent performance and no overpriced and silly gimmicks.
Though if it came in choice of cool colours that would only be a slightly silly gimmick.
Apple have lost sight of the pro crowd in their drive for ever more pointless toys.
I don't spend money on a laptop so I can use Applepay.
I don't even WANT to use Applepay.
What planet is Ives et al on these days?
I don't want to lose the big screen but the machine is struggling more and more and the battery is dead.
I was going to buy a new top spec MBP yesterday but that was before I saw what they had done to them.
I'm gutted.
I don't want an emoji strip and ports that don't fit anything I have or anything anywhere I work.
None of my software will support that strip and I've no inclination to spend more thousands on upgrades I don't need just so I can get an escape key back.
I want a really good top spec machine with excellent performance and no overpriced and silly gimmicks.
Though if it came in choice of cool colours that would only be a slightly silly gimmick.
Apple have lost sight of the pro crowd in their drive for ever more pointless toys.
I don't spend money on a laptop so I can use Applepay.
I don't even WANT to use Applepay.
What planet is Ives et al on these days?
I wonder what the thinking was for only two colours for the 2016 MacBook Pros. Matte Black, Rose Gold and Gold would have been nice options too.
I was even thinking there might be new colours because of the brightly coloured adverts.
Not my main concern admittedly but harmless fun.
I've just looked up Hackintosh and it's still going.
The huge reason I don't want a PC is the OS.
If I can buy a good spec PC and run Mac OS on it that would be a temporary fix better than any other I have found so far.
I'm old and the big screen is hugely helpful to me and no, lugging a separate screen around is not an option.
By the time the tiny laptop window has filled up with software menu items there's not much space left for your work as it is.