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17" rMBP?

JesterJJZ

JesterJJZ

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jul 21, 2004
2,506
898
Probably been discussed, but I don't come into the MBP forums enough.

rMBP looks nice and all, but I can't see myself going down in screen size. I would have loved a current 17" MBP with TB and USB3 but they didn't make one...:(

Do you think we'll ever see a 17" retina?
 
This has extensively been discussed. Seeing that Apple completely dropped the 17" MBP line, don't expect a 17" retina version to pop up any time soon or ever.
 
JesterJJZ said:
Probably been discussed, but I don't come into the MBP forums enough.

rMBP looks nice and all, but I can't see myself going down in screen size. I would have loved a current 17" MBP with TB and USB3 but they didn't make one...:(

Do you think we'll ever see a 17" retina?
Click to expand...

No.
 
mohsy90 said:
This has extensively been discussed. Seeing that Apple completely dropped the 17" MBP line, don't expect a 17" retina version to pop up any time soon or ever.
Click to expand...

Well, I can see them adding it later when larger higher density panels come around. Surely the idea it to transition all MBs to retina.

Personally, I think they will eventually drop the "Air" and just call it the "Macbook" with the smaller screens, and then "Macbook Pro" for the more powerful ones with larger screens.
 
Apple is focusing reducing weight and size. I may be wrong but I don't think the 17" Macbook was a big seller compared to the other sizes.
 
mohsy90 said:
Yup, I doubt it will ever come back. Apple won't bother with the R&D time and cost involved in making a retina version. Consider it dead!
Click to expand...

I disagree. As display costs reduce, and the demand for 17" laptops come back, I believe we'll see a product to meet demand. That is unless Apple goes the way of Sony and becomes a completely consumer-centric company.
 
GoreVidal said:
I disagree. As display costs reduce, and the demand for 17" laptops come back, I believe we'll see a product to meet demand. That is unless Apple goes the way of Sony and becomes a completely consumer-centric company.
Click to expand...

I doubt it, it really has nothing to do with the display cost of the retina. Even the current 17" MBP didn't get a refresh because it accounts for only 1 PERCENT of their notebook sales.

Demand is low and will likely stay that way. For the majority, 17" is just too big.
 
mohsy90 said:
I doubt it, it really has nothing to do with the display cost of the retina. Even the current 17" MBP didn't get a refresh because it accounts for only 1 PERCENT of their notebook sales.

Demand is low and will likely stay that way. For the majority, 17" is just too big.
Click to expand...

I think they didn't bother with the 17" for the current ones is that they are transitioning to retina. Since 17" sales are low to begin with, they would just skip the last gen and wait till the retina is ready and just work on those.

The 17" seems to be in the same position at the MacPro. True, they are in the smallest percentage of sales, but we still need them.
 
JesterJJZ said:
I think they didn't bother with the 17" for the current ones is that they are transitioning to retina. Since 17" sales are low to begin with, they would just skip the last gen and wait till the retina is ready and just work on those.

The 17" seems to be in the same position at the MacPro. True, they are in the smallest percentage of sales, but we still need them.
Click to expand...

Still doesn't explain why they completely dropped 17" MBP from their website. It's no longer for sale and thats a pretty clear statement that its not coming back.

As for the Mac Pro, it's still in demand by professionals. But it also has declined as more are transitioning to the iMac. I think if Apple wants to keep their reputation as a provider to professionals they will continue with the Mac Pro, but they don't need a 17" MBP to keep that sector afloat.
 
GoreVidal said:
I disagree. As display costs reduce, and the demand for 17" laptops come back, I believe we'll see a product to meet demand. That is unless Apple goes the way of Sony and becomes a completely consumer-centric company.
Click to expand...

The option of a thunderbolt display is there for anyone who wants bigger screen.

----------
mohsy90 said:
I think if Apple wants to keep their reputation as a provider to professionals they will continue with the Mac Pro, but they don't need a 17" MBP to keep that sector afloat.
Click to expand...

I agree. Again there's the thunderbolt display option.
 
Funkenstein said:
The option of a thunderbolt display is there for anyone who wants bigger screen.

----------



I agree. Again there's the thunderbolt display option.
Click to expand...

Kinda defeats the purpose of a mobile computer doesn't it? Sure it's nice if you use your laptop at home or office, but for those of us that have workstations at home and laptops on the road, we never use external displays with our laptops, let alone bring one everywhere we go.
 
JesterJJZ said:
Kinda defeats the purpose of a mobile computer doesn't it? Sure it's nice if you use your laptop at home or office, but for those of us that have workstations at home and laptops on the road, we never use external displays with our laptops, let alone bring one everywhere we go.
Click to expand...

Some might argue that with the size and weight of the 17", it almost defeated the purpose of a mobile computer on its own.
 
Well, you do have a fully maxed out two year old i7 17" with a 512gb SSD card. Guess you can soldier on with it a couple of more years without too much pain to see if Apple does bring it back.

But my magic 8 ball tells me 'outlook not so good'. I think one of the selling points on the current rMBP is that the retina display gives you the functional equivalent of extra space on the screen.
 
Comeagain? said:
Some might argue that with the size and weight of the 17", it almost defeated the purpose of a mobile computer on its own.
Click to expand...

Good point. I was looking at this from a purely business perspective, in that, reducing the range of products minimizes costs and increases the profit margin. This at the cost of sacrificing the choice for the consumer who, in all reality, will still buy a mac and possibly the additional display for an extra $1K.
 
clyde2801 said:
I think one of the selling points on the current rMBP is that the retina display gives you the functional equivalent of extra space on the screen.
Click to expand...

True. Though the screen on my 17" feels very retinal-like as it is. I'd prefer having a physically larger screen.
 
I don't see the 17" Macbook Pro coming back. They would have kept it in the current line if that was the case.

I don't think people are getting the big picture here. Yes, the 17" accounted for a smaller portion of sales but to say 1% is pure speculation. I think it's safe to say that a majority of people who bought the 17" are creative professionals and they're either buying high end MBP's or iMac's. Now the average buyer is going to look at both the 15" and 17" model and compare the price between the two. Let's say they don't need the high end 15" model but they want the 17" screen. Not everyone is willing to spend that much money on a laptop unless they're getting something back out of it. You'll also see that a lot of professionals would rather buy the 17" Macbook Pro over the out dated Mac Pro. For less money you can get more ports and an express slot which some people still rely on. Apple might have had more luck if perhaps they sold a low end 17" model for less money.

The larger display does come in handy when you aren't able to connect a display. I've owned both the 15" and 17" but I prefer the larger screen because it's easier to design on. It's a personal preference and I was happy to have the option. It irks me when people complain about the size and weight. The dimensions aren't that much bigger and you're comparing literally a pound when comparing to the 15" model. The 15" weights 5.6 pounds while the 17" comes in at 6.6 pounds. It's scary how we complain over the weight of a laptop when we carry so much other crap with us everyday.

In the end, I don't think the 17" was ever targeted at regular consumers. Apple used to be about innovating and creating professional tools but over the years I've watched them slowly kill or ruin products. The Mac Pro has still to be updated (Yes, I know there are limited processors that intel can provide but it's a rip off at this point buying such old technology), and their software has become a joke. Shake was discontinued and Final Cut Pro was ruined along with Aperture. I still have hope though.
 
The issue with the 17in is the price. If Apple was willing to lower all their prices, which they never will, I think the 17in mbp would account for more than 2% of their sales. There are not a lot of people that can afford or are willing to spend 3-5k on a laptop.
 
FastEddiebags said:
The issue with the 17in is the price. If Apple was willing to lower all their prices, which they never will, I think the 17in mbp would account for more than 2% of their sales. There are not a lot of people that can afford or are willing to spend 3-5k on a laptop.
Click to expand...

I think the biggest problem tho is that its just not a practical device. A 17" laptop is a portable desktop..screen and all. The 15" is extremely powerful, actually portable..and the extra money you would spend on the 17" you could spend on a 27" display to use while you are home.
 
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