Well... after being swamped at work for a couple of weeks, I finally made it to the Apple Store across the border to try out a PB 15" and PB 17" side by side. I was there for 90 minutes; ended up typing a bunch of scientific jargon just to feel how comfortable with either. I read as many past threads as I could and figured this trip would make up my mind. Still not sure!
I don't know what it is, but I REALLY like the feel of the 17". There's more wrist rest space it seems "up and down", and of course side to side, so it just feels more comfortable. I tend to think a lot between typing so I like to rest my hands. I guess it's supposed to be a desktop replacement and so it looks and feels like it should to me! I'm intending this purchase to be my main computer.
My wife, who has a 15" TiBook, said the 17" seemed a little too big, and when I closed it up and picked it up, well, it is a bit on the big side. My wife is usually right with her intuitive commetns. It just looks big, and it feels a tad awkward: I'm worried that I'll drop the thing when I try to slide it into a case, etc. And it could be awkward to cart it around and place on small tables at the fronts of lecture halls when I give seminars around campus. I hate taking too much on planes if I can avoid it. That being said,
I only travel out of town about 3 to 4 times a year, so I figure I'd want to buy the unit that would make me comfortable the majority of time, as opposed to few times I travel.
I even thought about a 12" and then buying a separate monitor to span, but I don't find the 12" has enough space around the keyboard to be comfortable, and I don't really want to clutter up my desk with external keyboards. But then I thought maybe I should see if I like spanning a PB 15". So, right now I'm typing this on my wife's 15" TiBook - spanned to an older external 19" CRT - to see how it appeals to me. Maybe this combination is better than a 17" PB. I just don't know - I think I still prefer to look "straight on" to the screen. And to make it worse, cost is less of a factor: with an educational discount, the price difference between a similarly configured PB 15" and PB 17" is only about $120 Cdn (or $10 US - ha ha).
So, I'm figuring it comes down to these points:
1. Everytime I open and use a 17" PB, I say, "Damn, that's one fine screen and nice feeling keyboard."
2. Everytime I pull out and put away a 17" PB - because I'll be taking it between home and work EVERY day, I say "Damn, wish it was just a little smaller."
Sorry for the long post. Any insights from people who bought a 17" and then wished they had a 15", or people who bought a 15" and wished they got a 17" instead? I'm driving my wife crazy, so I've got to make a decision soon! Thanks.
I don't know what it is, but I REALLY like the feel of the 17". There's more wrist rest space it seems "up and down", and of course side to side, so it just feels more comfortable. I tend to think a lot between typing so I like to rest my hands. I guess it's supposed to be a desktop replacement and so it looks and feels like it should to me! I'm intending this purchase to be my main computer.
My wife, who has a 15" TiBook, said the 17" seemed a little too big, and when I closed it up and picked it up, well, it is a bit on the big side. My wife is usually right with her intuitive commetns. It just looks big, and it feels a tad awkward: I'm worried that I'll drop the thing when I try to slide it into a case, etc. And it could be awkward to cart it around and place on small tables at the fronts of lecture halls when I give seminars around campus. I hate taking too much on planes if I can avoid it. That being said,
I only travel out of town about 3 to 4 times a year, so I figure I'd want to buy the unit that would make me comfortable the majority of time, as opposed to few times I travel.
I even thought about a 12" and then buying a separate monitor to span, but I don't find the 12" has enough space around the keyboard to be comfortable, and I don't really want to clutter up my desk with external keyboards. But then I thought maybe I should see if I like spanning a PB 15". So, right now I'm typing this on my wife's 15" TiBook - spanned to an older external 19" CRT - to see how it appeals to me. Maybe this combination is better than a 17" PB. I just don't know - I think I still prefer to look "straight on" to the screen. And to make it worse, cost is less of a factor: with an educational discount, the price difference between a similarly configured PB 15" and PB 17" is only about $120 Cdn (or $10 US - ha ha).
So, I'm figuring it comes down to these points:
1. Everytime I open and use a 17" PB, I say, "Damn, that's one fine screen and nice feeling keyboard."
2. Everytime I pull out and put away a 17" PB - because I'll be taking it between home and work EVERY day, I say "Damn, wish it was just a little smaller."
Sorry for the long post. Any insights from people who bought a 17" and then wished they had a 15", or people who bought a 15" and wished they got a 17" instead? I'm driving my wife crazy, so I've got to make a decision soon! Thanks.
. I personally love my 12 incher, but I figure...eithr go for miniature ultra-portable, or get the full fledged monster, it's not much more with EDU pricing than the 15.
