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17 inch notebook too big

  • yes

    Votes: 170 52.6%
  • no

    Votes: 153 47.4%

  • Total voters
    323

tim100

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 25, 2009
1,368
0
is the 17inch mbp just too big? is smaller better in a portable?
 
Depends on what you are doing. If you plan to go to class, this laptop is retarded in terms of portability. You will have to bring a large backpack, and find a desk that is large enough to accommodate it.

My MBP13 doesn't even fit on some of the desks!
 
Depends on who you are. I ride my bike around the city with my 17" every day. I'm 6'3" 200 lbs....not too big for me. Nothing like looking at 1920x1200 resolution on your lap.
 
I personally think it is. I love my 13" MacBook Pro. 15" would be ideal for me, though. Past 15" it really starts losing portability in my opinion.
 
If you are willing to drop the change on a 17" get it. I mean it all really is about what you need, if you need the screen real estate get the 17" if you need a more portable machine get the high end 15" pretty much the same spec wise, the only difference is the screen at that point really.
 
I carry mine to work 3 to 4 days a week in a timbuk2 messenger style bag without any issues. My wife, a petite 5'-1" asian gal, occasionally does the same with hers without issues, as well. LOL . . . If I need something with a smaller footprint (not necessarily lighter) , I pack up the company Dell. :p
 
My 2005 Acer 15" laptop weighs 3kg and is thicker.

The MBP 17" is slimmer and weighs only 2.99kg (a record for a 17", even nowadays), and still has an impressive battery life.

My point is...it's the slimmest and lightest 17" laptop in the world.....its measures and weight were considered normal on a 15" just 4-5 years ago....so, IF you need the real estate of a 17" screen, don't think about it twice....you're getting the most portable 17" on the market, maybe more portable than some 15".....

If you don't need that screen, go 15". (+ refurbished Apple Cinema Display LED at home)
 
I must admit that the prospect of having a portable 1920x1200 resolution screen made me think about getting the 17" MBP. The real estate space is awesome but at that resolution on a 17" monitor things can be awfully tiny at times. I opted for the 15" as portability in the end mattered more for me, go to an Apple store and compare the 17" and 15" side by side. While the dimensions and weight on paper don't seem that great, the extra centimeters and pound make a difference. Especially when you add the weight of a case, power adapter and accessories.

I would be much happier if Apple had offered the MBP 15" with a 1680x1050 resolution on a 15.4 or 15.6 screen. I think that ratio would be a nice balance of screen size and resolution while still maintaining a better degree of portability. Get the 17" if you absolutely need the space other than that wait for a revised MBP as the 15" is long overdue for improvement in resolution.
 
17" MBP works great for me. I move mine almost every day.

It's no way big, considering most PC 15" laptops are the same size and same weight as MBP 17".

A good bag helps a lot.
 
i had a 17" for 2years. now i have i 12". next will be a 17" again :)

depend on your needs, if you need screen estate buy it, if you dont, dont buy it. its not to big, it fits perfect in my backpack for 15.4" laptops. it not that heavy and it looks gorgeous!
 
just want to get everyones thoughts here. not a buying advice post. 17 inch is tuff to use on a couch. check out the sony store the smaller notebooks are the more expensive and sleeker ones. the macbooks all sizes are great. keep voting.
 
Yep, I think the beast is too big. It may be ok for a desktop replacement but then you can easily hook up a larger monitor to a 13" or 15" MBP.

I find the 15" to be on the upper end of portability. The 13" is really a mobile device but the lack of screen real estate hinders this for lightroom/photoshop. The 15" offers a good mixture of portability and screen size to make this baby a winner.

I've seen people trying to use a 17" laptop in various locations, airports, airplanes, cafes etc and all of them had to contort their positions to get them to open up and use them.

Besides, you're paying a premium for the size.
 
the screen on the 17 is absolutely beautiful .. it really isnt to big to carry around .. my brothers 15 inch dell is a brick compared to this
 
I think the 17'' is a beautiful MacBook and it really depends on what your gonna use it for if u need that large of screen, cost too!
I prefer 13.3'' as I like to have portability and do not do video,photo,etc. editing which works fine on other MacBook but larger is easier.
 
yeah 17 inch is too big. I have a 13 inch which I really love, but you may find it too small, and in that case go with the 15 inch.
 
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