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Anyone wish they didnt get a 17" MBP?
- Thread starter Mr. Chewbacca
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I disagree completely with this statement.
For those who require high portability with a large screen, the 17" MBP is great. I am a software engineer and system administrator. Both jobs require that I be able to see multiple applications at the same time and be able to see large lines of textual information WITHOUT line breaks. For both of these things, the 17" hi res screen of my MBP is perfect.
I also find it highly portable.
My 17 is provided by work at my request and I have it hooked up to a 27" ACD while there. I love the thing but find myself wanting to request a 13" MBP or 11/13" MBA while roaming the office (i'm an IT guy working in a fairly large building where they build rockets so I have a decent distance to walk at times). Thats one of the great things about the company I work for. Macs are surprisingly cheap compared to most of the computers we order so if I wait a bit and ask for a maxed out Air or iPad2 I will likely get it.
While I agree with you on getting SSDs when buying, they do die. Thats why its our company policy to RAID1 SSDs (and RAID10 spinning drives).
My fantasy mac setup:
12 Core MacPro with 2 x 27" LED Cinema Displays with 64GB RAM plus 4x512GB SSD (it is a fantasy after all...)
iMac 27" i7 quad core with everything maxed out and SSD of course
2 more Apple 27" LED Cinema Display (one for iMac, one for MBP 17")
MBP 17" i7 fully maxed out with SSD
MBA 11" Ultimate
iPad 128GB 3G
iPhone 5 64GB
better go work on some of my apps if I want to pay for all this above
My rule for future computer purchases: NO SPINNING HARD DRIVES!!! I've had four of them crash on me already. I want an Airport Express With 4TB of flash attached to the side of it (Time Capsule Express).
While I agree with you on getting SSDs when buying, they do die. Thats why its our company policy to RAID1 SSDs (and RAID10 spinning drives).
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I'm planning on getting the iPad2 at the same time. I figure I will use that a lot for e-mail and web browsing. Since the 17" will end up being my primary computer I think it will be a good mix.
To me the sweet spot is 13". I have had larger laptops and smaller laptops but to me 13" is the perfect size. I'm not a small guy either I'm 6,2 and 220Lbs and I love my 13" MBP. A laptop is supposed to be portable. My desktop is my killer system (Intel Q9650 at 4Ghz, 4GB ram, 2TB hard drive and Nvidia GTX570).
I think you are making the right decision on the 17". I wanted the 15" for the same reasons, but the 17" Hi Res Anti Glare model is the perfect desktop replacement.
I use my iPad with the AirDisplay app, if I need to spread my work around a little more.
The MBP is also the same weight than my 16" PC laptop, but easier to carry around.
I use my iPad with the AirDisplay app, if I need to spread my work around a little more.
The MBP is also the same weight than my 16" PC laptop, but easier to carry around.
I love my 17" MBP. The only issue I've had with it is that I had to get a new laptop bag, and the bag I decided on is intended for much thicker laptops, so I'm looking for a 17" sleeve that opens on the narrow end so I can keep it in the bag to act as extra padding. (I've found a couple locally, but they've been leather and I'm not wanting to spend that much on extra padding.)
For the record, I upgraded from a 15" MBP Core Duo (rev. A) which served me well for years, and now belongs to my wife.
For the record, I upgraded from a 15" MBP Core Duo (rev. A) which served me well for years, and now belongs to my wife.
Know what you mean about the laptop bag for the 17
I love my 17, but tbrinkma is right about buying a new bag, bag designers don't seem to know that mac laptops are considerably thinner than the competition, I ended up buying a Crumpler bag which also had a sleeve for the machine in it, theres still bags of room left in the sleeve, but it does help with the wobble of the laptop in its particular compartment
Talk about a massive man bag!!
I love my 17, but tbrinkma is right about buying a new bag, bag designers don't seem to know that mac laptops are considerably thinner than the competition, I ended up buying a Crumpler bag which also had a sleeve for the machine in it, theres still bags of room left in the sleeve, but it does help with the wobble of the laptop in its particular compartment
Talk about a massive man bag!!
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My wife bought a MBP 13 in 2009. I'm a PC guy, so I wasn't really swayed by it, but I've been looking at the 15-inch or 17-inch models for two years now.
Bought the 17-inch MBP for a few reasons. It's the most powerful, best graphics, more ports, desktop replacement, and it's only 1 lbs heavier than the 15-inch MBP. This means that it's only 1lbs heavier than my Asus W7M 13.3-inch.
I've had it for a few days and I don't regret the purchase. I was a programmer before, so learning a new OS isn't really an issue, though there are some annoyances that SteerMouse and RightZoom fixed.
I bought the base configuration i7 2.8Ghz with 4 GB of RAM and the 7200 RPM HD. I am planning on upgrading the RAM myself, it will only cost $144. As for the SSD, the prices for the 512 GB are still too high (~$1,350 for the 480GB OWC) so I'll wait until next year.
I might replace the optical drive with an extra hard drive though. Adding 1TB WD drive will cost about $180 USD. That's cheap and I rarely ever use the Superdrive.
As for battery life, I've been rocking 8hrs straight with a full charge, without the monitor or HD going to sleep when I calibrated the battery. With the energy saving features, I can go up to 10-12 hours of battery life. I discharge the battery each time before plugging it in. This is 4-5× what I can get from my old Asus. BTW, this is with the brightness pumped up to the max.
The experience has been cool, I spent Christmas Day installing all of the image editing software I need (Aperture, PS, MS Office, iWork, iLife).
I rarely visit Flash sites and don't play any games.
Bought the 17-inch MBP for a few reasons. It's the most powerful, best graphics, more ports, desktop replacement, and it's only 1 lbs heavier than the 15-inch MBP. This means that it's only 1lbs heavier than my Asus W7M 13.3-inch.
I've had it for a few days and I don't regret the purchase. I was a programmer before, so learning a new OS isn't really an issue, though there are some annoyances that SteerMouse and RightZoom fixed.
I bought the base configuration i7 2.8Ghz with 4 GB of RAM and the 7200 RPM HD. I am planning on upgrading the RAM myself, it will only cost $144. As for the SSD, the prices for the 512 GB are still too high (~$1,350 for the 480GB OWC) so I'll wait until next year.
I might replace the optical drive with an extra hard drive though. Adding 1TB WD drive will cost about $180 USD. That's cheap and I rarely ever use the Superdrive.
As for battery life, I've been rocking 8hrs straight with a full charge, without the monitor or HD going to sleep when I calibrated the battery. With the energy saving features, I can go up to 10-12 hours of battery life. I discharge the battery each time before plugging it in. This is 4-5× what I can get from my old Asus. BTW, this is with the brightness pumped up to the max.
The experience has been cool, I spent Christmas Day installing all of the image editing software I need (Aperture, PS, MS Office, iWork, iLife).
I rarely visit Flash sites and don't play any games.
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I would love a 15" mbp but I need the express card slot. It pisses me off that I have to pay more just to have that.
i do regret getting the 17" i wanted to get a 20"...but they don't make those....YET
my i7 17" is pretty good for a laptop though
Greatness!!!
I think theyre comming out with those next weekI was in the same situation. I got my first macbook pro in june. I was starting off looking at the MacBook and then i looked at all the pros. Once i saw the 17" i was sold. I wanted to get that hands down. I really wanted it for the full 1080p screen. The res goes up to 1920x1200 rather than like 1600x1200 (i think less). Plus the speakers are loud and they got subs in it. Thats the 17" only. I think personally the 17" is the best my cousin has the 15" but like a 2008 model. I don't like it. My mom has the 13inch and doesn't even compare. Best $$$ i have spent. Don't let the price scare you. This thing will last you. You can expand on the ram and hard drive. You want to get a good processor though not some ****. GO FOR THE I7 and get the anti glare screen. Makes the laptop much nicer.