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Apple Predicted to Discontinue 17-Inch MacBook Pro

Pro > Consumer >Pro > Consumer > ???

Many people have pointed out that Apple is a consumer company now. Of course this wasn't always the case, and that idea is not entirely true anyway. Apple has shifted from pro to consumer to pro to consumer over the years... and don't forget the education market, too. Sure, Apple is selling a lot of devices to the average consumer these days, but this super hot streak won't last forever. Things will shift again, and Apple shouldn't keep all their eggs in one basket, so to speak.

I should also point out that there has been a lot of articles lately about how Macs are gaining traction in the enterprise. And, of course, iOS devices are also being used in the enterprise as well.

I know Apple is the hot ticket right now with iOS and consumer gadgets, but I can't believe they would be stupid enough to completely abandon the very people who have promoted their products when Apple wasn't in this "consumer cycle" that we are seeing now.

We will all see what Apple does soon enough. I really hope they keep the 17" MBP and also keep the Mac Pro... especially if it comes in a form factor that can be used vertically (like now) and horizontally (to rack mount).
 
bit density said:
Um no it won't. It's not just DPI. And HiDPI will not give you more "screen size", it will make the existing screen size sharper.
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Unless the Lion implementation changes from how seems to work, HiDPI is still an "option"; the user would have the choice to go with HiDPI or make use of all those pixels.
 
I've had a 17" since late 2007. I have moved it once. I agree that the 17" laptop can step down and just be replaced with an imac. The portability of a host of other devices with high res screens seems sufficient in today's world.
 
This is an inevitable result of the paradigm shift brought about by the Cloud. In the pre-cloud era, that Steve Jobs described with his "digital hub" philosophy, you had one PC that was the centre of your digital life. If you had complex needs, like needing both power and portability, you had to make a compromise in selecting the right PC.

The Cloud changes all that. You no longer need to have a single PC to be your digital hub, and if you have complex needs, rather than having to pick a compromise device that meets them all somewhat, you can alternatively use a number of different devices, each suited to a particular task. If I want a powerful computer with a big screen, and I want to be able to have access to my data on the move, I could buy a 17" MBP, but alternatively I could buy a 27" iMac and an iPad.

Take a look at the threads on these forums asking the question "should I buy a MacBook Pro, or an iMac and iPad". There are loads of them, and a lot of people are opting for the second choice.
 
bedifferent said:
I've read some comments defending Apple and iDevices as though you were insulting their mother. The company that was supported by professionals for 10+ years using PowerMac's and their previous gen highly praised by the industry ACD CCFL LCD's changed focus from professionals to consumers in order to make a quick buck (even though the money from those professionals gave them the funds for R&D into the iPad which lead to the iPhone and the rest is history).

Apple has $100 billion just in cash. Apple used to have commercials advertising the PowerMac and iMac not more than 5 years ago (remember Jeff Goldblum selling Macs?). When was the last time you saw an iMac or Mac Pro ad? More consumers buy MacBook for their kids and iMac's to surf the web from a taste of Apple with the cross platform iPhone, that doesn't mean professionals who use Mac's for their living have to be ignored to make a profit. If Apple put some focus on their pro-line with marketing and updates (and there are a lot of professionals, not a "small, meaningless number, suggested by some), they could make enough profit to do both. It doesn't have to be one market or the other, why can't it be both and still keep it simple?
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Exactly. It is all because the iLine became like crack to Apple and entertaining the old friends and original patrons with some low volume devices as we are learning time and again is so painful, annoying and incovenient to them...
 
I gotta say, I never would've bought a 17" because a 15" suits my needs, but after Apple gave me a free 17" to replace my 15", I friggin love it.

I do use the ExpressCard, and the resolution is gorgeous. It is heavy, but not a big deal. The screen space is worth the weight. However, if the 15" can have as beautiful a screen, I suppose I won't mind much. I just won't be able to use my ExpressCards.
 
rcp27 said:
"I could buy a 17" MBP, but alternatively I could buy a 27" iMac and an iPad.

Take a look at the threads on these forums asking the question "should I buy a MacBook Pro, or an iMac and iPad". There are loads of them, and a lot of people are opting for the second choice.
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Or you couuullld....buy a 15" MacBook Pro, a 27" iMac, a Mac Pro, two iPads, an 11" and a 13" MacBook Air, and have about 30 other older Macs around, like me :D

Yes, I think I am officially Apple's biggest fan.

But, I will agree, I use my desktops more than anything else....my 27" iMac at home and my Mac Pro at work....I find myself rarely using my laptops at all now, actually thinking about selling them. For anything portable I am using my iPad (mobile e-mail, web surfing, internet, etc)....I really don't have much use for my MacBooks anymore.
 
Just a note to talk about the 'Pro' market. This Pro market includes film and television production, I have seen documentaries when they are in the middle of nowhere using Final Cut on a 17" MacBook Pro to edit wildlife film, I have also lost count the number of times I now see Macs and iPads used by presenters on news channels, sport channels etc etc. Apple are making IMO massive penetration into the visible work environment of this market now, they have always been in the background but never in the forefront, and how many films do you see Macs in now too?
It has become a very cool brand, but also has a very reliable reputation. You could even argue it's another reason why the 17" isn't going anywhere and neither is the Mac Pro!
 
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I had a 17" mbp. I thought it would be great to haul around and do serious work on. That said, if I had to do it again, I'd go with a 15" machine. The 17" screen proved to be too large. I could see using the larger laptop if you're living at a desk, but if you're even remotely mobile, the laptop is just too big. It's heavier, and the larger screen translates to lower battery life. If I were to buy another laptop (I moved back to a desktop machine), I'd go with the 15" model and get an external screen for when I'm at my desk. As long as they continue to offer the high performance procs in the 15" platforms, I don't see this as a big issue. TL;DR version: I tried the 17" mbp... for my needs, it didn't make sense.
 
sseaton1971 said:
Many people have pointed out that Apple is a consumer company now. Of course this wasn't always the case, and that idea is not entirely true anyway. Apple has shifted from pro to consumer to pro to consumer over the years... and don't forget the education market, too. Sure, Apple is selling a lot of devices to the average consumer these days, but this super hot streak won't last forever. Things will shift again, and Apple shouldn't keep all their eggs in one basket, so to speak.

I should also point out that there has been a lot of articles lately about how Macs are gaining traction in the enterprise. And, of course, iOS devices are also being used in the enterprise as well.

I know Apple is the hot ticket right now with iOS and consumer gadgets, but I can't believe they would be stupid enough to completely abandon the very people who have promoted their products when Apple wasn't in this "consumer cycle" that we are seeing now.

We will all see what Apple does soon enough. I really hope they keep the 17" MBP and also keep the Mac Pro... especially if it comes in a form factor that can be used vertically (like now) and horizontally (to rack mount).
Click to expand...

I don't remember Apple ever being a pro market company. They started as a consumer (not even prosumer) company and continued on that for many years. They made some pro level machines every now and then but the majority of their computers were always aimed at the home user / prosumer. They started building workstation class computers when they switched to Intel (before that the processing speed of Mac computers were never on par with workstation processors) and they may discontinue that line now. So only the Mac Pro was truly a professional grade machine. I wouldn't count any of the PowerPC line or the Quadra Line on that level. They were fast but not as fast as intel offerings of the era.

The fact that the professional market adapted their machines is not due to the power or the speed of the machines (intel always offered faster processors than IBM/Motorola). It was due to the ease of use of Mac OS compared to Windows.
 
Over my cold, dead body! I love my 17"MBP as well as my 13" MBA for travel. Hey, I guess I might not need either and in the future could get by with one 15" MBP - and cut their sales in half!
 
So far, most posters here seem to favour the 17".

Just look at those "DIE 15"!!!!" posts get voted down into the bottomless cesspool.

I still think the 17" is bulky and heavy. The world is full of women after all, right? I've got a 15" macbook pro with the resolution of my old 20" G5 iMac (1680x1050).

Get over it.
 
I definitely can see it happening...will they do it...who knows?

I prefer the 15" laptop...that's what I'm getting when they come out.
 
You still need pro kit to make stuff for the consumer.

Apple HQ are not using iPads to design the next iPad... or for that matter Windows! They are running top of the range mac pro's with the best graphics available.

The 17" are a bit niche... but even 50,000 in a quarter @ $2,499.00 is 12.495 million! So $50 Million a year! How many companyie will just bin that and that's with the slow down because people know the new ones are coming out.
 
Apple should make an ultra-portable Mac. 400 to 600 g. Whatever form factor. The Mac in your pocket, purse or bag. Always.
 
iBug2 said:
I don't remember Apple ever being a pro market company. They started as a consumer (not even prosumer) company and continued on that for many years. They made some pro level machines every now and then but the majority of their computers were always aimed at the home user / prosumer. They started building workstation class computers when they switched to Intel (before that the processing speed of Mac computers were never on par with workstation processors) and they may discontinue that line now. So only the Mac Pro was truly a professional grade machine. I wouldn't count any of the PowerPC line or the Quadra Line on that level. They were fast but not as fast as intel offerings of the era.

The fact that the professional market adapted their machines is not due to the power or the speed of the machines (intel always offered faster processors than IBM/Motorola). It was due to the ease of use of Mac OS compared to Windows.
Click to expand...

I seem to remember a lot of people in the arts using Macs. I consider these people professionals. I am not talking about boring IT people (like me! lol)
 
sseaton1971 said:
I seem to remember a lot of people in the arts using Macs. I consider these people professionals. I am not talking about boring IT people (like me! lol)
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It's a pro market...but a hell of a small pro market...I'm in it. :)
 
Am I the only one who hates working for hours on end sitting up at a desk? I would rather be comfortable working on a 13" laptop then have the screen space of a desktop. Guess I was born with an old man's spine or something. That plus things like portability, no, "get a desktop" is NOT a solution.


As for "retina will save us," I'd have to see it before passing that judgment. I already want retina in a 17" because I want more. Retina will not just flat out double the screen real-estate though because there's going to be a point when things are just too small. The question is are my eyes good enough that a 15" MacBook will give me back what I see in front of me AND give me the more I want?

It's possible, there is a chance I can be content with a 15" retina screen. But damn, do you know how much better a 17" one would be? Damn it.
 
DaReal_Dionysus said:
NEVER going to happen!!! Apple won't do this for quite some time due to the about of professionals that use the 17" screen. Every time these ridiculous predictions come out they are BS. Mac Pro was supposed to be killed five years ago and it's still around. This is a rumor just like the iPhone 5 holographic keyboard and display. BS nothing more
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I agree. The pros love all that scene real estate. It is too valuable to APPLE IMHO.
 
I really hope that the 15" will have a higher resolution. the only reason i buy the 17 inch models is for 1920x1200.
 
iBug2 said:
I don't remember Apple ever being a pro market company. They started as a consumer (not even prosumer) company and continued on that for many years. They made some pro level machines every now and then but the majority of their computers were always aimed at the home user / prosumer. They started building workstation class computers when they switched to Intel (before that the processing speed of Mac computers were never on par with workstation processors) and they may discontinue that line now. So only the Mac Pro was truly a professional grade machine. I wouldn't count any of the PowerPC line or the Quadra Line on that level. They were fast but not as fast as intel offerings of the era.

The fact that the professional market adapted their machines is not due to the power or the speed of the machines (intel always offered faster processors than IBM/Motorola). It was due to the ease of use of Mac OS compared to Windows.
Click to expand...

I would state you have so little clue about what you are saying, you should just delete your post.
 
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