Apple Predicted to Discontinue 17-Inch MacBook Pro

[bluebamboo]

I my opinion 17" and "laptop" somehow contradict. Apple's philosophy for its laptop line is power even for pro application, great design and mobility. A 17" laptop is simply too big and heavier for being real mobile.

I use a 15" MBP but to being really productive I usually connect another monitor to it. On the road the 15" are enough for all the regular tasks. And I think Apple thinks the same way: Small and mobile for the occasional use with the option to attach external monitors for high productivity.

 

[KnightWRX]

See, you were fine up if you had stuck with "some do, some don't". Arguing that your needs and someone elses don't match is safe and predictable.

But you've just gone and done the opposite - asserting that your experience is the only one that counts, and because you need, everyone else must only want.

There are some coders whose work flow may very well involve that. And many who don't. Anyone - you or otherwise - asserting "All coders need X" or even worse, "All 'pros' need X" is wrong.

I never asserted nor generalized the needs of anyone. I provider a counter annecdote to the poster I was replying to, to prove to him his gross over-generalization wasn't rooted in reality.

And frankly, I have yet to meet a single coder who has an actual "need" of 1920x1200 pixels. Most of us want the highest possible resolution to fit the most code on screen, few of us actually need it (as in, the project isn't getting done without those pixels).

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I don't think he did at all. Some may be reading it that way, but Knight simply said that not everyone that codes needs . . . . as in must have a large screen.

They want one to code with, but it's not necessary. My first machine to cut on was a 14.1" iBook G4. I was fine with it then, but now I want 17" /1920x1200 or larger.

I don't need a screen that size, but I sure as hell do want one that large or larger.

Exactly, simply countering the point that a 17" laptop disappearing from Apple's line-up is going to cause some kind of mass exodus of developers (which was looney's or whatever he's called initial argument).

I personally use my MBA connected to a 2048x1156 monitor, and use both screens (internal and external) and I still sometimes find it cramped. But you know what, when I'm out and about and only have the 1440x900 screen to work with, I still manage to write code, debug it, run it.

We use to write code on 80x24 displays. Run it through debuggers, watch variables, edit multiple files. Do we want to go back to those days ? Heck no. Can we ? Sure. 1920x1200 on a 17" is not a requirement, and for some of us, not a reason to sacrifice the portability either.

 

[iSayuSay]

All Apple should do is axe the price of 17" MBP, not the product itself.

It's crazy when you get the same guts as hi end 15" but paid $400 more for 2" more diagonal. What makes it so special, huh? Might as well buy 15" and spend $1000 for ATD, it's real 27" at least

Pro or not, Apple's 17" pricing is absurd, beyond logic

 

[Digital Skunk]

We use to write code on 80x24 displays. Run it through debuggers, watch variables, edit multiple files. Do we want to go back to those days ? Heck no. Can we ? Sure. 1920x1200 on a 17" is not a requirement, and for some of us, not a reason to sacrifice the portability either.

AH! We use to cut and tone images on 15" CRTs . . . . . black and white! Kids these days can't get accurate color on a top notch Eizos with the color space punched in for them . . . we used to do it on 1024x768 black and white monitors.

All Apple should do is axe the price of 17" MBP, not the product itself.

It's crazy when you get the same guts as hi end 15" but paid $400 more for 2" more diagonal. What makes it so special, huh? Might as well buy 15" and spend $1000 for ATD, it's real 27" at least

Pro or not, Apple's 17" pricing is absurd, beyond logic

The biggest issue with both the price and your solution is that 1) people have paid more for heavier machines that sometimes have the same CPU and RAM; and 2) not everyone can carry a 27" ACD with them in the field.

Also, I'd rather pay $400 more for 2" more screen real estate, ExpressCard 34, an extra USB, a 1920x1200 display, and at times a better GPU and fully clocked CPU (in the past, those two factors also separated the 17" from the 15") than spend another $1000 on a 27" panel that I can't just throw in a bag and take a flight.

 

[Husky1992]

when are the new mbp 13'' coming out?
I really need it, me actual pc has major software/hardware breaks, and I can't stand anymore Wseven

 

[Zendokan]

when are the new mbp 13'' coming out?
I really need it, me actual pc has major software/hardware breaks, and I can't stand anymore Wseven

At the same time as the new 15" ones, which will probably (it's a guess) be in June, just after the WWDC or at tops a month later than the WWDC.

So in one month, tops two months.

 

[Eric S.]

We use to write code on 80x24 displays. Run it through debuggers, watch variables, edit multiple files. Do we want to go back to those days ? Heck no. Can we ? Sure. 1920x1200 on a 17" is not a requirement, and for some of us, not a reason to sacrifice the portability either.

Heck, talking about what we used to do, I once coded with paper and pencil, then typed it into a machine that punched it out on paper tape, took that source tape and ran it through a compiler by flipping switches on the computer console and punched out an object tape, then ran that object tape plus a library tape through the computer which punched an output tape, took that tape back to the keypunch machine and printed the results. What can be accomplished with that method is pretty limited though.

 

[KnightWRX]

Heck, talking about what we used to do, I once coded with paper and pencil, then typed it into a machine that punched it out on paper tape, took that source tape and ran it through a compiler by flipping switches on the computer console and punched out an object tape, then ran that object tape plus a library tape through the computer which punched an output tape, took that tape back to the keypunch machine and printed the results. What can be accomplished with that method is pretty limited though.

We're getting far from discussing 17" laptop vs 13" or 15" or 11" laptops though. I doubt there's really a difference aside from comfort for coding on different sized laptops with different resolutions, vs a whole different process requiring more manual intervention.

Every laptop Apple sells runs XCode, irregardless of their screen sizes.

 

[Jiten]

I'm a lawyer and translator by trade. I spend hours writing, translating, and comparing legal documents for clients. The thing is, my work requires me to travel to places like Hong Kong and Singapore so I can't bring my 27" ACD. The extra desktop real estate of the 17" helps a LOT with my workflow in Scrivener on the go. Since I switched to the 17" I noticed I'm getting my work done faster. For my needs, its a fair compromise.

As for price, I agree it is high but I'm fortunate enough to be in a practice that is able to recover the expenditure of my fully upgraded 17" rather quickly. True, I could do all this on a 13 inch Macbook Pro, heck I can do it with paper and pencil but since I can easily afford something more luxurious for my work, why not?

If you think that the 17" is ludicrous in price or form thats fine, you are entitled to your opinion but doesn't change the fact that there will be people with different preferences and needs then yours. For us the 17" is an invaluable tool.

 

[xgman]

I'm a lawyer and translator by trade. I spend hours writing, translating, and comparing legal documents for clients. The thing is, my work requires me to travel to places like Hong Kong and Singapore so I can't bring my 27" ACD. The extra desktop real estate of the 17" helps a LOT with my workflow in Scrivener on the go. Since I switched to the 17" I noticed I'm getting my work done faster. For my needs, its a fair compromise.

As for price, I agree it is high but I'm fortunate enough to be in a practice that is able to recover the expenditure of my fully upgraded 17" rather quickly. True, I could do all this on a 13 inch Macbook Pro, heck I can do it with paper and pencil but since I can easily afford something more luxurious for my work, why not?

If you think that the 17" is ludicrous in price or form thats fine, you are entitled to your opinion but doesn't change the fact that there will be people with different preferences and needs then yours. For us the 17" is an invaluable tool.

So would you go to Windows or a 15" Mac if 17's were done?

 

[Macman45]

I my opinion 17" and "laptop" somehow contradict. Apple's philosophy for its laptop line is power even for pro application, great design and mobility. A 17" laptop is simply too big and heavier for being real mobile.

I use a 15" MBP but to being really productive I usually connect another monitor to it. On the road the 15" are enough for all the regular tasks. And I think Apple thinks the same way: Small and mobile for the occasional use with the option to attach external monitors for high productivity.

It's heavy, yes I can't disagree, but I need the real-estate in the studio. A 15" even if it proves to be a retina display, just isn't big enough for me. Ive said it before, but the way I hope Apple will go with this is to remove the optical and physical HDD...Replace with a high capacity SSD and retain the 17" screen. My pro is not due an upgrade this year, but I'm hanging on to it for dear life if they drop the range. God forbid I have to look to a Windows laptop for 17" display area.

 

[loon3y]

So would you go to Windows or a 15" Mac if 17's were done?

that doesnt make sense, if ur a developer ur going to need a Mac regardless, unless your going to trouble yourself of making a hackintosh.

it'll just make a lot of on the road developers really unhappy. because when ur traveling u can't expect them to have an extra external monitor waiting for you at every location of a customer.

 

[ponytrekker]

15 is the new 17.

And 5" is the new 7". Or so I am trying to tell my wife.

 

[Digital Skunk]

As for price, I agree it is high but I'm fortunate enough to be in a practice that is able to recover the expenditure of my fully upgraded 17" rather quickly.

I paid off the cost of my 17" and other tech with the first two jobs I cut on it. Not that I make that much money often though, it was just a good year to be a freelance media journalist in the Delmarva area.

I my opinion 17" and "laptop" somehow contradict. Apple's philosophy for its laptop line is power even for pro application, great design and mobility. A 17" laptop is simply too big and heavier for being real mobile.

Normally I would say that it's personal preference, but when you compare the 15" and 17" you are only talking about a pound difference in weight and an inch difference in size.

So no, the 17" laptop isn't big or heavy even by 15" MBP comparison. Now . . . comparing the 10lb 17" PCs that also add another 2"-3" in depth/width . . . sure, those 17" PCs are definitely heavy and big.

 

[canman4PM]

yeah, drop mac book pro 17", mac pro, whats next?

enough

edit--
It really doesn't make sense killing the content creation lines (mac pro, mbp 17").

It's just a damn rumour, for god's sake!!

All kidding asside. It is just a rumour, so let's not get too emotional here. And just because the Pro hasn't had a refresh in a while does not mean they are dropping it. I think the lack of refresh has been caused by the lack of anything to refresh it with - meaning newer, hotter chipsets. Apple doesn't seem to like to do minor tweaks, like taking the Pro and adding the Thunderbolt port one day out of the blue. They seem to like to make major revisions all at once.

Let's not count our dropped products 'til they go splat on the Cupertino floor.

 

[kingtj]

Yep, completely agree ....

Obviously, a lot of people out there don't find the 17" screen to be anything they need in a portable computer, so they buy one of Apple's lower priced alternatives. Great! That's why choices exist.

But the people complaining about the high price of the 17" are essentially just saying, "Apple should make it a lot cheaper so they can sell larger quantities of them to all the people who don't really need a 17" in the first place." The people who really use them (like the attorney who posted a few messages back, or you) simply paid for a tool that justified its high price with the work they were able to accomplish with it.

As I said earlier, I owned a 17" a long time ago and gave a 15" a try, but ultimately went back to a 17" with my last purchase. The extra screen space really helps me use the computer without feeling like I'm compromising a lot from the desktops I'd use otherwise. (I'm normally in the same video resolution on my desktop display that the 17" MBP runs.)

I already knew I was committing to paying a premium price to get a Mac laptop in the first place, vs. most Windows models. Once I'm already shelling out well over $1,000 anyway, it may as well be $2,000 or even close to $3,000 -- because at that point, it's a "major purchase" either way, and I'd be a fool to pay $1,500 out for something that still wasn't quite what I wanted.

I paid off the cost of my 17" and other tech with the first two jobs I cut on it. Not that I make that much money often though, it was just a good year to be a freelance media journalist in the Delmarva area.



Normally I would say that it's personal preference, but when you compare the 15" and 17" you are only talking about a pound difference in weight and an inch difference in size.

So no, the 17" laptop isn't big or heavy even by 15" MBP comparison. Now . . . comparing the 10lb 17" PCs that also add another 2"-3" in depth/width . . . sure, those 17" PCs are definitely heavy and big.

 

[whitedragon101]

Obviously, a lot of people out there don't find the 17" screen to be anything they need in a portable computer, so they buy one of Apple's lower priced alternatives. Great! That's why choices exist.

But the people complaining about the high price of the 17" are essentially just saying, "Apple should make it a lot cheaper so they can sell larger quantities of them to all the people who don't really need a 17" in the first place." The people who really use them (like the attorney who posted a few messages back, or you) simply paid for a tool that justified its high price with the work they were able to accomplish with it.

As I said earlier, I owned a 17" a long time ago and gave a 15" a try, but ultimately went back to a 17" with my last purchase. The extra screen space really helps me use the computer without feeling like I'm compromising a lot from the desktops I'd use otherwise. (I'm normally in the same video resolution on my desktop display that the 17" MBP runs.)

I already knew I was committing to paying a premium price to get a Mac laptop in the first place, vs. most Windows models. Once I'm already shelling out well over $1,000 anyway, it may as well be $2,000 or even close to $3,000 -- because at that point, it's a "major purchase" either way, and I'd be a fool to pay $1,500 out for something that still wasn't quite what I wanted.

Agree 100% . I use my 17" laptop for my entire working day and when I finish work it is my TV and games machine. It is the one purchase where quality and function are everything and I will pay a fair price to get it. You can buy a cheaper 17" laptop but not with the same spec list (and by spec list I include the screen, battery, milled 1" thick aluminium case, excellent keyboard etc not just the CPU, RAM and HD) .

 

[Jiten]

So would you go to Windows or a 15" Mac if 17's were done?

I'll probably capitulate and get a high res 15" if that ever happens. I won't be happy about it but it would be waste of my Mac software licenses and hardware investment if I simply jumped to Windows. Also I'm very happy with OSX. Not that I'm worried yet, with my low hardware needs (heavy word processing and the the like) my 2011 17" will probably last for a very long time.

 

[yjchua95]

All Apple should do is axe the price of 17" MBP, not the product itself.

It's crazy when you get the same guts as hi end 15" but paid $400 more for 2" more diagonal. What makes it so special, huh? Might as well buy 15" and spend $1000 for ATD, it's real 27" at least

Pro or not, Apple's 17" pricing is absurd, beyond logic

When I wanted to buy an MBP, I was stuck between the high-end 15" and 17". Sure, the price of the 17" is nuts. You pay more just for an extra 2", extra weight from the extra aluminum used to manufacture a bigger shell, and an extra Express slot that I never use. And an extra USB port? There's something called an Expansion Hub from Belkin which has got 4 extra USB ports.

And to those of you who keep saying that you need bigger screen for this and that, why don't you just connect it to a 27" Thunderbolt display. Then you have lots of screen. And lots of pixels at 2560x1440. Or why not just get an iMac. A laptop's not for screen, it's for mobility. There's a reason why it's called 'laptop'.

 

[Husky1992]

every now and then I wonder if these rumors are actually made by apple itself ony to see what the users may say

 

[heeby]

When I wanted to buy an MBP, I was stuck between the high-end 15" and 17". Sure, the price of the 17" is nuts. You pay more just for an extra 2", extra weight from the extra aluminum used to manufacture a bigger shell, and an extra Express slot that I never use. And an extra USB port? There's something called an Expansion Hub from Belkin which has got 4 extra USB ports.

And to those of you who keep saying that you need bigger screen for this and that, why don't you just connect it to a 27" Thunderbolt display. Then you have lots of screen. And lots of pixels at 2560x1440. Or why not just get an iMac. A laptop's not for screen, it's for mobility. There's a reason why it's called 'laptop'.

I am new here but it amazes me at the number of posts where people tell others what they should do...or insinuating that they are stupid for their choices. You are free to buy what you like and others are free to buy what they like...nobody needs your approval nor to justify things to you. The smugness here doesn't do a lot to dispell the myth that Mac owners are snobs.

 

[Digital Skunk]

I am new here but it amazes me at the number of posts where people tell others what they should do...or insinuating that they are stupid for their choices. You are free to buy what you like and others are free to buy what they like...nobody needs your approval nor to justify things to you. The smugness here doesn't do a lot to dispell the myth that Mac owners are snobs.

This is how it is in ALL and EVERY "Companies Product" forum. If you want to see smugness, leave us Apple guys and gals alone and check out the Avid forums. The Symphony guys . . . . the ones that drop $9995 for their editing/finishing software and another $4995 for their hardware can talk some major trash at times.

Plus, it's customary to add at least SOMETHING to the topic instead of posting a derailing comment such as yours.

Welcome to Macrumors by the way!

 

[heeby]

This is how it is in ALL and EVERY "Companies Product" forum. If you want to see smugness, leave us Apple guys and gals alone and check out the Avid forums. The Symphony guys . . . . the ones that drop $9995 for their editing/finishing software and another $4995 for their hardware can talk some major trash at times.

Plus, it's customary to add at least SOMETHING to the topic instead of posting a derailing comment such as yours.

Welcome to Macrumors by the way!

The person I replied to added nothing but a nasty opinion. It doesn't matter what forums are worse...it is ridiculous behavior anywhere. And thanks for the welcome

 

[Digital Skunk]

The person I replied to added nothing but a nasty opinion. It doesn't matter what forums are worse...it is ridiculous behavior anywhere. And thanks for the welcome

I agree that the poster isn't adding anything intelligent to the discussion, and is making the same statements thatve been made and knocked down almost 200 posts ago, but they'll just keep coming back. It's best to ignore them or comment and at the same time put them back on track.

Sorta like mentioning that we've already discussed using a laptop in the field, and how you can take an iMac with you as a carry on or how some people don't buy laptops to use 100% of the time on a desk. The truth is they are the kind of posters that don't read and don't want to do much but blurt out opinionated garbage.

 

[whitedragon101]

The smugness here doesn't do a lot to dispell the myth that Mac owners are snobs.

Not sure about the snobs part as I think those who use Macs are now such a wide group it would be hard to assign a personality trait to all of them.

However I think this:

I am new here but it amazes me at the number of posts where people tell others what they should do...or insinuating that they are stupid for their choices. You are free to buy what you like and others are free to buy what they like...nobody needs your approval nor to justify things to you.

Is bang on. When someone says I like/ need/ enjoy product X and other say you don't is rather pointless. If you like or enjoy a product, then someone else telling you, YOU don't is pointless. Also telling someone they don't need a product but simply want it is also pointless, (mentioning no names, cough, cough). As other than air, food and water it is possible to argue you don't need anything, so everything is a want.

You don't need a laptop at all. It is physically possible to carry a mini tower, screen, keyboard and mouse in a hiking backpack. So even a laptop is a want. You don't need to work in IT so a computer is a want. You don't need central heating as you can wear a jacket indoors so it is a want etc etc


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I just read my post again and thought it is worth clarifying what I mean:

Statement : Everyone needs a 17" laptop
Acceptable response : I don't, and a lot of other people don't

Statement : No-one needs a 17" laptop
Acceptable response : I do and a lot of other people do.

Statement : I need a 17" laptop
Trolling erroneous response : No YOU don't