Agree. My 17" has really gone all over the world with me too! I even use it sometimes on the toilet! Read: different toilets, the world over. Is that versatility or what?
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Apple Predicted to Discontinue 17-Inch MacBook Pro
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Agree. My 17" has really gone all over the world with me too! I even use it sometimes on the toilet! Read: different toilets, the world over. Is that versatility or what?
I never said that I did not want portability. It's just that it wouldn't make a lot of sense for people to be lugging around a 17" MBP, when they should have actually gotten a desktop iMac and possibly an Air, for portability. Lugging a huge laptop around just seems a little too much for me.
Well, than YOU can get a 13" MBA for YOURself and let the Big Boys have their 17" MBPs.
Haven't you read this complete thread? A part of the community uses a 17" for a specific reason and while you don't need that screen size or computing power some of us do.
I'm sure it is for you. For those of us who need the screen size and resolution to do our work, however, it isn't. Hope that helps.
Odd considering that HP notes that larger (17") notebooks are sellers in Europe and the US compared to China.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/09/hp-popular-laptop-screen-sizes-us-china/
http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/09/hp-popular-laptop-screen-sizes-us-china/
I'm checking MacRumors daily, since a couple of weeks. Ivy bridge and retina scan are big upgrade steps, and I want them in a 17". I am self employed, and could work from anywhere, if I can just have the right tools. 
So I really hope that this evil rumour of discontinuing isn't true. Media professionals has not been Apples priority the last couple of years, but I really hope I will not be forced to make my next upgrade a PC. (Will take some time before I'd change platform though, as I can use my MacPros for now.)
So I really hope that this evil rumour of discontinuing isn't true. Media professionals has not been Apples priority the last couple of years, but I really hope I will not be forced to make my next upgrade a PC. (Will take some time before I'd change platform though, as I can use my MacPros for now.)
I was reading that a few days ago and never considered mentioning it here. The 17" won't go anywhere, I'd put my money on the next model not having ExpressCard 34, but not there being no next model.
I'm checking MacRumors daily, since a couple of weeks. Ivy bridge and retina scan are big upgrade steps, and I want them in a 17". I am self employed, and could work from anywhere, if I can just have the right tools.
So I really hope that this evil rumour of discontinuing isn't true. Media professionals has not been Apples priority the last couple of years, but I really hope I will not be forced to make my next upgrade a PC. (Will take some time before I'd change platform though, as I can use my MacPros for now.)
I agree with you, and if I didn't sink half of my new workstation funds into Apple gift cards I'd probably be eyeing the HP Z1 or one of their other workstations. I've already dumped FCP as my NLE; I'll be sticking with FCP7 (FCS3) until it becomes totally obsolete (or FCPX becomes a real professional NLE). I've been contemplating going strictly Lightroom 4 instead of both Aperture and LR.
Once that happens it's really only the minor apps (like iWork and Things) that will keep me in OSX.
Only just saw this reply, weeks later. It does, but it is only 100Mbps as far as I know. Not ideal. It would be a backwards step in speed. Limited by USB 2 I guess.
Come on, you really can't believe this crap -- or do you really?
With so many examples to offer you why a MBP is infinitely better... here's just 6:
1, 2 & 3:
Storage capacity; the ability to download a youtube music vid, convert to MP3, burn it and stick it in your car and listen to it; opportunistic imports/exports of whatever, otherwise not readily available and, or for someone who may need what you have - now - v. having to put up with the imposition later!
4 & 5: Processor (need I say more on this?) speeds; the absurd price tag of a comparably sized SSD;
AND 6: THE SIMPLE FACT THE SSD SPEED IS USEFUL, APPARENT AND RELEVANT.... UPON INITIATION OF AN APPLICATION!! ONCE YOU'RE DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING, YOU WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT DRIVE YOU HAVE!
One thing to consider though in Apple's vs everyone else's case is that Apple directly ties screen sizes to specifications. You can't have a top of the line 13" and a lower end 17" like is the case with other OEMs.
I dunno why Apple does this, not everyone needs the processing power in the 17" MBP but might like the screen, and vice versa, wanting the processing power in the 17", but in a more portable form factor.
Good point, and the same goes for the iMac. I simply don't want the 27" screen but am unfortunately considering it because of GPU differences. I hope they leave this behavior behind for the. 2012 update. THAT would be the greatest about the new refresh, not that Ivy Bridge comes instead of Sandy Bridge.
The death of the 17 is the death of Apples notebook legacy
It doesn't take a Steve Jobs or Carroll Shelby to know success is contingent on mass sales. But it's the iconic lure that inspires them. Ford's sales ratio for basic Mustangs, vs GT's, vs GT500's, vs Super Snakes is probably about 10,000/1000/100/1.
While the profit from that one 850 horsepower beast barely amounts to what 6 or 7 Pony cars generate, the quickest way to drastically reduce the 10k number would be to eliminating the #1. To be sure, the majority of purchasers of the Pony Mustangs and 13" MBP's alike prefer the benefits provided by this product. But the desire for what clearly remains more expensive than the many alternatives, was inspired by the benchmarks
and iconic status set by their more expensive and powerful big brothers.
Without question, there are many owners of basic models who must simply settle for what they're able to afford and, or often wait a year or more to get their dream in a well taken care of pre-owned form. Hopefully Apple will look beyond the wants and wishes of the backpack generation and consider the professional who must work when traveling. Even posh hotels at company expense can become burdensome. So why further hinder the experience by imposing a significant size reduction to the otherwise iMac user?
If the restaurant industry adopted this narrow minded view, there would be no more steaks - just burgers. And no more Maine lobster west of New Hampshire, just tuna fish! How absurd!
No, it doesn't take visionaries like Jobs & Shelby to recognize the formula for success. It was for this very reason Ford and Apple entrusted their flagships to their capable hands. But it sure would be the act of blind bean counter to take that success for granted and bury the icon along with the inventors.
It doesn't take a Steve Jobs or Carroll Shelby to know success is contingent on mass sales. But it's the iconic lure that inspires them. Ford's sales ratio for basic Mustangs, vs GT's, vs GT500's, vs Super Snakes is probably about 10,000/1000/100/1.
While the profit from that one 850 horsepower beast barely amounts to what 6 or 7 Pony cars generate, the quickest way to drastically reduce the 10k number would be to eliminating the #1. To be sure, the majority of purchasers of the Pony Mustangs and 13" MBP's alike prefer the benefits provided by this product. But the desire for what clearly remains more expensive than the many alternatives, was inspired by the benchmarks
and iconic status set by their more expensive and powerful big brothers.
Without question, there are many owners of basic models who must simply settle for what they're able to afford and, or often wait a year or more to get their dream in a well taken care of pre-owned form. Hopefully Apple will look beyond the wants and wishes of the backpack generation and consider the professional who must work when traveling. Even posh hotels at company expense can become burdensome. So why further hinder the experience by imposing a significant size reduction to the otherwise iMac user?
If the restaurant industry adopted this narrow minded view, there would be no more steaks - just burgers. And no more Maine lobster west of New Hampshire, just tuna fish! How absurd!
No, it doesn't take visionaries like Jobs & Shelby to recognize the formula for success. It was for this very reason Ford and Apple entrusted their flagships to their capable hands. But it sure would be the act of blind bean counter to take that success for granted and bury the icon along with the inventors.
How about a FATTENED UP MBP?
A market Apple has completely overlooked in its quest for the paper-thin laptop, is ruggedness. Don't get me wrong, I'm on my fourteenth Apple and spare no expense to ensure having what is best for the task at hand. This includes owning both size iMacs, iPad and a 13 and 17 inch MBP; some are personal and others were business purchases. And of course, there's the assortment of iPhones too.
But what I wouldn't give for a rubber cornered, heavy duty MB and iPhone Extreme that I could drop into a mud puddle, get caught in a rainstorm while using or take to the beach and not worry if it gets caught in a rising tide - all with built in Wi-Fi...
If Apple wants more profit, look to this area - think of the sales to the military! BUT LEAVE THE 17 ALONE!!
A market Apple has completely overlooked in its quest for the paper-thin laptop, is ruggedness. Don't get me wrong, I'm on my fourteenth Apple and spare no expense to ensure having what is best for the task at hand. This includes owning both size iMacs, iPad and a 13 and 17 inch MBP; some are personal and others were business purchases. And of course, there's the assortment of iPhones too.
But what I wouldn't give for a rubber cornered, heavy duty MB and iPhone Extreme that I could drop into a mud puddle, get caught in a rainstorm while using or take to the beach and not worry if it gets caught in a rising tide - all with built in Wi-Fi...
If Apple wants more profit, look to this area - think of the sales to the military! BUT LEAVE THE 17 ALONE!!
The 17" MBP: THE ULTIMATE TOILET COMPANION
I couldn't agree with you more! Having both a 13 and 17 from previous generations, I currently have the I7 quad in its 15" form. My decision to save a few bucks is one I have come to regret, but what's done is done.
The 13, much like the 12 Powerbook, is awesome for portability, with a more accurate for it would be a "thightop". The 15 is too big for this, yet too small to actually stretch across your lap unless you keep your legs together, which can become uncomfortable.
When taking it into the toilet with you, the 17 proves its worth as a true "laptop". This critical time when your lap is all you have given the unique situation. Here is where a 15 simply won't cut it. It lacks the light weight and portability of a 13 and barely able to bridge the critical gap that constitutes the actual "lap".
Without question, modern man and society as a whole will continues on a happier path with the continued production of the 17
I couldn't agree with you more! Having both a 13 and 17 from previous generations, I currently have the I7 quad in its 15" form. My decision to save a few bucks is one I have come to regret, but what's done is done.
The 13, much like the 12 Powerbook, is awesome for portability, with a more accurate for it would be a "thightop". The 15 is too big for this, yet too small to actually stretch across your lap unless you keep your legs together, which can become uncomfortable.
When taking it into the toilet with you, the 17 proves its worth as a true "laptop". This critical time when your lap is all you have given the unique situation. Here is where a 15 simply won't cut it. It lacks the light weight and portability of a 13 and barely able to bridge the critical gap that constitutes the actual "lap".
Without question, modern man and society as a whole will continues on a happier path with the continued production of the 17
A charity? It's not exactly like they're making 17 inch laptops out of the goodness of their heart. There are whole companies dedicated to making laptops that size...and larger. It's a niche market, admittedly, and they sure as hell don't pull the billions Apple does. But they stay in business and thrive. Why? Because where there's demand, someone is going to step up to supply it.
So why not Apple? If they sold absolutely none whatsoever, I could see them bailing out of that particular segment. But it seems that there are quite a few people who happen to like their larger laptops. Maybe they don't sell as much as the Airs and the iPads, but there's still money to be made. If Apple doesn't step up to the plate, someone else will.
I think the thing that gets me most is this whole "if you don't like it, then go somewhere else. Apple doesn't owe you anything" attitude. It's quite the opposite. Apple owes their customers everything. Every company does. While they have the right to abandon a product line, their customers also have the right to gripe about them doing it.
It isn't a privilege to use a Mac. They ignore their customers at their own peril (in before someone replies "olol well they're making billions so I guess ignoring their customers isn't all that bad so **** olol" to that).
edit: I can't believe they censor **** around here.
Yeah, Apple owes its customers, the majority of its customers, not the very few. As I said but you conveniently ignored, Apple has limited engineering resources. They're going to deploy those resources where they attract the widest market and the most profits, not narrow niches. They will leave the relatively unprofitable 17" market to a smaller company. The fact is customers like you are irrelevant, and soon will not be serviced by Apple. Deal with it.
I didn't knew you could eat 3kgs of food per meal.
About the MacBook Pro, I was accounting for the charger's weight (addmittedly, a bit high), since one can not reasonably expect to get a day of work on a single charge, especially not when one requires more power, such as going on Flash-ridden pages, or uses LibreOffice with large spreadsheets.
Specs go long with the price tag, that's a fact.
I somewhat agree with you KnightWRX, especially aboutthe smaller sizes. While I have a hard time imagining a valid use for a hypothetical mediocre-spec'd 17 incher (such as Acer does with its 18 inchers), there are plenty of uses for an real 13" powerhouse. Would it technically be possible to cram a 4-core i7 in the 13"? Heating and power draw issues were evoked to justify keeping the slightly older Core 2 Duo instead of upgrading to the i3, like other PC manufacturers.
And why restrain the availability of just a few, well-defined options such as high resolution or glare-free screens, to the larger sizes? While I think Apple's policy of only keeping a small number of options, this one goes a bit too far.
Rugged laptops typically have a very narrow market, due to their bulk and weight, and somewhat limited use, not accounting their usually very high price tags. I worked where Panasonic toughbookks were used, but where they weren't really necessary. I mean, the laptops were commonly transported, laid on tables without much care, but still in a controlled environment. No flood or storms or sand were expected, and no temperature extremes, either. A sturdy laptop with a SSD would have been a perfect match for significantly less money.
Unless you're working in a really harsh environment, chances are any MacBook Pro is sturdy enough to handle being transported from place to place. The hard drive is rubber-mounted (most PCs have rigid-mounted HDD), the case is reasonably flexible while being rigid enough to protect the components, and there's a gap between the parts mounted in the corners and the inner ones to avoid breaking anything in case of a drop.
Some of your concerns are already adressed by third-party manufacturers such as Pelican.
With Retina, more people will want the 15" version.
I would.
Now if only they will improve the cooling mechanisms, since a 2009 dual core 17" MBP under full load should not get 25C higher than a 2010 quad core 17" plastic PC under full load, especially when I keep reading the myth of metal being a better heat distributor... only if every metal component is touching each other does that work, there is no magic involved...
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"Limited"?
Given their market clout, I don't believe it.
And you're right, in our so-called "capitalistic" culture it is about maximized profits and widest market. Granted, a few decades ago one could still have profits and people able to work for sustainable wages (thank you, Abraham Lincoln, Henry Ford, and others who understood the true value of labor)... but times have changed.
And if companies owe nothing to nobody, then it works both ways. Or should. They don't need our loyalty... or pocketbooks either. I'm sure Apple's lobbyists will ensure US taxpayers keep subsidizing them to get through hard times of course, and don't try to convince people they aren't taking subsidies, entitlements, or anything else... Microsoft, Wal-mart, and most other big company is, so why wouldn't Apple be at the trough too?
I would.
Now if only they will improve the cooling mechanisms, since a 2009 dual core 17" MBP under full load should not get 25C higher than a 2010 quad core 17" plastic PC under full load, especially when I keep reading the myth of metal being a better heat distributor... only if every metal component is touching each other does that work, there is no magic involved...
----------
"Limited"?
Given their market clout, I don't believe it.
And you're right, in our so-called "capitalistic" culture it is about maximized profits and widest market. Granted, a few decades ago one could still have profits and people able to work for sustainable wages (thank you, Abraham Lincoln, Henry Ford, and others who understood the true value of labor)... but times have changed.
And if companies owe nothing to nobody, then it works both ways. Or should. They don't need our loyalty... or pocketbooks either. I'm sure Apple's lobbyists will ensure US taxpayers keep subsidizing them to get through hard times of course, and don't try to convince people they aren't taking subsidies, entitlements, or anything else... Microsoft, Wal-mart, and most other big company is, so why wouldn't Apple be at the trough too?
Rumors strongly suggesting Retina displays for the 15" and under laptops only.
This would probably force me to go back to a 15" which I don't want to do -- but will if that's the only option to go Retina.
Desperately hoping the 17" will be announced with Retina display, or at least some sort of notification that if not now, by the end of the year.
This would probably force me to go back to a 15" which I don't want to do -- but will if that's the only option to go Retina.
Desperately hoping the 17" will be announced with Retina display, or at least some sort of notification that if not now, by the end of the year.
Agreed.
For one thing, it's the only 1920x1200, 4:3 laptop out there. The power comes in handy, too. And it's not at a bad price, especially when I looked at competitors last year.
Once prices come down for a 17" Retina-compatible panel of sufficient quality, I'm sure they will drop in price... or they probably will come out...
Tiny icons... or they will be scaled to match the higher res, but that will mean blurry and fuzzy icons until Adobe puts out a compatible upgrade...
Depending on specs and battery power (the 2011 MBP showing faster rending time because the higher battery wattage makes the CPU able to work at full speed, whereas the 15" version's battery couldn't handle the load and the CPU throttled as a result. Macworld's own benchmarks combined with reputable review sites spelling out power requirements and what happens when you don't give the system enough power, and the 2011 MBPs' power supply bricks get blisteringly hot to the touch and that's more proof the new MBPs require more power than what Apple wants to give out...)
*bingo*
We decide the needs.
Being told what to do... I thought that sort of thing was abolished in the US around 1865, and some three decades earlier in the UK... (or working under harsh conditions, depending on topic at hand...)
I never bought into the myth... especially as, when costs of components drops, you don't see the pertinent Mac product drop in proportion. The law of "Supply and demand", especially when combined with "trickle down economics", would prove that and I don't believe the latter as being a legitimate paradigm either. Especially as higher profits have not trickled down as larger wages to make peoples' hard worked labor more prosperous in return.
How long have you been an Apple customer?
Irrelevant. One needn't to partake to know it is wrong. Or should we all start murdering to find out how wrong that particular task is?
(I've been one for 3 years. Thanks to Tim Cook I'm more likely to remain one. He has to earn our money and respect. Not bamboozle us with shiny feel-good words for his own sake. So far he's done some good things, especially the iPad 3 "capture"...)
APPle products are expensive in China
Yeah, more and more people use apple products, such as iPhone4, iPhone4s，Apple computer and the others products; In addition, it is on behalf of one identity, one achievement or one symbol; But for most of low-income group, it is a luxury product and it is more expensive than foreign price of the same product. Why?
Yeah, more and more people use apple products, such as iPhone4, iPhone4s，Apple computer and the others products; In addition, it is on behalf of one identity, one achievement or one symbol; But for most of low-income group, it is a luxury product and it is more expensive than foreign price of the same product. Why?
Those exec vultures didn't take nearly as long as everyone thought to begin to wreck the company after Steve died. Having no heart,knowledge or passion for the technology, they just placate wall St and collect their ~$5mil in bonuses each January, plus another $10mil in preferred stock.
They fire the most gifted design engineers as a frivolous expense, then they live /suck on the company's good will for 3-4 years and finally retire on a yacht in Fiji. Their successors applaud them in a hokey scripted goodbye ceremony, and the cycle starts again until the company is dead. Don't believe me? Look at HP and IBM and Sun
Wait till you see the trash coming out if China next few years - here we go
They fire the most gifted design engineers as a frivolous expense, then they live /suck on the company's good will for 3-4 years and finally retire on a yacht in Fiji. Their successors applaud them in a hokey scripted goodbye ceremony, and the cycle starts again until the company is dead. Don't believe me? Look at HP and IBM and Sun
Wait till you see the trash coming out if China next few years - here we go
The problem if Apple stops producing the 17" MacBook-pro version is that many high level users will choose a different platform.
A big screen is important for development. And the lack of it can cause real troubles to Apple. The use of a desktop Mac is not an option for most of us, since the notebook is THE computer now.
So what I can forecast if Apple decides to take the 17" out of the market is a slow but unavoidable decline of the whole Mac platform, with possible repercussions on iPhone, too.
So do not underestimate that small market share of the 17" version. It could be a vital one!
A big screen is important for development. And the lack of it can cause real troubles to Apple. The use of a desktop Mac is not an option for most of us, since the notebook is THE computer now.
So what I can forecast if Apple decides to take the 17" out of the market is a slow but unavoidable decline of the whole Mac platform, with possible repercussions on iPhone, too.
So do not underestimate that small market share of the 17" version. It could be a vital one!
I think I may have said this earlier...
My only hope is that next week, if Apple only announces refreshes for their 13" and 15" Macbook Pros that they give some sort of idea if a refresh for the 17" is forthcoming.
The last thing anyone wants to do is to have their arms twisted into buying a refreshed 15" model only to find Apple is refreshed releasing a 17" by year's end.
Yeah, yeah, I know that is the way most companies do things -- but I would hope that Apple will be a little more forthcoming with their roadmap concerning the entire Macbook Pro line.
My only hope is that next week, if Apple only announces refreshes for their 13" and 15" Macbook Pros that they give some sort of idea if a refresh for the 17" is forthcoming.
The last thing anyone wants to do is to have their arms twisted into buying a refreshed 15" model only to find Apple is refreshed releasing a 17" by year's end.
Yeah, yeah, I know that is the way most companies do things -- but I would hope that Apple will be a little more forthcoming with their roadmap concerning the entire Macbook Pro line.