Apple Quietly Discontinues MacBook Pro 17"

[Fandongo]

2. Apple has some left over, but nobody is buying them. Which would justify the decision to discontinue the 17".

I really considered ordering the top end 17"... Even with 4GB Ram and a 5400k hard drive it was only $100 cheaper than the 2.6Ghz 16/256GB Retina display.

Of course the sales are bad at that price!
But as you said, i'm sure Apple is using that as continued justification for their premature evacuation of the 17's.

 

[NewbieCanada]

I really considered ordering the top end 17"... Even with 4GB Ram and a 5400k hard drive it was only $100 cheaper than the 2.6Ghz 16/256GB Retina display.

Of course the sales are bad at that price!
But as you said, i'm sure Apple is using that as continued justification for their premature evacuation of the 17's.

It didn't sell. Apple has nothing to justify and there was nothing premature about its demise.

In general, 17 inch laptops sell poorly, and it was mega expensive.

I swear, sometimes it seems like there were more posts about it than there were ever sold.

 

[cgk.emu]

Again, no: it fits very comfortably into a standard IATA-sized carry-on bag. Sure, it's awkward to use in economy seating, but then so is the MBP 15 (in both cases you can't really open the screen enough if the person in front of you has reclined their seat). It's fine in both premium economy and business class seating.

Uh....no. I had one for several years and it did NOT fit.

 

[Benbikeman]

Uh....no. I had one for several years and it did NOT fit.

IATA cabin bag dimensions: 56x46x25cm
MBP 17 dimensions: 39.3x26.7x2.5cm

Mine has been literally right around the world with me, and has been carried in the same carry-on bag (which I've owned for nearly 20 years - big thumbs-up to TravelPro!) every flight.

 

[mxrver]

Not all 17's are constant world travelers.

My old 17 flew twice a year carried in a "Tucano Work Out" soft side bag sharing space with passports and other documents.

My new 17 awaits it's first flight in the 'old bag' to the Caribbean where it will winter in the sun and salt spray without complaint.

I never complained about it's size or weight. It's exactly what I wanted!

 

[JGRE]

17 inch

I once owned a 17 inch laptop..........when carrying, you had to watch how you were entering a door due to its size....enormous.
Be gone!

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Not really: the exterior dimensions are about the same as a typical 15-inch Windows laptop, and it's exactly one pound heavier than the MBP 15.


Again, no: it fits very comfortably into a standard IATA-sized carry-on bag. Sure, it's awkward to use in economy seating, but then so is the MBP 15 (in both cases you can't really open the screen enough if the person in front of you has reclined their seat). It's fine in both premium economy and business class seating.

Well, part of what drove my comment, that perhaps I should have mentioned, is that I have the Speck plastic shields on both my 13 and 15, and many (most, so far all) of the bags I run into won't handle that slightly larger profile. Like I found an excellent bag from Timbuk2 that supposedly holds the 13 and an iPad. Well, if you don't use any cover other than the official Apple cover, and a 'nekud' 13! The damn bag is so form fitting that there probably isn't any room for anything more than a couple of sheets of paper or a DVD without the case.

It's a trend that I find frustrating. I had an earlier 15 that suffered a few large scratches not to mention the 'flat iron effect' that would scorch my legs, that the shields/covers really alleviated nicely. These companies know that people will probably want a smidgen more room for 'stuff', why make it as tight as a Speedo on an 80-year old Greek shipping tycoon? (/rant)

I have seen the 17 next to a 15, and it's 'nearly the same closed front to back, but the added width would be a killer on any bag that I have. Like I have a fantastic Targus bag and a TravelPro that came with its own padded sleeve and strap. Very form fitting... Frustrating because traveling is when we (I) need the shields most...

Anyway, bummer about the 17, and hope the Mac Pro survives to be really updated, although the signs don't point to a happy ending for devotees...

 

[k3roro]

I guess no 17'' retina display =\

 

[Fandongo]

It didn't sell. Apple has nothing to justify and there was nothing premature about its demise.

In general, 17 inch laptops sell poorly, and it was mega expensive.

I swear, sometimes it seems like there were more posts about it than there were ever sold.

Anyone doing serious work on an MBP before would often settle for the 15" solely because it had the exact same specs at a much lower price (why not offer 4x ram slots?)

Retina turns the tables completely, so long as the graphics card and your wallet could handle that many pixels. No point in having the most densely populated display in the world if it's TOO SMALL to work on.

 

[Benbikeman]

Well, part of what drove my comment, that perhaps I should have mentioned, is that I have the Speck plastic shields on both my 13 and 15, and many (most, so far all) of the bags I run into won't handle that slightly larger profile.

I don't personally use cases (I just slip it into a neoprene sleeve), but you can see from the dimensions above that it would easily fit into an IATA-sized bag with a Speck case.

The damn bag is so form fitting that there probably isn't any room for anything more than a couple of sheets of paper or a DVD without the case.

Ironically, that's an issue with bags made for Macs! As they have smaller exterior dimensions than most other laptops (put a MBP17 against a 15-inch HP laptop for an example of what I mean), bags made for them are snug while bags made for AN Other 17-inch laptop have plenty of room.

Anyway, bummer about the 17, and hope the Mac Pro survives to be really updated, although the signs don't point to a happy ending for devotees...

I'm an optimist, so I'd like to imagine that the MBP 17 has been temporarily discontinued because a rMPB 17 is probably technically impossible and would be wildly unaffordable if it were possible. But technology moves on, a rMBP 17 will become both possible and affordable, so perhaps we'll see it back then.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Ironically, that's an issue with bags made for Macs! As they have smaller exterior dimensions than most other laptops (put a MBP17 against a 15-inch HP laptop for an example of what I mean), bags made for them are snug while bags made for AN Other 17-inch laptop have plenty of room.

I have an HP notebook (15") and the sleeve for this one fits like an empty potato sack would fit. There's probably enough room in the sleeve for a MacBook Pro! It's very a very sloppy fit BUT gives enough extra to use the bunched up neoprene as a handle of sorts.

 

[cgk.emu]

I don't personally use cases (I just slip it into a neoprene sleeve), but you can see from the dimensions above that it would easily fit into an IATA-sized bag with a Speck case.


Ironically, that's an issue with bags made for Macs! As they have smaller exterior dimensions than most other laptops (put a MBP17 against a 15-inch HP laptop for an example of what I mean), bags made for them are snug while bags made for AN Other 17-inch laptop have plenty of room.


I'm an optimist, so I'd like to imagine that the MBP 17 has been temporarily discontinued because a rMPB 17 is probably technically impossible and would be wildly unaffordable if it were possible. But technology moves on, a rMBP 17 will become both possible and affordable, so perhaps we'll see it back then.

They didn't discontinue the 15 inch when the retina model was in production.

 

[Benbikeman]

They didn't discontinue the 15 inch when the retina model was in production.

Yes, but that's different because they could offer both. My guess is they thought they couldn't have two conflicting top-end models: a MBP 17 would be the top model in terms of screen size while the rMBP 15 would be the top model in terms of resolution.

Apple is a company which values simplicity, so I think they considered that too messy a situation. When an rMPB 17 is possible and affordable, I think it's possible the model will be reintroduced.

 

[heyitsjimi]

Beating the horse we hope is only sleeping.

I have mid 2010 17" MacBook Pro. I use it mainly for audio, in the studio and onstage. It has 3 not 2 USB ports, which I use. It has an express card slot which I use for 2 external drives. It has a slot loading SuperDrive which I also use for installing software, and yeah, movies sometimes. I have never had a gripe with the way the screen looks.
Would I like the new toys .... like Thunderbolt, USB 3, a quad core drive ???? You betcha !!
Do I want to give up what I have & use ?? .....H**L no.
I've never had a problem with the size and weight, anywhere. Come on, 6.6 pounds. The new 15" is 5.6, one measly pound. What do you folks do when you buy a case of Pepsi.... have the bag person carry it to your car ???
For anybody who uses CDs & DVDs, you'll be getting another piece of hardware and the cables for it. There goes the weight savings.... oh, and find a pocket in your bag to put it in.
I'll probably hold on to what I have, get an SSD drive when I can afford it, and hope nothing else goes south on it. (knock on wood)
There are people that truly need a 17" MBP and the toys that go with it.

 

[Benbikeman]

I'll probably hold on to what I have, get an SSD drive when I can afford it, and hope nothing else goes south on it. (knock on wood)

What I did was buy the latest model, upgrade it to the max and get Applecare so that I'm assured continued use of it for three years (2.5 more now). I'm expecting 1Tb SSDs to be available and at a sensible price within a year or so, at which point I'll replace the hard drives with those, and then I reckon I'll have a machine which should be good for 4-5 years total. By that time, I'm hopeful they'll be a new MBP 17 around.

 

[allamoureux07]

Retina display is nothing more then ultimate eye candy. The effective workspace is only 1440x900. What you get is crisp GUI elements but that's it. If you work with audio or video you won't be seeing any more audio or video tracks that you did with the old plain vanilla 15" MBP. Seriously, those who are used to working with 17" on road will be seriously missing that workspace. Working with 15" is total PITA at least for many video and audio guys.

If you can use Retina MBP without pixel doubling then you will just get tiny GUI elements without the Retina eye candy effect. Not really a solution I want to be working with.

Edit: For those guys who have difficulty crasping the concept of pixel doubling and how it effects the actual workspace I suggest you compare the iPad 2 (or 1) and the new iPad (gen three). Has the workspace changed so that you can see more on the new iPad? No it hasn't. Exactly the same applies to retina MBP. You will only get crisp GUI elements and nothing more.

You do know that the rMBP has a scaling feature which allows you to effectively use ALL of the available pixels?

 

[-jeffB]

What I did was buy the latest model, upgrade it to the max and get Applecare so that I'm assured continued use of it for three years (2.5 more now). I'm expecting 1Tb SSDs to be available and at a sensible price within a year or so, at which point I'll replace the hard drives with those, and then I reckon I'll have a machine which should be good for 4-5 years total. By that time, I'm hopeful they'll be a new MBP 17 around.

Bingo. I ordered a refurb 2.3GHz 4GB/500GB during our state's tax-free weekend. I also ordered 16GB of RAM from Newegg -- $99, and there's a $15 mail-in rebate.

So, I've got a larger display than the base MBPR, but with lower resolution; same RAM; same clock speed, albeit a somewhat slower architecture; twice the storage, but rotating rather than SSD; a lot more ports, including better compatibility with my existing accessories; and $130-odd to go toward an SSD when they reach a better price point. If I'd rather, I could get one of OWC's kits to replace my optical drive, and add a smaller, cheaper SSD right now as my boot drive.

OPTIONS. With the MBPR, you get none, beyond your initial configuration. With the MBP 17, I get quite a few, including the option to follow the storage space/cost curve as it improves over the next few years.

 

[shulerg]

Always thought about the 17. Yes, it's big. Yes, it's heavy. Yes, it's big and heavy. ;-) But the screen is the biggest thing about it and that is important for many people. If I had the money to throw out, and a stronger back, and a bigger bag (that's the problem with traveling with one I'll bet) I'd happily plunk down the cash for one.

The 17" MBP was awesome. I had a 2007 model with maxed RAM and it was great, gave it to my uncle about two years ago; he now loves it too. It was the last model before they went to the awful black chiclet keys. Perhaps there will be a 17" rMBP in the future?

 

[gnasher729]

You do know that the rMBP has a scaling feature which allows you to effectively use ALL of the available pixels?

For the non-technical customer, the best way to see it is:

rMBP has the same screen (1440 x 900) as the 15" MBP, but with much much higher quality.

Optionally, you can turn it into a 1680 x 1050 or 1920 x 1200 display with normal or slightly better quality, but running a bit slower.

 

[Bubba Satori]

I once owned a 17 inch laptop..........when carrying, you had to watch how you were entering a door due to its size....enormous.
Be gone!

So, because you don't want one, it should "be gone" for
those who do want the choice of purchasing the 17" model?

I can't imagine a more infantile, fey response than "be gone".
But if you want to humiliate yourself in public, that's your dubious perogative.

 

[Tailpike1153]

Saw the Muppets take Manhattan with my little girl.

Somehow I know, we'll meet again
Not sure quite where and I don't know just when
You're in my heart so until then
Wanna smile
Wanna cry
Saying goodbye

I'll admit it that I thought a 17" laptop would be too big. After using my Compaq NW9440, while the Field team replaces my office desktop, I've a believer. Only problem is that the office skimped on the ram. Only 4GB. A 17" MBP is still on my birthday list. When the economics make sense to Apple, we'll see a 17" Apple laptop again.

 

[JGRE]

So, because you don't want one, it should "be gone" for
those who do want the choice of purchasing the 17" model?

I can't imagine a more infantile, fey response than "be gone".
But if you want to humiliate yourself in public, that's your dubious perogative.

Looking at the sales numbers, there simply is no market for these giants. So it is not me not wanting them, but you do wanting them and you are one of the few.
I am back at a 13" MBP and I love the size. It is more a matter of display quality than of dislpay size. Lets see what sales are going to do if Apple puts a retina display in the 11" and 13" models. I'll bet you that also the 15" sales numbers will drop.......

 

[Blackberryroid]

Stop the whining

A few months ago, Apple released the revolutionary Retina Display MacBook Pro, the best laptop on the planet.

You're welcome.

I have to say, I'm getting fed up with you guys being so picky with Apple products. You act like Apple's never discontinued a great product before.

So Apple discontinued the 17 Inch MacBook Pro and you don't have that huge screen you wanted. Who on earth even calls 17 Inch as a laptop? Did you seriously just utter the words "17 Inch laptop"? So you need more space. Buy Apple's great Cinema Display, how hard is that?

You "pros" are acting like the rMBP is somehow beneath you. Try taking a good look at the stuff you're actually doing these days. All those working that actually needs 17 Inches and not just doing safari 90% of the time , please raise your hands. Uh huh - just as I thought.

Did you ever stop to think that the rMBP might be part of a grander vision? And maybe the smartest thing you can do is just pay up and go along for the ride like anyone else?

I'll tell you this: If you abandon Apple, you're going to feel awfully dumb when you miss out on the great things to come. They don't usually comment on unreleased products, but I guess they're willing to make an exception here.

Just as they did with the 17 Inch MBP, they're going to revolutionize the other products too.

APPLE CINEMA DISPLAY
No more large 30 Inches of burden. Face it, you don't need 30 Inches anyway. 13 Inches is just fine.

iMac
Eliminates both screen sizes, offering now in 11 Inches. It's better this way.

MacBook Air
Now offering a display that is 5 Inches diagonally.

The new iPhone
Will be offering a 1.5 by 1.5 Inch display. People weren't complaining about the nano. I can't see why not for the iPhone.

It's the whining that pissess me off. Stop it.

 

[Benbikeman]

They don't usually comment on unreleased products, but I guess they're willing to make an exception here.

Announcing the new Apple Paper Display - our thinnest, lightest display ever! As thin and light as a single sheet of paper. We've been able to achieve this by using ... a single sheet of paper. Comes with both pencil and eraser. Unlimited document capability! (Just rub out your current document to create a new one.)

 

[Krafty]

The new iPhone
Will be offering a 1.5 by 1.5 Inch display. People weren't complaining about the nano. I can't see why not for the iPhone.

Even better: