Apple Releases 17'' MacBook Pro

[supafly1703]

Damn....

Now with FW800 and 3 USB ports, my PB G4 17" is officially outdated

 

[ipacmm]

wow, this is great that it came out. I might have to pick one up now...but I might wait to make sure all the issues are worked out.

 

[plinden]

So who wants to do a 17" apple VS dell comparison?

Looks like the MBP 17 will stack up much better than the 15 did.

Similarly specced XPS M1710 is $3464. I can't find any current coupons that apply to that.

The 17" Precision M90 and Inspiron 9400 models are cheaper, $2674/$2585 respectively.

 

[MacTruck]

Blah blah blah. Time for a different form factor. Getting really sick of the G4 aluminum look. C'mon apple, lets see some inovation here. If they keep following this trend the Mac Pro will be shoved in a G5 case. Keeping the same cases for the intels was a big mistake in my opinion.

 

[shawnce]

Well you all agree that having a .1mm thinner case is TOTALLY worth sacrificing a DL drive.

The 17" also has a much more internal space then the 15" ... that lets them move stuff out of the way of the drive so they can fit a larger one in the system. It isn't an issue of the case height... it is about having the space to move things around to make room for things.

 

[jaydub]

Man, and to think I was going to make my 15" MBP purchase in the next couple of weeks. Perhaps I'll just be a bit more patient and see if any price changes occur first.

 

[weg]

Considering the education market, Macbook should have been the priority. Anyway, if it's going to come out until the end of May, that's okay with me, but please no more delays Apple.

I guess Apple really needed some high-end notebooks, since the G4 "pro" line looked really ridiculous (performancewise) when compared to a WinTel consumer notebook. Since they'll not be able to provide a MacBook that is as cheap as the cheapest iBook they'll probably still wait a bit longer.. if they don't have a $1000 notebook anymore, they'll cut off a lot of potential consumers..

 

[nagromme]

But those are not 1".

I saw my uncle's recent Dell laptop and I could NOT BELIEVE what a massive bulk it is. I assumed it was like 4 years old but it's not! Incredibly thick and massive and heavy. Numbers don't do that Dell justice until you hold in your hands. And then came the second shock: the power supply is about 3x the size of the MacBook's! I sure hope that Dell had a really nice GPU to justify all those sacrifices.

I read recently that the smaller panels cost a lot more to produce than larger panels due to the economies or scale production. I can't remember the specifics but I think the 14" panels was ~$100 cheaper than the 12".

Remember, though: that 14" is the same RESOLUTION as the 12". 1024x768. Finer pixels cost more, it seems, and the 12" has smaller pixels. It doesn't mean that the bigger the inches, the lower the cost.

If they keep following this trend the Mac Pro will be shoved in a G5 case. Keeping the same cases for the intels was a big mistake in my opinion.

The shape is a minimalist rounded rectangular solid. The material is anodized aluminum, which has proven AMAZINGLY durable.

What should they do to improve on that? I don't want them adding a bunch of vents and stripes and clutter to "dress them up" like PC laptops.

Change is fun, I'm with you there--but I can't personally think of a better design. It's not the same case at all, it's a total redesign following the same style.

Now, the iBook could stand to get thinner

(Also: this Intel change is a big challenge for Apple, and for some of their customers it has been a cause for alarm. Maintaining brand consistency is very important then: "still a Mac, just a new chip.")

 

[krasi82]

drive speed

I was wondering if there is any noticable difference between the 5400 RPM HD and the 72-- RPM HD. Would you really notice the difference or wouldn't you at all. I was just wondering since I am thinking of buying one. thanx in advance.

 

[MacTruck]

I saw my uncle's recent Dell laptop and I could NOT BELIEVE what a massive bulk it is. I assumed it was like 4 years old but it's not! Incredibly thick and massive and heavy. Numbers don't do that Dell justice until you hold in your hands. And then came the second shock: the power supply is about 3x the size of the MacBook's! I sure hope that Dell had a really nice GPU to justify all those sacrifices.

This is a fact. Apple makes the best laptops out there and the thinnest. Plus they have DVI which is rare. Now if they can just get the 15" up to par with the 17" we might be getting somewhere.

 

[MacTruck]

I was wondering if there is any noticable difference between the 5400 RPM HD and the 72-- RPM HD. Would you really notice the difference or wouldn't you at all. I was just wondering since I am thinking of buying one. thanx in advance.

No.

 

[mpw]

...Remember, though: that 14" is the same RESOLUTION as the 12". 1024x768. Finer pixels cost more, it seems, and the 12" has smaller pixels. It doesn't mean that the bigger the inches, the lower the cost....

Sorry didn't make it clear. The artical was a piece on LCD displays in general not specific to Apples present displays. I think they were comparing similar quality/resolution displays from the same source to highlight the cost of the smaller panels, again IIRC they were looking at displays in Sony and Acer laptops. I was just using it as an example of the costs within the industry.

 

[Dr_Maybe]

Dual layer, 1inch thickness, the screen, the HDD choices, FW800 and more has been in the 17" since october 2005. The price is "only" $100 more than when I bought my 17" pbook in september 2005. The only thing that's truly new is intel inside.

I think I want one. But now that the 15" has a 1440x900 resolution, I'd might just go for that one instead. And maybe get an external display.

I don't need FW800 or 160Mhz extra. But dual layer burning... I hope they update the MBPs this summer.

 

[milo]

...in a compact package.

That's not what he said:

"THE most powerful Windows mobile machine. "

No size qualifier there. I stand by my response.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

Funniest thing is the pricing.

A 15.4" with the 2.16 BTO and 120GB HD comes in at Eur 2,924.68

A 17" with same spec costs Eur 2,694.67

250 Euro cheaper than the 15" ??? That's fecked up. I suspect Apple are going to have to do some price re-structuring in its 15" range as it does not represent good value in its current form.

I suspect that we will see some strange pricing as Apple adjusts to the new world of Intel.

 

[jaydub]

I don't need FW800 or 160Mhz extra. But dual layer burning... I hope they update the MBPs this summer.

Same here, although I'm not even sure I need dual layer burning, since I've never had it anyway.

My apprehension with buying Apples has always been that they will undoubtedly release something to make my machine obsolete right after I've made my purchase (just as they released the Wallstreet powerbook right after I bought my 3400 style G3). The only difference now is me, and whether I'm mature enough to handle not having the newest whiz-bang stuff out at any given time.

 

[joeboy_45101]

If $1799 is a reasonable cost for this machine, find me a Dell or HP with the same specs for that price. I've looked at the Dell website and didn't find anything even close to that number.

I think you mean "Why is the computer industry not doing anything to make their high end laptops more affordable?"

OK, I take that back since the only machine that I checked that is comparable to the new MacBook is a Dell XPS M1710. It is not exactly the same, the harddrive is 20GB smaller and it uses an Nvidia Graphics card but I configured the rest to match the MacBook and it's included accessories. The price came out to be $3344.

But, damn 3-grand for a laptop in my opinion is ludicrous.

I guess my mother was right when she said, "There's nothing wrong with being poor, it's just an inconvenience."

 

[jb84]

Re: speculation about thickness and DL drive compatibility, see here

 

[DontBurnTheDayy]

Anyone else think the CD drive slot is just plain ugly?

 

[Fukui]

See my post a couple up from yours. Check the voltages your iMac is compatible with, there's one than one thread on these forums of people who plugged there US sourced iMac in to european supplies and blew their systems.

This is only for first generation iMac. If you've had your power supply/mobo replaced recently then its ok. All macs now and for a while (except the first gen imac) are world wide power safe.

Also desktop warranties are country specific unlike laptops which are worldwide.

Not any more. All warranties are supported in all countries for all systems.

(I know this cause I talked to a sales associate (store emp) about these very issues at an Apple Store)

 

[mark88]

Out of all the current Intel Macs this one temps me most of all.

Purely from a price angle, compared to the 15" it seems good value.

 

[nufanec]

Holy Bargain Batman

Well, I just tried spec'ing out one of the Dell 17" Core Duo offerings just for a price comparison. Just as a note I always spec' PC's with XP Pro and Office Basic when doing a price comparison as we get the full version of OS X, iLife, and much more gratis...

Dell XPS M1710:

Windows XP Pro
Core Duo 2.16Ghz 667MHz FSB
17" UXGA Screen With TrueLife (1920 x 1200)
1Gb DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHZ
100Gb 7200 RPM Hard Disk (no 120Gb option offered)
8x Dual Layer Superdrive
256Mb NVIDIA GeForce Go GS
80 WHr Lithium Ion Battery
$3792


Apple Macbook Pro 17"

Mac OS X 10.4
Core Duo 2.16Ghz 667MHz FSB
17" Screen (1680 x 1050)
1Gb DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHZ
120Gb 5400 RPM Hard Disk or 100Gb 7200Gb option
8x Dual Layer Superdrive
256Mb ATI Mobility Radeon X1600
68 WHr Lithium Polymer Battery
$2799

Ok, with the Dell you get a better video card - but that I expected seeing as the case is a beefy 1.67" thich and better accomodate a card like that - hell there's even a BTO option for a 512Mb Ultra version of the card if you want it.

The Dell screen really blows the Macbook's out of the water though. 1920 x 1200 is huge. I mean thats really good.

The battery is bigger too - 80WHr. Don't know how life will hold up though with that screen and the graphics card... I would doubt that you would get even as good life as the Macbook with that graphics card, screen, and Window's sucky energy management.

So ok, you get a slightly more powerful computer with the dell, and a screen to die for. But are you kidding? almost $1000 more expensive! You could almost buy a 17" iMac as well for that kinda cash - easily if you go for the extra graphics option in the Dell. And the Macbook has built in iSight...

My money would be going to Apple certainly. The days of Apple being overpriced are well and truly over.

 

[mpw]

This is only for first generation iMac. If you've had your power supply/mobo replaced recently then its ok. All macs now and for a while (except the first gen imac) are world wide power safe.


Not any more. All warranties are supported in all countries for all systems.

(I know this cause I talked to a sales associate (store emp) about these very issues at an Apple Store)

OK I've not bought a Mac since those changes, I stand corrected.

 

[kasei]

Damn! Now am I am itching to buy a new 17" system. I love my 17" PowerBook, but it is getting a little long in the tooth.

 

[bodeh6]

Extreme resolutions like that on 17" Laptops is not really needed. My bro has 1680x1050 on his 15.4" Dell and I think it is too small for that size screen. On 17" it is good. Apple should have at least made it an option so that people that want it can order it.