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Can we expect 17" back or no chance?

F

Freida

Suspended
Original poster
Oct 22, 2010
4,077
5,874
Hello everyone,

do you think Apple will bring 17" back or is this it? I got the retina 15" but It's just too small :( Its a fast machine but the screen is just too small.
Any chance Apple will bring the 17" back or you think because it was discontinued then there is not a chance as Apple think its over for it?
 
Freida said:
Hello everyone,

do you think Apple will bring 17" back or is this it? I got the retina 15" but It's just too small :( Its a fast machine but the screen is just too small.
Any chance Apple will bring the 17" back or you think because it was discontinued then there is not a chance as Apple think its over for it?
Click to expand...

I highly doubt it. It'd be unlikely for them to discontinue a product line, then bring it back.

If the screen is too small and you frequently use your computer on a desk (I find it hard to imagine you are using the 17 inch Pro on an Airplane tray table...), I'd recommend an external monitor.

Alternatively, go to someplace like MacMall and buy a 2011 17 inch Pro, or look at Apple's refurbs.
 
Last edited:
As of now, the 17" is done.
The trend is now smaller/lighter in the consumer sector. Unless there is a massive resurgence of demand for large notebooks, I wouldn't expect to see them back.
You are better off investing in an external monitor or forgo Apple for another vendor if your heart is set on 17" notebooks. (the new Razer Blade would be nice if it wasn't so damn gaudy)
 
I really, really, really... Well you get the idea :D

I like the 17" MBP's I've had over the years. I was quick to snap up a new one the moment it became apparent they were being discontinued.

Sadly Apple is obsessed with smaller sizes when it comes to laptops, which is fine, it's just a shame they tossed the one many of us enjoy. It's not like they couldn't afford to keep it in the line, save for their greater greed.
 
Not a chance. The rmbp 15 is the future. You'll probably have to pick up the TB display like for more res.
 
I wish Apple would, at least, consider making it a custom order. I realize everything is going small but the aging process changes things where vision is concerned. I purchased a 17" as soon as I found out they were discontinuing it. I do not sit at a desk for computing nor do I want to do so ;)
 
Nope, I believe it was only 2-3% of total Mac sales if I recall correctly.
 
Not from Apple.

Those days are done, as far as I'm concerned everything is going to smaller and thinner until it is turned inside out or ceases to exist anymore.
 
Nope, it gone. Get one from Apple as long as they have some. Is a huge box; my wife is using mine. I liked it but it was finally too big for my purpose.
 
boto said:
Nope, I believe it was only 2-3% of total Mac sales if I recall correctly.
Click to expand...

Yep, I remember reading that, not sure where from though, or if it was a reliable source, but if that is true, you can see why they pulled the plug.

My old 17" ended up just sitting on my desk, may as well have been a desktop. My 15" rMBP is perfect, the screen is big, it is thin enough to carry every day. Plus, if your eyes are good enough, you can scale the resolution to easily multitask on the retina screen. Though I understand people sometimes just want bigger.
 
:(
Its a shame. I think for me the best machine would be 17" retina. The extra space they would get would ensure that they could really make it a mobile workstation which is what i need.
Yep, external screen is an option but that only works when I'm at home. When I travel I just take the laptop, put it in a bag and when I arrive to the destination I put it on a desk and it stays there till I have to move again. That is why I need 17"
I'm not a starbucks user :)))

And as for low sales, well its not surprise. If you went to the apple store in last year before they introduce the retina they usually had only 1 17" on display and it was usually in the corner anyway so no wonder people weren't buying them. Apple pushed them out :((
 
There's a chance. Once they manage to design a screen that can reach the ends of the bezels, like how they improved from the iPhone 4S to iPhone 5. If the MBP's bezel is maximised, there's a possibility of almost a 17" display on the current 15" body.
 
I disagree with most posters. I think there is a fair chance mostly because of why I think the 17" was discontinued.

They aren't offering the old 17" because it would be competition for the current retina 15". And I also think they didn't offer a retina 17" mainly because it is such a new extremely expensive display that was hard enough to source as it is. 2 additional inches add cost and it would probably have created an entire new price point while the 15" kind of replaced the old 17".

I think would say it is very much possible that along with a 13" sooner there might also be a 17" retina MBP again next year when the 2013 Haswell versions come out and the retina Panel aren't as difficult anymore.

Smaller bezels are possible but less likely. I don't think they will soon aim to change the new rMBP case and the bezel is kind of a design element. Making it much thinner would make it look like a new design, which I think is unlikely unless one looks at a longer time frame.
 
dusk007 said:
I disagree with most posters. I think there is a fair chance mostly because of why I think the 17" was discontinued.
Click to expand...

It was discontinued because they hardly sold any, though there are other reasons why the retina model probably wouldn't work in 17" form.

The body for starters, is pretty fragile. It certainly isn't the once-rugged block of aluminium it used to be. I wouldn't fancy carting mine around to do "field work", whereas with my previous unibody 17" I would've taken it anywhere as it looked and felt like it could take a beating.

Secondly, I wouldn't be keen on spending upwards of £3000 for a 17" retina base model, owing to the screen, and likely issues arising from low yields which would undoubtedly occur in the case of a laptop only aimed at the incredulously wealthy.
 
17" MacBook Pro Retina

GTX 680 SLI
Intel Core i7-3840QM 8MB 3.8 GHz
32GB Ram
4 USB 3.0 Ports
3 Thunderbolt Ports
HDMI in + OUT (2 ports)
Availability for 2x 768 Flash storage

____________________

On a serious note, they should make a 17" and add some more good stuff like a better GPU or more harddrive space, but sadly, i doubt they will make a 17" right now.
 
mrsir2009 said:
I'd be interested to know how many 17"s they sold compared to the 15" and 13" MacBook Pros.
Click to expand...

A very small percentage, on the order of about 2% of laptops sold. There just isn't much demand for such a uselessly huge computer apart from a few people that want a bigger screen "just because" and those that need it for work away from the desk...
 
Freida said:
Hello everyone,

do you think Apple will bring 17" back or is this it? I got the retina 15" but It's just too small :( Its a fast machine but the screen is just too small.
Click to expand...

The screen has exactly the same real screen estate (even more) as the 17" model. I can understand that its too small for you, but the benefit of a lighter and smaller laptop outweights the reduction in screen size.
 
I love mine, but I think the days of the desktop replacement laptop in general are over.

Fairly good quality monitors are relatively plentiful and cheap, and most laptops have sufficient processing and graphics horsepower to handle them. This combination-smaller, more portable laptops with external monitors at workstation areas has won out over hauling a larger laptop everywhere.
 
Freida said:
Hello everyone,

do you think Apple will bring 17" back or is this it? I got the retina 15" but It's just too small :( Its a fast machine but the screen is just too small.
Any chance Apple will bring the 17" back or you think because it was discontinued then there is not a chance as Apple think its over for it?
Click to expand...

I highly doubt it. I have one and love it thought. No need for another screen or desktop.
 
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