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i dono i think the reason why Apple isn't doing is precisely all the stuff you guys expect to come along in a 17" package. More powerful silicone, better battery life, etc etc. It'd be too expensive and limit the market.
 
I get why Apple had to cancel the 17" when introducing a 15" retina. It would have been difficult to make a 17" retina screen at the time, and without a retina display it wouldn't have been the halo anymore.

But I don't see any reason for the 17" to not make a return in the future other than stubbornness on the part of Apple. High density panels are on the border of commonplace, and mobile pros really appreciate the extra space.

I, for one, will be first in line if/when the 17" makes a return.
 
keep dreaming ...

I want one too but it's not going to happened.

It will cost too much

new Mac Pro is also very expensive, and only serves a small community of multimedia professionals, just like 17" RMBP. those who need / want more power MBPs, they would definitely buy. Apple would put all kinds of bells and whistles to make it expensive enough to make the production / investment worth it.
 
I get that Apple had to cancel the 17" when introducing the 15" rMBP (technical constraints of panel size, doesn't make sense for the top of the line machine to have an inferior panel, etc.)

But Apple has had years to work out the tech and the supply chain. The 17" really needs to make a comeback. I love my 15" rMBP, but it's never quite been the mobile workstation that my 17" MBP was. Nowadays I need to dock to do any real work -- and even that sucks since there is no high-ppi Apple display.

There is a huge gap here in Apple's line-up, and I'd be astounded if the product managers at Apple didn't realize that.

I'm hoping/expecting that we're going to see a big roll-out with new laptops, monitors, and 4/5K support across the board. But Apple's a bit hamstrung with the whole Intel Skylake/DisplayPort 1.3 thing. Intel is so far behind the curve here.

/rant
 
I could see them doing a 16 inch screen in the form factor of the current 15 inch macbook pro by using a true edge to edge display like the iphone 6.

I'd settle for a 4K 16 inch display. Using Hi DPI scaling, that's a 1080 16 inch screen. Not too bad.
 
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I would get 17" immediately too. The 15 rMBP I have never really replaced that 17" I had. And to rub it in, my gf constantly teases me with her 17" Dell!!!

Come on Apple, give those that need it the option. I'm sure you will find a lot of people that will get one (not as many as 15 or 13 but you know what i mean)
 
We have two 17" MBP's in our home.

Late last year my 2011 17" MBP suffered the GPU issue requiring a replacement logic board, which cost me a reasonable $310 flat rate repair with a turnaround of 4 days.
When it died I starting thinking what I could get as a replacement, and because Apple no longer make the 17" I ended up looking at other makes.
 
Yes there are those of us who enjoy and have need for a 17" laptop. Although my 2009 mbp 17" is still working, the battery needs replacing and it's getting harder to find one. I am at the juncture where I am seriously about to acquire a Venom Blackbook X. I can't wait forever on a hope and prayer that Apple will build another 17" MBP. Like others here I sure wish they would.
 
Good to see there are still threads on this.

Keep the dream alive - 17" 4K :)

I actually had that dream one night!


But let's look at the facts again. 17" notebooks are effectively dead in the mainstream marketplace. The few that still exist are either massive gaming notebooks that weigh 10lbs (like Alienware or that Venom) and have no battery life or more appropriately sized models that have terrible screens and low end parts (like the Dell Inspiron 5000). The market has killed 17" notebooks in general. We aren't likely to see a return to that anytime soon.

If you are open to Windows, the only alternative I would even remotely consider replacing my Macbook Pro with is the Razer Blade Pro. It's roughly the same size as the 17" MBP with more powerful processors(slightly... not much between a 2nd Gen i7 and a 4th) and modern graphics (GTX 860). In fact, the now 4 year old MBP has a better screen (1200p vs 1080p) and better battery life.
 
I would love a 17 rmbp. It would never have dual GPU with apples fascination with thinness, the thing would fry itself.
 
I could see them doing a 16 inch screen in the form factor of the current 15 inch macbook pro by using a true edge to edge display like the iphone 6.

I would absolutely 110% settle for that solution!

----------

But let's look at the facts again. 17" notebooks are effectively dead in the mainstream marketplace.

Because Apple doesn't offer one.

Before the retina MacBooks, at least 30% of the software professionals I worked with ran 17" MBPs.
 
As much as I would love to see it, I doubt that a 17" rMBP is in the works. I think 4K is inevitable, but 17" is a pipedream.
 
Sadly, I fear the days of the 17" are over...

Except, I still have two - from 2010 and 2011 - and rather than size down, I'm seriously considering modding the older of the two - taking out the optical drive and adding a 1TB SSD in its place - taking out the optical drive and putting it into an enclosure, so when I need a disc drive I can plug it in ...

Has anyone else done this?
 
I could see them doing a 16 inch screen in the form factor of the current 15 inch macbook pro by using a true edge to edge display like the iphone 6.

I'd settle for a 4K 16 inch display. Using Hi DPI scaling, that's a 1080 16 inch screen. Not too bad.

Same here. It's about time they dropped the bezel on the rMBPs and Airs. Even the one on the rMB is a bit thick after someone looks at the Dell XPS 13.

I'd settle for a 16" rMBP over a thinner, smaller 15" rMBP.

I would absolutely 110% settle for that solution!

Because Apple doesn't offer one.

Before the retina MacBooks, at least 30% of the software professionals I worked with ran 17" MBPs.

This and let's not forget that Apple was the first to introduce a 17" laptop back in 2004. At the time it had a HUGE 1440x900 resolution.

They need to keep up with their tradition.
 
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