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High-res 17" MBP
- Thread starter cmm
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It looks really, really good. Unless your eyes are going its a worthwhile upgrade and I'd say its a must if you're buying a 17''
The screen is beautiful and the font size is never a problem. There is a setting in view to increase the font if you are reading something very small. I love it. If you are set on a 17", you must go for the hi-res. If you'd be ok with the 15", just stick with that since the 17" is so much more. I bought the 17" inch because i knew it would become the main computer. I didn't want to be stuck in front of a desk anymore. I love being able to lay down on the couch to go online and work. I thought of getting the 15" and a new monitor but then it defeats the purpose of getting away from a desk. 8-12 hours a day at work at a desk is enough.
Agreed and agreed.
The screen really is sharp, especially for text, and you'd be surprised by how readable everything is when you turn it on for the first time. The only problem you'll have are certain websites where the font size they've used is just too small to be comfortable. You can quickly get round this by repeatedly pressing Command-'+' to increase the font size to a decent size and then Command-'0' to put it back to normal.
Or even better there's a option in Safari's Preferences called "Never use font sizes smaller than ..." which is just the ticket! The only application where I've changed the font size permanently is Xcode but apart from that you shouldn't have any problems reading anything.
The High Resolution screen really was designed to have at least two windows open side by side when surfing the web or having multiple windows / applications open when programming for example. And now thanks to Spaces I'm questioning whether I even need to buy an external monitor.
What are you gonna be using yours for?
As Sweetbike40 also said, I can't see the point in giving up the portability of the 15" MBP if you're not gonna go for the High Resolution version of the 17". What you lose in portability you make up for in screen space and resolution. To me personally it's a portable desktop rather than a laptop and thanks to its speed and resolution I hardly ever use my desktop anymore. It's just too much hassle to go to the office when you can work in a relaxed way where you are on the sofa!
Okay, thank you all for your responses. I am considering the 17" MBP as I don't go from my home often, and when I do, it's at a desk working on research.
However, the price is SUBSTANTIAL from the 15". It's almost the same as getting a 15" MBP and a 30" ACD. And while I do like being able to lay in my bed, having a 30" ACD will not prevent me from doing so if I use a wireless keyboard/mouse.
So, right now I am just asking for some more opinions. I am going to the Apple store on Friday to check it out. The 17" high-res is very tempting, but so is a 15" MBP with a 30" ACD.
What do I use my computer for? Mathematica work, writing papers, some photoshop (read: resizing pictures and auto color), watching VLC, iTunes, Colloquy, Skype, AdiumX. That sort of thing. The only reason I don't go with a macbook is because of the screen resolution. So as you can see, the screen resolution is a HUGE thing for me.
So, what do you think?
However, the price is SUBSTANTIAL from the 15". It's almost the same as getting a 15" MBP and a 30" ACD. And while I do like being able to lay in my bed, having a 30" ACD will not prevent me from doing so if I use a wireless keyboard/mouse.
So, right now I am just asking for some more opinions. I am going to the Apple store on Friday to check it out. The 17" high-res is very tempting, but so is a 15" MBP with a 30" ACD.
What do I use my computer for? Mathematica work, writing papers, some photoshop (read: resizing pictures and auto color), watching VLC, iTunes, Colloquy, Skype, AdiumX. That sort of thing. The only reason I don't go with a macbook is because of the screen resolution. So as you can see, the screen resolution is a HUGE thing for me.
So, what do you think?
I don't know about any of you, but personally I feel that if you want a high resolution screen, then you shouldn't be looking to your laptop to be getting it. I feel that you're better off getting yourself a nice external monitor and saving the money and getting a smaller laptop.
These two comments make me think you might be better off with the 15" and a bigger display. But why the 30" ACD, out of curiosity? I understand if you are rich and simply want the beautiful Apple aesthetic, but since you don't do any pro work like video or design, you would do well with a nice Dell or HP, plus you could get better input options.
I love ADCs, but i'm also all for people using their money smartly and getting what they actually need.
The Dell is only a hundred dollars cheaper than the ACD with the student discount.
A 17" Macbook Pro with a High Resolution screen, Apple Care and (probably) a 7200rpm Hard Disk upgrade is NOT exactly a cheap laptop. The looks, the Apple name and logo and of course being able to use Mac OS X justify the price. You might get more features and a better price in a Ford but I'd take the BMW or Mercedes any day!
If you can afford the premium for the high end MBP you can afford the ACD. They're both luxury products.
One of the reasons I bought the MBP was so that I could potentially connect it up to the 30" ACD. It just looks so beautiful, especially on a glass desk. And anyway why would you want to stare at a Dell logo every day on a black monitor which doesn't even fully match any of the other Apple hardware?
I'm not adding anything to this thread... other than BS... But...
I have a 3 year old 17 PB with 1440 x 900 screen. The only time I wish I had a smaller laptop is on flights. I constantly wish the screen was higher res however.
Thank god my company is buying me a new one in the next few weeks...
Now I just need to decide whether I'll wait for a few weeks or until after Macworld... Hmmm....
I use mine as a desktop replacement, travel with it very often and probably spend 4-6 hours a day looking into it. Best laptop I've ever owned - hands down.
The high red is important to me for video editing. I also build a lot of documents that are graphically very heavy.
I have a 3 year old 17 PB with 1440 x 900 screen. The only time I wish I had a smaller laptop is on flights. I constantly wish the screen was higher res however.
Thank god my company is buying me a new one in the next few weeks...
Now I just need to decide whether I'll wait for a few weeks or until after Macworld... Hmmm....
I use mine as a desktop replacement, travel with it very often and probably spend 4-6 hours a day looking into it. Best laptop I've ever owned - hands down.
The high red is important to me for video editing. I also build a lot of documents that are graphically very heavy.
I've attached a picture of my current desktop to give you an idea of the kind of mulittasking that you'd be able to do WHEREVER you are rather than having to sit in front of a desk.
In the picture I've got 7 windows open:
Browsing and posting in the MacRumors forums
Checking out the latest news
Writing a script
Looking at some Applescript documentation
Using the UI Element Inspector for help with the script
Listening to some music
Batch downloading some videos, ahem, for a friend
And you haven't even seen my other Spaces ... !
I don't know what screen you're gonna be viewing that image on but when it opens up in the new window you may need to click on it agian depending on your browser so you can see it at actual size in its full 1920x1200 glory. The important thing is to imagine it all on a 17" laptop. If that idea makes you smile then you're decision's easy.
Attachments
I would love one of these, but opted for a Mac Mini, ACD and PowerBook G4 to tide me over until my last year of my Ph.D. Then I will splash out and get whichever Mac I fancy. Hopefully the redesigns won't be huge by then, otherwise I'll be picking up a used one...
17" laptops are amazing. Great for coding - my little PowerBook has screen res as the only limitation. I would replace it if I could with a higher res!
17" laptops are amazing. Great for coding - my little PowerBook has screen res as the only limitation. I would replace it if I could with a higher res!
for those of you with the 17" hi-res, would you recommend using it for lots of work (reading and composing) on word/text documents? why or why not?
thanks!
thanks!
Got my first MacBook Pro today. I do a lot of video work, and the high-resolution was a must for me. I had tried to look at one in a couple of different Apple stores, but at least at the time they only had the regular models on display. Now that I have it, I must say it is really a very nice display. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.
I guess for people that rarely take their laptop on the road, fewer pixels (or a 15" model) and a 24" or 30" monitor would be a great solution. But I need the big screen on the road, so this was not an option for me.
- Martin
I guess for people that rarely take their laptop on the road, fewer pixels (or a 15" model) and a 24" or 30" monitor would be a great solution. But I need the big screen on the road, so this was not an option for me.
- Martin
Awesome MacBook Pro
I am sitting here on a MacBook Pro 17, 2.6 Gig, with 200 gig 7200 RPM drive, HighRes Matte Screen.
It is an AMAZING machine.
The comment here about this model being "A portable desktop" is true and it is true for one reason only -- THE SCREEN.
Unbelievable productivity with this screen. You can actually get real and productive work done on this unit and this is the first MacBook, or Apple Laptop in general that I have ever been able to make this claim about.
It does look great with an ACD.
Very costly at $3,000+ but what a device.
Wow.
I am sitting here on a MacBook Pro 17, 2.6 Gig, with 200 gig 7200 RPM drive, HighRes Matte Screen.
It is an AMAZING machine.
The comment here about this model being "A portable desktop" is true and it is true for one reason only -- THE SCREEN.
Unbelievable productivity with this screen. You can actually get real and productive work done on this unit and this is the first MacBook, or Apple Laptop in general that I have ever been able to make this claim about.
It does look great with an ACD.
Very costly at $3,000+ but what a device.
Wow.
I went in and tried it at the Apple store on 5th Ave and it was TOO DAMN BIG. It wouldn't even fit on Virgin Atlantic's first class seat. It's WAY too big; even for the minimal amount of moving I do.
I am praying for a high-res 15" MBP but I doubt that's coming. If not, oh well, I will foresake the lower res for something that isn't GIGANTIC.
I am praying for a high-res 15" MBP but I doubt that's coming. If not, oh well, I will foresake the lower res for something that isn't GIGANTIC.
Time to pick another airline, I would say
- Martin
Have you ever set in first class on Virgin? NOTHING compares.
There's only business class on Virgin, no first. They call it Upper Class. It's okay but can't compare with Asian rivals like Singapore or Thai.
Yeah, upper, premium economy and economy. It's just semantics - every person knows first and eco, not so much the names airlines use now as there is no 'first class' left for international flights anymore.
Never flown on Asian airliners so I can't compare. Usually Virgin, Northwest, or BA. Virgin wins hands down.