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Macbook Pro 15" vs 17"

I had the same situation as well. I went with the 15", but it could have gone either way. The 17" is light, and you do have the resolution upgrade option.
I just didn't care for the extra 2", but 17" would have been just as awesome as the 15"
 
Sounds Good said:
How much of a pain is this?

I have a Dell Latitude laptop which has a very convenient docking station (you literally just pop it in or pop it out). My concern with the Macbook Pro vs. the Dell is that it might be a pain to hook and un-hook all the plugs & cables every time you dock or un-dock the laptop -- which in my case is quite often since I work from home.
Click to expand...

Not much of a problem. You push in the DVI port and the USB and FW ports if you have those ports connected.

For me.... I went with the 15" and wish I had the 17" model for the screen real estate. It's up to whether or not you can justfiy the 2" or not. I see a big difference in te 15" model and 17" model screens, but not the size or weight of the book. It would be nice to have a hi res 17" display to work on when I don't have my monitor.

I am going to grab the 17" book when they get updated in January.
 
Not problem at all

Sounds Good said:
How much of a pain is this?

I have a Dell Latitude laptop which has a very convenient docking station (you literally just pop it in or pop it out). My concern with the Macbook Pro vs. the Dell is that it might be a pain to hook and un-hook all the plugs & cables every time you dock or un-dock the laptop -- which in my case is quite often since I work from home.
Click to expand...

It would be nice to have a dock, as this is what I am use to, however, I suppose I am use to it, they are all on the same side. I have everything plugged into my ACD USB and Firewire and then connect the monitor lead, usb and firewire together.

I suppose comparing it to a dock is what do you plug into it?

1. Power
2. Keyboard
3. Mouse
4. Monitor
5. USB devices etc..

However, I have not seen a dock that plugs in firewire 400 or 800.

I could have a wireless keyboard and a wireless mouse, so in theory this means all I have left is power (no hardship as magnetic) and monitor. I could have printers plugged into AEBS.

I love my set up and find no hardship in plugging in the monitor.
 
I know someone who now rips his DVDs to an external that's plugged into an airport extreme 'n' base and uses it to pipe his movies to his 17" mac. Interesting idea. The resolution notwithstanding, just another reason to go to 17" for watching movies and stuff on it ...

As for backlighting; I have a 9-year-old Thinkpad 770ED I still use, and it's still quite bright so don't buy into all that LEDs last longer hype, you'll probably retire your mac long before the fluorescent light wears out...
 
I was considering the same thing a few weeks ago when I was upgrading from a 15" PB. I have gone with the high-res 17" MBP because (a) I work mostly from home and only take it out maybe once a week and (b) I don't want to have a separate monitor. My thoughts are:

1. for design/graphics the extra space is great
2. the high-res screen means that the print is smaller. In many cases it's possible to change the print magnification but not all.
3. it's a bit bigger and heavier, but not greatly so. The amount obviously goes hand in hand with the amount of screen real estate.
4. When you look at a plain screen, the backlighting doesn't look even, but looking at this one, if you move your head or the machine around, the most brightly-lit part moves, so it looks more like it could be the viewing angle. I haven't found it noticeable when working.
5. I'm pleased with my choice and don't regret it one bit. By the time I'm ready to change in a few years, should I want a 15" again the screen issues will hopefully have been resolved.
 
I bought the 15" 2.4 SR and have no regrets. The LED backlit screen is far superior to the old CF light. The screen is actually 15.4 vs 17, so the only thing at all that makes me envious is the 17 with the 1920 x 1080 resolution.

I lug my notebook from work to home every day so the 5 lb. weight is nice.
 
I went with a 15-inch.

The 15-inch fits in most normal bags (I use a sleeve), and I can't be bothered about using those ugly looking laptop bags either :p

The 17-inch is just too big to fit it into anything "normal sized".
 
cluthz said:
I went with a 15-inch.

The 15-inch fits in most normal bags (I use a sleeve), and I can't be bothered about using those ugly looking laptop bags either :p

The 17-inch is just too big to fit it into anything "normal sized".
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I agreed at one point, but then I brought another editor that uses a 17" MBP with me to a story. He carried the sleeve with him and the book fit into every Swiss Army bag that was in the Apple Store, Staples, and Marshalls. I have a rather large Swiss bag that fits the 17" and has room to spare, and a NABJ bag that can hold a 17" PC so it fits in there perfectly also.

Now that I have done the research, and know that all my current bags for my 15" can hold the 17" and sleeve I am getting the 17". The extra pound and 8 ounces isn't enough to deter me from grabbing a machine with the extra screen size and ... I guess USB port.

That's the only reason I would consider getting the 15" still, the lack of added productivity. I don't use much USB ports anyway, and paying $300 for the screen size isn't worth it to me. Now if the next revision of the 17" gets something added that the 15" doesn't have, then I will definitely get it, if it doesn't however, then I will just have to decide if the large screen is worth it.

As for the bags though... if you have a friend with a 17" tell him to go bag shopping with you.
 
I've got a 17inch PowerBook and really regret it now. I wish I had the 15.

Things that are annoying:

It IS heavy. Especially when carrying it for long time. It'll ware you down slowly until you're just pissed off and want to throw it in a bin or something.

The added weight of the screen has loosened the hinge prematurely. It is really sloppy now and is a massive annoyance when you feel like the lap top is about to snap into two bits all the time.

The added size means that on trains, planes whatever it is a real pain in the ass to use it discretely. The laptop shouts steal me, and I HAVE AN APPLE. Seriously annoying.

The added size means it is easier to knock into things. Mine has several dents on it all because of the size of the computer.


Next time I get a laptop it will be a MacBook Pro and it will be a 15inch or equivalent.

Hope those ideas help.
 
Hello all

Albal said:
I've got a 17inch PowerBook and really regret it now. I wish I had the 15.

Things that are annoying:

It IS heavy. Especially when carrying it for long time. It'll ware you down slowly until you're just pissed off and want to throw it in a bin or something.

The added weight of the screen has loosened the hinge prematurely. It is really sloppy now and is a massive annoyance when you feel like the lap top is about to snap into two bits all the time.

The added size means that on trains, planes whatever it is a real pain in the ass to use it discretely. The laptop shouts steal me, and I HAVE AN APPLE. Seriously annoying.

The added size means it is easier to knock into things. Mine has several dents on it all because of the size of the computer.


Next time I get a laptop it will be a MacBook Pro and it will be a 15inch or equivalent.

Hope those ideas help.
Click to expand...

Hi to all, well am on the same situation as you.

I do an analyzing:

15', 2.8Ghz, 320Gb, 7200 Rpm, 4GB DDR3 Ram, Only Glossy, Removable Battery, thick 2.41cm, 36cm breight, high 24,9cm, weight 2,49Kg
17', 2.66Ghz, 320Gb, 7200 Rpm, 4GB DDR3 Ram, Antiglare, Non Removable Battery, thick 2,50cm, breight 39,3cm, high 26,7cm, weight 2,99Kg

Difference price between 100 and 200 Euro

17'
Possitives: Overall i love the big screen and antiglare! Also the 8(7) Hours of battery!
Negatives: Moveing arround, its very big as for sitting in a restaurant, to feel ashamed, process speed its deeper than 15', bigger bag and anoying, every place you sitt outside your home, non removable battery. Its even not for if you want liing on the bed, unconfortable! Its only for sitting.Weight more than 15'

15'
Possitives: 2.8Ghz process speed, removable battery! Liing in bed comode, sitting comode, walking comode, bags not so big. Lighter!
Negatives: Glare, Smaller Screen, Minus 3 Hours of the 8(7) hours from 17'

What Apple Customer says about Apple:

Possitives: Secure Machines, love Design and love mac sincerly, good system, user friendly, deffinitly my choice!
Negatives: Why 15' inch doesn't got antiglare? Is it, cause you want me buy a 17'? No thanks apple, to big for me and not because of the price, but i think you freakin kidding me, because i know, its not that hard to make antiglare also for 15'! What about the firewire on the 13'?Why you didn't remove a usb instead of the firewire? you want people buy the 15' inch? Not with me apple, i buy the 15' not because you freakin removed the firewire, but cause i need alittle bigger screen for webdesign and a better grafics card, thats why! But its really breaking my heart you do that!

Conclusion:

I choosed a apple macbook 15' , doesn't matter the glossy and the 8 hours even, because the battery is not removable! Need to be made by a technician! It will cost more that a normaly removable battery! Apple, the 15' deserves this 8 hours of battery and please removable next time, thanks! Over all, the 15' is more confortable! If i want sitt at home, then listen apple, i will buy a cinema widescreen 24 or 30, i will see, wireless mouse and board too!

Greetings
 
macintoshi said:
Hi to all, well am on the same situation as you.

I do an analyzing:

15', 2.8Ghz, 320Gb, 7200 Rpm, 4GB DDR3 Ram, Only Glossy, Removable Battery, thick 2.41cm, 36cm breight, high 24,9cm, weight 2,49Kg
17', 2.66Ghz, 320Gb, 7200 Rpm, 4GB DDR3 Ram, Antiglare, Non Removable Battery, thick 2,50cm, breight 39,3cm, high 26,7cm, weight 2,99Kg

Difference price between 100 and 200 Euro

17'
Possitives: Overall i love the big screen and antiglare! Also the 8(7) Hours of battery!
Negatives: Moveing arround, its very big as for sitting in a restaurant, to feel ashamed, process speed its deeper than 15', bigger bag and anoying, every place you sitt outside your home, non removable battery. Its even not for if you want liing on the bed, unconfortable! Its only for sitting.Weight more than 15'

15'
Possitives: 2.8Ghz process speed, removable battery! Liing in bed comode, sitting comode, walking comode, bags not so big. Lighter!
Negatives: Glare, Smaller Screen, Minus 3 Hours of the 8(7) hours from 17'

What Apple Customer says about Apple:

Possitives: Secure Machines, love Design and love mac sincerly, good system, user friendly, deffinitly my choice!
Negatives: Why 15' inch doesn't got antiglare? Is it, cause you want me buy a 17'? No thanks apple, to big for me and not because of the price, but i think you freakin kidding me, because i know, its not that hard to make antiglare also for 15'! What about the firewire on the 13'?Why you didn't remove a usb instead of the firewire? you want people buy the 15' inch? Not with me apple, i buy the 15' not because you freakin removed the firewire, but cause i need alittle bigger screen for webdesign and a better grafics card, thats why! But its really breaking my heart you do that!

Conclusion:

I choosed a apple macbook 15' , doesn't matter the glossy and the 8 hours even, because the battery is not removable! Need to be made by a technician! It will cost more that a normaly removable battery! Apple, the 15' deserves this 8 hours of battery and please removable next time, thanks! Over all, the 15' is more confortable! If i want sitt at home, then listen apple, i will buy a cinema widescreen 24 or 30, i will see, wireless mouse and board too!

Greetings
Click to expand...

You're new here. Good job on doing the search, but do you realize that you dug up a thread that is over a year old? Some of the comparisons you are making are against old technology that is discontinued. Although some of the comments about how to carry a 17" might be relative... just wanted to let you know to watch for the dates on old posts.
 
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