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macbook pro for school.

S

stefmesman

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 25, 2010
432
1
Netherlands
question is.

should i go for an

17'' or 15'' macbook pro 2011

price difference is 200 bucks.

points of doubt
17'' might be to big/heavy?
17'' has higher resolution. ill be working on video projects so 1920x1080 would be nice...

ill be traveling each day for 3 hours with it. (for school) and will be working on location with it. ill be running fullscreen apps such as FCP, Nuke, Maya, Aftereffects, Photoshop. in other words. heavy ****.

i was going for the 15'' but the 200,- difference in price makes me doubt my decision when thinking about the resolution and screen size.

anyone has any thoughts on this and/or experience?

at home ill be using an ACD. screen size wont matter there.

points of interest: does the 17'' stay cooler?

off topic// does clapping the screen down increase or decrease heat? will something such as the bookarc increase its heat for being unfolded? or will it decrease heat because the bottom is conducting heat to air? also considering the usage of the screen is off in an bookarc.

thanks!
 
The weight of the 17" may not be the problem, it's the footprint. Out of the 15" and 17" I would say it would be the 15". But since you have an ACD, why wouldn't you consider the 13"?
 
kobyh15 said:
The weight of the 17" may not be the problem, it's the footprint. Out of the 15" and 17" I would say it would be the 15". But since you have an ACD, why wouldn't you consider the 13"?
Click to expand...

^This.

You'll pull your arms outa' your sockets lugging that 17" around. It may not be that heavy as per the specs but it will take its toll.

The MBP17 might be considered a laptop but it's not very "school" friendly IMO.
 
I would say the 15" since you have an ACD to work with at home. There aren't a ton of bags that will comfortably hold a 17" without being enormous themselves. I'd say that and the extra weight (although it really isn't that much) would be cumbersome in carrying it all day
 
kobyh15 said:
The weight of the 17" may not be the problem, it's the footprint. Out of the 15" and 17" I would say it would be the 15". But since you have an ACD, why wouldn't you consider the 13"?
Click to expand...

13'' is too small and doesnt have the specs i need. ;)

would love some more opinions :) thanks for yours alust2013. the bag i have already has enough room for an 17''. so the bag isnt a issue...

i got the Thule Crossover Backpack 20l from the apple store.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/H0616LL/A/Thule-Crossover-Backpack?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY
 
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stefmesman said:
kobyh15 said:
The weight of the 17" may not be the problem, it's the footprint. Out of the 15" and 17" I would say it would be the 15". But since you have an ACD, why wouldn't you consider the 13"?
Click to expand...

13'' is too small and doesnt have the specs i need. ;)

would love some more opinions :) thanks for yours alust2013. the bag i have already has enough room for an 17''. so the bag isnt a issue...

i got the Thule Crossover Backpack 20l from the apple store.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/H0616LL/A/Thule-Crossover-Backpack?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY
Click to expand...

Fair enough! I would go for the 15" personally. Just get the hi-res. It has the horsepower you need and has a smaller footprint than the 17". It'll be easier to carry around and you can always hook up the ACD at home.
 
13'' is too small and doesnt have the specs i need. ;)
Click to expand...


I strongly recommend not buying anything but the 13" low end, I purchased the high end 15" 2.3 and plan to sell it for a 2012 refreshed 13". Believe me it isn't as powerful as you may imagine and you will be only disappointed
 
phylumook said:
I strongly recommend not buying anything but the 13" low end, I purchased the high end 15" 2.3 and plan to sell it for a 2012 refreshed 13". Believe me it isn't as powerful as you may imagine and you will be only disappointed
Click to expand...

But it all depends on what you use the MBP for. The OP will be using pro apps where more cores is advantageous whilst requiring more screen real-estate.
 
I've just gone from a 17" to a 15". It was too bulky.

Go for the 15" with the hi-res screen and you'll be sorted!
 
stefmesman said:
question is.

should i go for an

17'' or 15'' macbook pro 2011

price difference is 200 bucks.

points of doubt
17'' might be to big/heavy?
17'' has higher resolution. ill be working on video projects so 1920x1080 would be nice...

ill be traveling each day for 3 hours with it. (for school) and will be working on location with it. ill be running fullscreen apps such as FCP, Nuke, Maya, Aftereffects, Photoshop. in other words. heavy ****.

i was going for the 15'' but the 200,- difference in price makes me doubt my decision when thinking about the resolution and screen size.

anyone has any thoughts on this and/or experience?

at home ill be using an ACD. screen size wont matter there.

points of interest: does the 17'' stay cooler?

off topic// does clapping the screen down increase or decrease heat? will something such as the bookarc increase its heat for being unfolded? or will it decrease heat because the bottom is conducting heat to air? also considering the usage of the screen is off in an bookarc.

thanks!
Click to expand...
if you are carrying it around for 3 hours a day, go with the 15" At home your screen size won't matter, but you aren't going to be happy lugging around a 17" laptop especially if you have to bring books and other stuff as well. Sometimes I hate bringing my 15" to class...

difference between cooling is probably negligible if any at all

I'd imagine a bookarc would help with cooling since like you said the screen is off and it allows more airflow to the bottom of the device since it's not sitting flat on a table.
 
I got one last semester for school and let me tell you. Go with the 15in. The weight of the 17in was annoying as hell. Very heavy for campus carrying. When I'm at home I just connect it to my 24in monitor and I'm set.
 
If I were you, I would go with 15' Hi-res (maybe Antiglare one, whatever you want)!
It has got similar resolution and specs, but it is much more portable and lighter!

As for heat: not sure, but I bet there is no difference...
 
Personally, I wouldn't want to lug around a 15" every day (I bought a 13"), but if that is as low as you can go in terms of performance, then you might as well get the 17", because the weight and price difference between the two is minimal.
 
I carry a 17" around college and its weight isn't a factor at all. I'm 5'3/115 lbs. and I carry this mbp around campus (my campus is huge) and wherever I go all the time. The hi-res screen was what won me over. I appreciate the resolution so much whenever I'm out and about trying to get work done. IMO, the 17" isn't heavy nor is the footprint too large. I say if you're into serious photo work, go for the 17". You'll love the 1920x1200. :D
 
As a student, I say get the 15" unless you Really Really Really want that extra resolution.
 
Thanks you guys! I think imleaning towards the 15 inch one as most of here state its just too big. Anyone got any ideas on things to buy to help it keep cool? Something portable?

Thanks again!
 
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