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MBP 13 or 17

T

tim2006

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 18, 2006
269
0
trying to decide between new 13 umbp or new 17 umbp. have always had a 15 want to try something different.

factors
1) main machine
2) will not use external display
3) used away from the desk all in the house but in various locations
4) no heavy lifting
 
tim2006 said:
trying to decide between new 13 umbp or new 17 umbp. have always had a 15 want to try something different.

factors
1) main machine
2) will not use external display
3) used away from the desk all in the house but in various locations
4) no heavy lifting
Click to expand...

what are the main things you will be running on it (i.e. Safari, Final Cut Studio, Adobe CS4.)
 
I have a 13" and I use it around the house and at my desk without an external display and it fits me very well. I also like how portable it is.
It is, however, really based on what you'll be using it with.
 
Get the 17in Macbook Pro. I used a 17in Dell Laptop as my main machine before and I had no problems using it around the house.
 
tim2006 said:
trying to decide between new 13 umbp or new 17 umbp. have always had a 15 want to try something different.

factors
1) main machine
2) will not use external display
3) used away from the desk all in the house but in various locations
4) no heavy lifting
Click to expand...

if you can afford the 17" go for it
 
If you're not going to use an external display, go with the 17". The display on the 17", with its 1920X1200 resolution will give you significantly more screen real estate over the 13". Sure, the 17" is less portable, but nonetheless, the functionality it packs makes it worthwhile. The far superior screen. A 2.8 vs. 2.53 processor. 9600GT vs 9400M. 8hrs vs 7 hours battery life. Express Card slot. 2X the HDD space. Cheaper upgrade options. Better speakers. If you can afford it, 17" is the way to go.
 
I used to own the first 13" MacBooks and the portability was great. However, I work alot with 3D software (Rhino, Alias, Solidworks) so screen real estate was needed. I currently own the 15" unibody and absolutely love it. The 17" was a bit too large to lug around but I do miss the 13" form factor. I wish the 13" got a higher resolution screen.

If you aren't planning on traveling with your notebook I would opt for the 17" if you can afford it.
 
no heavy lifting here. do most of that at work. this is my home toy. price difference does not matter. the issue I have is the size of the 17. i want to comfortably use the notebook in my family while watching tv. now that the 13 has gone pro I am interested in it. coming from a 15 its time for a change but to what?
 
I've had my 13" MacBook since Feb '08. I don't do any moviemaking, photoshop, etc. I just use mine for Safari, Mail, iWork, Office, iTunes, Spotify, instant messenging... will probably get Aperture 3 when it's released having played around with the Aperture 2 trial... I start university in September so i'll be using it constantly for that. I also want to get into programming so will be using it for that too...

But for what I've used it for so far, i wouldn't buy a 13" again. Even just using Safari i feel the screen is cramped. And when i used the Aperture trial i felt very squashed in the window. Movies will be more enjoyable on a larger screen too.

If you've been using 15" so far, i think going down to a 13" would be a move you'd regret in the long-run. The added portability and weight will be great, no doubt (although the current 15" is only 0.5 pounds heavier than my polycarbonate 13"), but you may find yourself wanting a larger screen.

Have you played around with other people's 13" notebooks? How have you found them?

I'm very happy with my 13" for now - my first computer - but I couldn't see myself wanting to spend money on another one, except - maybe - the Air.
 
The only thing a 13" laptop does better than a 17" laptop is portability. If have a job where you are constantly hopping onto airplanes then the 13" size would be of benefit.
 
Depends what you want to do. If you would be happy with the smaller screen size of the 13", go for that. Although if you want a bigger screen and you say its going to be your main machine the 17" really is a beautiful machine. I was in the Apple Store yesterday and had a play about on it and the high resolution of the 17" screen really is a joy to use.
signature_silverapple.jpg
 
i am sure the 17 inch sells the least. is that due to price or being too big.
 
I think it's price, as it's not that big. But then it's all down to requirements.

I have a 15" previous gen MBP, and the difference in size and weight compared to the 17" seems minimal, yet the benefits from the higher resolution and screen real estate on the 17 are very real. My wife has a 15" Dell Vostro which feels bigger and heavier than the MBP 17". The MBP 17" is clearly a very well designed machine.

If you're travelling a lot then any additional size and weight matters, so it has to be a factor, but as a portable desktop replacement the MBP 17" is a class act.
 
GO WITH THE 17!!!!!!!

I just went from a 15 inch Toshiba circa 2005 to a 17 inch. I LOVE IT! I basically use it the way you described you want to use yours. Get a matte screen! It works so well with lamp lighting.

If you go with the 13 be expected to have LESS desktop... by alot.
 
I just got the 17" MBP, I'm loving the screen size, this is coming from a 12" PowerBook. I realized that since I finished school, my PowerBook has left the house about 5 times in the last 4 years. The 17" made sense since it only travels between the living room and my desk.
 
AMessy said:
I just got the 17" MBP, I'm loving the screen size, this is coming from a 12" PowerBook. I realized that since I finished school, my PowerBook has left the house about 5 times in the last 4 years. The 17" made sense since it only travels between the living room and my desk.
Click to expand...

do you find the text too small?
 
tim100 said:
do you find the text too small?
Click to expand...

I have no problems with the small text but I guess I can see how some people could have issues with it. The zoom feature is nice with the touch commands but the menu text doesn't change, only the text in the open window.

I looked at the demo models at my local Best Buy before I made a decision and never though anything about the small text until I read some peoples issues with it on here.

I even like the glossy screen compared to the matte on my PowerBook.
 
I personally don't think you should get a certain size solely based on what you haven't tried yet; I've applied that philosophy to buying stuff and it's not a good one. ;)
 
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