MBP 15" or 17": Music Production and 3D Animation

[kickFlip]

Hello,

I've been reading several threads by the user-base here and thought that I might benefit from the knowledge of people on this forum. Thanks for reading.

After doing some research, I've found that there are 3 main differences between the current MBP 15" vs. MBP 17":

- screen size
- Express Card slot on 17" (not on 15")
- 8-hour battery on 17" (7-hour batt on 15")

If there are other differences, please post them, too.

My usage of the laptop will be for 3D Animation (Maya) and Music Production/Live Performance using Ableton Live and Serato. I am a beginner in music production, but I am serious about learning (been DJ'ing for over 12 years) and would like to "future-proof" my computer as much as I can.

My main question is: for music production, is the Express Card slot very necessary? I'm not up-and-up on the hardware-side of music production, so I don't know if there is many Express Card gear available (and would I need to use them?). I can see myself using Ableton Live and Logic in the future... do I need Express Card?

I'm leaning towards the 15" for its portability, but if it's really a good option, I could go with the 17" for its Express Card capability.

Thanks very much for any input.

 

[appleguy123]

Also note that the 17" has a very high resolution at 1920*1200 (the typical resolution of a 24 inch monitor).