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MBP 17 for a student - how portable?

addoh said:
Of course weight isn't a POSITIVE thing, but it matters less if you're well built. A 120 ibs woman would probably suffer more than me from that extra 1.5 ibs.

I was actually dead set on a MBA 13 ultimate, but I realised I want a portable desktop more than an ultraportable. I think MBP 17 + iPad 2 gives me a lot more than just MBA 13, to be honest.
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I genuinely feel like a broken record here, since I feel like 85% of my posts are defending the portability of a 17" laptop. I know a 98 lb girl with a 17" MBP like mine. Personally, I'm 130-135 and I've carried around a 17" laptop every day of university.

I use it literally everywhere. You guys must be going to sardine academy where you'll all packed into your lecture theatres because I've never seen a desk my computer wouldn't fit on. Get a knapsack built for your notebook and you'll never notice it's bigger.

Plus you'll get all the women with your larger screen.
 
rockyroad55 said:
I would seriously go for a MBA and an external display. Powerful enough for anything that needs to be done outside and amazing when you're home.
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Powerful for everything that needs to be done outside, definitely. But still not as powerful as MBP 17. When I visit a friends place for a weekend I wont have a good screen to edit on etcetc.

Amazing at home? The screen YES, but apart from that no. Not as fast in LR3/CS5, and not as future proof.

When I get my own apartment (which I hopefully will during the fall) I'll consider external display (Apple Thunderbolt to be specific) but until then I have nowhere to put it :S.

If my dad takes my uMB, and we buy my new MBP on our company, I'll get it for the equivalent of 50% retail price. That means I can get a 27 Thunderbolt display by Christmas, and I'll have spent less than a new 17 MBP in total, and have an AMAZING desktop setup, a portable desktop replacement, and an iPad 2 for shorter trips/college.
 
addoh said:
Powerful for everything that needs to be done outside, definitely. But still not as powerful as MBP 17. When I visit a friends place for a weekend I wont have a good screen to edit on etcetc.

Amazing at home? The screen YES, but apart from that no. Not as fast in LR3/CS5, and not as future proof.

When I get my own apartment (which I hopefully will during the fall) I'll consider external display (Apple Thunderbolt to be specific) but until then I have nowhere to put it :S.

If my dad takes my uMB, and we buy my new MBP on our company, I'll get it for the equivalent of 50% retail price. That means I can get a 27 Thunderbolt display by Christmas, and I'll have spent less than a new 17 MBP in total, and have an AMAZING desktop setup, a portable desktop replacement, and an iPad 2 for shorter trips/college.
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There you go! You got it all planned out. In that case, enjoy your 17" and remember not to drop it! :p
 
I had the 17 and it was smokin. But I sold it and got a 15 because I don't use a desk (only my lap most of the time).

The 15 is also a very good option (the HR, that is).

But generally...the bigger the better :)
 
The 17" is just as slim as the 13" or 15" and it's not much heavier. As mentioned, it it a lot bigger when open sitting on a desk. My friend had the 17" and I had the 13". Mine was much more convenient to use during class but when on a table in the library or at home the 17" was nicer. If you don't plan on using it during class get the 17". If you might use it during class, the 15" might be the best compromise.
 
Nick05 said:
The 17" is just as slim as the 13" or 15" and it's not much heavier. As mentioned, it it a lot bigger when open sitting on a desk. My friend had the 17" and I had the 13". Mine was much more convenient to use during class but when on a table in the library or at home the 17" was nicer. If you don't plan on using it during class get the 17". If you might use it during class, the 15" might be the best compromise.
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I'll be using pencil/paper/iPad for lectures, only time the MBP will be used in school is when I study in group rooms where the desks are large.
 
I have a 17" for college...

I carry it around with me everywhere already, it's plenty portable.

Plus if you think about it, compared to most 16" laptops even, it has a smaller footprint. Compared to my DV6, my MBP is a little longer, but less wide. and it's a lot thinner.
 
GuitarG20 said:
I have a 17" for college...

I carry it around with me everywhere already, it's plenty portable.

Plus if you think about it, compared to most 16" laptops even, it has a smaller footprint. Compared to my DV6, my MBP is a little longer, but less wide. and it's a lot thinner.
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Nice, what bag do you use? I'm strongly considering the Timbuk2 Command Messenger MEDIUM.
 
My first laptop for a 15.4 dell back in 2003. Weighed more then the 17" and was not to bad. If I needed a power house house laptop id go for the 15". If I need the screen real estate and power I'd go for the 17".

Since I need neither power nor real estate, I'd like a 11" air. I had one but sold it before the update and got a used 2011 13" pro. The deal was to good to pass up.
 
Alright I've decided..thanks everyone for the answers!

It'll be a 17 MBP now, with 8 Gb RAM and a 240 Gb SSD (Crucial M4) bought separately. I'll then get an iPad 2 before Christmas, or the new iPad 3/HD. The 27 Thunderbolt display will wait, maybe sometime in the distant future...

Now it's only a matter of convincing my dad to take my uMB and help with the finances, hopefully he won't be too stubborn =). I'm SO looking forward to this purchase!

I'll update here as soon as I've placed the order.

I ask again though: what bags do you guys use for a 17 MBP in college?
 
addoh said:
Alright I've decided..thanks everyone for the answers!

It'll be a 17 MBP now, with 8 Gb RAM and a 240 Gb SSD (Crucial M4) bought separately. I'll then get an iPad 2 before Christmas, or the new iPad 3/HD. The 27 Thunderbolt display will wait, maybe sometime in the distant future...

Now it's only a matter of convincing my dad to take my uMB and help with the finances, hopefully he won't be too stubborn =). I'm SO looking forward to this purchase!

I'll update here as soon as I've placed the order.

I ask again though: what bags do you guys use for a 17 MBP in college?
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Welcome to the 17" inch owners club! Anywho... I've used this knapsack with a 17" laptop of some sort for 4 years now, and it's never let me down. It's also got mad storage, but paradoxically it's not very big. I routinely roll with my laptop in the laptop slot (duh), textbooks and a power charger/clothes if I'm staying overnight somewhere with room to spare. It's also got adjustable lumbar support so you're always comfy.
 
Is the 17" MacBook Pro really that much more of a benefit, over the 15" Hi - Res MacBook Pro?
 
Titanium81 said:
Is the 17" MacBook Pro really that much more of a benefit, over the 15" Hi - Res MacBook Pro?
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More screen real estate means you can do more at once. I used to have a lower res laptop and my productivity (when I chose to work...) has gone up 10x since getting a 17" MBP. Being able to have multiple sources open while you process your data on the fly is a HUGE advantage to workflow. Movie watching is also significantly improved for obvious reasons.

Not to mention that the speakers are significantly better. Search the forums if you don't believe me, the 17" MBP has speakers that literally drop poo on the 15's. My housemate used to have a 15" MBP and I'd regularly annoy him on purpose by playing my music louder than his. When we have parties at my apartment people are usually amazed at the sound coming from my little aluminum brick.

There's also the express card slot and extra USB ports which I think prove themselves advantageous enough to not warrant my explanation.
 
Glad you were undetered. Let us know when you get that 27" so you can join the MBP TrU-DeF Club ;)

27" ACD + 17" Hi-Res = straight stupidity
 

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addoh said:
Hey guys,

After TONS of thinking, researching etc I've come to the conclusion that a MBP 17 might be my best alternative. I edit photos, sometimes on the go, and watch videos/browse the web.

Thing is I want something GOOD for editing photos, but still can't purchase an iMac or a desktop system since I live with friends in a small apartment, stay with my parents every other weekend and so on. I also need/want to bring my computer with me to the university one or a few times a week, when doing projects (I'm in med school so nothing too high tech).

Anyway, I've written my story in the MBA forums, I only came here to ask you guys: how portable is the MBP 17 really?

I'm 6'2, 185 ibs, very athletic. Weight shouldn't be an issue. Size might be a problem in lectures, but I don't need the computer then anyway.

I simply wonder if some of you regularly transport your 17 MBP, and how you find it. Is it very cumbersome? What bag do you use?
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Just a thought, but for your needs, a 13" and an external monitor would also suit your needs quite well, unless you insist on editing your photos on the go.
 
addoh said:
Alright I've decided..thanks everyone for the answers!

It'll be a 17 MBP now, with 8 Gb RAM and a 240 Gb SSD (Crucial M4) bought separately. I'll then get an iPad 2 before Christmas, or the new iPad 3/HD. The 27 Thunderbolt display will wait, maybe sometime in the distant future...

Now it's only a matter of convincing my dad to take my uMB and help with the finances, hopefully he won't be too stubborn =). I'm SO looking forward to this purchase!

I'll update here as soon as I've placed the order.

I ask again though: what bags do you guys use for a 17 MBP in college?
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You will love it. Its what I use as my main machine. I have a Vertex 3 in mine though. It flies!!
 
i say, MBP 13-15 is the best for a more portable solution, while the 17 is kinda heavy to carry it around..
 
You're young. You can probably strap a small cubicle refrigerator to your back and carry it around campus just fine.

It'll only become evident that maybe the MBP 17" was too heavy about 20 years later when you develop low back pain that no longer goes away.
 
Investing in a good backpack will do wonders... I would recommend a backpack instead of a messenger bag if you're carrying a laptop, books, notes, pens and stuff.

Especially if you have a lot of walking and climbing stairs, it'll make your day a little better in college.
 
VMMan said:
You're young. You can probably strap a small cubicle refrigerator to your back and carry it around campus just fine.

It'll only become evident that maybe the MBP 17" was too heavy about 20 years later when you develop low back pain that no longer goes away.
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I don't think ONE POUND on my shoulders will make my back ache in 20 years =).

And thinkinblue613, I have a pretty nice North Face backpack which is perfect atm, if I measured correctly it will also hold the 17 MBP! It's the North Face Big Shot, which according to the website (just checked) fits "most 17 inch laptops". Sweet!
 
addoh said:
I don't think ONE POUND on my shoulders will make my back ache in 20 years =).

And thinkinblue613, I have a pretty nice North Face backpack which is perfect atm, if I measured correctly it will also hold the 17 MBP! It's the North Face Big Shot, which according to the website (just checked) fits "most 17 inch laptops". Sweet!
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Go to a sporting goods store like REI or City Sports or even a North Face store if there is one around you and test it out.
 
rockyroad55 said:
Go to a sporting goods store like REI or City Sports or even a North Face store if there is one around you and test it out.
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Oh, I HAVE the North Face Big Shot =). I see now that I wasn't very clear..
 
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