Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Now update on 17", what to do...

G

guest8t88

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 23, 2008
69
0
Okay, I have planed for a Macbuy this friday and have waited 3 months to buy a MacBook Pro, changing from PC to MAC.
Now that the 17" is not coming I am in a bit of dilema, shall I wait to buy until and even if 17" is coming, shall I buy the current 17" or simply go with a 15"?

I have thought of an external display, just to mention.
Now if you guys are going to guide me, a poor newcommer to Mac and Apple, I will give you the more deep specifics to what I am planing to use the Macbook for.

I am a former gamer and will be gaming some, basicly atm. I will be playing Spore and Fable, I am begining to take up my old drawing skills, so I will be using possibly Adobe or another good graphic program to redo my sketches after scanning. Other then that I am planing to use mostly IWork for different small time business work.

Any surgestions on what I should do?
 
Now after using a 17" for over 8 months, I've found that yes it's portable and yes it looks great, but when it comes with portability and on-the-go usage, the 15" is a lot more ideal. I find I'm better off getting an external monitor for at home usage in clamshell (LCD shut), so that 17" screen is not used.

For your needs the 15" is actually very ideal; it's kind of awkward sometimes when using my computer is specially for Photoshop work. It's great looking, but usability is hampered by the computer size.

And the new GPU will definitely run your games without a hitch and with Photoshop CS4, it will get a slight performance boost.
 
alphaod said:
Now after using a 17" for over 8 months, I've found that yes it's portable and yes it looks great, but when it comes with portability and on-the-go usage, the 15" is a lot more ideal. I find I'm better off getting an external monitor for at home usage in clamshell (LCD shut), so that 17" screen is not used.

For your needs the 15" is actually very ideal; it's kind of awkward sometimes when using my computer is specially for Photoshop work. It's great looking, but usability is hampered by the computer size.

And the new GPU will definitely run your games without a hitch and with Photoshop CS4, it will get a slight performance boost.
Click to expand...


As for what you do, the 15 works well for you. Some people need a 17 inch and that's why apple offers one. It just kills us that each time they put out a laptop, a certain size is left behind for a while.
 
So what you are saying is that maybe the 17" will come alittle later.
I like the new design, but the old is okay in my book.
What conserns me atm is that the display is glossy and I do prefer matte.
This is a tuff desicion, as I am going tomorrow.
Proformance wise I do not mind the old 8600 graphic.

The things about the new design which talks to me is. maybe the new mousepad, the nice battery indicator (minor thing I know).
In general the only the DDR3 ram is a nice sound to me.
As I have never worked on laptops as my general station before, I am only conserned that I will regreat my buy. Not so much that I switch to MAC from Windows crap, but the machine in general.

Reading the forums I have gotten a good idea of what to buy, but still if the 17" comes out in a month or so as a store upgrate, then why not just wait alittle longer. What can I say, I am alittle happy about large screens, thou I know they are bad for your eyes.
The more input I get now the more I will be sure tomorrow.
Aslong as I do not feel totally outdated with the old 17" I might aswell go that way, but who knows.
 
TIY can order a matte option on the 17" MBP. Also the battery indicator is on the underside of the existing macbook pros as well as no offense you can set your battery indicator to minutes. SO you will know when it is low. I can not ever imagine pressing the button to check.
 
shoppy said:
TIY can order a matte option on the 17" MBP. Also the battery indicator is on the underside of the existing macbook pros as well as no offense you can set your battery indicator to minutes. SO you will know when it is low. I can not ever imagine pressing the button to check.
Click to expand...

Well, that's true, but the design is nice anyways:)
 
Save the 300 bucks or so and get the 15 and an external monitor. Gives you more portability and you have a large screen to work with at home. Plus you get the option of the wireless keyboard and mighty mouse to free up your usb ports for drawing pads and etc.
 
CoolMacDude said:
Save the 300 bucks or so and get the 15 and an external monitor. Gives you more portability and you have a large screen to work with at home. Plus you get the option of the wireless keyboard and mighty mouse to free up your usb ports for drawing pads and etc.
Click to expand...

Except where are you going to get a Mini-DisplayPort to anything adapter right now?
 
Benn using my time at work to read on the Macforum and damn alot of different info, rumors to a gold medal.
The more I think about it, I might just go with the current 17".
rumors saying the new 17" will come with the Quad-core, but I will have no use for this core atm or near future. So many rumors.
I wont have space for an external display at home, which is why I want the 17"

Baseline is, aslong as a purchase of the current 17" will not be an outdated purchase, then so will the choice probably be.
 
Tallest Skil said:
Except where are you going to get a Mini-DisplayPort to anything adapter right now?
Click to expand...

The apple store. They had 2 of the 3 announced adapters in stock. The dual link DVI adapter seems to be the only one on backorder. Not to mention the VGA and standard DVI (not dual link) are available in 3-5 days from the online apple store. This is the same wait as BTO MBP's.
 
guest8t88 said:
Benn using my time at work to read on the Macforum and damn alot of different info, rumors to a gold medal.
The more I think about it, I might just go with the current 17".
rumors saying the new 17" will come with the Quad-core, but I will have no use for this core atm or near future. So many rumors.
I wont have space for an external display at home, which is why I want the 17"

Baseline is, aslong as a purchase of the current 17" will not be an outdated purchase, then so will the choice probably be.
Click to expand...

Thank you, that is such a valid point. I use my 17" on my lap, on the floor, coffee table. I do not have the room to have an external monitor, Nor do i use my machine at the desk. It is for me my desktop replacement but with out a desk.
 
Actually, if you check the specs, it is the same as the upgraded spec 17" MBP apple are selling. AMazon are using images from the 15" Macbook pro.
 
shoppy said:
Actually, if you check the specs, it is the same as the upgraded spec 17" MBP apple are selling. AMazon are using images from the 15" Macbook pro.
Click to expand...

But it's available for pre-order. My guess is that they don't know the spec or have images. They're still selling the existing 17" elsewhere.
 
Southernboy said:
But it's available for pre-order. My guess is that they don't know the spec or have images. They're still selling the existing 17" elsewhere.
Click to expand...

They still sell the old 17" macbook pro 2.5 and the older 17" 2.4. I was excited for a few seconds.:D
 
Since Apple does not say anything I feel abit screwed.
So after som consideration I have arrived at an almost final conclusion, all depending on the Store guidence tomorrow.

Baseline is now for going 15.4"

Pro
New design allover is nice
DDR3 ram with 1066mhz.
(Posible benefits from Montivina chip)


Cons
Glossy display
2" less then 17" and no space for external display
Not sure about the full usefullness of the Graphic card


Keep to current 17"

Pro
Now comes with 4 GB standard
Glossy or Matte
Getting Laptop now

Cons
Not DDR3
New design for 15" is little bit nicer
Fear of buying an outdated laptop and posibly new coming before xmass
 
guest8t88 said:
Since Apple does not say anything I feel abit screwed.
So after som consideration I have arrived at an almost final conclusion, all depending on the Store guidence tomorrow.

Baseline is now for going 15.4"

Pro
New design allover is nice
DDR3 ram with 1066mhz.
(Posible benefits from Montivina chip)


Cons
Glossy display
2" less then 17" and no space for external display
Not sure about the full usefullness of the Graphic card


Keep to current 17"

Pro
Now comes with 4 GB standard
Glossy or Matte
Getting Laptop now

Cons
Not DDR3
New design for 15" is little bit nicer
Fear of buying an outdated laptop and posibly new coming before xmass
Click to expand...

I see your dilema. I had a 17" MBP and loved the big screen and the hi-res option. I however also like portability. I sold it and bought a Macbook and hated it. So I just ordered a 15" Macbook pro after having 3 17". I prefer the larger screen but not the larger size and price tag. If you really need the 17" screen and are using it as a desktop replacement then you should probably get the older one.

2" doesn't sound like a huge difference but when you are sitting directly in front of it, you will definitely notice it.

The newer LCD displays take up very little room though and I think it still might be a viable option. I have a 22" Samsung display that is fairly thin. They also sell wall mounts for monitors.

If you really don't have the room for the monitor however the 17" is going to be your best option.
 
Thanks CMD
All points of view are appriciated, I am almost confident that I will buy the old 17", still the new design is nice, the DDR3 ram should prove faster and the idea of how the mousepad works, is starting to talk to me.
I am abit concerned with what the Graphic is giving me, so in basics it comes down to what my coworker said to me. Decide when we are in the store.
Good to have Mac users around you, when you are a noob on Mac.
 
I am waiting for quite a long time too, plan was waiting for the new 17" and buy the first day but now I am pretty dissapointed. As a professional photographer / graphic designer that glossy might be a no go. Plus I really need a 17" since I be travelling from Germany to NY and other parts in the world back and forth so really I cant always carry a external display with me around and the 1440 x 900 is just too small.

So Im going to a store in a minute with an USB stick loaded full with photos of mine and also just color proffs (made jpgs on my current display with a full RED tone, ORANGE tone, PINK tone and some others) and will see how they look on the new glossy screen, a friend of mine told me certain red tones tend to be pink and yellow ones might be orange.

Depending on that, I might wait (I am afraid that apple change there mind and will do a matte 17" once its updated) or get the current 17".

Pascal
 
Go for the 17". !£ is far to cramped, 15 " is ok but like previous poster said it is not only the 2" we are talking about. You are forgetting it is high res so not 1400x900 but 1900x1200 of the top of my head. The machine will fly with a 2.5 processor 6mb cache and 4gigs of ram as standard.
 
So what about the difference between DDR3 1066mhz and the 17"s DDR2 667mhz?
The mousepad may be to overlook, since it will be my first Macbook and mac ever.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back