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Pondering the 17" - what are your experiences?

H

h00ligan

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Apr 10, 2003
3,046
147
London
I have an iPad, 13" air, desktop right now and I'm thinking of consolidating the last two...to a 17"

I've got ram to upgrade and a 20% off coupon from amazon which puts the 27" down to $1828. which to me says a lot of first year depreciation is going to be taken away. Additionally, I live in a desert and drive everywhere. I can't spec a high res 15 for anywhere near that it seems. I also have a small Dell mini 9 for IT consulting, it's worth nothing and works ok for limited use (terminal services, router configuration, etc)

Here's what I'm thinking. On trips and the odd time I have to travel, I can. I believe the backpack I have will tke the 17" too. I'm consulting less and doing photography more, I can also use the iPad as needed for flights or trips...

At the end of the day, the 17 is not much heavier than the 15, and the screen res is what I currently use on my desktop machine.

So for those who have had the 17", did you end up hating the weight, did you appreciate the screen?
How is the sound output?

Obviously the downside is weight, and also room to room mobile, using in bed, etc..

I'm paging heavily on the air already without even getting into heavy manipulation, and the color seems to clip badly (though I seem to be the only one it bothers).

Thoughts?
 
Love my 17'. Only downside is a SSD Sata 3 upgrade in these is hit or miss. Definitely prefer the 17' over the 15'
 
The 17" is fine as a desktop replacement unless you're one of those who need the raw processing power and expandability of the Mac Pro (or new iMacs). So in terms of processing power, no problem.

In terms of portability, well, that's a bit of a different story. I owned one of the earlier generation 17" unibody MBPs, and it is significantly less "portable" than a 15". It is not just a question of weight, either--it felt, to me, quite a bit bigger and more awkward to move around a lot.

It's a great laptop. But if you like to wander around the house with it, you might be better served by a 15".
 
I loved the 17" when I had it but for one thing - I found the resolution to be too high for me. I wear contacts/glasses, so I will say my eyesight is not perfect. Text just looked too tiny for me, so I went back to the 15", which seems to be the sweet spot for me. The 17" was larger, but not too much. I found the extra weight/size differences to be overblown.

FYI - those coupons no longer work on Apple laptops. Amazon released an updated list of eligible laptops, and the only Mac on it is last year's 13" Air.
 
I absolutely love my 17" and I move around with it a lot.

This is always what i say about it- It's about the same size as a comparable 16" HP laptop, and thinner, and also possibly lighter. I move around with mine all the time and I am totally fine with it. :cool:
 
I love my 17" wouldn't trade it for anything.

The only problem I've had is, you can't use it really on a plane unless you are in 1st/Business Class.

Outside of that, I love the screen size and the laptop.
 
I upgraded to a 2011 17" earlier this year, from a 13" MacBook. I'm quite happy with it, especially with the screen size. The sound is pretty good too (for a laptop), although I still use external speakers when it's on my desk, for a little more bass.

I don't take it out of the house all that often, but it's nice to be able to when I need to, and to have a consolidated desktop/portable machine. It's not that much bigger than the 15", but you really notice the increase in screen size (although I admit I've never owned a 15", I've only compared the two sizes at the Apple store).

If I was taking my laptop with me everywhere, I might consider something smaller, but for a desktop replacement with the ability to occasionally close the lid and throw it in my backpack when I need to, it's perfect.
 
Thanks to all for the experiences!

Queen of Spades said:
I loved the 17" when I had it but for one thing - I found the resolution to be too high for me. I wear contacts/glasses, so I will say my eyesight is not perfect. Text just looked too tiny for me, so I went back to the 15", which seems to be the sweet spot for me. The 17" was larger, but not too much. I found the extra weight/size differences to be overblown.

FYI - those coupons no longer work on Apple laptops. Amazon released an updated list of eligible laptops, and the only Mac on it is last year's 13" Air.
Click to expand...

I have an order in that hasn't shipped - so they are willing to change it for me as a courtesy.

15" high res?
 
h00ligan said:
So for those who have had the 17", did you end up hating the weight, did you appreciate the screen?
How is the sound output?
Click to expand...

I've never had any problems with any of the 3. I went to a 17" from a 13". I highly enjoy the real estate, and it sits inside my case and book bag just fine without causing too much weight with carrying it.
 
I love my 17"MBP. I carry it around a lot. At least 3 times a week when I go to school. I have a crumpler bag, which is amazing by the way. The fact is, the school books etc. are much heavier than the MBP itself. I love the extra screen size, especially when working in Excel, Visio, Project etc. The size has never been an issue so far, except in the airplane. But the 15" wouldn't be any better in the airplane.
Working on it, is like working on a desktop. It's a true workstation. It runs cooler than the 15" so the fans creating less noise.
 
Bought a MBP 17 on the Amazon offer

Having played with the MBA 13 I couldn't be happier with the 17 MBP. The screen on the 17 is amazing. The keyboard has a better feel. The expandability of the 17 is nice. What it really comes down to on the 15 versus the 17 if bought from Amazon is screen resolution. The MBP 15 will be 1440 x 900 where the 17 is as high as they offer. You do not have the opportunity to get the MBP 15 with the high res option-upgrade from Amazon so that is why I went with the 17.
 
mtntrance said:
Having played with the MBA 13 I couldn't be happier with the 17 MBP. The screen on the 17 is amazing. The keyboard has a better feel. The expandability of the 17 is nice. What it really comes down to on the 15 versus the 17 if bought from Amazon is screen resolution. The MBP 15 will be 1440 x 900 where the 17 is as high as they offer. You do not have the opportunity to get the MBP 15 with the high res option-upgrade from Amazon so that is why I went with the 17.
Click to expand...

That's my thinking...

Of course whether they actually honor the changeover is another story.
 
I have no problems at all with mine. i have no problem with caring it around either. it just does what I want it to do.. I just converted and it is everything that I had hoped for. Great screen real estate, and it just does what I expect it to do. I am very happy with my choice of the 17" MBP.
 
My 2011 MBA 11" is awesome and seriously the most fun computer I've ever owned. My 2011 MBP 17" is a total beast that rages with power.

The MBA and MBP combo is best of both worlds for me. The MBP 17 is still very portable to me but not as mobile as the MBA. I had a 15" MBP and I feel the 17" is as portable.
 
VMMan said:
My 2011 MBA 11" is awesome and seriously the most fun computer I've ever owned. My 2011 MBP 17" is a total beast that rages with power.

The MBA and MBP combo is best of both worlds for me. The MBP 17 is still very portable to me but not as mobile as the MBA. I had a 15" MBP and I feel the 17" is as portable.
Click to expand...

I like the way you think haha:cool:
 
First of all, thanks for creating this topic ! I've been a 6-month 11" Air user, now I am using a 13" MBP. I've been to an Apple store and I saw the 13 next to 15 next to 17, great way to compare.
To be honest, I didn't feel any major difference in screen estate between 13 and 15" but I really loved the 17". I'm a 6feet guy so aesthetically should be just fine for me :D however I'm curious how it is to travel with it. I'd like to take it to classes with me and I think it would be a bit awkard to carry a 17" with you .. I am also a bit dissapointed that there is no difference in specs between 15 and 17..
 
yly3 said:
I am also a bit dissapointed that there is no difference in specs between 15 and 17..
Click to expand...

Well, there is only a little difference. The 17" has the bigger screen, which was mentioned several times before.
The 17" has an expresscard34 slot. You can expand it with a card reader, eSATA 3Gb/s or 6Gb/s, USB 3.0, Firewire, 3G card, SSD card etc.
And the 17" runs cooler and therefore quieter due to it's bigger size.
The 17" also comes with better speakers.
 
VMMan said:
My 2011 MBA 11" is awesome and seriously the most fun computer I've ever owned. My 2011 MBP 17" is a total beast that rages with power.

The MBA and MBP combo is best of both worlds for me. The MBP 17 is still very portable to me but not as mobile as the MBA. I had a 15" MBP and I feel the 17" is as portable.
Click to expand...

I should elaborate more on how I feel about carrying the MBP. With the MBA 11", it is light so I expect it to be easy to carry around, like a pet hamster.

The MBP 17" is more like King Kong. I prepare to carry it, as I would want to prepare in transporting a beast. I need to chain it, cage it, protect it as well as protect myself. Each time I journey with it, each trip must be worth the cost and planning. But once I get to my destination, I am in awe of its power, strength, and rage. I know then, that the trip was worth it.
 
This thing is a beast.
I have taken it on a flight only once and i didnt put it down as i didnt want the dirt on the tray table in contact with the back.
 
I do like the fact that it runs cooler, that's a significant plus to me, I don't know if it will justify the price difference and I don't know if I'll have the cash. I am planning to buy the summer 2012 revision. If they make it 25-30% lighter then it is right now then I am considering 17 even more. How is the battery life 15 vs 17 ?
 
^ Yes I do agree. However, my configuration will basically reduce the difference between 15 and 17 to 200$ it is even harder to decide. Thing is, I will want to take this during some classes for notes and while I do like how the 17 looks, the 15 is more portable fact. I need to get into a store asap and compare them. If only SSD price would go lower with 30-40% by next summer. One can dream.
 
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