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To all 17" MacBook Pro owners

entatlrg said:
To those who own the 17" MBP:

1. Why did you choose the 17"

2. What do you use your computer for?

3. Where do you use your computer most often, desk, table, couch, mobile?
Click to expand...

1. It was then the only Anti-Glare model and since I owned a 15" glossy MBP, which got stolen, I didn't want glossy anymore. It also offered the ExpressCard slot, removed from the 15" back then (2009), but I haven't used it yet.

2. Editing and compositing of moving images, manipulation of space and time and its inherent objects, and correcting still images (Avid MC, AE, Combustion; Cinema 4D; PS and Lightroom)

3. Table, couch and on the run.
 
1) Higher DPI than the 21.5" iMac that I'm selling, with better performance as well. Plus, it's portable.
2) Normal stuff, some gaming, some iPhone app development.
3) Table. I have an iPad for couch surfing.
 
1. I chose it because I like the bigger screen and 1920x1080 resolution. I thought alot about getting the 15 and using the money saved for a large monitor. I didn't come up with any rational rebuttal for that one, just wanted the 17 I guess :)

2. I use it for browsing, school work, video conversion, some gaming, and music creation.

3. I don't take it out too often, mostly at my desk. But my favorite thing in the world is laying in bed with it and watching tv. So the portability of it isn't a huge aspect for me.
 
I ordered one of the new 17" the moment the store came back up to replace a nearly 5-year-old first-generation 17" MBP (which I'd preordered after announcement).

1. My original 17" was my first laptop, and I got it because I was bedridden with an extended illness at the time--I wanted the biggest screen and most power possible and wasn't going ANYWHERE with it. I kind of got used to the big form factor, though, so I ended up doing a lot of my less demanding work from the couch instead of on the 27" iMac right beside.

I went with another 17" because I mostly use it as a workstation from semi-stationary locations, not as a portable; 15" is significantly more comfortable to tote around and use as a portable if that's your primary use of the machine. I also get a lot of use out of the extra screen real estate when working with a side-by-side web preview and code. The expresscard slot is nice--I'm getting an eSATA card for it, and may get a USB3 card at some point as well--although not the main selling point.

2. Web development (front-end CSS/HTML and some lighter backend duty), writing, light-duty Photoshop work (the more serious stuff happens on a 27" iMac on account of the IPS screen, though it no longer has nearly the speed advantage compared to my previous 17" MBP), batch image processing, on-site troubleshooting (network, etc), plus the standard web surfing/video watching/email/goofing around.

3. Couch, either with the computer on the table or on my lap with my feet up.


I'll note that while I actually prefer the matte screen, I ended up going with the glossy on account of the extra protection the glass affords. If the MBPs used IPS panels (so I could use it for color-critical work), I might have gone with the matte, though.
 
1 - Can't resist a portable 1920x1200 computer

2 - Everything, from FCP to web surfing.

3 - Everywhere; desk, couch, car, bed, airport

:)
 
1) resolution / far better speakers / 34mm Expresscard slot / screen space

2) video editing / still image editing / driving HD projector for clients / browsing etc.

3) on the road (not airplanes) / in the field / on the sofa / ...
 
Apple Corps said:
1) resolution / far better speakers / 34mm Expresscard slot / screen space

2) video editing / still image editing / driving HD projector for clients / browsing etc.

3) on the road (not airplanes) / in the field / on the sofa / ...
Click to expand...

Are the 17" speakers better than the 15"?
 
entatlrg said:
To those who own the 17" MBP:

1. Why did you choose the 17"

2. What do you use your computer for?

3. Where do you use your computer most often, desk, table, couch, mobile?
Click to expand...

1. Because when I chose it, it was the only one with the Hi-Res screen option. The resolution is quite amazing!
2. Everything. It is my only computer. Mainly web browsing, video editing, and managing all of my iOS devices.
3. Primarily mobile at school. I carry it about 8 hours a day, and I'm a small person (5'7" 115lbs). I also use it on my bed, like now. :D

Get 17"! It's not much bigger than the 15" and the extra workspace is really worth it.


ddoolin0 said:
Are the 17" speakers better than the 15"?
Click to expand...
Yes! These are the loudest speakers(good quality, too) in any laptop I have ever used. The speakers are one of the best things about 17" compared to 15".
 
go big or go home.

I use mine everywhere. for video editing it gives you more room and what not. if they had a 21 inch laptop id get that too
 
entatlrg said:
To those who own the 17" MBP:

1. Why did you choose the 17"

2. What do you use your computer for?

3. Where do you use your computer most often, desk, table, couch, mobile?
Click to expand...

1. I wanted the screen real estate that the 17" gives. I love it and every day I'm happy I chose this size.

2. I'm a college student so stuff for school. The normal stuff everyone does for personal use.

3. It goes everywhere with me. I use it in my room at the desk, but also on my lap in the chair when I watch TV. I take to campus with me where I use it in classrooms and also at the library. Sometimes outdoors.
 
1. I choose the 17" originally for watching movies.

2. I use it for all of my homework, photo editing, watching movies as an HTPC with Plex (usually connected to an external tv), and I also dual boot and use it for 3d animation with 3ds max

3. I use it in two locations, school and on my coffee table as an HTPC and workstation.
 
I purchased the first gen 17 as a desktop replacement as I work up North in a remote location. I just ordered the new 17 2011 model the other day. I love the big screen. I use it and take it everywhere I go. I could never go back to a smaller computer. Now I'm waiting for a 17 ipad. :p I've never found it to be to big to carry, it's fantastic with Logic pro as well. :D
 
entatlrg said:
To those who own the 17" MBP:

1. Why did you choose the 17"

2. What do you use your computer for?

3. Where do you use your computer most often, desk, table, couch, mobile?
Click to expand...

I just ordered a 17" 2011 MBP (had a late 08 15" before), so I'll go through my rationale

1. Larger screen, better speakers, likely better heat dissipation (= better turbo performance)

2. Movies, music, web browsing, Matlab, Handbrake, a little bit of Final Cut, occasional gaming (Portal, Batman Arkham Asylum, FEAR; nothing too new or demanding)

3. My desk. I have an 11" MBA for everywhere else.
 
This is my only computer so I do a lot on it and the bigger screen is a must. I do a bit of gaming, web development, programming, and editing reports. All better on the big screen. They run slightly cooler too. HD movies are great on the HD screen. I use it in my lap(on a book or cooler to keep from cooking the kids) and I take it to college classes. It's really not that much bigger than the 15" until you open it.
 
entatlrg said:
To those who own the 17" MBP:

1. Why did you choose the 17"

2. What do you use your computer for?

3. Where do you use your computer most often, desk, table, couch, mobile?
Click to expand...
1. More space, I always like to work with large monitors because I do a lot of graphic design and photography work. I jumped from a 13" 2006 MacBook to a 2010 i5 17". Better speakers as well, I listen to a lot of music usually when I'm by myself and because the speakers on my 13" pointed towards the monitor, not to mention the jet engine fans with the slightest CPU activity, I had to sit up to the monitor to hear youtube videos. I juggle a lot of work between Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, so with multiple windows open in all of them, its great to be able to space things out to get to them a lot quicker. I like space. I also like asians, and with a 17", I can watch SNSD while typing on Word.

2. Graphic Design and Photography, mostly for college. I've been working this computer and I think the only problem is the RAM (as it chungs a little with Ps, Ai, & Id open at the same time), which is still at stock 4GB. I chose a laptop because I travel and move a lot. My parents like in NY & GA, and I constantly move from the dorms to college campus, and trying to juggling work between my previously owned Mac Mini, 13" Macbook, and the school Mac Pros was cumbersome (especially when I walk to the campus just to realize I left a file on my Macs at the dorms). Now I can do all my work on my Laptop, and still transfer to the Mac Pros if needed.

3. Mostly on my desk or at the homework computer lab table on campus. So its usually always on a table of some sort.
 
It's really not that much bigger than the 15" and I got it mostly for the 1920x1200 screen.

The 15" with the 1680x1050 screen should be fine for most people, but I use a lot of software that is very palette heavy - CS5 suite including After Effects and Premiere Pro and Cinema4d.

I still feel cramped without an external monitor. I just love screen real estate.
 
OFF-TOPIC
snouter said:
It's really not that much bigger than the 15" and I got it mostly for the 1920x1200 screen.

The 15" with the 1680x1050 screen should be fine for most people, but I use a lot of software that is very palette heavy - CS5 suite including After Effects and Premiere Pro and Cinema4d.

I still feel cramped without an external monitor. I just love screen real estate.
Click to expand...

Just out of curiosity, maybe I should start my own thread though (?), would you share your AE workspace setup (either in words or screenshot) with me/us, as I am still figuring out a good way to order the palettes?
I currently have the Project and Effects & Presets palettes in one "window" on the top left, then the Effects Controls right beside that, then the Composition preview.
Below that is the Timeline, and right now I try to have the Text palette on the left of it. It is still not perfect though. :eek:
 
Because....

Business use. Have a large number of vmware images, the large screen makes it feasible to show more than one at a time, and the 8gig of memory and fast processors make running more than one vmware image concurrently manageable. The 17" MBP was the same weight as the Lenovo Thinkpad it replaced, and a vmware image of the Thinkpad runs faster as a vmware image than it did natively on the Lenovo. Never actually 'carry' it, it lives in m rolling PC bag along with another 10 pounds of accessories (external drives for vmware images, laser pointer, misc. cables, power supply, etc.). Lift it out of the bag at customers, place it on a table or desk, connect it to the projector... Simple, easy, flexible.
 
AE 1
AE 2

It's personal preference, of course. I like this set-up right now, but, it's not fair since I have an Apple Cinema 27". The screen is big enough to work in 1 view or 4 view. I like having all the comp timelines on the one main screen.

At work I only have a 1680x1050 external screen and my layout is totally different.

Notice that I have the effect controls and the project windows tabbed. That seems to work for me since they can both be involved palettes.

The image is on the far right. The other palettes are on the left side of the external monitor so my mouse is closer to them.

Just start moving things around and when you like one, save it. And then if you tweak it further re-save it and overwrite it.
 
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