13 all the way. 15" doesn't offer significant resolution at all. 17" or 13" are the best options.
If you have an external monitor - get the 13". Else, get the 17". The 15 sits in the middle and doesn't have either of the 13s or 17s advantages.
heat does not shorten the life of a mac. they are designed to withstand high heat for extended periods. for it to get so hot it hurts it, it would be so hot it could not be touched.
the 8600 had a defect from the factory, the heat propetuated the defect into breaking. the heat was not the cause it was merely the means that allowed the defect to materialize.
I agree...but n this case..it did shorten the life of the 8600..no?
I thought that the heat was the cause?? For an user who did not use the MBP intensively...no problems. But for an intensive user...it usually meant curtains mainly because the GPU diode hit 100+ C, which in turn screwed the soldering mechanism? I am no expert here...but I thought I read somewhere this was the case...
If you don't plan on getting the 9600gt then I'd say pick up the 13' with some aftermarket parts (4 Gigs of Ram, SSD/7200 HD).
I honestly don't think 2 inch and a higher resolution is really worth it unless you get the graphic muscles to put it to good use.