Macbook pro 15 inch or 17 inch?

Hi S,

You've already done my first suggestion; look at them side by side.

For me, the portability and and price make the 15" an easy decision, but that's so subjective that only you can make the decision. Some people say the 15" isn't portable enough, and opt for the MB Air. Whichever you end up with, remember you can connect it to a much larger external monitor in your room. Good luck with your decision. 😉

For me the 17 inch is way too big to carry around. Did you check the weight and size difference? Did you check out backpacks? Will the 17 inch fit the backpack you want?

Personally I would choose the 13 inch or 15 inch and then get a larger external monitor for the times I am stationary and want more screen real estate.

Ditto for the 15" option. Consider the widescreen/antiglare option if you plan on using it in the outdoors or any brightly lit environment, where the reflections on the ultraglossy screen can be quite tiring to the eyes.

Skyrim...good game.

Anyways, if your most demanding programs are Photoshop and Illustrators of any kind, you may not see too much of a benefit from the 17 model. Photoshop Extended CS5 runs great on my C2D MBP; it isn't as intensive as other CS5 applications. But, if you want to game (using Windows via Bootcamp), or run the more demanding CS5 programs, you may want the 17 based on the stock GPU alone.

I had the 15" before and the 17" now, both anti-glare.

I love my 17", the screen is a full 1080 HD+, I think if you have the money you should get it, it's really not that much of a weight difference between 13"-17", they are all heavy compared to a MacBook Air.

Anti-glare is a MUST for portable uses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X0wo6dIsMU

I have such sympathy for those who are so frail and weak (and maybe with one foot in the box) and cannot carry a note book that is 16 oz heavier that a 15" MPP. And yes the other negative for a 17' MBP is that it costs $300 more.

From a performance perspective, both can be configured the same. CPU, RAM, HDD and so forth.

So what are the advantages of a 17" over a 15".

It is the CINIMASCOPE - VISTAVISION of notebook displays. Note that the resolution accommodates HDD video pixel for pixel. Working with images I have found the higher resolution preferable and the additional space alone makes working with simultaneous applications/windows easier, more convenient and more efficient. The large display spoiled me from day one and I would not consider anything smaller.

The 17" also has an express card slot that allows one the flexibility to add certain devices that the 15" cannot utilize. Specifically you can take advantage of eSata connectivity which is faster than Firewire let alone USB in data transfer speeds. Very desirable if you are transferring large files from one HHD to another.

I agree with ds store store when he says "Anti-glare is a MUST for portable uses."

You must decide if the $300 difference is worth it. I always wonder if the 17" nay sayers are simply too frugal (I don't want to say cheap because that may be taken as an insult) to spring for the extra cash.

Ciao.

15 all the way!!!

Unfortunately the one 15 in option you probably cannot check into at the store is a hi-res option (1680x1050). The best you likely can do is put a 17 in right beside a 15 in and alter the resolution on the 17 in down to 1680x1050 and imagine what is looks like on the smaller 15 in screen.

But I have not regreted my choice to buy the hi-res on my 15 in and antiglare, if that helps.

Skyrim wrote:

Will have to look at them once more before deciding, but thanks again!

Very good plan. You are welcome and again, good luck with your decision. 😉

Just in case you missed these points in other threads, do NOT purchase RAM or HDD from Apple. Both components are user-upgradeable without voiding warranty and significant savings can be achieved here. Take RAM: base config is 4GB, 8GB is very desireable for good performance with 64-bit Lion. If you request the 8GB upgrade from Apple, it's $200, if you purchase and install yourself, it's $45-$50. In drive optiions, adding $50 for 7200RPMs in the HDD is probably cost effective, but the SSDs are murder: $660 for an OWC 480GB SSD, vs $1,100 for an Apple 512GB SSD.

Another thing: the AppleCare warranty extension is a good investment in a portable, but the fine print says it needs to be activated while the base warranty is in effect. So, invest the money now and buy the AppleCare box in the last month or so.

To add to Courcoul's excellent advice about AppleCare, I add the warning that AppleCare covers manufacturing defects but not accidental damage. I added a policy to my homeowner's insurance for $40/year to cover my $1800 MBP. This extra policy does NOT cover manufaturing defects but does cover accidental damage. They combine to cover me as well as can be expected.

AppleCare extends the default 1-year manufacturing defects warranty to 3 years. It also extends the default 3090-days of phone support to 3 years.

Last advice from me at least, do look at what is available in the refurbished section of the Apple website. You can reduce your fiscal outlay by $400 or so and use that money to install additional RAM and purchase additional HDDs and have money left over for a bottle of Scotch.

I have done that twice and have no regrets.

Ciao.