17" MBP instead of 15" - buying advice

[VanMac]

Hey.

I've been wating to upgrade my iBook G4 1.33 for some time now. I was hoping to get a 15" MBP.

With all the hoopla around the yellow screens, I'm thinking of actually getting a 17" with HD screen instead.

Has anyone done similar, or gone from 15" to 17"? How do you find using it?

I will use it daily on a train, and at night at home on my desk or couch.

I'm not concerned with weight or price. Just useability of such a large laptop. Having so much screen realestate is appealling, but just not sure if it will be a pain in the neck/back/lap to use

Thanks for any input.

 

[skyrider007]

if you've been using a 12" screen then a switch to 15.4" would be more than enough. i was tempted to get the 17" but decided to get the 15.4" because it's got LED backlight and obviously it's more portable.

you also mentioned that you will be using it "DAILY" in a train, therefore i'd highly suggest the 15.4" purely for portability AND usability in public places ~ i can't imagine myself using a 17" laptop unless i'm in first class.

 

[bntz313]

I never had any other laptop but even though the 17 in is big I love it. I take it to school everyday and I don't find it to big and love the the screen space.

 

[maccad]

Purchased the 17" MBP with Hi-Res and the screen and real estate is beautiful. The size is nothing like a Dell 17" or similar. Only bad thing is finding a case/bag was difficult.

 

[cplusON3R]

I went from the 14" ibook to the 17" mbp and it was totally worth it. I went to the apple store first to see if the 17" was gonna be a bit too big but it really isnt... I mean its wide but its not heavy or awkward.. and it even fits in my 2yr old targus bag

 

[jt2ga65]

The size difference between my old D-series 15.4 Dell Latitude and the new 17" MBP is really hardly noticeable. If anything, the Apple is smaller in all aspects other than screen height and width. the apple is lighter and thinner, and really pretty nice.

Same resolution, so the screen is actually clearer and easier to use, but the keyboard on the 17" takes a little getting used to.

I go back and forth between the two all teh time, and hardly notice that the Mac has a larger screen.

-jt2

 

[ktbubster]

I got a 15.4 inch LED backlit refurb 2.2 mbp and it is absolutely perfect. Don't let the "hoopla" around the yellow screens scare you away. People come here to complain.

If you are worried, get a refurb, save some cash AND have a computer that was more then likely not already looked at for the yellow screen issue and has had it taken care of.

just my 2 cents

from a 12 to a 15 will be quite a huge jump, however, my dad has a 17 and i have to say it really isn't THAT much bigger then the 15 in footprint. About an inch? Less maybe. It isn't really that much of a problem to use, but on a metra train it could be slightly cumbersome, but who knows.

GL

 

[mikeheenan]

I returned a 15" SR laptop a few months ago because of a faulty superdrive and then decided to plunge in and get the 17", and I never regret it. I hardly notice any difference carrying it around, and unless you fly on an airplane weekly, I can't see how it could make a difference being too big. As another person mentioned it's kind of tough to find bags for them but they're out there.

 

[mmendoza27]

I returned a 15" SR laptop a few months ago because of a faulty superdrive and then decided to plunge in and get the 17", and I never regret it. I hardly notice any difference carrying it around, and unless you fly on an airplane weekly, I can't see how it could make a difference being too big. As another person mentioned it's kind of tough to find bags for them but they're out there.

I totally agree, it's not much heavier, the screen isn't tooooo big that it's not luggable. The screen size is perfect, especially if you watch any HDTV clips or movies. I have personally downloaded a bunch of Japanese HDTV clips and movies and it's perfect for it. Keep in mind my 17" laptop resolution is 1680x1050.

 

[Jschultz]

I just went from a 17" Powerbook to a 13" macbook because it was a little too big for my tastes. My school uses those old school desks that have a 12"x12" desk space. Try putting a 17" laptop on that! My new macbook fits much better on the desk, and carrying it around it much easier than my powerbook. Like grabbing a book and going!

Keep in mind, the 17" MPB/Powerbook is not heavy, or super big by any means. However, it does have a bigger footprint (duh). It all depends if you really need it.

 

[Sweetbike40]

i was on the fence over the two also. i'm small and find it comfortable to carry around. i keep what i take with me simple. i got a nice streamlined case from InCase. Just to hold a mouse, couple of cables, power cord, phone and ipod. it's comfortable really. i wouldn't get a big case, like a duffle style that holds it all because then it's just too awkward to carry one big item. i carry my gym clothes in a seperate bag to keep everything balanced. the 17" just swings around to my back and i'm good to go.

another reason for the 17" is the higher quality screen. it's beautiful. i just felt for a few hundred more, i'd be crazy not to get the top of the line.

i love it.

 

[tersono]

I went from a 15" powerbook to the 17" HD MBP. All I can say is wow.... It really isn't that much harder to lug around and it's a joy to use - whether as a desktop replacement at home and work, or for evening web browsing on my lap on the sofa.

Best. Computer. Ever.

 

[tmoney468]

I lug around my 17" every day to work and it isn't a problem for me at all. I've never owned a smaller laptop, but seeing my sisters Dell 17" laptop which is a beast of a computer compared to this one, there isn't really a comparison in terms of portabililty. I say if you'll be using apps that require the extra screen real estate, then go for it. But if you want something a little more portable then maybe the 15" is best for you

 

[numbersyx]

Get the 17 inch. Not really that much bigger to carry around than the 15 inch but the resolution and real estate are really worth it. A friend has the 15 inch and always says she wishes she bought a bigger model esp. when she sees mine...

 

[VanMac]

Thanks for the input.

I played around with a non-hd 17" at the store. Very nice. Once I moved over to the 15", it was noticeable how nice all that screen realesate would be.

They did not have a HD version for me to look at. How do you owners find the pixel density for viewing. I will be using tools like Dreamweaver for HTML coding, and Eclipse for java programming. I"m used to running my displays at high resolution, but just dont want to buy this and find out text is hard to read, etc.

 

[Neutral Gamer]

I will be using tools like Dreamweaver for HTML coding, and Eclipse for java programming. I"m used to running my displays at high resolution, but just dont want to buy this and find out text is hard to read, etc.

I just opened up Eclipse on my Hi-Res MBP and the text, at its default size, is perfectly readable. No problems at all. Plus you get the added bonus of being able to have multiple editing windows on screen at once.

I only used Eclipse a couple of times for some Java stuff I had to do. I use Xcode for everything now and find having the header and source windows (or source + documentation) side by side with the debugger at the bottom invaluable.

It's also great being able to see so much of the code at once without having to spend half your time scrolling as you would on a lower resolution display. My only advice would be if you're gonna be using Xcode change the font and text size in it to the same as that of Eclipse's - it's much better that way! Monaco at 12pts I think.