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Buy 15' or 17' MBP?

E

Emrtr4

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 6, 2006
186
0
I currently own a 15 inch Powerbook G4. Once Core 2 duo is released I plan on upgrading.

I was wondering what you think is a better option? If money was no object, would you buy a 15 inch or the 17 inch?

I travel frequently and I was wondering if the 17 inch is more difficult to travel with or if the difference between it and the 15 is neligable.

Is there a difference in performance between the two?

How is the battery life on the 17 inch?
 
Emrtr4 said:
I currently own a 15 inch Powerbook G4. Once Core 2 duo is released I plan on upgrading.

I was wondering what you think is a better option? If money was no object, would you buy a 15 inch or the 17 inch?

I travel frequently and I was wondering if the 17 inch is more difficult to travel with or if the difference between it and the 15 is neligable.

Is there a difference in performance between the two?

How is the battery life on the 17 inch?
Click to expand...

15" All the way. 17" is just far too big for a laptop IMO...

I actally did a test with someone else who had a 17" MBP, playing Lord Of The Rings. The 17" MBP copped out earlier (around 50 mins earlier!)...
 
I would go for the 17" as DVD's would be even more awesome!

Also the 17" has a higher wattage battery to *attempt* to cope with the bigger screen.

Also you get FW 800 etc. etc.

Wider speakergrills?? and more real estate, basically.
 
danielbriggs said:
I would go for the 17" as DVD's would be even more awesome!

Also the 17" has a higher wattage battery to *attempt* to cope with the bigger screen.

Also you get FW 800 etc. etc.

Wider speakergrills?? and more real estate, basically.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't DVDs be very blurry on such a high-resolution screen? Anyways, your need for a travel companion means you need a 15" MBP.
 
As soon as anyone says they travel with their computer a lot, I immediatley recommend the 15". If money is really no object, get the higher-end 15" model, 2 gigs of RAM, and the faster HD.
 
shecky said:
this thread was not enough for you?

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/228972/
Click to expand...
Apparently not hence the existence of this thread.


On to the OP's question:
The 15" is a better choice in smaller areas. If you will be using the MBP on small desks in school on trains, busses or airplanes then go get a 15".
The bigger screen on the 17" is nice (and then again is it?), but do you really need such a large screen on the road. If yes then get a 17", if not then get a 15".

Personally I couldn't live with the screen on the 17" MBP. IMO the screen is not that great. It's unevenly lit.
Watching the screen from a straight angle makes the top and bottom part of the screen seem darker compared to the middle of the screen. A big flaw IMO. Don't know if this has been fixed yet though.

So get a 15" MBP, you will love it hopefully as much as I love mine (when it's not in for repair that is :eek: )
 
Can you say 8x double layer superdrive. I just don't want to be stuck with a single layer dvd burner these days. It won't be long before DL media prices get reasonable. And the extra ports don't hurt, either.

And, as discussed in the thread referenced ^^^, the 17" battery pooped out earlier on your game test, because the 17" runs the GPU at a much higher clock frequency, when required, than the 15".
 
daveL said:
Can you say 8x double layer superdrive. I just don't want to be stuck with a single layer dvd burner these days. It won't be long before DL media prices get reasonable. And the extra ports don't hurt, either.

And, as discussed in the thread referenced ^^^, the 17" battery pooped out earlier on your game test, because the 17" runs the GPU at a much higher clock frequency, when required, than the 15".
Click to expand...

My bet is the revised 15" Macbook Pro will have a DL Superdrive...
 
I say 15" if you want to move it around. 17" if you want to use it as a desktop (Mind you I use my 15" as my desktop too)
 
daveL said:
Can you say 8x double layer superdrive.
Click to expand...
As I rarely burn DVD's on the road I don't really miss the 8x Superdrive that came with my PB. If I in the future need a faster drive (perhaps BlueRay and DL compatible) then I'll spend a 100$ on such an external drive.
 
daveL said:
And, as discussed in the thread referenced ^^^, the 17" battery pooped out earlier on your game test, because the 17" runs the GPU at a much higher clock frequency, when required, than the 15".
Click to expand...

...which is not good if one will be traveling away from AC power for extended periods of time.

The 17'' isn't really a "portable" IMO. It's a desktop replacement. The 15'' is much more manageable in a backpack or whatever you plan to carry it in.
 
miles01110 said:
...which is not good if one will be traveling away from AC power for extended periods of time.

The 17'' isn't really a "portable" IMO. It's a desktop replacement. The 15'' is much more manageable in a backpack or whatever you plan to carry it in.
Click to expand...
I disagree. If you get the right bag it doesn't make that much of a difference. Plus the 17" is really not that much bigger when you look at them side by side. Get the 17" you'll never want anything smaller!

Nuc
 
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