crazy to upgrade to 17"?

[fongyuen]

hello everyone, just wanted to get some opinions on this. i purchased the 15" 2.33 c2d mbp last october when they first came out, but lately, i've been itching to sell it and upgrade to the new 17" 2.4 mbp. it's not that i really want the increase in cpu spd, or the gpu upgrade, or even the 2x bump in superdrive. what i really am itching for is the 1920x1200 lcd! i was bummed that apple didn't give an option to upgrade the 15" to at least 1650x1080. i've always like the extra real estate with the higher resolution monitors and i'm not concerned about things being too small to read.

so what do you guys think? is it crazy to sell my beloved 15" mbp to get the 17"? =)

edit: forgot to mention that i'm heading overseas later this summer and not gonna be around for a year or two so i kinda wanted to upgrade before i leave.

 

[dartzorichalcos]

so what do you guys think? is it crazy to sell my beloved 15" mbp to get the 17"? =)

If you really want to do it, do it. One question though, did you use your 15" MacBook Pro for portability or was your 15" MacBook Pro was sitting on a desk all the time. If it's just sitting on the desk all the time not being used for portability, do it, get the 17" MacBook Pro.

 

[Willis]

If you feel you need and want the extra space... do it... after all, it will only be a couple of hundred for the upgrade because I'm sure you'll sell that 15" easy.

 

[teleromeo]

If you need portability and the big screen find someone that offers a good price for your machine and buy the machine you want.

On the other hand, you can also consider to buy a huge monitor to attach to your current mbp if you do not move to often.

 

[fongyuen]

well, i do bring my laptop with me to work everyday, but in the office, it just sits on the table so i don't move it around much. at home, i'm usually sitting at a desk or on a small table next to the bed. since i'm heading overseas, i don't think i'll be able to bring/buy an extra monitor with me. i went to the local apple store to check out the 17" with hd lcd and it was nice. using FCE on it looks really nice.

 

[Smurfed]

I'd say go for it.

 

[twistedlegato]

Just remembe that the new 17"s are not LED backlit

 

[SMM]

I have never used a 15" laptop. They are the standard issue size I buy for my company. But, I do not use them. I have 3 laptops, a 17" Dell (seldom used), a 17" MBP and a recent MB. Previously I had a 17" PM, but gave that to my nephew for graduation.

I do not mind carrying the 17" at all. I can imagine circumstances where it might make a difference to someone. But on the whole, the extra screen real estate is well worth the slightly extra weight. Also, I do not carry just the computer. The bag is large. I carry the external power assembly, cables for FW400, FW800, Cat 5e (15'), USB (3), DVI and VGA cables. I also pack a 250 GB LaCie drive, 2 mice, 6 plug surge protector. I have never weighed the 'loaded' bag, but it must be 20 pounds. I am always going from point A to B, and set-up shop.

I would not hump this if I were a student, bouncing around campus! However, the stripped bare unit could be easily carried. Seagate makes a series of external USB drives named "FreeAgent". They come in 160/250/500 GB Sizes. They are all 7200 RPM, lightweight and carry a 5 year warrantee. I think these are ideal for portability. I have also seen a drive which requires no external power source. It takes its power from the USB bus (it does require 2 concurrent connections).

In summary, I am a big supporter of the larger screen and do not think the extra size should be a deterrent, except for some extreme cases.

 

[Apple Corps]

If you feel you need and want the extra space... do it... after all, it will only be a couple of hundred for the upgrade because I'm sure you'll sell that 15" easy.

Willis - you may want to check your figures. Such a transaction will be far more than a couple of hundred dollars - more like $1200 +. Used MBPs are going for around $1700 - a new 17" with hi resolution screen + memory is going to set you back around $2800 - $3200.