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Fusion · Nov 26, 2007, 06:17 AM

Its about that time for my yearly comp upgrade. My first PowerBook was a 12" and I loved the portability as I was using it in school. I soon however upgraded to the 15" for added screen real estate. I used this in combination with a 23" cinema display for awhile but got tired of all the plugging/unplugging so I went back to just the laptop screen.

I've been through 6 15" models since then and I have to say, I love the size. I feel its perfect. It fits on my lap well but yet its still portable.

Long story short, I'm now working from home and after a recent remodel I don't have an office for awhile. So with my lap being my office, I was considering maybe upping it up to the 17" HD model. The added screen real estate and high DPI are huge attractors for me. If Apple offered a 15" high DPI model @ 1680 it'd be a no-brainer, but since they don't...

So 17" owners, how do you feel about the general "size" of the laptop. Does it feel too big pretty much always or do you get used to it after awhile? Do any of you use it primarily as a laptop and not just sitting on a desk? And does it feel okay? I'd love to hear anyone's personal experience, especially those who have moved from 15" to 17" or vice-versa.

ewiser · Nov 26, 2007, 08:18 AM

I moved from a 12" to a 17" and boy the room. Size wise the difference between a 15" and a 17" was so little that I just decided to get the 17". I use it for video editing and Photoshop so the room really helps out a lot.
I fly on planes and have no problem toting around the 17".

bballe336 · Nov 26, 2007, 01:29 PM

I have repaired a few 17" machines at work, and while they are fairly light they are also enormous. You need a huge bag to carry it in and it's just too big to use in many mobile situations. I own a 15" MBP, and while the 1920x1200 screen that is offered on the 17" would be incredibly nice the machine is just too big to be used in a mobile setting IMO.

JustinHorne · Nov 26, 2007, 02:01 PM

Originally Posted by bballe336

I have repaired a few 17" machines at work, and while they are fairly light they are also enormous. You need a huge bag to carry it in and it's just too big to use in many mobile situations. I own a 15" MBP, and while the 1920x1200 screen that is offered on the 17" would be incredibly nice the machine is just too big to be used in a mobile setting IMO.

Yeah. I have a MB, and use both a 15 and 17 MBP fairly often. I love small laptops, which is why I got the MB. The 15 isn't TOO huge, the 17 is just massive. To you, that might be good. To me, it just feels like a monster, and I'm not a fan.

MacosNerd · Nov 26, 2007, 02:16 PM

I opted for the 15" personally because I thought the 17" was just too big. If your not going to be using it to travel a lot and its more of a desktop replacement, then the 17" may be a good choice.

For me, I do use it when I travel, and its hooked up to a 24" monitor and keyboard so the general allure of a 17" has been supplemented by using those components.

SierraDragon · 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by Fusion

So 17" owners, how do you feel about the general "size" of the laptop. Does it feel too big pretty much always or do you get used to it after awhile? Do any of you use it primarily as a laptop and not just sitting on a desk? And does it feel okay? I'd love to hear anyone's personal experience, especially those who have moved from 15" to 17" or vice-versa.

I have owned many Mac laptops, starting with the Duos. Last year I bought a 17" MBP, upgrading from a 15" PB G4. Obviously the smaller sizes are a bit more convenient for mobile, but I find the extra 1" wider/longer and 1.4 pounds not that big a deal. I do carry it around home/office/field every day and primarily use it on my lap at home or on any available horizontal surface in the field (I also use a Mac tower at the office). I am a 6'1" male accustomed to lugging pro photo gear; smaller folks may find the extra 1.4 pounds more of an issue.

As a perhaps irrelevant aside, my 17" MBP with max RAM is much cooler in my lap than either my maxxed PB g3 or my 15" 1.67 GHz PB G4 was.

The huge difference of the 17" is in graphics performance. The many more pixels and extra 1" wider/longer of screen real estate make a very big difference for graphics applications. That is a very big difference. As a bonus 17" MBPs perform 5% or so faster as well.

'Nerd's comments are also spot on, particularly for folks who are not so graphics-centric (Aperture, Adobe CS) as I am. For graphics without an external display however, the 17" size rocks. And I do not think more pixels on a 15" would be particularly beneficial; IMO the extra screen real estate is necessary.

Edit: Once I actually exchanged a 17" PB G4 after ordering because the size felt too clunky next to the 15" PB. However with the (thinner) 17" MBP I have now (and constantly running Aperture) I have zero inclination to ever want to go smaller.

-Allen Wicks

markponcelet · Nov 27, 2007, 02:25 PM

As a web developer, I use a 15" MBP at work and my 17" MBP at home. The added screen real estate is a HUGE bonus. I notice it at odd times -- when I need to grab an icon I saved on my desktop for some reason; when I use column view in the finder or Path Finder; when I use a program with tool palates; etc. And of course there are obvious benefits with games.

The laptop is heavier and it does take up slightly more space. To carry it, I had to get a bag from customhide.com. (Curiously, their scholar line is precisely the right size for the 17" MBP.) So it is a bit of a pain to take on aircraft. Otherwise, it is the perfect size for a machine that is taking the place of a desktop computer.

This Revision A 17" MBP is my second 17" laptop from Apple, and probably not my last. The screen is just too nice. :-)

Source · Nov 27, 2007, 02:55 PM

I'm also working from home a lot lately and I love the 17" - I had a 15" before this one and it was fantastic! But now I can't imagine going back and losing the extra screen size. I maxxed-out on everything when I got it and it's an incredible machine - a brilliant desktop replacement and excellent to take to see clients.

ballison · Nov 27, 2007, 03:39 PM

I started on the 15 and was worried that the 17 would be too big. honestly after a couple days I didnt even notice the size. what I did notice was how much easier it was on the eyes without everything so cluttered. I say go for it

Fusion · Nov 27, 2007, 04:34 PM

Thank you all for your input thus far, it is extremely helpful.

It seems the consensus is that using the machine, it doesn't feel too big, but carrying it around it can feel large. I used to take my MBP everywhere with me, but since I'm working from home all the time now, it might be a smart decision. The other thing that I've taken into account is that almost 90% of the time where previously I'd need to take my laptop with me, my iPhone works perfectly well now so I don't imagine I'll actually be traveling with it much.

Keep the experiences coming! And thank you.

Sijmen · Nov 27, 2007, 06:21 PM

The 17" PB is my first laptop ever. I stood at the Apple store looking at the 15 and the 17, and I choose the 17" because of the extra size. When I opened the delivery box the size scared me a bit, but after using it for a couple of days I don't think I'd be happy with a 15".
Using it on the road can sometimes be hassle, but for school and work it's absolutely fantastic. I sometimes wish for a smaller screen. For instance when I'm on the train. When someone is sitting next to me, working is impossible, but that's probably the only time I'm thinking of using a smaller one.
Carrying it around isn't a deal at all. I have an Alpinestars backpack that I bought for use on my motorcycle, but now it's the bag I use for the PB. Although other people think it's heavy, I don't mind the weight. I can easily lift it of the desk with one hand and carry it around.
I've been carrying it around for over two years now, and it still works perfectly(well, apart from the lowering luminescence of the screen and the lowering maximum output of the speakers). It has MacStyles vinyls on them to protect it from scratches, so my guess is it still looks great when the vinyls come off.

VetPsychWars · Nov 27, 2007, 08:19 PM

I don't think the 17 is too big at all. I carry mine in a Vanguard Modern case, which it just fits, and size and weight is fine for me. I like the bigger screen because I can fit more on it.

Tom

Mack · Dec 3, 2007, 12:10 AM

Having owned several 15" MBPs, I bought a 17" a couple months ago. I travel with it weekly and haven't found the larger size to be a problem. Apart from the greater screen real estate, I can confirm that it runs much cooler than any of my 15" machines. And the graphics performance is better.

gudrummer · Dec 5, 2007, 04:57 AM

Honestly,i had a 15 PB G4 and it felt a bit too small....now it's just perfect for what i do(video editing) plus the ACD 23,but i bought it as a desktop replacement and i knew how big it was.I was at the apple store for a few days to compare and have a "feel" of it.