We're about to purchase a MBP and I'm having a tough time deciding between the portability of the 15" and the screen real estate of the 17". We'll also be getting a 30" monitor for the office. This is our first Mac btw.

My 17" PC laptop is EXTREMELY heavy and HUGE. It's not travel friendly so I'm hesitant with the 17". But, not having lived with a 15" laptop in a long time, I'm concerned it'll be too small for effective showing and editing on the road.

I know this was covered at one time (I think) but I couldn't find it.

Any thoughts? Thanks!
Michael

It really depends on what you will be using it for. Will you be editing photos on it? Will you be using it for slideshows at the reception? If you answred yes to both of these you may want the 17". I opted for the 15" because of size and portability. I do not use my laptop for editing, but I do use it for slidehows. To me 15" is large enough for slidehsows, but in the future I plan on getting a 23" Apple display to hook up to at the reception anyways, so screen size of the laptop really didn't matter to me. The 17" still is smaller than most 17" PC laptops, but it is still quite a bit larger than the 15". Oh also, the 17" offers a 7200rpm drive while the 15" does not.....food for thought. But again, if you are not editing on the laptop then that won't matter too much. You really can't go wrong either way. Good luck!

BTW, I just got the 30" ACD myself and now my girlfriend can't get me out of my office, so beware!

WHAT ABOUT THE 17" ISNT PORTABLE??? It's 1.3" wider and 1" tall-that's nothing! Get the 17"!

Well for one thing it wouldn't fit in the bag I have...its just barely too big. But you're right, in reality the 17" isn't much bigger. And I never said the 17" wasn't portable, I just said I got the 15" for portability...my personal portability.

The 17" is just too big for me personally. I do so much with my 15" ,and really wanted something lighter and more portable. I don't use mine for slideshows, but I do do some editing on it. Ya, you can all cring in horror now.

I've got the 17" powerbook and I think it's totally portable. I'm waiting for them to come out with a 19" and I'd buy it in a sec!

Just go for the 17". I know you won't regret it. We're in the business of images, and the larger you can see them the better in my book!

Pull the trigger on the 17".

Thanks everyone! LOL, I somehow knew this wasn't going to make it any easier! As much as I'd love the smaller, lighter, size, I think I agree with Chris: it's about the image and the extra bit of difference is probably worth the effort to get the bigger image.

Thanks again for taking the time!
Michael

do not compare these to PC laptops first of all LOL. the mac laptops are much slimmer and much lighter than any full size PC laptop ever made.

however, i would still go with the 15". I love my 15" macbook pro for its ability to be ultra-light and portable, and the screen is more than enough for me as far as laptops go. that being said, it isn't my main computer... i have two cinema displays (23" HD and 20" Apple displays) in the studio that i do my editing etc on.

anyway, its completely up to you, but basically what it comes down to is that if it isnt your main computer, go with the 15" macbook pro. if this is going to be your main computer and you dont ever plan on having a desktop or other computer, then get the 17". I think in this case, the choice is obvious

The 17" only seemed big until I got it. Go big! It goes everywhere with me and managing its size has never been a problem. And Crumpler makes a terrific bag that's big enough...

Thanks Paige! The only reason I was hesitant is because of my monstor of a 17" PC laptop. It's so freaking heavy, but I'm getting the distinct impression that the MBP is a lot easier on the back. Plus, it's physical size is smaller than my PC 17". Sooo, I think "go big" makes sense. It won't be our main editing machine, but if my years and years of PC use is somehow overcome by the apparant awesomeness of the Mac, I may end up transitioning to a complete Mac environment. In that case, it WOULD be our main machine for a bit. But I'm a tough sell, so we'll see.

Thanks again everyone for your input!
Michael


The small size does seem appealing in a way... I just think I'd always regret not having the little bit of extra screen size.

why not get a 15" (light, portable, etc) and save the ~$800 to use towards a 23" display or something like that?

Oh wow, with my small discount figured in, it only works out to be about $275 difference. That's what's making the decision even more difficult as the price didn't seem to be much of a discriminator.

I got the 17" about 4 months ago (when the Core 2 Duo started shipping). I love it!
It's a tiny bit on the big side. I may have opted to go with the 15" if I did it again. However I can sit and edit while on the couch with the 17" which is really nice.

My .02

A majority of the time it's hooked up to my 24" widescreen Dell.

Andrew

I had to make the same decision a few months ago. It is only $200-$300 difference and the hard drive on the 15" is smaller unless you pay extra to upgrade to what the 17" comes with standard. So, I think the difference only came out to $100 - $200 all things being even. I chose the 17" because I wasn't sure when I was going to be able to purchase a cinema display or other macs to complement this purchase. I use it as my main editing machine for now. And, I haven't looked back. It's slim, lightweight and just plain nice to look at. It goes everywhere with me, but it won't fit into many bags, so get one that fits it.

Since you are all pc now and switching to Mac, do you have to get all new programs? Might sound silly, but the last time I had a Mac was in the 5th grade and we called em apples

You know the green and black screen for typing. LOL?

I am just curious as to how difficult the switch is?

See this post - http://www.opensourcephoto.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=6704&hl= ://http://www.opensourcephoto.net/foru...=6704&hl=

Thanks!

Just got my 15" mbp and editing on it is just fine for me. I have a 24" iMac and wanted the mbp so that I can edit while I'm waiting during my daughters activities. I didn't feel I needed the 17" since it wasn't my main computer. If it were going to be your main computer then hands down I'd go with the 17".

I know it's been covered, but it's still a concern. I just have the luxury of being able to keep my old editing machine around and it's been constantly updated so it's no slouch. We just need a nice machine for client meetings, slide presentations and destination events. I initially plan on having not much more than Lightroom and CS3 (when it releases) on the machine. Well, the basic apps for word processing, etc.

The decision to consider a Mac is based on a few things, probably none of which really amount to "intelligent".
1. I'm just damn curious as to what all the fuss is about.
2. client perception - though I doubt it really matters one wit, I'm convincing myself that I can leverage the cool factor which many of my younger clients are very in tune with. When I'm talking "technology" to the grooms, now I be on the "cool guys" artistic side.
3. function - I love the idea of just being able to take it out of the bag and have it QUICKLY and effortlessly boot without much if any waiting. Though I rarely have problems with windows, I've lately been taking notice of the time I'm having to spend spinning Vista up, and I'm losing precious editing time (I work 2 jobs right now) so if it indeed lessens the "tinker" time, I'm all about that regardless of which machine I use.
4. One of the IT guys at work (Scott AFB) uses Mac at home. Hmmm. Okay, I don't care about that but it just helps make my list longer....

I just wish there was a bigger price difference so the decision would be easier, LOL.
Cheers,
Michael


Now I'm thinking since it's definitely not going to be my main machine, the 15" would be smarter. Plus my wife might be carrying it at times and she might enjoy the less weight (I know it's only about a lb.).

LOL! I love all of those reasons! Sounds great to me. BTW my brother (also a photographer) just left Scott AFB about a year ago and moved to VAFB....wonder if you knew him?

So it's absolutley no hassle carrying it around and getting it out in coffee shops, airplances, etc?



Cool! Probably not since I've only been here since July 2005. I think our paths may not have crossed. Is he a pilot by chance? If VAFB is Vance AFB, I graduated pilot training there and instructed there around 2000.

I don't find the 17 to be too big, but it is fairly heavy to lug around all day. Personally, I went with the 15 and I don't have any issues with using it for photo editing (mainly Lightroom). In fact, I did my last two weddings on it.

As my dear hubby says... "The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten".
Go for it! You will NOT regret it and you WILL look super KEWL!

Thanks all for your input! My wife and I went to the Apple store today and checked out the two MBPs. Wow. My old 17" PC notebook, which I often used as weight in the back of our truck on snowy days, makes the 17" MBP seem like a feather! Also, even though my wife made a wry comment about something like me looking like a fool, I carried my Kata 207 down and the 17" fit in it with room to spare, so... I opted for the 17".

And, of course, the salesgirl in Restoration Hardware asked me how the mountain climbing was going...

Say, does anyone want a super cool, 17" PC notebook? It's great for numerous tasks... I'll throw in Windows Ultimate...

Congrats, Michael! You won't regret it - especially when you start doing everything on your mac and realize how grateful you are for the extra screen space.

Yeah, my hubby always laughs when I put on my tenba 17c (I think that's what I have). I'm not even a tiny woman and that things just swallows me up.

It is great for watching DVD's in flight when the airline movie is lame...

I received the 17" MBP today. Wow. The fit and finish and the quality of the display is just awesome. The weight and size is so cool...I'm glad I opted for the 17"

Having used Windows almost every day of my life since it's inception, the transition is a little frustrating, but I'm zipping right along.

Heads up on BetterFinderRename...you can now rename with multiple steps all at once. So, in effect, you can rename any file or group of files in just about any combination you can possibly think of. It's pretty freakin' cool and if you ever have a need for this, check it out.

I just discovered how to open multiple windows of Safari...sweet. Ahhh...to feel like a kid again

Take care all
Michael