Comments on: 17-inch MacBook Pro faces death this year claims analyst

By: lattalo

lattalo — Thu, 10 May 2012 21:03:00 +0000

No worries I just bought this Samsung series 7 17.3 Notebook. I love my 17 inch pro book, but hate the mac os. I have owned 2 Mac Book Pro 17 laptops, loaded with boot camp and windows os. If they want to get rid of it so be it. I spent $1400 instead of $2500. It really is a shame, I was going to wait but if they are going to get rid of their professional computers and only go for that which generates the most cash, see ya. Apple is going to become like every other company out there that will stop innovating to just make as much cash as they can right now, no future.

By: Mac

Mac — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:10:00 +0000

I just bought a Mac Mini to replace my MacPro tower with twin display drivers for my 30″. Now, I have to replace my 30″ with two Thunderbolt displays to get back the real estate (because Apple is talking of killing the MacPro.) At this point, why even buy the new MacBook Pro 17″. Because I want to design on large screaming laptop no matter where I am using the same OS I’ve used since the ’80s. Apple did all that work to dominate the OS wars and now they are getting too narrow-focussed on their vanity market. I’m a mobile freelance designer. I guess there are only 70,000 of us left in the world according to sales.

By: Gfwgefew

Gfwgefew — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:58:00 +0000

Most of the people I worked with had at least one 17 inch MBP,

By: Guest

Guest — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:29:00 +0000

What is MBPish about the EliteBook (specifically 8760w)?

By: Nemesis

Nemesis — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 04:47:00 +0000

Some people just don’t seem to understand what the point of the 17″ macbook is. It’s not for looking at pictures and browsing the Internet! It’s not for picking it up from the kitchen table and showing your mom kitty videos on youtube. It’s made for work! Programming and design. And no, the 30″ thunderbolt display won’t fit in my backpack. But my 17″-er will.
And this “analyst”‘s predictions make absolutely no sense: “in order to maintain a lean product line strategy.” WTF? How much leaner can they get? They only have 2 lines of notebooks. Getting rid of the Pro products and making stuff that can only be used to browse the net, looking at pictures ands syncing iPods benefit Apple how?

By: deepcover

deepcover — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 04:09:00 +0000

The Elitebook looks like a MBP ripoff. I use a Dell, M6600, a $3000+ machine and it’s good, it’s a powerhouse, but I’d ditch it for a MBP 17″

By: Guest

Guest — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:01:00 +0000

Have you looked at HP’s Elitebooks?

If you are a graphic designer, I think you may fall in love with an HP EliteBook 8760w with a DreamColor display.

2.4Ghz quad core, 4GB memory, 750GB 7200 RPM drive, 1GB graphics, DreamColor display w/ 3 year warranty for ~$2700. (that’s after the “standard” 20% discount they give you) $200 more than the entry level 17 inch MBP.

Toss in the 3 year warranty, and your looking at $2900.
$200 more than the EliteBook.

For about $3000, you can walk out with the above HP EliteBook 8760w (with above specs) and a 5 year warranty w/accidental coverage and next day in home/business repairs.

Also HP and Adobe (as well as Avid) have teamed up together to make sure that the software is specifically optimized to run on HP hardware.

You are able to upgrade the CPU to a 2.70 GHz Quad Core (extreme edition), 32GB of memory, 2 drive bays, DVD drive that can be upgraded to blue-ray (or can become a 3rd drive bay), up to NVIDIA QUADRO 5010M Graphics, And then the warranty can be upgraded even more.

Don’t want quad core, you can get it even in dual core configuration as well. The options are (quite literally) limitless.

The durability and reliability far exceeds that of a MBP. Repair and upgradeability, again, far exceeds that of a MBP. Performance? It’s gonna make a iMac blush.

Laptop starts at $2000 before discounts. $1600 (after 20% discount. and there is always some sort of discount going on around 20%. I have heard you are able to get up to a 28% discount, but I do not know how you get the extra 8% off.)

Oh, it also has “docking” capability, and through a dock can power 5 displays, and depending on what dock you get, you can toss in another harddrive or DVD drive.

Depending what your needs are, this can be anywhere from a $1600 laptop to a $25,000 beast that destroys anything in it’s way.

Depending on how you configure it, The MacBook Pro 17 may not even come (remotely) close to the EliteBook. That Elitebook above for $2700? That included a $650 display upgrade. A display that is simply the best display in a laptop. Period.

You won’t go wrong with an EliteBook (workstation). Completely blows a MBP 17 out of the water, if you configure it properly.I was looking at a 17 inch MBP, but the price and the reliability is a killer. Either I can save $500 to $1000 buy getting the Elitebook, or spend that $500 to $1000 to upgrade the Elitebook and get a machine that the MBP cannot even match. Reliability? I’m not spending $3000 for a machine that is gonna break. A lot of people I know around me who have MBP have had problems left and right and several have had problems repeatedly over and over with $1800+ machines. Also, I have read reports that the 17 inch has overheating problems galore. (That was a while ago and haven’t seen anything that have said that it has been fixed). Simply put, I’m not spending $3000 for a laptop, when over 50% of people I know who have $1800+ MBP’s have had problems. Not a good track record for a machine that expensive. What the final straw was, is that the HP was completely optimized to run all the music software I need to or want. So once, the EliteBook gets upgraded to Ivy Bridge and Windows 8 comes out, I’m picking one of them up. (I’m in no real hurry to buy a new machine right away).

I have yet to find a better machine than the EliteBook (overall) and then with the HP being the option for the “creative” profession, people are beginning to flock to these machines. I won’t be surprised if a lot of professionals begin to drop their Macs and pick up these HP’s. And apparently the top professionals are in the process of dumping their Macs for these HP’s.

By: solomonshv

solomonshv — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 23:32:00 +0000

the won’t do it. if analysts knew what they were talking about, they would have a real job.

Apple bags over $1000 for every 17″ macbook pro sold. even if they only sell 100,000 of them to their business users, that’s still some good cash.

By: solomonshv

solomonshv — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 23:28:00 +0000

who cares about the internals. the point of a 17″ laptop is to have a 17″ screen. whatever is inside no one really gives a sh!t about.

yea, every power user with 17″ macbook at my office carries their macbook pro, their charger, and 30″ screen in their backpack. (sarcasm intended)

the general idea behind a laptop is portability. compromising on screen size to add an external display defeats the purpose of the laptop.

By: solomonshv

solomonshv — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 23:27:00 +0000

are you nuts? 17″ MBP for 2k?

we have a few 17″ MPPs where i work, the bill on each is over 3K with just applecare and taxes.

the moment you step up to an SSD, some extra ram and the faster CPU, you are looking at over $4,000.

By: Mapekz

Mapekz — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:33:00 +0000

You get the same internals in the 15″ for the most part. The power users to whom you refer would simply add a 30″ Thunderbolt display to their arsenal any dock their 15″ MBP to it when they need to do heavier work; this is what 17″ MBP users do today as is.

If we see a Retina res on the MacBooks this year, there won’t be as much need for the 17″ either.

By: Emil

Emil — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:16:00 +0000

“While this isn’t surprising, it is disappointing. I use a 17-inch MBP
every day and was really looking forward to the upgrade. Using a 15-inch
won’t be the end of the world, but it will take some getting used to.”

Come on, you know those 2 extra inches make all the difference in the world!!! That’s precisely what I love about it, I like the big screen. I’m a graphic designer and I too have a MBP 17″ and is the best computer that I’ve ever owned. I take it everywhere with me and its size has never bothered me at all.

I’ve been waiting for quite a while for the new 17″ upgrade as well and if Apple stops manufacturing them, I’d have to settle for a 17″ Dell or an HP, which would completely suck.

I agree that the MBP 17″ is quite expensive, but in my opinion it is worth every single dollar.
Apple don’t disappoint me!

By: Guest

Guest — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:32:00 +0000

Apparently your MacBook Pro also makes you sound like Forrest Gump. I guess it’s good they are getting rid of it.

By: Mrhatken

Mrhatken — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:09:00 +0000

I think 15″ retina will have much higher pixel count than old 17″ so they will claim 17″ is not needed (and even for media moguls I think that is somewhat valid, given HD resolution is quite low).

I’ve known a few people with them and they all say they are just that bit too big, if you want to carry them about, and if you don’t get an iMac or a 15″ a second display (preferably Thunderbolt).

By: Denis Bergeron

Denis Bergeron — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:24:00 +0000

I got the early 2008 17inch MBpro, because at this time it was the only laptop woth 17inch and HD and non reflective screen… I got so much problem with this hardware, it was my first and last apple product I will got….

By: zackb07

zackb07 — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:22:00 +0000

You are right about the 17in being way too expensive. I know a few people with them, but most people are not willing to shell out over $2,000 for a laptop, when they can get a better one for half that from competitors. I doubt they will drop the pro lineup though.

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:52:00 +0000

I don’t think Apple would drop their 17 inch MBP. For a company that is still trying to expand its customer base by offering more and more versatile products, cutting out their real power notebook seems like a bad move. Customers who need the extra screen real estate (i.e. people who work with media) are not gonna be happy if Apple dumps their 17 inch MBP.

By: Guest

Guest — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:22:00 +0000

While this isn’t surprising, it is disappointing. I use a 17-inch MBP every day and was really looking forward to the upgrade. Using a 15-inch won’t be the end of the world, but it will take some getting used to.

By: techgeek01.1

techgeek01.1 — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:48:00 +0000

I think cutting the 17″ MBP would be another case of apple pushing their power users away.

By: Guest

Guest — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:44:00 +0000

In my life, I yet to see a 17 inch MBP outside of an Apple store. I think (partly) the problem is, it’s so damn expensive. That being said, I see 17 inch windows powered laptops left and right.

To me, it’s not that people don’t want it. It’s just to damn expensive.

Apple caters the iOS user now. MacBook Air is the “future” for Apple. Expect them to drop the Pro line-up and just have the Air Lineup. 11 inch, 13 inch and 15 inch. well, expect them to drop the Air portion of the name and it would just be MacBook.

The people who NEED a laptop will have a choice. Either use thunderbolt or go to the PC world. And with HP laptops being the “best” for the creative professionals, HP will just pick up the people that need a 17 inch laptop.