See the review of the MBP15 for details on usability. The same usability issues apply to the 17" model as with the 15". The 2.93 GHz CPU is no longer exclusive to the MBP17, but can now be ordered with the MBP15 for another $276 or so. That’s little solace when it runs down, and it should be kept in mind that using the high performance graphics takes more power how much more is unclear. Road warriors might be perturbed at this there are use cases (eg photography) where lugging along several extra batteries is the only way to power a laptop for use over several days to a week, at least if you like wild places (maybe leave the stinkin' laptop at home).īattery life of the MBP17 is allegedly about 60% longer than the MBP15, according to Apple. The battery of the MBP17 is built-in and cannot be swapped as a practical matter. The 15" model is more convenient for such travel. It barely fits into the carry-on camera bag, and it’s rather awkward to use in today’s cramped airline seats. I’ve carried a 17" MBP (older model) on photographic expeditions. The larger form factor of the MBP17 is a real drawback when traveling on an airplane. Other Macs and screens run in the range of 72 - 100 dpi, much larger and easier to read.
Of course, this is not an issue for images. The exceptional screen quality helps matters, but there is no getting around the very small type (text). The larger screen offers a resolution of 1920 X 1200 and is 14.5 inches wide, which means a pixel density of 133 dpi! That’s fine for photos, but some users will find reading text more of a challenge. Photographers will appreciate the screen: color gamut seems considerably better than the previous generation MacBook Pro 17". Photographers should also go with the matte screen cursory side-by-side comparison at the Apple store suggests that the matte screen is more accurate for color and brightness, at least with respect to making fine-art prints. Anyone working in mixed lighting is strongly advised to avoid the mirror-like glossy screen, and choose the matte screen at a small upcharge ($50). The glossy screen or matte screen can be chosen with the MBP17. It’s a shame that the 15" model cannot also accept 8GB memory, because it’s more travel friendly and with an external Cinema Display the 17" has nothing to offer over a 15" model. Of these the 8GB vs 6GB difference is the big one as it has a substantial impact on more demanding workflows. the choice of matte vs glossy screen for some users.the larger and higher resolution screen.the ability to use 8GB memory instead of 6GB (why was the 15" model crippled?).Differences from the 15" model PERMALINKįunctionality of the MBP17 over the MBP15 really boils down to these issues:
#March 2009 macbook pro update install
Lesson: don’t try to re-use an existing system install use a fresh install along with Migration Assistant to move over your applications and files. Upon doing so, the speed jumped up to its expected performance. So I installed a fresh system and use Migration Assistant to transfer my applications. Swapping memory had no effect and the faster/slower graphics had no effect. The MBP17 was running at 60% of the speed of the MBP15 2.8GHz on all the tests I tried! It was dog-slow, yet in every respect it ran flawlessly. I installed all the latest system updates, rebooted, etc, then proceeded to run various tests which all showed severely impaired performance. When I received the MBP17, I booted it off an external Firewire 800 hard drive that I had used for testing the MBP15, because all my applications (Photoshop, etc) were installed there. This is a step backwards from the design of the 15" model, but it won’t be of concern to most users. The newer Apple monitors use the Mini DisplayPort, but Apple should realized that old customers buy new Macs, and make such things available at the lowest possible cost.Īccess to the memory and hard disk requires removing 9 screws. Shame on Apple for making me pay to use an expensive monitor I purchased from them.
I was unable to use my Apple 30" Cinema Display because I had no adapter, which costs $100. Other programs aren’t so obnoxious in their use of small font sizes. You’d better have keen eyes with Aperture. The 133dpi screen shows ridiculously small type in applications like Apple’s Aperture. You’ll see a big performance gain by swapping this drive out for a faster one, see recommended drives. The Apple-supplied 320GB 5400 rpm Fujitsu drive is total dog-applications take forever to launch with it. There is everything to like here except the large rectangular footprint(for travel). The MBP17 doesn’t feel heavy, and it feels slim in the hands.