# Time to Upgrade - iMac or stay with a MacBookPro?



## Buck (Jan 16, 2008)

Just need to air my thoughts to help me decide on an upgrade to my existing MacBook Pro

My current MBP is a 17" Core2Duo model and whilst 3 year old is still a fantastic piece of kit and very good spec but to be honest I'm toying with upgrading. (Don't ask me why - I'm being irrational!!) I'd end up putting my current MBP on here for sale to recoup some of the costs.

So, my choice is either another 17" MBP or a 27" iMac

I know that the MBP will give me mobility where I need it whereas the iMac will always be stuck on the desk but does anyone else have any other thoughts?

(I want the screen size to help me with my photography - 13/15 is too low and for the iMac i figured the bigger the better!)

iMac specs
27-inch: 2.7GHz
2.7GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
2560 x 1440 resolution
4GB (two 2GB) memory - looking to upgrade via Crucial to 8GB
1TB hard drive1 - potential to add an SSD drive later
AMD Radeon HD 6770M with 512MB

MBP specs
2.53GHz Intel Core i5 processor with 3MB shared L3 cache
4GB memory, 500GB hard disk & 8x Slot-loading SuperDrive
17" 1920x1200 glossy display
2x MagSafe Power Adapters (85W & 65W)
Drive bay adapter allowing for second hard disk in place of SuperDrive - option of SSD drive?


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## stevey_cam (Mar 8, 2011)

If it was me I'd go for the iMac. 

I've got a MBP and an iPad at the minute and the MBP rarely gets used now.

How about a 13" MBP + cinema display? Gives best of both worlds.


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## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

I had this choice a while ago.

I went for the 21.5" iMac with upgraded processor. I will upgrade the RAM when i need to.

The 27" is just too big to sit infront of. Great for watching films on though. The Macbook gives you portability but with photography processing, the trackpad is cumbersome and allows less finesse than a mouse. So you will end up at a table anyway. So you may as well have the iMac.

You don't need a specific table either. Unplug it and move it wherever you want. I doesn't weigh a lot and only has the power lead if you have wireless in your house. I have a floating shelf it sits on for browsing. For more intricate work, i put it on the dining table (on a placemat).


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## GolfFanBoy (May 23, 2010)

Gruffs said:


> The 27" is just too big to sit infront of. Great for watching films on though.


I've just bought a 21.5" iMac for the same reason. Take a look at them in PC World to get an idea of the screen size that suits you best. With the 27" I was aware of the fact I was having to scan left to right a lot more to take in the full picture.

If you have the space and don't need a portable system then I'd go for the iMac. Working in IT I know how sore a neck can get spending hours on a laptop.


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## tomah (Sep 17, 2010)

We have a 27" iMac and it's awesome. My wife uses it mostly.

My machine is a 15" MBP that'll be four years old in January.

Because we already have the iMac for the heavy lifting, when I come to upgrade next year, I'll probably go for a Macbook Air when they upgrade their spec next time (hoping for more SSD space in the next update).

Potentially, if you want to save a bit, you'll notice a massive difference in your current machine if you max out the RAM (if you haven't already) and get an SSD for it.

If you buy something, check out the refurb store. We saved a couple of hundred or more on out iMac, and the only difference is the box they come in is plain white. That's all. Otherwise it's identical to new.


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## Ninja59 (Feb 17, 2009)

Had my 27" for knocking on two years...yikes! Not put a foot wrong yes most people walk in and go WOW it is massive...to kinda put it in context (sorry for being in windows it just has kept all my work in bootcamp!) oh well...as a sort of scale idea most computers handle 2 pages well in a word processor this....well..images...










Note that is an 11" air...in comparison...









sorry for the dark image...

mine 2.8Ghz I7
8GB RAM 
1TB
only the older HD4580...
tbh very rarely has to really stretch the legs DVD backup times and general speeds are good...only downer i can find is ofc that macs as of yet do not support Blu Ray if thats your thing...

this might sound wrong to some i forget how big my screen is until i am looking at something with a smaller screen again 

1TB hard drive1 - potential to add an SSD drive later-Word of warning here Apple now use some pretty unique connector in the latest models that has more pins whether this applies to the SSD as well i do not know all i remember seeing was the unless you run an Apple bought/spec HD then the fan will run at max speed constantly.

*only other tip find a student with Apple discount.*


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## empsburna (Apr 5, 2006)

Personally I would upgrade to 8GB RAM and put an SSD Drive in it and sit it out.


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## james_death (Aug 9, 2010)

Photography the 27 the 21 just isnt big enough to have 2 windows open side by side without overlap unless your tweeking the sizes.

Netbook or whatever for armchair surfing.


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## Buck (Jan 16, 2008)

Thanks guys!

Really good thoughts and experiences - I also have an iPad and like most am finding the laptop spends less time on my knee when in the front room watching TV these days - that's part of the appeal of the iMac - I can justify it sitting on the desk more although a good point re portability from Gruffs - hadn't thought of that.

Good food for thought. I will need to look at the SSD point raised as I'd like the OS and key apps such as my LR3 and PS on there and the data on the std drive with firewire or thunderbolt back up (thinking of the future)

We also have two windows laptops in the house that give us the portability should we need it but am conscious that running the two systems side by side can be a headache - I'd rather run bootcamp on the Mac (whichever and be done with Windows as a standalone)


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## empsburna (Apr 5, 2006)

Buy a good quality external display and hook it up.

Buy a big time capsule and let time machine worry about back ups and you will still have enough change for an 8GB Ram kit from crucial.


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## tomah (Sep 17, 2010)

empsburna said:


> Buy a good quality external display and hook it up.


This is what we were initially going to do.

But, price around for a decent IPS display around the same resolution as the 27" iMac and you'll probably come to the same conclusion as I did.

27" IPS display = £800
27" iMac at £1,200 - £500 for selling laptop = £700

We went with a new iMac.


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## Buck (Jan 16, 2008)

Good points tomah/empsburna

My MBP is worth a bit more than that too so the price to change is less and therefore more compelling - now just need to persuade Mrs Buck!


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## empsburna (Apr 5, 2006)

tomah said:


> This is what we were initially going to do.
> 
> But, price around for a decent IPS display around the same resolution as the 27" iMac and you'll probably come to the same conclusion as I did.
> 
> ...


Good point if you are going for a 27" display.


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## Ninja59 (Feb 17, 2009)

Buck. said:


> Good points tomah/empsburna
> 
> My MBP is worth a bit more than that too so the price to change is less and therefore more compelling - now just need to persuade Mrs Buck!


just tell her you need it or just tell her it is a 21..., I even talked my Volvo Sales guy in Chester to buy the 27 and not the 21...his wife was a bit like "really" :lol:...

Exclusions:-
1) I exclude all liability for death or personal injury.
2) I exclude any other form of liability in relation to this decision.

And before anyone pipes up and says the first exclusion clause does not work, I know that it would breach S2(1) UCTA 1977


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## Rob_Quads (Jul 17, 2006)

All I will say is if you can get the OS installed onto an SSD - makes a lot of difference. Even if you do it as a post purchase mod. Easier in the MPB than iMac


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## vRS Carl (Aug 14, 2011)

I have a 15" Unibody MBP (2010 model) which had the following spec when i bought it:

2.8Ghz Core 2 Duo
4GB DDR3 1066mhz Ram
500gb 5400rpm drive
Nvidia 9400 & 9600GT graphics cards

After i got it i changed the drive to a 7200rpm drive and also gave it 8GB of ram. I got a slightly snappier machine.

I was toying with the same problem you have when between a new MBP or iMac. I started to research SSD drives. In the end i decided to give the SSD a try after all the reviews i was seeing. 

I went for an OCZ Vertex 3 240gb. All i can say is WOW. It totally transforms the machine. It takes 11 Secs from pushing the power button for it to be fully booted. The slowest an App takes is (using a stopwatch on an iPhone) 2.3 secs and that is Aperture 3 with 5500+ hi res photos. That's all data loaded and not waiting for pics to show. Majority of apps launch the second you click on them.

I run the OS and all my Apps on the SSD and i keep my iTunes Data on a seperate drive. I don't really need to as i have about 70gb of iTunes data and and 114Gb spare on the SSD. I just like to keep the machine with about 50% of space available. It really has breathed new life into the machine and will no doubt keep it going for a few years to come.

Seriously (and i am a huge Apple fanboy with 2 MBP, 2 iPhones, 2 iPods and an iPad in the house) i would look at getting an SSD first before spending £1k+ on a new machine.

If you do decide to get a new machine then don't buy it with an SSD from Apple. You can get better SSD's from elsewhere and fit yourself.


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## empsburna (Apr 5, 2006)

You can get a kit to keep the original hard drive and lose the optical drive too if you chose to keep both.


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## Edward101 (Jun 5, 2009)

iMac would be a better choice imo, I have both as I need to take a laptop around with me to do my photography. But if you do particularly need something powerful to take around the MacBook Pro does a fantastic job, it runs photoshop very well. The screen is obviously glossy so can be a little hard to see when editing at times. But having an iMac is perfect for a lot of editing etc. definitely get the larger screen.


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## DW58 (Nov 27, 2010)

I'm a newcomer to Apple, I bought the top spec (in Sept 2011) 15" MBP (i7 quad core @ 2.3Ghz, 8Gb, 750Gb, HiRes/Anti-glare) combined with a 27" Apple Thunderbolt Display - I've had it almost three months now and love it. I've got ultimate power anywhere, portability anywhere and screen size as it suits me - perfect for photography, but not cheap.

I'm thinking of swapping the Superdrive for an SSD and using the SSD for my boot-drive/apps to speed the MBP up even further.


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## DW58 (Nov 27, 2010)

Edward101 said:


> iMac would be a better choice imo, I have both as I need to take a laptop around with me to do my photography. But if you do particularly need something powerful to take around the MacBook Pro does a fantastic job, it runs photoshop very well. The screen is obviously glossy so can be a little hard to see when editing at times. But having an iMac is perfect for a lot of editing etc. definitely get the larger screen.


The MBP screen is only glossy if you buy the basic model - if you opt for the Hi-Res Anti-glare screen it isn't. The basic models can be identified by the black screen surround whilst the anti-glare models like the one I'm posting from have an aluminium-coloured screen surround.


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## Edward101 (Jun 5, 2009)

DW58 said:


> The MBP screen is only glossy if you buy the basic model - if you opt for the Hi-Res Anti-glare screen it isn't. The basic models can be identified by the black screen surround whilst the anti-glare models like the one I'm posting from have an aluminium-coloured screen surround.


Yeah I forgot to put mines the 13" screen so you don't get that option, is top spec for that size apart from that just you can't choose unfortunately  but needed the smallest size for portability. Still great piece of kit though and the glossy screen isn't too much of a problem as the bulk of editing is done on the iMac. Saying that not using photoshop much at all at the moment mainly working in the darkroom doing my prints


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## Buck (Jan 16, 2008)

A good and cheap option for the glossy screen is a Matt screen protector. My windows laptop and MBP are both glossy and tbh I've never found it to be anissue except in direct/bright sunlight.


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## DW58 (Nov 27, 2010)

Edward101 said:


> Yeah I forgot to put mines the 13" screen so you don't get that option, is top spec for that size apart from that just you can't choose unfortunately  but needed the smallest size for portability. Still great piece of kit though and the glossy screen isn't too much of a problem as the bulk of editing is done on the iMac. Saying that not using photoshop much at all at the moment mainly working in the darkroom doing my prints


I went for 15", and while I haven't used one with the standard screen, the anti-glare one is great.

For ultra portability I find my iPad 2 great for photo-viewing, downloading direct from DSLR or plugging the card in. Limited photo-editing, but good enough for out and about.



Buck. said:


> A good and cheap option for the glossy screen is a Matt screen protector. My windows laptop and MBP are both glossy and tbh I've never found it to be anissue except in direct/bright sunlight.


I haven't tried those - no basic need at present.


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## Edward101 (Jun 5, 2009)

DW58 said:


> I went for 15", and while I haven't used one with the standard screen, the anti-glare one is great.
> 
> For ultra portability I find my iPad 2 great for photo-viewing, downloading direct from DSLR or plugging the card in. Limited photo-editing, but good enough for out and about.


Yeah the iPad is great! Love mine, just a shame I needed the power and portability to run various program's etc, so needed the MacBook pro too. Oh I love my Apple products  Have you got the time machine? (I see you have a fair few apple gadgets) - not sure wether to get one or not/how good it is as it is handly wirelessly backing up.


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## DW58 (Nov 27, 2010)

Edward101 said:


> Yeah the iPad is great! Love mine, just a shame I needed the power and portability to run various program's etc, so needed the MacBook pro too. Oh I love my Apple products  Have you got the time machine? (I see you have a fair few apple gadgets) - not sure wether to get one or not/how good it is as it is handly wirelessly backing up.


Yes, I have got a Time Machine (2Gb), but in all honesty haven't got around to setting it up. At present I'm backing up to a LaCie 1Tb Rugged Firewire drive, but I will get around to doing the Time Machine over the festive season.

I love Apple products - they're not cheap but you get vwhat you pay for. Having been working on SWMBO's laptop sorting out various problems yesterday, I was reminded just how much I loath Windows and all its associated problems you just don't get with a Mac.


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## stuart.cameron (Apr 10, 2011)

Thats a hard choice between them two!

I have a 13" MBP and a 24" iMac, love them both but don't really use the iMac anymore as i don't take a lot of photos anymore and any editing is done on my iMac.

A Cinema Display and a 13"/15" MBP would be ideal


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## DW58 (Nov 27, 2010)

Why not stick with the MBP but upgrade it to 8Gb - then buy a large external display - perhaps an S/h 27" Apple Cinema Display or a large third party screen.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Can the graphics cards in the MBP's handle the high res of the 27" monitors though if you chuck something intensive at it?

I have an 11" Macbook Air and am trying to decide on what to get next. I love the screen space you get with the 27" model iMac but is it better to get a Mac Mini and the 27" Thunderbolt Cinema display as its easier to deal with upgrade time? I like the simplicity of an iMac though. Also, putting the SD Card slot on the back of the Mini was a silly idea!!

I've become a right fanboy, but now that I don't need my PC for Gaming anymore as I just don't have the time, I think it's time to go Apple on everything. I really like Lion too.


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## empsburna (Apr 5, 2006)

I've got my 24" Dell monitor running at 1080p through the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M (256 MB) card in my MBP.

Does the air not come with Thunderbolt? I thought the mini had the same or similar graphics card to the MBP.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

I don't think the Air has TB, I could be wrong though.

The res on the larger screens is 2560x1440, which back from my geeky PC gaming days was the same as a Dell 30" LCD and was a killer to get going properly - needed SLI GTX8800's and even then it'd struggle - but thats gaming and I guess I'd do very little to push the hardware to the same extent.

I want that res for the screen space though, it's awesome! Definitely on my shopping list. Would you get a Mini and a Display or an iMac? Then I'm thinking about whether I should swap my Air for a Pro and an iPad. It's going to get silly... then where does Apple TV slot in? Lol...


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## empsburna (Apr 5, 2006)

Do a command space and search for system properties, you should know if you have thunderbolt from there. 

You can borrow my mini display port to
HDMI lead if you want to test it on your air.


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## empsburna (Apr 5, 2006)

I would keep the air and hook it up to a big display. Or swap for my MBP lol


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Lol how much? 

Does the Bluetooth keyboard work with the Air with the lid closed??


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## DW58 (Nov 27, 2010)

empsburna said:


> I've got my 24" Dell monitor running at 1080p through the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M (256 MB) card in my MBP.
> 
> Does the air not come with Thunderbolt? I thought the mini had the same or similar graphics card to the MBP.





RussZS said:


> I don't think the Air has TB, I could be wrong though.
> 
> The res on the larger screens is 2560x1440, which back from my geeky PC gaming days was the same as a Dell 30" LCD and was a killer to get going properly - needed SLI GTX8800's and even then it'd struggle - but thats gaming and I guess I'd do very little to push the hardware to the same extent.
> 
> I want that res for the screen space though, it's awesome! Definitely on my shopping list. Would you get a Mini and a Display or an iMac? Then I'm thinking about whether I should swap my Air for a Pro and an iPad. It's going to get silly... then where does Apple TV slot in? Lol...


The current MBAs (11" & 13") have a Thunderbolt port and are compatible with the current 27" Thunderbolt Display. See here.

I use a 27" ATD with my 2011 MBP (15" Hi-res/Anti-glare @ 1680x1050, 2.4Ghz i7quad, 8Mb, 750Gb) and it's an awesome combination. The 27" ATD raises the resolution to 2560x1440 pixels on an LED display, it's a truly awesome bit of kit. No, this combination doesn't offer anything not available on a better-specified iMac, but what it does offer is a huge amount more versatility.


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## Buck (Jan 16, 2008)

DW58 said:


> Why not stick with the MBP but upgrade it to 8Gb - then buy a large external display - perhaps an S/h 27" Apple Cinema Display or a large third party screen.


Hi. I might upgrade the memory to 8Gb as its not too expensive. I still have yet to decide what to do overall - too many options.


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## DW58 (Nov 27, 2010)

RussZS said:


> Does the Bluetooth keyboard work with the Air with the lid closed??


Yes - simply put the Mac to sleep, close the screen down and then reactivate it by pressing any key on the keyboard. The same is possible with the Logitech Solar Keyboard for the Mac which I use.

I usually work on my MBP/ATD with the screen open with the MBP on a Griffin stand, this allows me to use both displays. I have it set up so that the ATD is the master display when connected, and this shifts to the MBP when the ATD is disconected.


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## DW58 (Nov 27, 2010)

Buck. said:


> Hi. I might upgrade the memory to 8Gb as its not too expensive. I still have yet to decide what to do overall - too many options.


I seriously considered a 27" iMac, but I really wanted the versatility and portability that the MBP offered me.


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## empsburna (Apr 5, 2006)

DW58 said:


> The current MBAs (11" & 13") have a Thunderbolt port and are compatible with the current 27" Thunderbolt Display. See here.
> 
> I use a 27" ATD with my 2011 MBP (15" Hi-res/Anti-glare @ 1680x1050, 2.4Ghz i7quad, 8Mb, 750Gb) and it's an awesome combination. The 27" ATD raises the resolution to 2560x1440 pixels on an LED display, it's a truly awesome bit of kit. No, this combination doesn't offer anything not available on a better-specified iMac, but what it does offer is a huge amount more versatility.


I prefer to keep it closed and have a higher res external display, I don't know if it is because my graphics card is old now but the res on the monitor is poor with the lid open.

You are spot on about it being more versatile.


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## Buck (Jan 16, 2008)

DW58 said:


> I seriously considered a 27" iMac, but I really wanted the versatility and portability that the MBP offered me.


I think you're right. I might look at external displays - this way I still keep the mobility should I want it.


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## Buck (Jan 16, 2008)

The other point I've researched is that the iMac is very difficult to convert to SSD drive whereas the MBP is a simple swap out.


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## DW58 (Nov 27, 2010)

empsburna said:


> I prefer to keep it closed and have a higher res external display, I don't know if it is because my graphics card is old now but the res on the monitor is poor with the lid open.
> 
> You are spot on about it being more versatile.


I can only assume that is with an older/less featured model. My MBP gives me both the 2560x1440 and 1680x1050 displays quite happily at the same time.



Buck. said:


> The other point I've researched is that the iMac is very difficult to convert to SSD drive whereas the MBP is a simple swap out.


That's interesting as current iMac can be specified with SSD, HDD or both SSD/HDD as options.

I'm toying with replacing my current Super Drive (DVD/CD drive) with a 256Gb SSD as my boot drive and using the HDD as data only thus speeding up my MBP massively.


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## Buck (Jan 16, 2008)

DW58 said:


> That's interesting as current iMac can be specified with SSD, HDD or both SSD/HDD as options.
> 
> I'm toying with replacing my current Super Drive (DVD/CD drive) with a 256Gb SSD as my boot drive and using the HDD as data only thus speeding up my MBP massively.


To swap out the iMac drive you need to take the screen off !! And then mess about with the temp sensor to stop it thinking that the drive is over heating.

As you say, on the MBP it's a piece of cake. Certainly the better option. I'd just check what size SSD you need - you'd be surprised how small it can be. Run OSX and key apps from there and use the main drive as your data store.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Thanks folks and sorry for the hijack Buck.

So which cable do I need to connect my Air to my 32" LCD for now please?

What's the cheapest monitor of a good quality I can get with the same res as the Apple 27"?

Russ.


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## LeadFarmer (Feb 23, 2011)

Buck. said:


> My current MBP is a 17" Core2Duo model and whilst 3 year old is still a fantastic piece of kit


How do you find the 17" model for everyday use? Im thinking of getting one but not sure if it might be too big for just sitting with on the sofa?


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## Buck (Jan 16, 2008)

LeadFarmer said:


> How do you find the 17" model for everyday use? Im thinking of getting one but not sure if it might be too big for just sitting with on the sofa?


I love it.

It isn't too big for sitting onthe sofa - I do that too! It's not too heavy or cumbersome and I do like the screen size vs my Windows 15" laptop and the batery lasts a lot longer too


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## LeadFarmer (Feb 23, 2011)

Thanks Buck. But youve just cost me an extra few hundred ££££


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## Buck (Jan 16, 2008)

LeadFarmer said:


> Thanks Buck. But youve just cost me an extra few hundred ££££


Sorry! 

You'll thank me later when you look at it and


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## DW58 (Nov 27, 2010)

LeadFarmer said:


> Thanks Buck. But youve just cost me an extra few hundred ££££


May I humbly suggest having a good try of both the 15" and 17" MBPs in the Apple Store before committing yourself to either. I was keen on the 17" until I tried it - I found it just too big and clumsy for me, and as I was planning on using the MBP with a 27" ATD much of the time I just didn't see the advantage of the 17" MBP for me so I bought a top of the range 15" machine instead and haven't looked back. The 15" does me fine for couch surfing and lazy photo processing etc.


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## LeadFarmer (Feb 23, 2011)

Thanks DW58, my laptops have always been 15" but Ive always wanted a 17", but the price has always put me off.

If I move over to apple then I might go the full hog and get a 17". But your right, I shall try one out in the shop first:thumb:


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