17 Inch MacBook Pro, The Beast

The 17 inch MacBook Pro is for you wanting access to a portable Mac with a big display (1920x1200). You wont get any increase in performance compared to the fifteen inch model. They use the same internal components like CPU, RAM, Hard-Drive and so on.

A laptop with a big screen is not always a bad thing. Maybe you want the possibility to easily move your computer between different locations while still mainly using it as a desktop computer. The 17 inch MacBook Pro could easily be called a desktop replacement computer. If you are moving from a stationary PC box this will most probably take up less space on your desktop anyway.

Telling you that this computer is exactly like its smaller brother is not entirely correct. You have one extra usb port on the 17 Inch and it also features the ExpressCard/34 slot instead. Meaning no built-in SD slot for you if you chose this model. There are USB SD Slot adapters available if you really need it. DealExtreme.com have some really cheap ones!

With the built in battery Apple claims you get up to 7 hours with one charge. In tests I have read they actually came up with around 7 hours. Because the battery is a built-in one they didn't need to include space-consuming mechanisms and housings that standard removable batteries need. This is also some of the reasons they got this battery time in the first place. Making the battery internal they can create a bigger battery, thus longer battery time. 7 Hours on a 17 inch laptop isn't bad wouldn't you say?

For me, the 17 inch MacBook Pro is not the best choice. First of all the price-point is a bit too high. I do not need that much raw processing power and screen real-estate to update this website. The notebook is not so transport-friendly because of its size (I move around a lot). I think this laptop is best suited for people who need to have their main production computer mobile. Maybe people with a lot of client visits that also need the processing power available to them on the go. For that use, this is an excellent computer.

Or .. if you just want a higher resolution. Go for it! It is the best top-of-the-line laptop Apple offers.

More MacBook Pro 17 Inch Resources:

Cheap MacBook Pro - You have decided that you want a cheap MacBook Pro but might have a hard time finding the money to make this a reality. Look here for some tips.

MacBook Pro Hard Case - This page will give you recommendations and show you how-to find a good and durable MacBook Pro Hard Case.

MacBook Pro Reviews - It would be wise to read some MacBook Pro Reviews before diving in and spending your hard earned money on a new notebook. I have collected some of the reviews I think are worth reading.