Mac 15" v. 17"

Most people using 17" LCD screens are using them as desktop replacements. You will have dramatically less battery life also unplugged. This would be mostly for gamers who want the ability to move a 1 piece computer (as opposed to a separate desktop and monitor and all the wires) around the house occasionally but nearly never use it to travel outside the house.

I do see realtors using 17" notebooks a lot, however, as they have it at an open house and it is larger for people to see pictures/satelite images of the area, etc. But again, the realtor is only carrying it from his car into the sale house -- not all over campus or to longer distances. And, the realtor is using the 17" notebook plugged into A/C -- not battery power which will be much less versus the 15"

So if you are carrying it around campus a lot get the 15". If you will leave it on your desk most of the time then consider the 17"

Note that that there are plenty of Targus, Samsonite, etc notebook backpacks that will hold a 15" or 15.4" widescreen notebook (the only way to carry it around so both arms are holding the weight -- not just one arm) but I don't even know of a backpack that will hold a 17" LCD notebook.

I don't know what the Apples weigh exaclty but I can tell you a 15" or 15.4" widescreen Pentium M Compaq X1000 notebook I have weighs 6.5 pounds and another 1 pound or so for the A/C adaptor if you carry that.

An HP 17" Pentium 4 monster weighs close to 10 pounds buy itself without even including the heavier A/C adaptor.

The Apple chips run cooler than the Pentium 4M so it may be lighter but I would still say you are looking around 9 pounds without the A/C adaptor for the 17" Apple.

Ken, the PowerBook G4 17" weighs 6.9 pounds and is 1.3 inches thick. I looked at both the 15.4" and 17" screens at the Apple store and the 17" was huge. Also, the 15.4" has a ventalation problem so it gets very hot. The 17" does not have this problem. Good Luck!!!

If the Apple 17" powerbook is really 6.9 pounds then that is very good as my 15.4" Compaq Centrino laptop is 6.5 pounds.

As long as you can carry the bulk (size) of a 17" notebook (check out carrying options) beforehand this is an option for you.

Go to the Apple stores and lift the notebooks yourself and ask the people there about recommended carrying backpacks/bags for both notebooks.

Also ask about the battery life of the 15" versus 17" LCD's on the Apple Powerbooks...

I did see a Samsonite notebook satchel bag for a 17" notebook on sale in one of the Sunday store ads so you may have to do that if you want the 17"..I have not seen a notebook backpack go larger than 15.4" yet....

They have some great back to school sales on Targus, Wenger, Samsonite, etc 15.4" or smaller notebook backpacks in the Sunday ads at Best Buy, Circuit City, Office Max, Office Depot, Staples, etc.

I have a 17" powerbook, and I love it. But to echo what someone else said on this thread, 15 vs 17 will depend on how much portability you want. In comparison to other "desktop replacements", this 17" is a light-weight, its 6.9lb weight is lighter than some 15" notebooks. But the bulk does show when you try to lug it around all the time, which I did once in a while. If you don't mind the extraweight, go for the 17", if you really do need portability get the 15.

Steve Jobs is using a 17" Powerbook while recovering from his pancreatic cancer surgery.

I did see a battery recall posted recently for 15" Apple notebooks.

The main issue as the previous poster said is bulk -- you will likely have to carry it around in a satchel bag as you could easily find a 15" notebook backpack.

But if the weight really is 6.9 pounds (not including A/C adaptor of course) and the pricing is only $150 more than that makes the 17" very attractive if you are willing to have a bit more bulk -- the 17" HP and Toshiba notebooks are very heavy (9.9 pounds or so) so they are mostly for pure desktop replacements and realtors, etc.

Also, of course, the Apple uses a cooler running chip (not a hot Pentium 4) so you should get decent battery life although in theory the 17" will be less running the larger LCD