<p>What are the pros/cons of a 17-inch? 15-inch? I'm looking into a Macbook Pro.</p>
<p>Thanks. :)</p>
<p>Well it basically depends on whether you plan on taking it to class often and if your willing to carry the extra weight… I can’t speak from experience though</p>
<p>I have a 15-inch and wouldn’t want to carry the 17-inch around. Why do you prefer the 17-inch?</p>
<p>I dunno. I have a 16" Sony that’s very similar in size/weight to a 17" MacBook Pro. However, since I’m taking nothing but math and physics right now I don’t make it a habit to carry my laptop to class. </p>
<p>Basically, you have to make up your mind if it’s worth it to you. If you’re in a class where you plan to do hella work (like comsci programming or 3D modelling or photoshopping), then I can totally sympathize with your desire for a 17" laptop. I’ve been there and done that, and that’s actually why I have this laptop now lol. </p>
<p>If you’re just going to tote it around to take notes? Forget it. Go get a lightweight laptop like a macbook air or something and just… forget about it. Laptops are lousy note taking devices anyway - 4 years of college classes finally lead me down that path. </p>
<p>I mean it’s doable, and in some cases ideal - perhaps history classes where you do nothing but go on and on about it - and in many of those classes the teachers aren’t a huge fan of using a laptop anyway. <em>shrug</em> I can’t blame them, the last time I stood in the back of a lecture I could see more than half of the class looking at websites or watching tv shows o_O</p>
<p>I have a 17inch Alienware m17x. Needless to say, I don’t carry it around with me (it weighs over 12 pounds – it’s even a hassle to wheel around at airports). I do have a smaller HP tablet (around 11inches) if I need to bring something with me.</p>
<p>I like the 17-inch just because it’s… bigger. /facepalm
I know it’s probably the worst reason ever, but looking at small-ish laptops give me headaches with all the extra scrolling, etc. I also love watching TV on my laptop. Another fail reason.</p>
<p>So, a 15-inch is better? That’s probably better because it’s more portable and such.</p>
<p>Maybe you can go with a high res 15", those are 1680x1050 which is still a huge jump.</p>
<p>That said, the 13" MacBook Air is 1440x900, which is a fair bit better than the 13" MacBook & Pros at 1280x800. I used to have a 13" Macbook and that low res screen drove me INSANE. </p>
<p>Shoot, I’d have a 17" MBP right now if I won the lottery. I almost bought a 15" at the time, but the Sony was just a way better machine for the $$. In the end thanks to a few freak accidents I got it for $500 less o_O </p>
<p>Woot!</p>
<p>So i can understand you 
Sometimes I wonder why Apple doesn’t make a 17" Macbook Air lol 
</p>
<p>Also: marcdvl those 17" Alienware laptops are monsters! I don’t know how you could carry one of those around lol. They look damn cool, though. </p>
<p>At home I just use a G5 tower and 23" 1920x1200 IPS LCD because I love my sexy screen ^_^</p>
<p>15" is plenty, and even 13" if you’re not an artist. 17" is like carrying an anvil around.</p>
<p>^gotta agree with fenderjazz on this one. I understand they’re classified as “Desktop Replacement” models at that screen size, but anything over 15" just defeats the point of having a laptop for me. Besides coding work, I don’t do anything that really makes a huge screen on a laptop necessary so I’m just a tad biased on this one lol.</p>
<p>I think 13" is the best size for college students, plus or minus 2" on a case by case basis.</p>
<p>^I like the ±2 angle there. I’ve played with the new 11.6" macbook air at an Apple store and it really seems like a computer i could see myself using alot. It has the instant on feature that is really amazing and still has quite a bit of processing power in it even with its very small size. I know it was a little off topic since the OP was wanting a full size MBP, but I thought that was a neat thought by DrillKid and wanted to get that bit of info out there.</p>
<p>I’ve got a fifteen inch, and I definitely wouldn’t want to carry anything bigger. Some classrooms are pretty crowded with small desks. I’ve had a few classes where I’ve barely balanced my laptop on the small desks. You don’t want to be the jerk using the other chair of the wheelchair accessible desk if you have a bulk laptop.</p>
<p>However if your program is something with design you might want a bigger screen.</p>