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Author Topic: Macbook owners...got a question  (Read 3091 times)

natas

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Macbook owners...got a question
« on: January 19, 2012, 11:34:54 am »

I am trying to decide between a 15 and 17 inch model. I was wondering if you guys could throw your opinions at me.

I plan to use the MBP for editing on the couch and occasional travel editing. I normally do about 6 trips a year. My main computer is a Mac Pro tower so most of my editing will be done there.

Where I am having my issues deciding is two fold. My gut tells me to get the 15 inch with the Hi-res matte screen...but my worry there is the resolution of 1680-by-1050. Is this enough for lightroom and light Photoshop editing...or will the 17 inch 1900x1200 be way better?

My issue with the 17 is how big it is. That machine just seems massive to me and something that will not be easy to use while sitting on the couch editing or for traveling. Backpacking is bad enough with my medium format setup.
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hokuahi

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Re: Macbook owners...got a question
« Reply #1 on: January 19, 2012, 12:22:56 pm »

I've been using my 15" MBP with the hi-res matte screen for almost a year.  I had wondered about whether it would be too small compared to the 17".  I have no regrets.  The screen is smaller and takes a bit of getting used to if you have a large screen with your desktop.  The deciding factor for me was the weight/size issue.  Nice as the 17" would have been, being able to comfortably carry my 15" was more important and I'm glad I choose it.
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Ken Bennett

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Re: Macbook owners...got a question
« Reply #2 on: January 19, 2012, 12:36:15 pm »

I have been using the 17-inch for almost two years, before that I had two 15-inch in a row. In this case I purchased the 17-inch solely to get the Express-34 card slot, so I could attach eSATA devices with the appropriate card. Those things are Fast!

Not much difference in usable screen real estate between the two computers with the hi-res matte screens. Either is usable for Photoshop or Lightroom - but then I've used both of those apps on a 13-inch with some success, so maybe I'm not the best source on this.

The 17-inch is a beast, no question, though it's only an inch larger in each dimension than the 15. I use it on my lap all the time.

Now, all that said -- if I had a photo editing workstation at my office, and wanted a laptop for travel and basic editing, I would get a 13-inch Macbook Air. The weight savings are significant, the screen is very good (just be careful of reflections), and it's plenty fast enough for basic work. Heck, even the 11-inch would work, I just ran into a former colleague at a football bowl game, he was editing everything on an 11-inch MBA, said it was great to always have it in his camera bag.
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jalcocer

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Re: Macbook owners...got a question
« Reply #3 on: January 20, 2012, 11:15:00 am »

Well, since you seem to set your self those two choices, I would go for the 15", would be nice for when you need to travel and you can get a really powerful 15" macbook pro. The 17" sounds good also, but since you already have your main computer for most of your work, I'd go for the 15".
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langier

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Re: Macbook owners...got a question
« Reply #4 on: January 20, 2012, 12:11:18 pm »

For me, the sweet spot has been the MBP 15. I use it for teaching and have used it on the road for travel.

If I need to process photos in front of the TV, the 15 is lap-size for me and mirrors the tools of my MP with dual displays. The 15 inch display is fine for my ingesting workflow and metadata and basic photoshop. It does the job.

Now for travel (when I don't have to teach), I use an iPad with Hyperdrives for backup and leave the processing for home. This frees up my evenings allowing for enjoyment and socializing instead of nose to the grindstone doing all the work to the images!
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John S C

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Re: Macbook owners...got a question
« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2012, 11:55:18 am »

Have been using a 15"MPB now for around 3 years. Looked at the 17" but decided it was too big for me. Screen calibrates reasonably well , but is a bit warmer compared to the iMac. Mines the original Unibody model with the replaceable battery, which I find doesn't quite give me the duration I would like. My son  has just got the latest one which seems to give him around 6-7 hours at the moment.
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rambler44

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Re: Macbook owners...got a question
« Reply #6 on: February 12, 2012, 10:36:37 am »

Don't overlook the Mac Air Book.
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