Apple officially axes 17-inch MacBook Pro from notebook lineup
After introducing the next generation 15.4-inch MacBook Pro, complete with Retina Display and an all-new thin design, Apple took down the 17-inch version of its laptop from its online store, effectively killing off the large desktop replacement.
Although no official announcement was made during Apple's WWDC keynote on Monday, the disappearance of the 17-inch MacBook Pro from the company's online store can be taken as confirmation that the large-screened notebook has reached end-of-life.
Rumors that the venerable 17-inch notebook would see its demise first cropped up in April as analysts predicted flagging shipments would prompt Apple to cut the device from its lineup. Apple's online storefront now lists its entire lineup of notebook from the smallest 11-inch MacBook Air to the now top-of-the-line next generation 15.4-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display.
Whispers in December pointed to a refreshed 17-inch model upon news that Apple was looking into using a new 2,800 by 1.800 pixel display for its MacBook lineup, but it seems that the display was destined for the 15.4-inch device announced today.
Apple was the first computer manufacturer to release a 17-inch laptop in 2003 and the model was continually updated with subsequent refreshes. The large screen size allowed the company more chassis space to include larger speakers and a higher number of internal components, but the recent trend toward portability saw sales of the monster laptop begin to slow. Originally, the 17-inch MacBook Pro targeted the professional demographic, evidenced by an anti-glare screen and high performance graphic cards.
It is unclear whether Apple will bring the model back when high-resolution display pricing drops, but it seems that most users, including professionals, are content with 15-inch products.
Although no official announcement was made during Apple's WWDC keynote on Monday, the disappearance of the 17-inch MacBook Pro from the company's online store can be taken as confirmation that the large-screened notebook has reached end-of-life.
Rumors that the venerable 17-inch notebook would see its demise first cropped up in April as analysts predicted flagging shipments would prompt Apple to cut the device from its lineup. Apple's online storefront now lists its entire lineup of notebook from the smallest 11-inch MacBook Air to the now top-of-the-line next generation 15.4-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display.
Whispers in December pointed to a refreshed 17-inch model upon news that Apple was looking into using a new 2,800 by 1.800 pixel display for its MacBook lineup, but it seems that the display was destined for the 15.4-inch device announced today.
Apple was the first computer manufacturer to release a 17-inch laptop in 2003 and the model was continually updated with subsequent refreshes. The large screen size allowed the company more chassis space to include larger speakers and a higher number of internal components, but the recent trend toward portability saw sales of the monster laptop begin to slow. Originally, the 17-inch MacBook Pro targeted the professional demographic, evidenced by an anti-glare screen and high performance graphic cards.
It is unclear whether Apple will bring the model back when high-resolution display pricing drops, but it seems that most users, including professionals, are content with 15-inch products.
Comments
Oh well. Years of 17-inchers since the first model is over for me.
Retina 15-inch? I'll take it.
Bugger.
Hopefully the rumors that pointed to a Fall changeover for the 17" to the next gen will come true. A 17" is about the only portable that interests me, personally, as I need screen real estate more than anything and a "retina" type display on a 17" screen would fit the bill. I don't travel that much and when I do, need a true desktop replacement to do work on the road. My current macbook and older Macbook Pro don't quite fit the bill...
We'll see. I'll have to check out the 15" next gen MBP but would really like a 17" version. I know it is probably a low volume thing but I would guess that content creators on the Pro side would also want the screen real estate.
Good riddance.
[edit: Corrected by [B]dempson[/B]]...not to mention the other issues of creating a larger display that is Retina or the GPU needed to push the several million more pixels it would have.
But what is a bit of a head scratcher is dropping the old-style 17" MBP. The only thing I can think of is that it's not popular enough to warrant even updating the CPU which frankly surprises me.
They obviously didn't talk to my co-workers.
We have about two dozen iMac users, another two dozen 13" MB Air users and a dozen or so 17" MB Pro users. I know of only two 15" MB Pros in the office. People here either prefer to focus on a single task or they want as much screen real estate as possible.
Sure the new 15" retina machine offers more dots on the screen than the old 17", but those dots are really tiny. At some point making text smaller makes it unreadable. For many of us over 40 that limit has already been passed and we're already reading/editing documents at 125-150% zoom and hitting Cmd-+ in our browser windows. Losing 1.6" of screen real estate may not seem like much, but for me it means that items I can currently check at a glance would be permanently covered by other windows. That's a pretty big productivity loss.
Apparently the 17" accounted for less than 2% of total macbook sales...
Quote:
Originally Posted by gripmedia
Apparently the 17" accounted for less than 2% of total macbook sales...
But as a profit was made on each one, just like every other Mac model, other considerations had to have been taken.
The whole point of the 2x resolution/4x pixel increase is so you don't have to reduce the size of text to increase a high PPI display. That's the reason the HiRes displays the sell on the old MBPs are such an issue for many.
the dumbing down of Apple continues.
Quote:
Sure the new 15" retina machine offers more dots on the screen than the old 17", but those dots are really tiny. At some point making text smaller makes it unreadable. For many of us over 40 that limit has already been passed and we're already reading/editing documents at 125-150% zoom and hitting Cmd-+ in our browser windows.
Have you actually used a retina display, like on the iPad 3? A retina display is not about making text smaller or cramming more things on the desktop. A retina display is about making things look better, from text characters to pictures to whatever.
And if I wanted a large screen size, I'd just hook up a macbook or even a tiny macbook air to a huge external monitor. To be honest, 17" is not all that big to begin with, when comparing it to external monitors.
It was like carrying around your own tombstone!
Really folks? WTF is apple thinking let's go PC that's Tim cooks thinking apparently.
The MacBook pro the only professional atop on the market for designers,editors, screenwritters,ect. And apple who is getting summer has not only axed the 17" but also took the optical drive out and axed FireWire.
I'm extremely disappointed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by racer162
First let me say ive been using a mac since 85'
Really folks? WTF is apple thinking let's go PC that's Tim cooks thinking apparently.
The MacBook pro the only professional atop on the market for designers,editors, screenwritters,ect. And apple who is getting summer has not only axed the 17" but also took the optical drive out and axed FireWire.
I'm extremely disappointed.
Just like the floppy drive, Apple is thinking forward. USB dominates the market, and they are betting the farm on Thunderbolt. I have had my MacBok Pro 13" since December and used the DVD/CD drive exactly never. Also there are adaptors for USB, Firewire 400/800 for thunderbolt.
Use thunderbolt, and a external drive...usb3 compatible..quit whining
Stupid move by Apple. Why couldn't they simply update the old MBP 17" alongside the 13" & 15". I use a 17" MBP because it's much easier when you're multi-tasking with a few applications to have a larger screen. What do I need a retina display for? I don't watch films or play games, I use it for work and to catch up with news on the internet. Apple seem to be so far down the "consumer" mentality that they've lost all sense of perspective about what users want. I'm sure a lot of rich people will buy the thing so they can have the latest toy which sadly I suspect is what Apple are hoping for.
I've got a 15" and a 17" MBP (17" is my personal machine, 15" is my work provided one) and even though the 17" is a slightly older (and slower) device I prefer it to the 15". Two inches may not sound like a lot, but it makes a big difference in use. With the 17" machine I hardly ever feel the "need" to plug into an external monitor, on the 15" machine I feel cramped, particularly in Xcode (primary use of the 15").
I'll miss the 17" MBP. It's absence from the MBP line will turn my next personal computer purchase into a game of compromises.