Death knell sounds for last 17-inch MacBook Pro model, will be added to obsolete list June...

Posted:
in macOS
Effective June 30, Apple will add the last of the 17-inch MacBook Pros to its running list of vintage and obsolete products, ending a lineage of large-screen portables that began in 2003 with the 17-inch G4 Powerbook.




In an internal document seen by AppleInsider, and first published by 9to5Mac, the list, Apple will make the Mid-2011 MacBook Air models, and all Late 2011 MacBook Pro models obsolete for most of the world, except California and Turkey. The first generation 802.11n AirPort Express will also be added to the list of equipment that Apple will no longer repair.

The Mid-2009 17-inch MacBook Pro, and the iPhone 3GS will be obsolete world-wide when the list goes into effect.

Apple's original 17-inch portable, the PowerBook G4 17-inch, had a 1 GHz G4 processor, with a 167 MHz system bus, 512 MB of RAM, and a 60 GB hard drive. The machine that shipped with OS X 10.2.4 retailed for $3299.

The last 17-inch MacBook Pro shipped in Late 2011, had either a 2.5 GHz or 2.7 GHz i7 processor, a 5 Gigatexels per second system bus, 4 GB of RAM, and a 750 GB hard drive. At launch, the 2.5 GHz version retailed for $2749.

Apple routinely obsoletes legacy devices as new hardware versions --or new products --take their place. Earlier in May, the company announcedthe end of support for the polycarbonate MacBook, and mid-2009 MacBook Pro models.
«13

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 59
    bluefire1bluefire1 Posts: 1,301member
    Still have my 17" MacBook Pro and continue to use it along with my 2012 Pro model.



    pscooter63
  • Reply 2 of 59
    cf77cf77 Posts: 2member
    I own a 17" with 16 GB ram and 3 TB of storage (1TB SSD + 2TB HD). I use it to earn a living and travel daily with it. The bigger screen is excellent when working on the actual laptop, or when having to collaborate with others. I get comments all the time about how nice the screen is on the 17", especially when compared to the average 13"-15" business class Windows laptop. 

    The current 2016 15" MacBook Pros are about 5.5 years newer! They have the same amount of memory, less storage, a smaller screen, and require dongles for connecting to pretty much everything. I priced it out and I would be spending about $5k for a fully loaded MacBook Pro + dock + dongles. Too many compromises to make it worth it.

    Hey Apple, please release a MacBook Pro that us 17" users actually want to buy. It is 2017, and I've already replaced the motherboard and battery once in my 17". I would really like to upgrade, I would really like to give you my business, but the current offerings dont work for the amount you are charging. Please fix!  

     

    baconstangprofOutdoorAppDeveloperboboliciousSpamSandwich
  • Reply 3 of 59
    jdwjdw Posts: 1,324member
    Ridiculous how Apple keeps the Mac Pro alive knowing full well how few people will buy it versus "the majority of people" and yet they continue to refuse to give us a Pro sized screen when it comes to the MacBook.  If they can sell a Mac Pro, they can see a 17" screen sized MBP, especially if they use that extra size to add plenty of ports and retain a good keyboard!  Think about how much lighter and more portable a modern version could be too, even with a legacy USB-A port and SD card slot, versus the old model 17" MBP!  

    My wife told me to buy a laptop, so I bought a 15" MBP (the "good" 2015 model, of course) and then she said the screen was too small.  I told her Apple doesn't make a 17" anymore and she grew noticeably upset.  It upsets me too, even though I've never had a 17" before.

    Even if some of you out there don't really want one, just be kind and join those of us who do.  Make your case known to Apple here:

    https://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html
    libertyforall
  • Reply 4 of 59
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,905member
    To keep offering 3 sizes of Macbook pro, replace 17" with 14.1" macbook pro.
    edited May 2017
  • Reply 5 of 59
    cf77cf77 Posts: 2member
    PS Apple, since I am requesting stuff, please release an expandable MacBook Pro again. Have removable drives, upgradable memory, and a full array of ports. Basically a workstation class laptop. I dont need thin and light, I basically need a portable desktop. Dell, HP, and others have multiple models like this, including 17" screens! I really dont want to switch to Windows, but you are making this difficult!
    baconstangseafoxbloggerbloglibertyforallSpamSandwich
  • Reply 6 of 59
    shapetablesshapetables Posts: 201member
    Some "death knell". I MUCH prefer a 2010 MBP matte 17" (refurbed a couple years ago) over a 2016 MBP 15" -I only slightly miss AirDrop when using the older model (and I'll hack that in Real Soon Now). There are a lot of people in the Mac world these days that switched from the universe where faster processors and more memory were enough to move from one ugly box to another, but that's not The Way. It's true that MOBILE equipment, cooling fans and storage devices fail over time and proactive maintenance or upgrades are a requirement, but  $5K+ for the 2016 replacement (with an unsatisfactory internal and external display) was overkill. There should be a great aftermarket designing future main boards for these awesome 17" machines for many years to come (are you listening OWC?) I know an aftermarket has already sprung up converting ancient PowerBooks and early MacBooks into Raspberry Pi powered laptops..now they just need driver cards for the 17" panels and a Hackintosh-friendly chipset.
    libertyforall
  • Reply 7 of 59
    Death knell? Im using my 2011 2.3ghz 17" MBP for on location edits for a feature film using FCPX. It even runs the 4k+ resolution RED material ok. I mean, I would only have upgraded at least twice to new 17" MBPs (every 2-3 years upgrade cycle for me normally) by now if Apple had continued to offer the one screen size laptop that suits my needs. But lacking a new 17" my one with its matte screen is still magnificent. ...But I would love upgraded internals, a cooler running CPU and a vastly more powerful Radeon GPU. Apple? Guys? Come on...
    king editor the grate
  • Reply 8 of 59
    At some point 90% of the laptops will be fanless. I wouldn't be surprised if the MBP line is killed then in favour of 12, 14 and 16 inch Macbooks. Personally I would love 16 inch ultra thin, fanless...
  • Reply 9 of 59
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    Frankly, this is one of the main reasons why I won't buy a Mac -- planned obsolescence.

    With "a 2.5 GHz or 2.7 GHz i7 processor, a 5 Gigatexels per second system bus, 4 GB of RAM, and a 750 GB hard drive", this machine was hardly obsolete.   Well, OK, the memory needs upgraded, but otherwise, except for power users, this machine is still perfectly functional.   So why did Apple obsolete it?

    For myself:  I'm typing this on a Thinkpad T410 with similar specs (except I upgraded the memory to 8Gb).  It was manufactured a year prior to the MBP that Apple just obsoleted.  And, I am perfectly happy with this machine -- it does everything I need and does it quite well -- and I have every reason to expect it to continue doing well for the next several years...  (at some point I will wipe it and use it to replace my 11 year old IBM T60p that I use strictly to maintain my finances -- but currently, both the T60p and the T410 are working just fine.)

    So, WHY did Apple obsolete this 6 year old MBP?   While the machine needs more memory, otherwise it is a very functional machine.   Is Apple obsoleting based on chronologic age rather than some legitimate functional or technologic reason?
    libertyforallbobolicious
  • Reply 10 of 59
    profprof Posts: 84member
    cf77 said:

    Hey Apple, please release a MacBook Pro that us 17" users actually want to buy. It is 2017, and I've already replaced the motherboard and battery once in my 17". I would really like to upgrade, I would really like to give you my business, but the current offerings dont work for the amount you are charging. Please fix!  

    I could not agree any more. I'm also using my 2011 17" every day and stopped my 2-3 year upgrade cycle when Apple dropped the ball on this form factor. One thing I definitely would like to add as a deal-breaker here: glare displays! I could potentially make a 15" MBP do (even though of the dongle crap and lack of MagSafe) but I refuse to buy a laptop with a built-in mirror.

    I'm not giving up on Apple yet but if push comes to shove (i.e. my MBP finally kicks the bucket) I'll have to look for alternatives.
    boboliciousGeorgeBMac
  • Reply 11 of 59
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator
    Frankly, this is one of the main reasons why I won't buy a Mac -- planned obsolescence.

    With "a 2.5 GHz or 2.7 GHz i7 processor, a 5 Gigatexels per second system bus, 4 GB of RAM, and a 750 GB hard drive", this machine was hardly obsolete.   Well, OK, the memory needs upgraded, but otherwise, except for power users, this machine is still perfectly functional.   So why did Apple obsolete it?

    For myself:  I'm typing this on a Thinkpad T410 with similar specs (except I upgraded the memory to 8Gb).  It was manufactured a year prior to the MBP that Apple just obsoleted.  And, I am perfectly happy with this machine -- it does everything I need and does it quite well -- and I have every reason to expect it to continue doing well for the next several years...  (at some point I will wipe it and use it to replace my 11 year old IBM T60p that I use strictly to maintain my finances -- but currently, both the T60p and the T410 are working just fine.)

    So, WHY did Apple obsolete this 6 year old MBP?   While the machine needs more memory, otherwise it is a very functional machine.   Is Apple obsoleting based on chronologic age rather than some legitimate functional or technologic reason?
    In my experience, it's mostly time -- but the availability and practicality of keeping service parts on hand is considered.

    Keep in mind that "obsolete" doesn't mean that the OS support for it will be discontinued. It just means that you can't get it serviced at Apple Retail, and Apple support won't help you (much) with it.
    edited May 2017 macxpresschiaStrangeDays
  • Reply 12 of 59
    pscooter63pscooter63 Posts: 1,080member
    Just last year, Apple took care of a relative's 17-incher when she goofed up and installed malware.
    Such a beautiful, big device.  And only ever used to check email and browse the internet (snif).
    GeorgeBMac
  • Reply 13 of 59
    polymniapolymnia Posts: 1,080member
    cf77 said:
    I own a 17" with 16 GB ram and 3 TB of storage (1TB SSD + 2TB HD). I use it to earn a living and travel daily with it. The bigger screen is excellent when working on the actual laptop, or when having to collaborate with others. I get comments all the time about how nice the screen is on the 17", especially when compared to the average 13"-15" business class Windows laptop. 

    The current 2016 15" MacBook Pros are about 5.5 years newer! They have the same amount of memory, less storage, a smaller screen, and require dongles for connecting to pretty much everything. I priced it out and I would be spending about $5k for a fully loaded MacBook Pro + dock + dongles. Too many compromises to make it worth it.

    Hey Apple, please release a MacBook Pro that us 17" users actually want to buy. It is 2017, and I've already replaced the motherboard and battery once in my 17". I would really like to upgrade, I would really like to give you my business, but the current offerings dont work for the amount you are charging. Please fix!  

     

    You would be in for $6k+ for this theoretical new 17" MBP since it will require any dongles and other extras you included in your estimate to replace your current 17" MBP. 

    That said, you must realize you are an outlier. Apple has moved on from the giant laptop business. I am in favor of the current strategy. A 15" MBP is about the biggest laptop I want to carry everywhere. There are usually monitors to plug into where I go to work. And developers have had 10+ years to optimize their applications to work well on a laptop screen, and they have done good work to make the small screen better. 

    Before you dismiss me as someone who 'doesn't get it' know that my first MBP was a 17" model. While the large screen was great, dragging it around was not fun. I split time between my girlfriend's home and my own at the time and it was just too much. 
    StrangeDays
  • Reply 14 of 59
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    Death knell? Im using my 2011 2.3ghz 17" MBP for on location edits for a feature film using FCPX. It even runs the 4k+ resolution RED material ok. I mean, I would only have upgraded at least twice to new 17" MBPs (every 2-3 years upgrade cycle for me normally) by now if Apple had continued to offer the one screen size laptop that suits my needs. But lacking a new 17" my one with its matte screen is still magnificent. ...But I would love upgraded internals, a cooler running CPU and a vastly more powerful Radeon GPU. Apple? Guys? Come on...
    If you are using your MBP for location editing you can always use a MacMini with an external monitor. You probably have your MBP in some kind of flight case set-up, so it wouldn't be a push to create a custom flight case with a built in monitor and macMini (as well as a cup for connecting all the requisite on set HD's and Flash Drives). You need power with a MacMini but that shouldn't be a problem on most sets (?). 
  • Reply 15 of 59
    darkvaderdarkvader Posts: 1,146member
    paxman said:
    Death knell? Im using my 2011 2.3ghz 17" MBP for on location edits for a feature film using FCPX. It even runs the 4k+ resolution RED material ok. I mean, I would only have upgraded at least twice to new 17" MBPs (every 2-3 years upgrade cycle for me normally) by now if Apple had continued to offer the one screen size laptop that suits my needs. But lacking a new 17" my one with its matte screen is still magnificent. ...But I would love upgraded internals, a cooler running CPU and a vastly more powerful Radeon GPU. Apple? Guys? Come on...
    If you are using your MBP for location editing you can always use a MacMini with an external monitor. You probably have your MBP in some kind of flight case set-up, so it wouldn't be a push to create a custom flight case with a built in monitor and macMini (as well as a cup for connecting all the requisite on set HD's and Flash Drives). You need power with a MacMini but that shouldn't be a problem on most sets (?). 
    Mac mini?  The current mini is not nearly as good a machine as the 2011 15" or 17"  MBP.

    The MBP can have up to 8TB of disk, or 4TB and an optical drive (The best you can do in the mini is 5TB, the biggest mini PCIe SSD you can get right now is 1TB).  They both max at 16GB RAM, but the MBP has a quad-core i7 processor, the best you can get in the mini is dual-core.

    And you're stuck plugged into a wall.  Even if power is available (and it's not always) it may not be convenient.
  • Reply 16 of 59
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member
    I guess Apple is doomed! They don't offer a 17" laptop that .0001% of the market wants. Oh well...nice knowing you Apple. /s

    Its the same 5 or so people that bitch and whine about the lack of a 17" laptop option. That must mean that there's a market for this, right??? Am I right?
    edited May 2017 StrangeDays
  • Reply 17 of 59
    darkvaderdarkvader Posts: 1,146member
    prof said:
    cf77 said:

    Hey Apple, please release a MacBook Pro that us 17" users actually want to buy. It is 2017, and I've already replaced the motherboard and battery once in my 17". I would really like to upgrade, I would really like to give you my business, but the current offerings dont work for the amount you are charging. Please fix!  

    I could not agree any more. I'm also using my 2011 17" every day and stopped my 2-3 year upgrade cycle when Apple dropped the ball on this form factor. One thing I definitely would like to add as a deal-breaker here: glare displays! I could potentially make a 15" MBP do (even though of the dongle crap and lack of MagSafe) but I refuse to buy a laptop with a built-in mirror.

    I'm not giving up on Apple yet but if push comes to shove (i.e. my MBP finally kicks the bucket) I'll have to look for alternatives.
    Ugh, you're not kidding on the glare displays. 

    I will never understand why Apple thought it was a good idea to make the screen shiny.

    I'm living with one on my 2011 15", but as soon as I run into one, I'm swapping this for a 2012 15" antiglare.

    There's nothing compelling for me about any MBP past 2012 at this point.  16 GB RAM was great in 2011.  It's pitiful in 2017, but you still can't get a new MBP with more than that.

    I don't usually carry my 2011 17", for what I do it's just a bit too big to carry conveniently.  When I do carry it, it's because I need the big screen, and the 15" just won't do.

    I'm not dumping Apple, everything else out there is awful, and while a Hackintosh can be a great desktop, it doesn't work so well for laptops.
    SpamSandwich
  • Reply 18 of 59
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member
    Frankly, this is one of the main reasons why I won't buy a Mac -- planned obsolescence.

    With "a 2.5 GHz or 2.7 GHz i7 processor, a 5 Gigatexels per second system bus, 4 GB of RAM, and a 750 GB hard drive", this machine was hardly obsolete.   Well, OK, the memory needs upgraded, but otherwise, except for power users, this machine is still perfectly functional.   So why did Apple obsolete it?

    For myself:  I'm typing this on a Thinkpad T410 with similar specs (except I upgraded the memory to 8Gb).  It was manufactured a year prior to the MBP that Apple just obsoleted.  And, I am perfectly happy with this machine -- it does everything I need and does it quite well -- and I have every reason to expect it to continue doing well for the next several years...  (at some point I will wipe it and use it to replace my 11 year old IBM T60p that I use strictly to maintain my finances -- but currently, both the T60p and the T410 are working just fine.)

    So, WHY did Apple obsolete this 6 year old MBP?   While the machine needs more memory, otherwise it is a very functional machine.   Is Apple obsoleting based on chronologic age rather than some legitimate functional or technologic reason?
    While Apple may support this with future macOS releases, its not Microsoft and supports 10+ year old hardware. Although, I think even Microsoft is getting away from that slowly. You may not see it this way but its what makes Apple better. They don't have to release something and worry that it won't work properly, or at all with something new. I don't know why people think when they buy something the manufacturer should support it forever. You can't move on with better products and also try and make everything work with old hardware. 
    chia
  • Reply 19 of 59
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Frankly, this is one of the main reasons why I won't buy a Mac -- planned obsolescence.
    lol, try the fuck harder. How old is that schtick now, 16 years? Ever since the first whiners about the iPod’s non-replaceable battery… I know the concept dates back further, but I can’t recall Apple being mentioned before that.
    sennen
  • Reply 20 of 59
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member
    darkvader said:
    prof said:
    cf77 said:

    Hey Apple, please release a MacBook Pro that us 17" users actually want to buy. It is 2017, and I've already replaced the motherboard and battery once in my 17". I would really like to upgrade, I would really like to give you my business, but the current offerings dont work for the amount you are charging. Please fix!  

    I could not agree any more. I'm also using my 2011 17" every day and stopped my 2-3 year upgrade cycle when Apple dropped the ball on this form factor. One thing I definitely would like to add as a deal-breaker here: glare displays! I could potentially make a 15" MBP do (even though of the dongle crap and lack of MagSafe) but I refuse to buy a laptop with a built-in mirror.

    I'm not giving up on Apple yet but if push comes to shove (i.e. my MBP finally kicks the bucket) I'll have to look for alternatives.
    Ugh, you're not kidding on the glare displays. 

    I will never understand why Apple thought it was a good idea to make the screen shiny.

    I'm living with one on my 2011 15", but as soon as I run into one, I'm swapping this for a 2012 15" antiglare.

    There's nothing compelling for me about any MBP past 2012 at this point.  16 GB RAM was great in 2011.  It's pitiful in 2017, but you still can't get a new MBP with more than that.

    I don't usually carry my 2011 17", for what I do it's just a bit too big to carry conveniently.  When I do carry it, it's because I need the big screen, and the 15" just won't do.

    I'm not dumping Apple, everything else out there is awful, and while a Hackintosh can be a great desktop, it doesn't work so well for laptops.
    Do you honestly run out of memory? What are you doing that uses so much RAM if so? I don't know why people "think" they need more than 16GB of RAM right now. 
    GeorgeBMacStrangeDays
Sign In or Register to comment.