How's thhis setup look for my first Mac?

Hey all,
I'm getting ready to buy my first personal Mac and I'm pretty sure I want the 17" MacBook Pro with a solid state disk drive. I'm leaning towards installing the SSD myself and I have selected the following Intel 160GB SSD: Newegg.com - Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2M160G2XXX 2.5" 160GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - Solid State Disks

It's reputed to be one of the, if not the best Solid State Disk Drives on the market and if I install it myself, I'm planning to take the 500GB HDD out of my Mac and put it into an external enclosure and use that as an external drive I can carry around if I need to. I'm no stranger to upgrading or building computers and have been doing so for years so I'm confident I could perform the upgrade with ease. The total cost of the system is $2700 after taxes plus $539 for the drive, which comes out to be $3239. I'm new to Mac, but have used them in the past, but I'd like to ask some of you guys how this setup looks before I pull the trigger on it. Thanks in advance.

17" isn't exactly portable but if it's what you want then go for it.

CrimsonRequiem said:

17" isn't exactly portable but if it's what you want then go for it.

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I've heard mixed reports about the portability of the 17" model, but I really like that it sports a 1920 by 1200 screen. Judging from the dimensions listed on Apple's site, I think I can live with the bigger size of the notebook. Maybe I should head down to my nearest Apple store and see it in person this weekend. I've seen both the 13" and 15" and I'm sure I don't want the 13" model. What I really love about the 17" model is that Apple managed to keep it thin considering it's a 17" notebook. There's also the perk of a little extra battery life in the 17" model.

If it is going 2 be your everyday carry around then I wouldn't suggest the 17" model. A friend of mine had one that size and bragged about it (jokingly of course) Then after about 2 months he stopped carrying it. Said it was 2 **** big 2 carry around all of the time. I would suggest nothing bigger than a 15" for everyday use. Or u could be like myself and be happy with a 13" It's all based on your preference though.

RD423 said:

If it is going 2 be your everyday carry around then I wouldn't suggest the 17" model. A friend of mine had one that size and bragged about it (jokingly of course) Then after about 2 months he stopped carrying it. Said it was 2 **** big 2 carry around all of the time. I would suggest nothing bigger than a 15" for everyday use. Or u could be like myself and be happy with a 13" It's all based on your preference though.

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I am a big fan of 13" laptops

johnnyFIVE said:

I am a big fan of 13" laptops

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A MB is not a laptop. It's a notebook.

CrimsonRequiem said:

A MB is not a laptop. It's a notebook.

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True.

CrimsonRequiem said:

17" isn't exactly portable

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A 17" MacBook Pro most certainly is a Portable Computer (see attached image from Apple's site).

D3v1L80Y said:

True.

A 17" MacBook Pro most certainly is a Portable Computer (see attached image from Apple's site).

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Sure Apple says it's portable but try lugging one around with you for a few days and you will wish you left it at home.

I'm using a 15" macbook pro for college and although I agree a 13" would be more easily portable, I can't say the 15" is very inconvenient, even when I have to put in on my lap. 15" is also "better" with watching movies or other stuff. Of course, 17" would be somewhat bigger...

I like being able to carry around the smallest bag possible.

i like my 13" and when its at home its hooked up to 24 inch monitor

so its portable and big when i need it to be

I find the 17" to be ridiculously big for portable use. On the other hand, I really like the 15" a lot. It's a great compromise between portability and resolution and real estate.

But hey.. while you're at home why not just hook which ever one up you get, to an external monitor ? This is what I do and solves everything. With the money you save purchasing a 15" over a 17" you can even buy a really nice external LCD if you don't already have one.

There.

Doug

Doug b said:

I find the 17" to be ridiculously big for portable use. On the other hand, I really like the 15" a lot. It's a great compromise between portability and resolution and real estate.

But hey.. while you're at home why not just hook which ever one up you get, to an external monitor ? This is what I do and solves everything. With the money you save purchasing a 15" over a 17" you can even buy a really nice external LCD if you don't already have one.

There.

Doug

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I currently have a 22" external monitor I could use. Does the MB Pro support dual external displays? If it does, I'll probably buy another 22" since I love having dual displays. Even if it can't support dual displays, I could always use the laptop's display as my first monitor and use my 22" display as my second one.