Heat and resolution in i5 and i7

I have been laboring for weeks to determine which macbook pro to purchase. We are new to apple having only enjoyed the iphone and ipad. We only have used windows desktops and laptops but love the look of the macbook pro's and imacs. We want a desktop replacement laptop. We just want to move it around the home and now and then take it out somewhere so we dont care about the 15 or 17 being too big. Dont want an imac as we do want some limited mobility.

Regarding the resolution issue I am drawn to the 17 because the 1900 x 1200 looks awesome. I am not sure if I like to 1440 x 900. It seems a bit blurry and not as sharp.Dont care for the antiglare as I love the corner to corner glass look and Ill have it indoors mainly. Any thoughts or experiences with the 1900x1200 vs the 15inch options as I have only used both for a bit in the local apple store?

I have heard the i7 2.66 in the 15 and 17 pros run extremely hot, too hot to even use on your lap. Is this true because I wanted to get the i7? I have had too many windows pc laptop fry over the course of two to three years from over heating and fear putting 2k into a good looking machine that will internally melt in a couple years. If it is just a design for the heat to dissipate out from the inside to be absorbed into the unibody that is fine if that is the case. Any body know, or does anyone who has the i7 in the 15 or 17 know?

So if the heat isnt too bad in the i7 I will get it in the i7. If the i5s run much cooler I will get the i5. If it is worth the money to get the 1900x1200 resolution I will get the 17inch, if not Ill stick witht he 1440x900 or the 1650x1050 or whatever that is. Is the higher resolution nicer and is the i7 cool enough? Thanks for the help. Sorry for the long post.

I have the i5 15", and I use it on my lap for hours without becoming uncomfortable from the heat. I have never owned a 17", but I have owned a 13". The 15 seems much bigger and heavier when on the go. I know that I would not want a 17" because of the portability factor. I think you should also consider that when you are making your decision.

Maybe someone else here that has the i7 17" can answer your questions about heat, but I doubt that it would be a problem. Apple designs these products pretty well.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Apple computing. I am sure you will love whichever model you decide on.

I've also been doing lots of research into i5 vs i7. If memory serves me right, I think I caught a compare online that measured the i7 running up to 15 watts more than the i5, depending on usage, which may result in slightly hotter temps and lower battery run times.

Overall speaking, the i7 is about 10-13% faster than the 2.4Ghz i5 and the 512MB 330M graphics card only seems to help when powering an external screen at the max resolution, based on a benchtest article I caught last week - everything else the 256MB 330M card results were identical. The 2.53Ghz i5 is only ~3% faster than the 2.4Ghz i5 and IMO just not worth it.

Best advice I can give you is this - ask yourself what are you going to use the computer for? If it's just basic usage, e.g. web browsing, photos, music, watching movies, etc. and some professional photo/video editing, then the i5 will do fine. If you're going to do extensive professional photo and video editing, or other intensive applications, then you might want the extra power of the i7. I'd start there.

Also, the 15" offers a bit more mobility then a 17" and is still large enough as a desktop replacement for some. It has a high resolution screen available (1680x1050) that is close to the 17" screen's resolution. Check it out, see if you like it (stores usually have one 15" hi-res screen on display, but you might have to ask which one it is if you don't want to check every 15" MBP in the store).