Apple said to be planning 17-in MacBook Pro for NAB launch

If you've been hankering for one of Apple's $2,500, 17-inch G4 PowerBooks, you may just want to put your wallet away for a little while. According to AppleInsider, the company is due to roll out a 17-inch version of the Core Duo-powered MacBook Pro at the National Association of Broadcasters conference next week. According to the report, the 17-inch MBP would include a faster processor than the 2.16GHz version currently available in the 15-incher's top configuration. That could put pricing for the model well above $3,000, given the $2,800 price for the 2.16GHz version -- which may explain why Apple's choosing to show it off for TV pros, who may be willing to splurge for a high-end box, especially if they can run an Intel-native version of Apple's Final Cut Studio on it for a mere $1,300 more. Hmm, maybe that G4 isn't such a bad deal after all.

[Thanks, Adam]

[Ender @ Apr 19th 2006 1:14PM]

OK, who wants to buy a problem free, whine free, pixel perfect 15" MacBook Pro with all the fixins (2GB RAM, 7200RPM 100GB Drive, 2.16Ghz)!!!???

[Boe @ Apr 19th 2006 1:17PM]

I will. Name your price.

[Tom @ Apr 19th 2006 1:17PM]

Eh???

Big funking deal. Who cares.

[Ender @ Apr 19th 2006 1:20PM]

Your comments: The pros do. I use Final Cut every day, and to be able to do it on a
faster portable machine with a larger screen is a welcomed addition to the
arsenal.

[Camperton @ Apr 19th 2006 1:22PM]

well most pro's probably have FCP already and the upgrade to a universal version is $50.

Tom, obviously you cared enough to post.

[Astro @ Apr 19th 2006 1:27PM]

what about the screen resolution? this has been one area where apple has consistently disappointed me - especially on a 17" laptop. i would likely instabuy one of these if it were 1920x1200 now that boot camp is out.

[SLy @ Apr 19th 2006 1:28PM]

*Yawn*

[c_taylor @ Apr 19th 2006 1:34PM]

Where is my 13.3" MB...

[josh @ Apr 19th 2006 1:35PM]

How much ender?

[paris @ Apr 19th 2006 1:40PM]

Where is my cheap mac mini with a seperate graphics chip(be it mobile midrange)?

[cycomachead @ Apr 19th 2006 1:59PM]

Apple @ NAB hmm I dunno
maybe the delayed WWDC could be for this

[Daniel @ Apr 19th 2006 2:12PM]

I want a 12'' macbook!

[Don Wilson @ Apr 19th 2006 2:12PM]

$3k? Good god.

[**** ****** @ Apr 19th 2006 2:19PM]

MICROSFT VS APPLE
------------------------------
My faith in apple has disappeared!!
FORGET APPLE AND GET A PC WITH WINDOWS, JUST BUY MORE MEMORY AND MAKE SURE U HAVE A DECENT GRAPHICS CARD, (will still cost less than a mac!!and for the same price as a mac will run better, even for graphics and videos.)

all we pay for is the design!!!

apple have a history of cover up problems with their machines, just look at all the people with problems with the powerbook, macbooks, and ibooks!!!

** GOOGLE Search "logic board" with "G3", "G4" and see all these people with mac problems.**

If this was a car, u would get a letter in the post calling a recall, if it was windows they fix it with an update...apple, well leave it to us to figure it out and if u get the problem sooner than any 3yr extension replacement program, then great, but any time after that....GOOD LUCK

TO END
if u get an apple machine expect only about only 3yrs of bliss at most if you lucky, just look look at all the people with ibooks G3, which have missed and boat and stuck with a null computer that looks pretty and nothing else

[Mario Batres @ Apr 19th 2006 2:49PM]

I heard that they are bringing back the clam shell. Bluetooth version.

[Silver @ Apr 19th 2006 2:51PM]

"$3k? Good god."

In related news, steak costs more than Kraft Mac-n-Cheese.

Go figure...

[jared @ Apr 19th 2006 2:51PM]

Okay, I just have to ask:

What force (or combination of forces) in the mind, body, or global marketplace is resulting in video editing professionals giving a shit about the size of their built-in laptop display?

Is the notion of an "external display" just anathema to some people?

Is there a class of "indie cred" clientelle that demands you edit their stuff on the train, or in a park, or otherwise away from wall sockets and horizontal flat surfaces?

Enlighten me.

[daniel @ Apr 19th 2006 3:02PM]

Not everyone gets to edit in the comfort of their own workstation... I often have to produce a DVD of footage from a 4-day meeting for the closing ceremony of that meeting. That means editing in my hotel room wherever we may be. Being able to do it with 17" of real estate rather than 15" is a huge plus for me. $3k is nothing compared to the headaches it prevents. I'm drooling...

[Lloyd Hobden @ Apr 19th 2006 3:02PM]

Just ordered a 15" 2.16Ghz... doesn't Apple have some kind of policy if updated models are released within a set time of your order?

Hope they aren't updated!

[Matt @ Apr 19th 2006 3:06PM]

Didn't we see a piece O' junk Dell craptop selling for $5000 the other day? 3k is nothing. At this rate, we'll see powerbooks selling at Walmart soon enough.

[Eric B. @ Apr 19th 2006 3:23PM]

I have to tell you I've been waiting for this to come out since the MB Pro's came out. For some reason I feel like I need a 17" screen to match the 17" Powerbook I have now. I'm really not sure why.. the amount of time I spend on the built in display is significantly less than that when attached to the 23" cinema display I have. I was SO close to just buying the 15" yesterday.. decisions.. decisions.. AHH!!

[Ender @ Apr 19th 2006 3:42PM]

To #13...Being able to edit in the field is a HUGE plus. Not all of us are sitting in front of our 30" displays 24 hours a day (though sometimes I am). I am often forced to do editing on the fly, in between trips, on the flight, IN FRONT OF THE CLIENT AT THEIR LOCATION, etc. A 17" screen makes it easier on my and gives the client an easier time of viewing the finished product...not to mention I like editing in the park or on the beach sometimes...in the fresh air.

[Rob @ Apr 19th 2006 3:45PM]

To answer Jared:

Some applications take a lot of screen real estate, and 17" of screen allows much more ease of use than 15".

Some people actually leave town yet still need to work on their computer.

Some people would rather travel with a 17" laptop than a smaller laptop AND an external display.

[Jonathan Finney @ Apr 19th 2006 3:52PM]

Please make the 17" LCD QUALITY this time? Pretty please.

Xbrite @ 1900x1200

Please? This is the one area that Dell Sony and Toshiba kills Apple.

[Mojomoto233 @ Apr 19th 2006 4:11PM]

Remember folks,
the latest version of Final Cut Pro (I think 5.1)for the intel Mac's is a newer version and the projects you make in that version are not compatible with any older FCP version..even 5.0xx Sucks if you're on the road and want to take your work back to the post-house running an older version.

[Rob @ Apr 19th 2006 4:21PM]

When are the going to add a dual-layer DVD writer? The only thing preventing me from buying this sweet peice of computational excellence.

[Spanbauer @ Apr 19th 2006 4:38PM]

AppleInsider's report says it'll be faster than 2.0Ghz, NOT faster than 2.16. The 17" MacBook Pro could very well come in at $2,799 with a 2.16Ghz Core Duo and 512MB of RAM. And if they don't ship them till Intel's price cuts and 2.33Ghz addition in May, then they could sell the same 17" 2.16Ghz Core Duo with 512MB of RAM for $2,499, and a 2.33Ghz model for $2,799. Either way, the current 15" $2,499 model with a 2Ghz Core Duo and 1GB of RAM needs to get cheaper by a few $100. After the May processor price cuts, they could offer today's 2Ghz 5" MacBook Pro for $2,299 with 512MB of RAM, making room for the 17" to come in at today's 17" PowerBook G4 $2,499 price point.

[Muncher @ Apr 19th 2006 4:47PM]

I'll buy one...because I can. ;-}

[Aliza @ Apr 19th 2006 6:36PM]

Check out http://nabpartylist.com for all the hot NAB parties.

[Ender @ Apr 19th 2006 7:16PM]

#9, email me at thisisatempemail(atnospamplease)mac(dotnospam)com

[John @ Apr 19th 2006 7:31PM]

that is a nice looking laptop. i wonder if they'll be underclocking these as well...

off topic - i can't believe you guys like the looks of the mac mini - looks like a piece of tupperware to me!

[applesucksLeo @ Apr 19th 2006 7:41PM]

Who the hell cares...Dell's XPS M1710 gaming laptop
makes any Apple look like a kid`s toy. Sux to be Apple.You have to buy their white-plastic,overpriced crap.

[spock177 @ Apr 19th 2006 11:23PM]

Oh the XPS laptop! Sweet guys! I love all the red neons. Looks just like my little brother's lowered civic--totally classy and mature. I would absolutely love to be seen with red lights blinking all over myself, it's almost too bad I can't implant them under my skin. ...those subtle white plastic shit boxes apple sells are basically the ugliest things I've ever seen. I know 'applesucksLeo' agrees with me...

[play free games @ Apr 20th 2006 1:57AM]

Good news for pros and those with a bit of cash. I used a friend's 17" PB for a while and it can be a bit too big to use on your lap or in bed, but does make a nice desktop replacement. I'm looking forward to the replacement for the 12" iBook or PB with a 13" widescreen display and updated video card.

[Nick Soper @ Apr 23rd 2006 8:44AM]

I am actually waiting for a 17inch macbook pro, as my now over 3 year old 17inch powebook is getting a bit tired.

I love the speculation around the 17 inch, becuase we all know its going to happen, but we don't know when or what features it will have.

Happy waiting, and I hope apple do a sterling job, like they did on my current machine.

[james @ Apr 24th 2006 12:33AM]

I love when people complain about macs and tout that dells are so much better, you know these people have never had a mac before.

Cause if they had, they would know that macs are by far the best machines available. Macs are for creatives, for doing something productive and fun with your machine.

Windows PC's are for people who like to go online to bash computers they have not ever really experienced.

I can't wait to get my Macbook Pro and not install windows.

[Bubba @ Apr 24th 2006 12:29PM]

Check it Out! The 17" MacBookPro is HERE!

http://www.apple.com/macbookpro

Do ya see the drewl dripping off my chin? (-:



$2,799.00

or as low as $66 a month

Ships: 7-10 business days

Free Shipping

17-inch widescreen display

1680 x 1050 resolution

2.16GHz Intel Core Duo(1)



1GB (single SODIMM) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM

120GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive

8x double-layer SuperDrive

ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB GDDR3 memory

One FireWire 400, one FireWire 800, and three USB 2.0 ports

[Bubba @ Nov 28th 2006 5:02PM]

Ok...I started out with Mac in the early 1990s and then dumped them for a HP, the a Dell and even a home built machine. But....deep down I have always felt that Mac just looked better.

Now with the new Intel DuoCore chip....it also runs better (or just as well). And with a 17" monitor....wow..I am sold! Look (item by item) at a Dell or laptop from AlienWare...and try to get the same machine for under 3k. You can come close, but...close does not count in this game.

Also...try getting a job (or freelance work)using a Dell (non-mac)notebook at an Ad firm, Design Studio or architectural firm and you will be laughed you right out the door.

Mac = class (even with their HIGH prices). That is all that needs to be said. Running XP on a Mac is just the frosting on the the cupcake! In addition (as a web designer) it allows me to preview a page in both Mac and PC enviroments. How cool is that?? As soon as MacOS starts dual booting on a PC...I will look at a Dell...but until then I am back to Mac.