[Zach Blaesi]

Thanks for all the help guys.

After much thought, I’ve decided to go with the 15″. If the need arises, I’ll just buy an external monitor. I think the increased portability of the 15″ is definitely worth it, and by the time I find myself needing powerful external HDD options, Thunderbolt will hopefully catch up.

[Zach Blaesi]

Thanks for all the help guys.

After much thought, I’ve decided to go with the 15″. If the need arises, I’ll just buy an external monitor. I think the increased portability of the 15″ is definitely worth it, and by the time I find myself needing powerful external HDD options, Thunderbolt will hopefully catch up.

[Zach Blaesi]

[quote]The thing you need to figure out is whether or not you will even need faster throughput than you can get with FW 800 and an external HDD and/or whether you need the flexibility that Expresscard 34 provides. There are lots of different connections that expresscard 34 can give you, like more FW 800’s or a couple eSATA’s, Matrox MXO2 family, card readers etc. etc..[/quote]

Maybe you can help me out with that. I shoot with a DSLR, and I’ll be editing the clips in FCP. Other than that, I’ll be using the laptop to work on NYU projects when I don’t feel like using their own editing rigs.

What else would I need the Express slot for?

[quote]Oh, speaking of displayport, I almost forgot about Tunderbolt. If your buying new with Tbolt then the 15″ is a little bit more attractive. Tbolt it will surely be taken advantage of in the future, killing the expresscard, anyway. I still say 17″ though.[/quote]

Yes, the 15″ will have a Thunderbolt port. This is what I’m wondering about. If Thunderbolt will open new options, isn’t the only real advantage of the 17″ the larger screen? Yet, most people plug the 17″ into a bigger screen anyway! So what’s the point of the 17″ when it’s a bigger and heavier laptop? I don’t see the point.

Thanks

[Zach Blaesi]

But when I’m trying to balance capability against mobility (since this will also be a student laptop), and I can always connect the 17″ to an external monitor, I’m not sure the extra size is really worth it. The big issue for me is the expandable slot.

I don’t know if I need faster than FW800; that’s why I made this thread – I’m trying to understand how this all works.

[Zach Blaesi]

I think I’m going to go with the 17″. I’ll get the 2.2GHz processor (how’s that sound? – I don’t think I can afford the upgrade), 4GB of RAM (I can add more later), and the antiglare screen.

Given what you guys said about the internal processor, should I ignore the extra speed and go for the 750GB HDD for the added space? I’m actually required to buy an external HDD for my college, so I’ll be using that when I edit.

Also, do any of you guys know anything about these Apple printer “deals” that you can select when configuring the laptop? Are they really “deals” or can I get a better buy elsewhere? I need a printer as well, so I’ll buy it all at once if it’s actually a deal.

Thanks.

[Zach Blaesi]

Can you explain to me the pros and cons of 15″ vs. 17″? I’m worried about portability as a college student.

[Zach Blaesi]

So if I get the 15″, I have no affordable external HDD options? For some (naive) reason, I figured I could connect an external HDD through USB or something.

I have a couple concerns with the 17″.

First, the size. I’m also (or should I say primarily) using this as an all-around student computer (e.g., for portability and taking notes). I’m afraid the 17″ might be a bit too clunky for that.

Second, the price. With the base stats, the 17″ starts at $2,299.00, which means I’d be limited to 4GB RAM and the default 2.2GHz processor. Maybe this isn’t a big deal, but assuming I went with the base stats, I’d still be $100 over the price I was trying to stay at.

Can you explain how Thunderbolt might make it irrelevant?

Finally, I thought internal HDD mattered because don’t the speeds affect how programs operate? Assuming I went with the 15″, what HDD would I want?

Thanks for your response.