Apple Announced 17" MacBook Pro with Exceptional Value!

Apple announced a new addition to its professional notebook series, the 17" 2.16GHz MacBook Pro. Priced at $2799 it is expected to ship in 7-10 business days according to the Apple Store.

Apple priced the new 17" MacBook Pro just $300 more that the top-end configured 15" 2.0GHz MacBook Pro at $2499. The 17" model is an incredible value since it comes with many additional features including: a 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo CPU (a $300 option on the 15" model); a larger or faster hard drive (a $100 option on the 15" model); a FireWire 800 port; 3 USB 2.0 ports (vs 2); 68 watt 5.5 hr battery (vs 60 watt 4.5 hr battery); and 8x Double Layer SuperDrive (vs 4x Single Layer SuperDrive). Of course, the 17" model gets a 17" screen with a higher resolution of 1680x1050 (vs 1440x900) but it is 1.3" wider and 0.8" deeper plus weighs some 1.2lbs more.

If one can accept the extra size and weight, the 17" model represents the best value. Having used 17" PowerBook G4's for the past several years, we certainly would have considered ordering a 17" model if they were available two weeks ago when we ordered our 15" model. It's actually too bad that Apple did not announce the entire lineup at the same time but that's life. As we noted yesterday, though, we are very happy with our 15" 2.16GHz MacBook Pro and, for now, we are pleased to carry a 'Book that has shed some size and weight in the change without losing any performance. [Bill Fox]