still can't decide on mbp17

I was already to purchase the mbp 17"

But I can also get the HP Pavilion Elite m9600t for 800.00 less and have double the memory, HD4850 1gig video, 23" hp monitor, tv tuner

What should I do?

Wish I could buy both.
Thanks

 

no one is going to decide for you.

do these things matter to you: weight, battery life, screen quality, thinness, advanced trackpad, osx?

if so, go for the mbp. if not, then just get the hp and call it a day

 

Just try them out if you can and decide on your own.

Also ask yourself is the $800 worth it to you to get the 17" mbp. Of course everyone here and myself would tell you that it is definitely worth it but you have to make the decision since its your money.

 

I have not seen the new hp 23" screen and cannot compare it to the mbp 17"

 

I would have to order the hp, so I cannot see them side by side

 

if its around 200-300 bucks just look at basically any other screen in best buy, etc. it will have a standard TN panel, im guessing 1080p resolution with vga, dvi ports (at least). the mbp screen is going to look a million times better.

 

Not sure which HP 23" screen it is but if its something like a s-pva or an S-IPS/H-IPS panel its definitely superior to the 17" mbp's screen.

All notebooks screens are TN panel so I'm guessing the HP's screen is superior.

 

here's the current 23" offering from hp: http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/display/display//3/storefronts/FN747AA%23ABA

its certainly a TN panel. it'd be great if it was a high-quality panel... even i would splurge for one at that price, but alas, its TN. 5ms response time and 160 degree viewing angles give it away.

 

If its a TN panel, I think its overpriced. You can buy a Dell 2408 with an S-PVA panel which is superior for about the same price if you look on eBay.

 

its definitely overpriced

 

If you save the $800 you could buy bunches of goodies. A wind, and then you'd still have $500 left over.

 

what about getting iMac?

 

I saw the iMacs down in Atlantic City in the Apple Store. They are slick looking.

Last 3-4 yrs, for some reason, when I see Apple hardware, I keep getting images of, "Minority Report."

I'm heading down there again to throw away some $$$. I'll go take another look at the 17" MBP. I have to admit I wasn't
exactly blown away by it in person.

 

ok, so the 23" hp monitor is bad. Some here have the hdx-18, how is that?
I'm afraid of getting the mbp 17" because of the problems I see on their forum. Screen blanking, dust behind the screen, ect.

 

pretty bad,nowhere near my mb in terms of quality...

 

What would you do if you had to buy?
I play some windows games like Metal of Honor.
Basic finances and HD streaming for movies

 

I think you will find issues on any manufacturer when you visit forums. Problem is most only complain on forums as the vast majority are enjoying their purchase and don't take the time to write.

 

I don't understand why you compare these? do you want a laptop or a desktop? of course a desktop costs less than a laptop... you can get an iMac that is better than that HP, and cheaper than the 17" MBP... did you just say MBP cuz this is a notebook forum and was hoping people would comment on the iMac?

 

I had my heart set on the 17", but realize the imac is a better value. I really do not need to travel, just thought it might be nice to not be tied to my desk at home. I would also add a tv tuner to the mac.

I thought the led screen might be better than the imac that still uses tubes.
Not sure how much faster the GPU GT130 would be over the 9600G?

I heard complaints that running the MBP on the 9600 GPU raises the heat and could cause problems because of the nvidia chip.

The more I look the more confused I get.

 

I dont recall, but i think the GT130 was faster... but you can also get a radeon 4850 for better performance... Cooling isnt really a problem... on the 15s some wait too long to spin the fans up... but no ones been able ot track it down to certain lots or actions or anything.. I haven't heard of the same issue with the 17s... in any case you can work around it with custom control of the cooling fans... even if you push it as hard as it can go, with the fans cooling it, it wont overheat... if you really don't need the portability, you can get a really good 24" iMac that will be much better than any MBP

 

Yup, the GT130 is a bit faster than the 9600M GT, but not quite as fast as a desktop 9600GT. Only marginal difference though. If you are getting the 24-inch version, then I'd recommend upgrading to the ATI card (I think it's the 4850), because it's leagues ahead of the GT130 in terms of gaming. If you are just going to be using it as a regular desktop computer, then opt for the GT130, because it will save money and you won't need the extra power! And if you go for the 20inch, then you have the GT120, which isn't all that bad.