Will the new MBP 17 make the XPS 17 look VERY dated?

I should start by saying I am NOT a mac guy. I have never owned one and I really don't ever want to. The whole brand annoys me.

But I am also realistic. The mbp has been the best designed 17" laptop and it has barely even changed for over five years. In that time, no other laptop brand has been able to match their model in terms of build quality.

Well now it appears a new MBP 17 will be coming out next week. It is supposed to be made of some new composite material that will bring it's weight down by an astounding 20% + putting it at around 5.5 lbs. The dell xps 17 is actually HEAVIER than a 6 year old dell inspiron 17" laptop and about 50% (yes, 50%) heavier than this new mbp. They are also talking about a potential 11 hour battery life for a 17 inch laptop, which is just amazing.

So my question really is when you take the new XPS 17 and put it next to a new MBP 17 in a month or two, will you feel ashamed to be the owner of the former?

I really hope the answer is no, and I know that it's what's under the hood that matters most, but it really seems like the new MBP will be a sick sick laptop. God I hate mac--why can't dell play the apple game. I really thought adamo was some sort of research demo so that the rest of the lines would be beautiful in the coming years but alas, no luck.

I really don't want to own a mbp, but it could be hard to pass up..


MacBook Pros may be in for an imminent refresh, about time too -- Engadget

MacBook Pros Due in Early March, Additional Enhancements? - Mac Rumors

 

I totally agree with you. The new MBP 17 will definately be something. I like my XPS 17 but even with the 9-cell battery I can only muster 4hrs. I also though Adamo was Dell's answer but apparently not. The build quality of the MBP is second to none. The XPS 17 is much better than my SXPS 1640 was but still not quite there. I am interested to see what next week brings

 

These are just rumors. There is no confirmation that the MBP 17 will be redesigned in the imminent refresh.

I had just checked out the current MBP 15 at the local Best Buy. The build quality and display are is far far better than my new XPS 15.

I agree with killaz05 that the build quality of the MBP is second to none

 

Apple is a better marketing company than is Dell, and produces some of the
best looking laptops ever made. Their build quality has always been legendary. No one disputes this.

I used Mac computers for 10 years.
Deep respect for their products.

A more relevant question for me is:
Will the new MBP run my applications?
And the answer is “Not Well.”

I use many specialized applications that only run on a Windows OS.
Everything from specialized corporate programs (authorized by my employer for use on his network) ... to personal use programs, like DVD ripping/ authoring programs (eg, AnyDVD, Clone DVD, TMPGEnc DVD Author, etc)

Also, aren't many of the latest games available first on Windows?

Yes, I know you can emulate Windows on the MBP, but it is not the same.
Emulation adds another GUI shell (read: slower execution, sometimes quirky results).

Functionality always trumps appearance and build quality.
Thus, Dell xps 17 is a better choice than a refreshed MBP... for me.

 

1: it depends on what you will be doing with it. I can not see Apple putting much of a GPU or hot running CPU in the MBP's as their cooling is almost second to non for being bad. they are way too obsessed with the 1" thinckness marketing.

2: for those of us that want it as a mobile workstation, it agan fails and I can not see it being that much better in a new refresh, as Apple is pushing its equipment to the " average " consumer

3: build quality, yes it is very good but I can find that same buld quality in business class laptops from Lenovo and HP. actually I own both and say my Elitebooks are a far superior build

and as said above way too many specialized apps, networks and peripherals are incompatable with the MBP, and no matter how much people disagree with me Windows does NOT run too efficiently on an MBP

marketing trick number 1. Apple prides itself on its battery life. the Current MBP 17" battery rating is running nothing and screen dimmed etc so not to accurate. secondly please note that the current machine uses UP to a dual core i7 and a GPU a bit higher than the average netbook and much lower than the 11x. it sacrifices performance for battery and sacrifices internal space ( removable battery system ) for a larger battery.

as a user of both platforms for 20 years I keep disliking the newer Apple equipment more and more as I need the performance and features ... not the aesthetics

 

Aesthetics = Apple.

But at the end, it's really the OS that determines what computer you need. I love the Apple design, but hate the price for power ratio. I could have paid for two XPS 15 i7-740QM laptops for the price of a dual-core Arrandale i7-640 MacBoo Pro.

 

Look wise, a MBP will make most other machines look out dated, especially if the refresh comes with that shinny black finish(black has more of a high tech feel than silver for me)

But as crazycanuk said, MBP will never have the same capability and versatility as any other high end PC in the same price range.

It's pretty much you want to look cool and shinny, or you want to be able to do some heavy loads.

 

fashion acessory or highly functional take your pick, as my power user wife says.

 

You must have purchased the 1366x768 XPS then... because the XPS's FHD display blows the MBP out of the water.

 

He is referring to build quality, not a screen comparison, which is more along the lines of how sturdy and solid the laptop feels, how are the components put together on the body of the laptop etc.

 

I agree, not just on knee jerk reaction but on use alone. PC's afford flexability and power to perform, where as Mac is focusing on the general user for daily tasks. I have nothing againt Mac, but it as never been available for what I want to be able to do. the PC does.

The Best Nvidia driver for 435M/445M

 

ugh, thanks for the responses but the thread is getting derailed a bit. i am NOT a mac guy. i hate the brand. i am just frustrated that the new mbp is going to be so insanely 'nicer' than a new dell. yes, i know i am vain, but it's like getting a 50" TV that is 1cm thick vs 10 inches. the MBP will look like a 2020 laptop and the dell a 2008.

 

Using that analogy there's tons of 10 inch thick TV's that are better than 1 inch thick TV's because edge lit LED (thin TV's) look cool but are crappy in comparison for uniformity of lighting, etc.

I have a MacBook pro along with several non Apple machines. I agree the build quality and looks of the MBP are great and I love travelling with it, but it's a heavy price to pay for the actual components inside.

If you plan on doing more intensive stuff like gaming, a windows machine will end up suiting you better at the enable the day because you'll get more bang for your buck in components. A MBP can game decently well, but you'll really need to end up using Boot Camp to game, which quickly gets annoying having to reboot into Windows everytime to game.

Unless you primarily just run Windows, but that just seems like a giant waste of money at that point. Why buy a laptop specifically designed to run Mac OSx and then use Windows on it?

You're right that it's frustrating that other companies haven't been able to match Apple in their aesthetics or marketing abilities. My MBP just looks much sleeker than anything else I own.

 

thanks. yea, i mean that is really my frustration. a mbp is NOT the best machine for me to get but i am just so annoyed that dell isn't putting something out that seems at all in apples league in terms of design quality. it is the under the hood stuff that has me waiting for the xps 17, so don't get me wrong there. just venting and a little confused--especially after the hope adamo instilled in me..