MWSF '09: The new 17" MacBook Pro

I spent some time at the Apple booth today, playing with the new products that were announced on Tuesday. Of course, being a hardware nerd, I had to give the new 17" MacBook Pro the once-over:

The super-glossy 17" MacBook Pro.

Historically, I haven't really been into the 17" MacBook (nee PowerBook). I've always felt that it was just too bulky. Well, while I don't think Apple has trimmed down the weight of the new unibody that much, it certainly seems to be a lot more streamlined. The unibody enclosure continues to impress -- I was holding this 6.6 pounder by one corner, and the case really didn't flex at all. And while this machine is large, sitting next to the 15" MacBook Pro, it was hard to tell the difference. And I must admit, the 17" MacBook Pro wears it's 6.6 pounds well -- it really didn't feel all that heavy. I'm sure that I'd change my tune if I had to carry on my daily walk from work to the train, however.

And the display is really quite impressive. Especially the matte (or as Apple calls it, "antiglare") version:

The 17" MacBook Pro with antiglare screen.

The silver trim around the matte version of the 17" MacBook Pro looks a lot better in person than on Apple's website. The black rubber trim around the edge of the display actually felt a bit stiffer than on the 13" MacBook, but that could just be the result of the pre-production status of the 17" MacBook Pro. Here's a closer shot of the bezel:

Close-up of 17" MacBook Pro with antiglare screen.

All-in-all, I was impressed with this machine. It's total opposite of what I'm looking for in a portable, but if you're in the market for a 17" machine, the 17" MacBook Pro has got to be at the top of your list. You can check out all of the photos that I took of the glossy and non-glossy version on Flickr.

-Andy.