Is the MacBook Pro 17" too big?

Is the MacBook Pro 17” too big? Will it actually fit on your lap?

This was a serious question I had before I made my purchase. I wanted the impressive screen resolution but was afraid that the MacBook Pro’s physical size and weight would result in a case of severe buyer’s remorse.

Since I didn’t know anyone with a MacBook Pro 17”, I could only experience it live in the Apple Store. That wasn’t ideal, trust me. All of the computers are alarmed, so there is no easy way to move it to your lap… nor is there a couch to sit down in and try it on your lap. I finally convinced an Apple employee to un-tether it from the alarm, but without a comfortable couch in sight, I could only pretend what the experience would be.

One thing I did manage to do, however, was to try it out in my bag. Not that I intended to travel much with this monster (if I were the traveling type, a MacBook Air would be my choice), but I didn’t want to end up making another purchase if I found it a tad too big for my bag. That all worked out, thankfully.

So, in the end, I decided it would be manageable and I ordered it online. A week later it arrived and I am happy to say that its very comfortable on my lap, much better than I expected. Its thin profile and ample area below the keyboard (where you can rest your wrists) makes it work quite nicely on your lap, on the couch, in front of the TV. The only complaint is this: it run hot, very hot at times. No shorts… you’ll burn your legs… no kidding. Now that I hadn’t thought of!

Apple - MacBook Pro - 17-inch: 2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB DDR2 memory (PC2-5300), 250GB Hard Drive, 8x SuperDrive - MB166LL/A (MacBook Pro)