Mike Wuerthele
Effective June 30, Apple will add the last of the 17-inch MacBook Pros to its running list of vintage and obsolete products, ending a lineage of large-screen portables that began in 2003 with the 17-inch G4 Powerbook.
In an internal document seen by AppleInsider, and first published by 9to5Mac, the list, Apple will make the Mid-2011 MacBook Air models, and all Late 2011 MacBook Pro models obsolete for most of the world, except California and Turkey. The first generation 802.11n AirPort Express will also be added to the list of equipment that Apple will no longer repair.
The Mid-2009 17-inch MacBook Pro, and the iPhone 3GS will be obsolete world-wide when the list goes into effect.
Apple's original 17-inch portable, the PowerBook G4 17-inch, had a 1 GHz G4 processor, with a 167 MHz system bus, 512 MB of RAM, and a 60 GB hard drive. The machine that shipped with OS X 10.2.4 retailed for $3299.
The last 17-inch MacBook Pro shipped in Late 2011, had either a 2.5 GHz or 2.7 GHz i7 processor, a 5 Gigatexels per second system bus, 4 GB of RAM, and a 750 GB hard drive. At launch, the 2.5 GHz version retailed for $2749.
Apple routinely obsoletes legacy devices as new hardware versions — or new products — take their place. Earlier in May, the company announcedthe end of support for the polycarbonate MacBook, and mid-2009 MacBook Pro models.
Christine McKee
Charles Martin
Oliver Haslam
William Gallagher
Sponsored Content
59 Comments
Still have my 17" MacBook Pro and continue to use it along with my 2012 Pro model.
I own a 17" with 16 GB ram and 3 TB of storage (1TB SSD + 2TB HD). I use it to earn a living and travel daily with it. The bigger screen is excellent when working on the actual laptop, or when having to collaborate with others. I get comments all the time about how nice the screen is on the 17", especially when compared to the average 13"-15" business class Windows laptop.
The current 2016 15" MacBook Pros are about 5.5 years newer! They have the same amount of memory, less storage, a smaller screen, and require dongles for connecting to pretty much everything. I priced it out and I would be spending about $5k for a fully loaded MacBook Pro + dock + dongles. Too many compromises to make it worth it.
Hey Apple, please release a MacBook Pro that us 17" users actually want to buy. It is 2017, and I've already replaced the motherboard and battery once in my 17". I would really like to upgrade, I would really like to give you my business, but the current offerings dont work for the amount you are charging. Please fix!
Ridiculous how Apple keeps the Mac Pro alive knowing full well how few people will buy it versus "the majority of people" and yet they continue to refuse to give us a Pro sized screen when it comes to the MacBook. If they can sell a Mac Pro, they can see a 17" screen sized MBP, especially if they use that extra size to add plenty of ports and retain a good keyboard! Think about how much lighter and more portable a modern version could be too, even with a legacy USB-A port and SD card slot, versus the old model 17" MBP!
My wife told me to buy a laptop, so I bought a 15" MBP (the "good" 2015 model, of course) and then she said the screen was too small. I told her Apple doesn't make a 17" anymore and she grew noticeably upset. It upsets me too, even though I've never had a 17" before.
Even if some of you out there don't really want one, just be kind and join those of us who do. Make your case known to Apple here:
https://www.apple.com/feedback/macbookpro.html
To keep offering 3 sizes of Macbook pro, replace 17" with 14.1" macbook pro.
PS Apple, since I am requesting stuff, please release an expandable MacBook Pro again. Have removable drives, upgradable memory, and a full array of ports. Basically a workstation class laptop. I dont need thin and light, I basically need a portable desktop. Dell, HP, and others have multiple models like this, including 17" screens! I really dont want to switch to Windows, but you are making this difficult!