Rumor: Unibody 17 inch MacBook Pro

Personally, its not the length of battery life, its the longevity of the battery itself. I have never been on a laptop long enough to use all 100% of the power. However, I constantly have problems with the overall performance of the battery over time (about a year). By the time a year rolls around, battery charge easily decreases by a third, in other words it takes less to drain your battery completely. Without the option of replacing the battery, the laptop can become worthless in a matter of 2 years.

I work with two batteries for my MPB 17" all the time. As a developer and photographer I am out and about all the time (trains, cafés, shoots, etc) and I totally depend on having more than one battery life with me!

I also support websites for people so I (contractually) need to have the extra charge available.

If this rumour is true I am deeply sad and will have to re-think the way I do things. I'm shocked at the idea...

:(

Hi all, I've read the previous comments and almost everyone says the battery situation (assuming all this is true) is not a show stopper. But wow, I've been holding off on purchasing a new 17' macbook and now I'm worried. Not having a removable battery is fine in a $200-$300 device, but this is a $3000 device! I would need to know that there is some long-term warranty available, not just 3 years via Applecare. I've had enough problems with my decked out iMac over the past 14 months as well as a 500gb Time Capsule that -- while I absolutely love Apple's industrial design and software simplicity -- I don't completely trust the reliability of their products without having some sort of net to fall back on. So, I'm cautiously optimistic, waiting to hear their contingency plan just in case the battery need to be replaced after the warranty period is done. I'd love to hear from someone who already owns a 15' macbook who might have some feedback. Thanks.

While I'm sympathetic to everyone wanting a matte screen, in all honesty, I think you're nuts: I'm a photographer, and images are so much more vivid and saturated with the glossy screen. I would NEVER go back to matte!

With me, the image is everything. So what if there are a few reflections? The IMAGE is higher quality. Glossy screens rule.

There's no doubt that a 17" refresh is coming if Apple intends to keep it in its lineup. It's also a logical assumption that the specs would be revved to correspond if not exceed the 15" MacBook Pros. This is all just a matter of time. What does seem silly about this story is the non-removable battery. The 17" MacBook Pros have always been the bulkiest Apple laptops. There's just no way around that fact. Removing the ability to swap out batteries would not reduce the footprint of the machine at all so this 'rumor' is highly unlikely.

What is more likely, and irritating for graphic professionals and photographers, is the high probability that the 17" MacBook Pro will join its 15" cousin in offering only a glossy screen as an option. As much as Steve loves design, there are times where practicality needs to be dictated over design and this point is one of those times. Here's hoping for multiple screen options on the 17" and a re-offering of a matte screen on the next 15" revision.

I just want them to do something smart with the extra keyboard real-estate - like add a number pad to the right side. You've got room, people are using this as a desktop replacement, whey not add the extra keys? I could really care less about the battery on a 17" - who's really using that on an airplane, or on their lap?

Waiting to replace my Mac Pro (G5 PPC) with a 17" unibody (assuming there will be one of course!).

Battery no biggie, I think the 17" is more a case of a mobile desktop than a laptop (ie I want a home machine that can easily move from room to room and go elsewhere if needed - rather than a laptop I'll cart to and from work/home daily).

I was really hoping for a matte screen option. Maybe?

Stop making the Mac laptops smaller and make them more durable.

Battery removal doesn't bother me, easy HD access does, which is why I have a late 2008 Macbook, I find that option very handy. I just don't see why the 15" MBP would have removable battery and the 17", being more pro, more expensive, more desktop-replacement oriented than the 15", would lose it's removable battery. Doesn't make sense to me.

As an aside, a larger MB Air is conceivable but unlikely.

I've never needed to remove the battery on my first gen MacBook Pro.

I can understand some people needing/wanting the option, but I personally would love the longer battery life over having to juggle two batteries.

just my $.02