15 or 17" MacBook Pro For Traktor ?
Hi all!
For Djing with Traktor Pro which size would you recommend?
Been advised to go for 15". Is it large enough?
15" could be advised with regards to mobility. You still need to drag it all in your bags.
(I have seen people perform flawlessly on 13" macs and not complain about reading from the screen)
Ofcourse, if you don’t mind dragging it all and more importantly can afford it, go for the 17"! 
I got a 17" full high definition screen and love it 
You really don’t need that much screen real-estate if you are just running Traktor though.
I use it all up with Traktor + Ableton open at the same time though.
15" is good 17" MBP is a aircraft carrier! IMO the 13" black MB is the way to go. Spec’s these day are almost a mirror image of each other (13" & 15") and you’ll save about 1k USD.
I was advised to go for a 15" in regards to playing out in small Dj booths.
Maybe 15" is best.
Its also common to see 2x hard drives in a laptop enclosure that fits a 17" screen which is pretty handy.
Not just that… if you use a stand the bigger laptops seem to be a bit more unstable perched up there over your mixer.
Absolutely TRUE!
Best argument for me!
I started off using Traktor with the Eee PC 701. The Celeron M processor and my NI Audio Kontrol 1 worked quite well with Traktor 3. The only problem was that I had to strain the eyes when I scrolled through the tracks on the 7" screen. I then bought the Eee PC 1000h. The 10" screen was a huge improvement and I had no problems seeing the tracks on Traktor but mind you I’m just a bedroom DJ.
I purchased a macbook today and the 13" is waaay better. Coming from using netbooks, the 15" and 17" MBP seems too big for me to lug around. The 13" macbook is perfectly fine for what I need.
But if money wasn’t a problem for me, I think I’d give the MBP a try. The firewire800, extra usb connector, express port card slot and dedicated graphics would come in handy if I were to expand my rig. Maybe when I start gigging, add extra gear to my setup and add video into my sets, I’ll consider the bigger laptops. Until then a 13" macbook works really well and gets a plus in my books for the extra portability.
So kenty, to answer your question your question it depends on what you need and what you want. If you use a firewire/usb audio interface with a dj controller and the screen size won’t bother you, I’d say go with just that. It’s also a lot cheaper as well. If you want to connect say a firewire audio interface with a firewire hard drive enclosure with a vci-100 and another controller, or want to use video in your sets, go MBP (the older MBP has two firewire ports but the newer one has only one). Although now with the new macbooks that are out, mixing video can be done on 13" macbook as well.
It all depends what your needs/wants are. Do you have a simple setup and want a little bit more portability and spend less? Or do you want to have a behemoth of a rig with a bigger screen, slightly better specs and is willing to spend extra? I think that’s what your purchase should depend on.
Agrees with Andrew.
[QUOTE=Andrew Loay;12504]The only problem was that I had to strain the eyes when I scrolled through the tracks on the 7" screen.[QUOTE]
Oh man, id die using a 7" screen.
You really want to make sure you get a screen with as a high a resolution as possible if you ask me, screen real-estate is really imporant when your doing music stuff. Its even more imporant if your doing production, i allways find my self running out of screen space when producing stuff.
Ya it sucked
Bento, you had no idea how much it sucked. I bought it to teach piano. It easily replaced cds and tracked my teaching schedule. It was a cinch to put on top of the piano. I don’t know if I can do the same things using just a macbook. But I can’t describe how much bigger everything appears.
There’s also the issue of me commuting with public transit while using a mac. I could use a netbook on the bus and not be scared of having it stolen. I can’t say same about the mac though. All in all I’m very pleased with my new purchase.
Bento, do you have to hook up your MBP to an external monitor. I’ll be producing eventually but haven’t yet. I figured when the time comes, I’ll sell this one and go upgrade if needed.
BTW kenty, there’s always the option of selling your macbook if you decide to go pro. It may be better to spend just a little extra than to find that you’ve over spent on something. But then again, you can buy a super expensive laptop and sell it for something cheaper. Also speak with the people from the apple store. They may not be able to help you in your decision but articulating to someone what you want to do with the laptop will help you make your decision. I had four one on ones before I decided to use the macbook as oposed macbook pro. Hope this helps a bit.
Andrew, Bento is a pc type of guy… Mac is not an option in his optics. 
I use a pc, but 17" and 1920x1200 resolution is heaps to produce on
That said, i have had a second monitor going for producing from time to time, two screens is pretty handy. Especially when ur chatting and have webpages open while your doing your thing 
[offtopic]
I still think it is strange that laptops with 17" screens are fitted with 1920x1200, while if you are shopping for TFTs with 1920x1200 you need to look for 24" minimum.
i got a 15 inch mbp and its amazing, the 17 inch mbp is too big for my needs in the club, and if you need more screen space for your production work, get a 30 inch monitor to go wit the 15 inch mbp, i wish i could get me one of those cinema displays
The larger the screen, the larger the wall between you and the dancefloor; it creates a blind spot. That’s my experience on both sides of the screen.
I think Dj’s should have their laptops setup to the side, anything that creates a wall between the dj and the audience is a bag thing - no matter how big or small.
IDD… it also turns the DJs vision from the laptop to the floor. People like seeing their DJs.
(Some actually love to see what he is doing too. )