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Digtimes reports that 17" widescreen LCD prices have now fallen to such an extent that the price difference between 15" and 17" displays is negligible. The Taiwanese digital daily states that "CD vendors such as ViewSonic and Apple are set to launch 17-inch widescreen LCD monitors by year-end or the first quarter of 2007, according to industry sources." As Apple already markets widescreen iMacs with 17" displays, as well as the MacBook Pro 17, this isn't news. But a budget 17" Apple-branded LCD would be a perfect match as a bundle for the Mac Mini. Widescreens now account for 34% of all monitors, according to IDC figures quoted in the story. 19" displays make up the biggest proportion of all widescreens produced. Moreover, as notebook market trend is 'bigger is better', the opportunity for Apple to make the MBP exclusively 17" is there, given the falling prices. Some weeks ago, IGM reported that Apple may be considering a 15" widescreen consumer MacBook. 15" portables are effectively mid-range models, and although 13.3" MacBooks have been selling by the truckload, there's no consumer portable from Apple with a 15" screen. Upspeccing the C2D MBP to 17" while pushing the MacBook upmarket with a 15" might make sense. The point is that Apple would no longer really need a 15.4" widescreen MBP if a 15" MacBook eventuates. It would be redundant, much as the 12.1" PowerBook found relatively few customers in the end, as the much cheaper 12.1" G4 iBook had virtually an identical feature set.
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