Review : Apple Macbook Pro 15in

Review : Apple Macbook Pro 15in

Price: £1369
Manufacturer: Apple 0800 048 0408


Verdict

A bit expensive but the twin graphics processors make this laptop powerful enough to replace an existing desktop computer

Good points Stylish and streamlined design; twin graphics processors; very good bundled software

Bad points Expensive for a 15in laptop



Apple's laptops come in two ranges: there are three basic Macbook models, from the cheaper white plastic model costing £719 to the gleaming new aluminium model priced at £1,125.

All three of those computers have the same 13in screen, so if you want a larger one you’ll have to step up to the more expensive Macbook Pro range, which is primarily aimed at business users who need a laptop that is powerful enough to replace a conventional desktop computer.

The Macbook Pros have also been updated recently, so we decided to look at the cheapest of the three new models, which costs £1,369 with a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 15.4in screen, 2GB of memory and a 250GB hard disk. That makes it the least expensive 15in Apple notebook at the moment.

There’s also a model with a 2.66GHz processor, 4GB and a 320GB hard disk, priced at £1,700, while for a thumping £1,949 you can get a model with the same specification and an impressive 17in display.

All models share the same 'unibody' design, in which the lower half of the machine – the half that holds the keyboard – is housed within a single sheet of moulded aluminium. This gives the Macbook an attractively streamlined appearance.

It measures less than 1in thick when folded shut, and the streamlined style is further enhanced by other features such as the button-less trackpad (instead of having separate mouse buttons below the trackpad, the surface of the trackpad itself acts as a button, allowing the user to press down on it physically to click on objects on the screen).

Other features include a built-in webcam, access to wireless networks, including the latest and fastest 802.11n standard, digital audio input and output, three USB ports and a high-speed Firewire 800 socket that can be used to connect camcorders or external storage devices. And, as with all Mac models, the Macbook Pro also includes the latest version of Apple’s iLife software suite, which includes programs such as the excellent iMovie video editor and Garage Band music software.

However, the Macbook Pro’s most unusual feature is that it has two separate graphics cards inside it. Most of the time, you’ll run the Macbook Pro using its Nvidia Geforce 9400M graphics processor, which provides perfectly good performance for day-to-day tasks such as browsing the web or running Microsoft Office.

But if you need high-speed 3D graphics for playing games or running demanding video-editing programs, you can go into the machine’s Control Panel and switch to the more powerful Geforce 9600M GT chip, which is about twice as fast when running 3D games. The faster GT chip does drain the battery more quickly – cutting about an hour off its normal four-and-a-half-hour battery life – but at least you’ve got the option of switching back to the less powerful graphics card if you need to conserve power.

At £1,369, the 15in Macbook Pro will appeal to creative users in fields such as video-editing or music recording who can really exploit features such as the Firewire interface and high-speed graphics. That said, for most home users it is probably too expensive, which means that those on a budget will have to look at one of the basic Macbook models with a smaller screen.

Specifications and Features

Size and weight
Height:
0.95 inch (2.41 cm)
Width:
14.35 inches (36.4 cm)
Depth:
9.82 inches (24.9 cm)
Weight:
5.5 pounds (2.49 kg)

Processor and memory
* 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB on-chip shared L2 cache running 1:1 with processor speed; or 2.66GHz or 2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 6MB shared L2 cache
* 1066MHz frontside bus
* 2GB (two 1GB SO-DIMMs) or 4GB (two 2GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM; two SO-DIMM slots support up to 4GB

Storage
* 250GB or 320GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive4
* Optional 250GB or 320GB Serial ATA 7200-rpm hard drive4
* Optional 128GB or 256GB solid-state drive

Communications
* Built-in AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi wireless networking2 (based on IEEE 802.11n draft specification); IEEE 802.11a/b/g compatible
* Bluetooth Built-in Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate)
* Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)

Graphics and video support
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M
* NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT graphics processor; 256MB of GDDR3 memory on 2.4GHz configuration; 512MB of GDDR3 memory on 2.66GHz and 2.93GHz configurations
* NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory3

Audio

* Built-in stereo speakers
* Built-in omnidirectional microphone (located under left speaker grille)
* Combined optical digital input/analog line in (minijack)
* Combined optical digital output/analog line out (minijack)
* Supports Apple Stereo Headset with microphone

Connections and expansion
* MagSafe power port
* Gigabit Ethernet port
* One FireWire 800 port (up to 800 Mbps)
* 15-inch MacBook Pro: Two USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps)
* 17-inch MacBook Pro: Three USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps)
* Mini DisplayPort
* Audio line in
* Audio line out
* ExpressCard/34 slot
* Kensington lock slot


Display
* 15.4-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with support for millions of colors
* Supported resolutions: 1440 by 900 (native), 1280 by 800, 1152 by 720, 1024 by 640, and 800 by 500 pixels at 16:10 aspect ratio; 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio; 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 pixels at 4:3 aspect ratio stretched; 720 by 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio; 720 by 480 pixels at 3:2 aspect ratio stretched

Optical drive
* 8x slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
* Maximum write: 8x DVD-R, DVD+R; 4x DVD-R DL (double layer), DVD+R DL (double layer), DVD-RW, DVD+RW; 24x CD-R; 10x CD-RW
* Maximum read: 8x DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-ROM; 6x DVD-ROM (double layer DVD-9), DVD-R DL (double layer), DVD+R DL (double layer), DVD-RW, DVD+RW; 24x CD

Battery and power
Removable 50-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
* 85W MagSafe Power Adapter with cable management system
* MagSafe power port


Electrical and operating requirements

* Line voltage: 100V to 240V AC
* Frequency: 50Hz to 60Hz
* Operating temperature: 50° to 95° F
(10° to 35° C)
* Storage temperature: -13° to 113° F
(-24° to 45° C)
* Relative humidity: 0% to 90% noncondensing
* Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet
* Maximum storage altitude: 15,000 feet
* Maximum shipping altitude: 35,000 feet



Software

* Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard (includes iTunes, Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row, Xcode Developer Tools)
* iLife ’09 (includes iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand)

All Models

* Dual display and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on an external display, both at millions of colors
* Mini DisplayPort
* iSightBuilt-in iSight camera

Source: pcw.co.uk