2.53GHz Intel Core i5
4GB RAM
500GB hard drive
DVD±RW
17 inches (1,920x1,200 native resolution)
Nvidia GeForce GT 330M (512MB) and Intel HD Graphics (switchable)
6.6 pounds
1x15.5x10.5 inches
Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard)
4GB RAM
500GB hard drive
DVD±RW
17 inches (1,920x1,200 native resolution)
Nvidia GeForce GT 330M (512MB) and Intel HD Graphics (switchable)
6.6 pounds
1x15.5x10.5 inches
Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard)
At first glance, you may not notice anything different about Apple’s latest line of MacBook Pros, introduced in April 2010. The new models, which feature 13-, 15- and 17-inch screens, sport the same sleek, minimalist design, the same keyboard, and the same multi-touch trackpad as the previous iteration. Even the ports haven’t changed. To tell the difference, you really have to get down and dirty and actually start using one of these new members of the MacBook Pro family. Once you do, you’ll see advancements in performance in a line of laptops that was already well ahead of much of the pack and battery life that blows the competition out of the park. There's also a pretty significant price drop: The base model of the 17-inch version, which we tested, is now $200 cheaper.
We put a $2,299 MacBook Pro model, built around a 2.53GHz Intel Core i5 processor and a 17-inch screen, through our labs testing. For an extra $200, you can bump this model up to a 2.66GHz Intel Core i7-920 processor. Both models employ the same Nvidia GeForce GT 330M graphics processor, with 512MB of dedicated video memory.
Apple has also refreshed the 13-inch and 15-inch versions of its MacBook Pro. The entry-level 13-inch model costs $1,199 (with a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU and a 250GB hard drive). The base-model 15-inch MacBook Pro costs $1,799 and features a 2.4GHz Core i5 processor and a 320GB hard drive. You're also able to upgrade certain components on these base models through the online Apple Store. To clarify: With this generation of MacBook Pros, the base price of the 17-inch model has decreased by $200, the 15-inch model's base price has increased by $100, and the 13-incher's base price stays the same.
On the outside, the 17-inch MacBook Pro is almost exactly the same as before. Design-wise, we think Apple was smart to approach the new line with the attitude that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. The previous line of MacBook Pros was as stunning as it was stark, and the new line carries that torch onward. The silver case, dominated by an aluminum shell with just one seam around the underside, feels plenty solid. Nothing much mars the exterior design of the MacBook’s body: On the top of the lid is a simple white Apple logo that lights up when the laptop is in use. And, well, that’s about it. The case snaps shut with a magnetic latch, making opening the lid easy without compromising the durability of the body
Like the previous version, the ports are located on the left side of the chassis and include an Ethernet jack, a FireWire 800 port (backward-compatible with FireWire 400, 200, and 100), three USB 2.0 ports, a mini-DisplayPort connector for attaching to an external display, headphone and microphone ports, and an ExpressCard/34 slot for expansion. Toward the front left of the chassis are indicator lights that allow for a quick look at remaining battery power. On the right side of the body are a security-lock slot and the opening for the slot-loading optical drive, which is a dual-layer DVD burner. As with previous MacBook lines, this model doesn’t support Blu-ray discs.
Once you open the lid, you’ll also notice that little has changed in the design of the keyboard and multi-touch trackpad. The full-size keyboard comes with backlit keys, and it remains perfectly spaced and nicely responsive to the touch. An ambient-light sensor adjusts the key backlighting according to the brightness of the area where you’re working.
On the keyboard deck is a generously sized, buttonless trackpad with a glass surface. Instead of the two "mouse click" buttons you’ll find on most other laptops, the entire trackpad on the MacBook Pro acts as a button, allowing you to press anywhere to enact a function; you use two fingers to right-click. One new feature on the trackpad is that if you swipe up or down with two fingers, you’ll continue to scroll through the page until it reaches the top or bottom, just as an iPad or iPhone works. We appreciate these touches that Apple keeps adding to further bridge its products together. We also discovered that you can even toggle in and out of full-screen mode when watching a DVD by pinching and pulling on the touch pad, a nice enhancement. We found the trackpad very easy to get used to, especially since it functions much like the touch screen on an iPad or iPhone.
As with previous MacBook Pros, the trackpad also allows you to use a four-finger swipe to show your desktop, view all open windows, or change programs. Of course, the now-requisite multi-touch functionality is built in here as well. This is the same as the touch features on an Apple iPhone or iPad, allowing you to zoom, rotate, and slide images around with two fingers.
The 17-inch screen on the model we tested has a native resolution of 1,920x1,200, allowing for high-definition video viewing at its full 1,900x1,080 resolution. Our test model's screen had a glossy finish; you can upgrade to an anti-glare screen for $50. We found the glossy screen to be impressive, displaying movies and photos with vivid, accurate colors. Artists might want to consider upgrading to the anti-glare screen, however, as we did see considerable reflectivity when we toted the machine around our offices.
