Apple MacBook Pro Review

If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.

This is the way Apple engineers think.

The outside looks the same: from the aluminum body to the black island-style keyboard to the large multi-touch trackpad. It is the technology inside the new Apple MacBook Pro that has received the most attention. Apple takes something that is already great and makes it even better.

SPECIFICATIONS on Base Models

	13-inch MacBook Pro Intel Core 2 Duo 4GB Memory 250GB hard drive Built-in battery NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics
	15-inch MacBook Pro Intel Core i5 4GB Memory 320GB hard drive Built-in battery Intel HD graphics NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with 256MB
	17-inch MacBook Pro Intel Core i5 4GB Memory 500GB hard drive Built-in battery Intel HD Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with 512MB

Here are some notable upgrades in the 2010 versions of the MacBook Pro:

It now features an Intel Core i5/Core i7 Processor (on the 15-inch and 17-inch) and Intel Core 2 Duo (on 13-inch); the graphic processor also has an upgrade to NVIDIA GT 330M graphics Processor (15-inch and 17-inch) and 320M (13-inch): Longer Battery Life.

PROS

• Phenomenal Battery Life
• Better Processors
• Improve Graphics
• Great Look
• Trackpad

CONS

• COST
• No Blu-Ray
• Few External features

DESIGN

The new line of the MacBook Pro has the same design as the previous version: the aluminum Unibody, the black keyboard, the large multi-touch trackpad, and the ever-simple look of the Apple logo on the lid.

The aluminum casing of the MacBook makes it durable than most of the other laptops. This gives a reassuring feeling that it will stand the test of time.

KEYBOARD and TRACKPAD

The neatly spaced keyboard now features backlit keys, which will be useful in low-lit environment. It also comes with an ambient-light sensor that adjusts the backlit keyboard according to the brightness of the environment you are working on.

The touch pad, trackpad on Apple terms, remains a one giant button that works as a touch pad and a mouse button. It features multi-touch gestures that are the best in the business. Use two fingers to scroll on a page or do a pinch gesture to zoom in on a picture. The on-screen response is quick and the gestures works smoothly.

DISPLAY and AUDIO

MacBook Pro offers a LED-backlit glossy widescreen display, which offers quality viewing of movies and photos. Colors are vivid and accurate that makes viewing option enjoyable. The glossy finish though provides limited viewing angles from the sides. Anti-glare screen option is only available on 15-inch and 17-inch models not on the 13-inch model, so you might want to take note on that.

The MacBook Pro stereo speakers provide vibrant sounds when playing a movie or a song. While the speakers could be better with more bass, the audio on this notebook is certainly better than other notebooks this thin.

PORTS

• 2 USB 2.0 ports
• 1 FireWire 800 port
• 1 SD card slot
• 1 Mini DisplayPort for connecting a larger monitor)
• Audio line in minijack
• Audio line out/headphone minijack

Ports in the new line of MacBook Pro are almost the same as the older version with two new key improvements: First is the FireWire 800 port, which enables a user to back up files in an external hard drive with amazing speed using Time Machine. Second is the SD card slot, which frankly, should have been placed in the older version, but it is a welcome improvement for those who want to transfer photos taken from a digital camera cable free.

One key remaining issue on the MacBook Pro’s ports is the spacing. A little more space between them will be great because nowadays we could find large flash drives, and if we put them on one of the USB ports, the other one can’t be use at all. It’s an inconvenience to users who use a lot of Flash Drives, though this can be solve by using a USB adapter that offers multiple ports.

WEBCAM

Apple’s iSight camera delivers bright images, plenty of details, and great picture quality; colors are better than most external and internal webcams available in the market. There’s a light indicator beside the camera that turns green to indicate that the camera is on. The webcam is already great but the accompanying program, Photo Booth, makes it better. Besides taking pictures and videos, it can take four shots in a row just like a real photo booth. You can also add fun filters from tons of choices.

PERFORMANCE

MacBook Pro now offers the new Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors on the 15-inch and 17-inch models. With these new processors it is now 50% faster than the previous generation of MacBook. It also features Turbo Boost, which increase the speed of each core when you are using processor-intensive applications and programs. It can take the speed of a MacBook Pro up to 3.33GHz from 2.66GHz.

While the larger models of MacBook Pro features new Intel Processors, the 13-inch MacBook Pro has been upgraded to Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 from the previous generation of Intel Core 2 Duo P7550.

GRAPHICS

Inside the new 15-inch and 17-inch models is the new NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics processor. This is the best graphics processor in a MacBook ever. It now has 48 processing cores that allow even more horsepower than the 2009 versions. Previous generation MacBook only has 32 cores or 16 cores depending on a model. It will provide performance enhancements and with the integrated Intel HD Graphics, users will have better graphics experience.

13-inch MacBook features the new NVIDIA GeForce 320M integrated graphics processors, which beats the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M in every way possible. There is a performance boost of up to 80% with the new processors.

Even though these improvements doesn’t make the MacBook Pro a gaming laptop like the gaming-focused Alienware, these new graphics processors will make a huge difference when you play games and use graphic-intensive applications and programs.

Playing games on Windows 7 via BootCamp is great and smooth. Graphic and processor-intensive game titles run smoothly.

BATTERY LIFE

Apple still provides the benchmark on battery life. Previous versions of the MacBook was already better than most of its counterparts. On a single charge the new 13-inch MacBook Pro will lasts up to 10 hours while the 15-inch and 17-inch models lasts 8-9 hours. Making the battery life longer really set its apart from its competitors. This what makes the MacBook Pro better than the other notebooks on the market.

The battery offers 1000 cycles (full charge and discharge cycles), which is three times the lifespan of usual notebook batteries. Charging time is also faster. Test has it 2 hours and 30 minutes to fully charge the battery of a MacBook Pro.

SOFTWARE

The MacBook Pro comes with the preinstalled iLife ’11 suite: iPhoto (making great slideshows), iMovie (video editing), Garageband (audio editing), iWeb, and iDVD. These programs are simple and easy to use, but the quality of these programs is very impressive.

HARDWARE UPGARDES and CONFIGURATIONS

Though the look of a Unibody casing is great, it doesn’t make upgrades, and replacing parts easy to the users. Replacing parts can be done but to those who are not confident in their skill and are not that tech-savvy, they still have to go to the Apple store or send the device by mail so that the parts can be replaced.

Consumers can pick up options to have their MacBook Pro specifications upgraded when buying them. 13-inch MacBook Pro can be upgraded up to 500GB 540-rpm hard drive; or 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB solid-state drive. Both 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro offers the same upgrades: 500GB 5400-rpm hard drive; 500GB 7200-rpm hard drive; or 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB solid-state drive.

WARRANTY

Apple’s offers the same warranty: 1-year parts-and-labor warranty and 90 days of toll-free, 24/7 phone support. Apple also offers the Apple Care Protection Plan that includes a 3-years of parts-and-labor warranty and phone support.

MODELS RECCOMENDATION

13-inch: For casual users. It is small and that makes it portable for day-to-day use. Recommended for students.

15-inch: More powerful than the 13-inch with the new Intel Core processor installed in it. Recommended for those who needs a lot more performance-wise, and a little more space than the 13-inch model.

17-inch: Recommended for those who need more space in doing their work, especially with photo and video editing, and willing to accept its size and weight.

CONCLUSION

By keeping the same look, but changing key components and optimizing them, Apple makes a great machine even better. The added CPU power makes it even faster and better and it is certainly felt. Even though these are great upgrades from the previous generations, it still doesn’t make these MacBook Pros a gaming laptop compare to other notebooks. If you are just upgrading from the previous models, it is better to pass on this because even though this year’s versions are better, it still does not warrant an upgrade. But if you are trying to have your hands on this beautiful machine for the first time, buy it, and you’ll never regret your decision. Overall, this new line of MacBook Pro still offers a great combination of performance, durability, security, design, and applications that can’t be found on other notebooks.