Apple’s MacBook Pro laptop is the company’s first system to use an Intel processor. Similar to the iMac, the MacBook Pro features Intel’s new Core Duo processor (gone is the slow IBM PowerPC) which delivers up to four times the performance of the PowerBook G4 - claims the company - when running software that supports the new technology (Universal binary).
The MacBook Pro sports the usual gorgeous aluminium enclosure we’ve all come to love on the PowerBook G4, weighs only 2.5kg and is less than 25mm thick (smaller and lighter than the PowerBook G4), includes a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing on-the-go, and even comes with a diminutive matching infrared Apple Remote (looks like an Apple Shuffle MP3 player) and Front Row software for accessing your data across the room. The typing experience is still a pleasure (as is the backlit keyboard) and the touchpad is ideal for surfing, but the one-button mouse is a bit of a pain (especially if you’re migrating from a Windows XP laptop).
The £1779 model includes a 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo processor, up from the previously announced 1.83GHz, and is available now. The £1429 model includes a 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo processor, up from the previously announced 1.67GHz. In addition, you may now upgrade to a 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo processor as a build-to-order option on the Apple Online Store.
The new MacBook Pro also debuts Apple’s patent-pending MagSafe magnetic power connector, designed especially for mobile users. The MagSafe power connector charges the laptop’s battery by magnetically coupling the power cord to the MacBook Pro. The MagSafe power connector also safely disconnects from the laptop when there is strain on the power cord, helping to prevent the laptop from falling off its work surface when the power cord is inadvertently yanked. It is little design touches like this that really distinguishes Apple’s engineering vision.
If that’s not enough to whet your appetite, the MacBook Pro features a 67-per cent brighter 15-inch (1440x900-pixel) display, which at 300 nits is brighter than the PowerBook G4’s 180 nits, and offers a completely new system architecture for faster performance, including a 667MHz front-side bus and 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory expandable to 2GB. The slimmer slot-loading DVD±RW optical drive limits speeds to 4x, when the current max is 8x as found on the Powerbook G4. You can’t burn to dual-layer DVDs either, as you can with the PowerBook G4.
Intel’s Core Duo processor is actually two processors (up to 2.16GHz) engineered onto a single chip. It provides 2MB of Smart Cache, L2 cache that can be shared between both cores as needed. It delivers higher performance in 2D and 3D graphics, video editing, and music encoding. And the new engine is only part of the story. MacBook Pro has a frontside bus and memory that, at 667MHz, runs faster than any previous Mac laptop.
It’s also the first Mac laptop with PCI Express, Serial ATA hard disk drive (100- or 120GB drive) and ATI’s Mobility Radeon X1600 (128MB or 256MB of dedicated GDDR3 graphics memory) with Avivo technology for excellent graphics performance. Each MacBook Pro also includes built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), integrated AirPort Extreme 54Mbit/s 802.11g Wi-Fi wireless networking, infrared, scrolling TrackPad and Apple’s Sudden Motion Sensor technology which is designed to protect the hard disk drive in case of a fall.
There are only two USB 2.0 ports (competing 15-inch laptops usually have four or more) along with a 6-pin FireWire 400 port, product-deficient Express Card slot (not compatible with PC Cards), headphone jack, DVI-D port, and Gigabit Ethernet. The S-Video port has been sacrificed, but you can get a DVI-D to S-Video converter if you want to connect the system to a TV, and there’s no built-in modem (Apple offers an external USB modem if you still need to connect via dial-up).
Not only is the MacBook Pro a dream to use in terms of form and function, but it also comes with some really neat software. Every system comes with the latest release of Apple’s operating system, Mac OS X version 10.4 ‘Tiger’ and iLife ‘06, the next generation of Apple’s suite of digital lifestyle applications. All the iLife ‘06 applications are Universal applications that run natively on the new Intel-based MacBook Pros.
Though you can barely see it, the iSight camera built into the thin bezel just above the display is a fantastic addition. The benefit of the camera is that you can conference with colleagues during the day and chat with the kids at night. Alternatively you can just stare at yourself all day. iChat AV is an easy-to-use application that lets you video chat with up to three other people simultaneously. Photo Booth is another neat program that lets you take quick snapshots.
Intel’s Core Duo processor raises the Mac performance bar like never before when running native applications, which is fantastic news for consumers. The MacBook Pro is generally faster than the 15-inch PowerBook G4 at running Universal applications but how much faster depends on several factors, including how well-optimised for Intel processors the applications are, how much the applications take advantage of the MacBook Pro’s fast video card, and how well the software supports multiple processors. As a result graphics and media professionals should wait until their essential software applications - including Motion, Soundtrack Pro, DVD Studio Pro, Aperture, Shake, Photshop CS2 and Final Cut Express - are updated to Universal binary.
Mac OS X includes a software translation technology called Rosetta that lets you run most Mac OS X PowerPC applications, although you should expect a performance hit. Intel-based Mac customers have more than 700 universal applications to choose from and the list is growing each day with hundreds of developers including Adobe, Quark and IBM’s Lotus division announcing support for Mac OS X Intel-based applications. For a full list of Universal applications, go to
http://guide.apple.com/universal/.
Battery life was also a bit of an issue. The MacBook Pro ships with a 60Wh battery, slightly bigger than the PowerBook G4’s 50Wh battery, but it lasted about the same amount of time in our tests - around 3.5 hours (no extended battery pack). A major plus point is that the battery only takes a little over an hour to recharge. Overall, the MacBook Pro is a fantastic system which will really bring your multimedia experience to life. But if you’re a design professional you may want to wait a few more months until your favourite applications get Universal certification.
[8.5] - Editors' Choice
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Best Apple Mac Pricing UK]
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Best Apple Mac Pricing UK]
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