| Brand: | Apple | ||
| Average Rating |
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Meet the ultimate mobile studio: the new 17-inch MacBook Pro. It features a breakthrough built-in battery that delivers up to 8 hours of wireless productivity on a single charge1 and can be recharged up to 1000 times—more than three times the lifespan of typical notebook batteries.2 The high-resolution LED-backlit widescreen display has a color gamut that’s 60 percent greater than that of previous generations. Two high-performance NVIDIA graphics processors let you choose between integrated and discrete graphics: Enjoy up to 8 hours of battery life with the GeForce 9400M, or take full advantage of 3D games and graphics-intensive applications like Aperture and Motion with the 9600M GT. The latest Intel Core 2 Duo processor at speeds up to 2.93GHz makes the new MacBook Pro the most powerful Mac notebook ever. And the all-new, glass Multi-Touch trackpad is clickable everywhere, so you have more control and more room for new gestures. All in a precision aluminum unibody enclosure that’s less than an inch thin. (1)Testing conducted by Apple in December 2008 using preproduction 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo–based MacBook Pro (17-inch) units with a Better Battery Life setting. Battery life depends on configuration and use. See www.apple.com/batteries for more information. The wireless productivity test measures battery life by wirelessly browsing various websites and editing text in a word processing document with display brightness set to 50%.(2) Apple does not warrant the battery beyond Apple’s one-year Limited Warranty. The battery has a limited number of charge cycles and may eventually need to be replaced by an Apple Service Provider. Battery life and charge cycles vary by use and settings. See www.apple.com/batteries for more information. more info
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
I should’ve bought this at the Apple store.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this laptop on through Amazon as a replacement for my older macbook pro, who’s videocard failed. The price dropped significantly within a week of my purchase and Amazon wouldn’t make an adjustment so I’m very disappointed in Amazon’s service but still love my Mac. The battery life isn’t what I expected and this model has been replaced by another model with a permanent battery and up to 8 hours life… so they say.
15 year PC con-vert to Mac. THIS model MacBook made me do it.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
What can I say? Maybe it’s my age catching up with me. I am not sure. I know that I was just tired of all the mess there is in keeping a PC up to date and always running. Drivers, inter-application support, all of this is just something PC owners deal with and have gotten use to. I’m tired of it.
I found the iLife suite of applications a perfect answer for everything I needed. iPhoto, iMovie and of course iTunes (which I was already using on the PC along with my iPhone) are just a joy to use. iPhotos “places, faces and events” are super cool. And it’s amazing how easy it is to get photos in and tagged. Everything about OSX just flows easily and never gets in my way. Everything works together smoothly and nothing competes with each other. i.e. WIndows Photo Viewer and Media Player both wanting to manange your pictures and videos DIFFERENTLY. Typical PC reply is “oh just download this other app and install this service and then run this codec pack and set this registry entry and you’re all set’” NO…I’M DONE WITH THAT. iLife and OSX WORK.
Now to the hardware.
I liked the previous generation MacBook Pro. It was missing some things though for the price. For one, it seemed to not really offer much in build and features I couldn’t get elsewhere much cheaper in a PC laptop. This was not to say I would buy a PC but it meant I was looking at the MacMini or possibly even the iMac. Something I didn’t really want to do. I wanted a laptop. So I waited. Another year with the PC…then finally these new ones hit.
I was blown away by the features videos and when I got to handle one in person…WOW. They are thinner yet completely SOLID. Picking one up or just smashing the keys and you feel like you’re using something God would use. I can rest my fat palms on the faceplate without worry. The new black backlit keys are MUCH easier to see and feel great! The buttonless touch pad (the entire thing is a button) is amazing. It’s like the iPhone except with the addition of a button. Which is perfect. Be nice if the iPhone could get this feature some how. The gesture support is spot on. It’s the first time I’ve ever used a touchpad and NOT wanted to get a mouse instantly. You can really use it all day and it’s transparent. It operates so smoothly. FINALLY.
The sound from the speakers is much improved. iTunes in the background or jamming out loud is very clear and full sounding for a laptop speaker. Nothing sounds harsh or crushed. They are laptop speakers mind you, but for that, they are the best I’ve heard.
The display is very clear and off angle is nice. I find the contrast to be pretty good and the 3D performance to be awesome. (and should be with a 9600). The auto switching to the slower power saving 9400 is a pretty neat trick too. I play World of Warcraft and EVE-Online and they both run quite smoothly. When running on battery there is a performance hit with the cycled down cpu and slower 9400, but you’d expect that. I also tried Team Fortress 2 via “Crossover for Games” and it ran very smoothly. With only a couple of small display glitches.
My only real complaint is the lack of USB ports, it has two. I really wish it had TWO more. My model has the express slot instead of the mini card slot. I find you have many more expansion options with the express slot. Including putting in your own mini card reader. So why limit your options?
Finally, Amazon’s price was $200 cheaper than Apple’s. I got no tax and free 2 day shipping on top of that, pretty sweet.
MacBook Pro’s Awesome!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This computer and the whole ordering and delivery process were fantastic. I’m a lifetime Mac addict and this laptop was a replacement for an 8-year old iBook that was still working but very slowly. The only thing I regret is that I didn’t have the foresight to wait until the WWDC and I bought this machine just a couple of weeks before it got a speed bump and a price reduction. Oh well – timing’s everything.
The Amazon description of the machine was in some ways even better than Apple’s (better consolidated and all in one place) and it was delivered to my doorstep exactly when promised. Plus, I was able to use my amazon.com Visa card and some of my reward certificates, didn’t have to pay local tax, and got free shipping.
This new MacBook Pro is incredibly fast, I love the glass screen, and I was able to initialize it in no time at all using the Time Machine backup of my desktop machine. Awesome computer.
WOW Best laptop your money can buy.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I own the latest 2.8Ghz MacBook Pro with 512MB of VRAM, 4gb 1024mhz RAM, new polymer battery, and optional 7200 RPM 500GB drive. I am using both Mac OS and Vista Premium using Bootcamp. I have used my MacBook Pro for a month.
Compared to my previous laptop (Dell XPS 1530: 2.0 Ghz, 2GB RAM, 256MB 8600GT VRAM), which was a very good laptop, the MacBook Pro is stunningly awesome. The MacBook Pro is far smaller and portable yet performs at MUCH higher level than my Dell ever did.
LOOKS
If the MacBook Pro was a woman, it would be Miss Universe. It is thin, light, and as portable as 15.4 inch laptop can be. Its aluminum casing is not only pleasing to the eye, but also pleasing to the touch as well. There is no cheap plastic anywhere to be found.
PERFORMANCE
Vista Performance Index rates my MacBook Pro at 5.5 (5 is considered very good). The only reason why it is not higher is because the Nvidia 512MB 9600 is not awesome (but still very good) in 3D graphics performance. It is worth noting the 9600 laptop graphics card still performs better in 3D graphics than majority of desktop graphics cards of today.
From a usability perspective, this laptop is blazing fast. There is no noticeable lag between CPU and Memory as I have seen with my Dell XPS 1530 laptop (Dell is undermining the performance of its laptops by using cheaper and subpar memory chips). The BUS on this system is also top notch as well.
When I play BioShock on Vista, the graphics looks very crisp and the overall responsiveness is very good.
Bottom line: you will not be disappointed with the performance of this laptop unless you are comparing it to that of a high end desktop. Certainly, you will be hard pressed to find any medium size 15.4 inch laptop that can even duplicate MacBook Pro’s overall performance.
TOUCHPAD and SOUND
The new touchpad is the mouse reinvented. The new touchpad is so good, this is the ONLY laptop which I do not carry a separate portable mouse. The new touchpad is large, responsive, and just has that WOW factor to it. THE NEW TOUCHPAD, BY ITSELF, IS A GOOD REASON TO GET A MACBOOK.
On Vista, the touchpad works almost as well as it does on Mac OS. The only feature missing in Vista is the ability to twist pictures and other objects (not all apps in Mac OS support this feature either).
The sound quality is good, but not terrific. On Vista, the MacBook produces maybe 60% of maximum volume it can produce on Mac OS. I have tried reinstalling drivers on Vista but to no avail. I wish MS or Apple will fix this problem (I am sure this is a driver, and not a hardware, issue).
PORTABILITY, BATTERY, and HEAT
Because of its small form factor and solid all aluminum body, the MacBook Pro is eminently portable. I have had many of laptops (about
both for work and for personal use, and this laptop is BY FAR the most portable of all.
The battery lasts around 7 hours when I run the Mac OS (9600 graphics card turned off). The battery lasts 4 hours when I run the Vista Home Premium edition (9600 graphics card turn on because it can’t be turned off in Vista). My main concern, however, with running Vista on this laptop is not with the battery life but with excess heat output.
This laptop is flat and the hottest portion of this laptop is concentrated in the rear bottom. When placed on a flat surface, much of the heat is trapped underneath. The MacBook Pro can overheat to a point where it is uncomfortable to touch the upper surface near the keyboard. The heat isn’t much of a problem with Mac OS, but with Vista, the user must be careful. I strongly advice using MacBook on a open bottom surface, such as laptop stand with an open bottom surface area for ventilation, when using Vista. You laptop will last longer.
Mac OS vs VISTA
I was pleasantly surprised that Mac OS can now run Flash and Adobe Acrobat Reader. The compatibility between Mac and PC is closer than ever. MS Entourage (part of Mac Office 2008) is compatible with MS Exchange email, calendar, and contacts. Overall, I am impressed with the Mac OS Leopard. But its achilles heel is still software availability. Although Apple has greatly expanded its library of available Mac compatible software, most softwares, particularly video games, still do not run on Mac. For Vista, and its successor Windows 7, to better compete against the Mac OS in the laptop market space, it needs to greatly enhance its battery life and substantially lower its heat output.
FLAWS
I have only two gripes
1)Vista cannot utilize the full range of sound the MacBook hardware is capable. Notably, the maximum volume is too low. This can be easily fixed by Apple by updating the sound driver in BootCamp (HINT).
2)The Caps Lock button is extremely easy to press. So easy, I wish I could find a way to disable the key.
Good Computer
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased the Mac Book Pro and it is a great laptop, I have the one that has 500GB hard drive space. The only down fall about Mac is that they have their own programs which I do not like.
I have used Windows since forever, I love my brand new Mac Book Pro but I am not satisfied with it because I cant use my old programs, it is very frustrating. So I have decided to convert my files.
Besides that problem that I have, Mac Book Pro is an amazing computer and it is beautiful but, before buying this laptop, prepare yourself and look around. Alot of people dont buy Macs like the way they do with other laptops like Compact,Sony Viao, Acer, and so fourth.
Apple Macbook Pro 15.4″ laptop
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
After been alienated by microsoft and its ms-dos and windows world for over 30 years, I have to confess that it is not easy to deal with this new environment (particularly the “finder” shell of its operating system). Analyzing the product from a computer first timer perspective, there is no doubt that will beat any intuitive machine contest in the world. Perhaps is like almost everything else in life: just a matter to get used to it, but if you asked me now, after having the machine with me for a couple of weeks, and still having this frustration sense of knowing what I’d like to do, but don’t knowing how to get it done, I would think it twice before getting into the mac world.
Great, not Excellent
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is my first mac to own, and i must say; it’s an overwhelming experience, the OS is just a breeze to learn and the touch pad is so fun to use that you eventually hate using anything else besides it.
The Machine is quite, worked smoothly with no glitches to mention so far. I currently use it for video editing and graphics creation and it didn’t let me down just yet. the build is solid and rigid, and it looks awesome.
The only downside is the fact that you’re stuck with only 2 USB ports I usually connect a WACOM tablet to the thing and that uses one. and one USB port these days wont do you good.
I must say this thing performs like a champ. If you really value peace of mind, simplicity and powerful performance get this baby or you can check out the newer lineup released by Apple recently.
Great computer, but with scratches
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
As the title says, the computer is great, it is much more than I expected considering I moved from PC platform to Mac. Every thing just works fine, no bugs, no hassles. This Macbook Pro is a 2008 model, but I found it very powerful and fast compared to my Vaio FZ-180e.
The only annoyance had nothing to do with the laptop conception or functionality: it came with scratches on the right side of the lid. Also, when I installed aditional memory I found a lot of dust inside it, which made me wonder that this notebook could have been in some showcase at Datavision Computer Video store in NY, from where it was delivered.
I’ve tried to contact the store by e-mail through the proper service at Amazon’s site, but received no word about it. And since I’m not in the US right now, I just got stuck with a new computer that looks old. So, the reason I rate it no so good is due to its handling by the store, not because the quality of the equipment which I think it is superb.
BEST COMPUTER
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
honestly if you have enough to buy this computer but feel like saving money and going for the Dell, DONT. Dells suck terribly and even though you are paying a lot more up front for the mac and you might not be used to it at first, in the long run you are saving money and its just a way better computer. Dell screwed me over with tons of money and three computers that all became outdated very quick and even crashed, I have yet to encounter a problem with my mac and I do alot of work with music on it! Seriously the best investment I ever made, I will never consider buying windows again. The best part about this computer is the touch trackpad for the mouse, once you understand how to use all of its features, which is pretty quick, you will wish every computer had one. It makes web browsing and everything else so much easier!!! Go for it, this computer rocks the screen looks amazing!!!! Apple MacBook Pro MC118LL/A 15.4-Inch Laptop!
The Promised Land…
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I never thought it was possible to be this excited over a laptop but I have done it. This machine is spectacular! I have been a windows user for my whole life (NOT by choice) and I thought computing was going to be mediocre and droll but Apple has flipped my world upside down. This is going to be a very short review because All I can say is I will NEVER buy a PC again!
Great so far
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve had the macbook pro for a few hours now and so far I am quite impressed. This is my first ever laptop, which I figured I would need after college. My last computer was a 20 inch intel iMac that was pretty darn fast – but certainly not as fast as this laptop is.
I am most impressed with the speed of spotlight and programs in general.
The only con – and I can tell it is something that will upset me over time – is the sharp corners (those formed where the keyboard surface and side meet), and by sharp I merely mean annoying on the wrists when typing. Luckily I will be using a 24 inch screen and seperate keyboard and mouse most of the time so this shouldn’t be too bad.
The best laptops around
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The quality of these machines is awesome! This is the choice for people who need durable, dependable and high-quality performance. The OS is simply the best – for any need. Purchase this with the iWork software and you are complete. I have 5 years working on Mac’s and I will never change my opinion. The display is ultra crisp , the start-up time is like 20 seconds, the workflow is smooth and fast, with no crashes. The battery performs extremely well – like 3:30. The unibody enclosure is very sleek and durable. Simply the best computers in the market.
MacBook 15″
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This MacBook has performed in its usual stellar way. Faster than my previous book by long shot, it has phenomenal memory reserves which give it great computing power and speed. Recommended highly!
Awesome Computer!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Having spent most of my computer time with PC, I have had far too many gliches and down times with viruses and malware to be optimally productive. Not having my own personal IT Department to tend to my many computer concerns, this became expensive not to mention a bothersome nuisance. Since switching to Apple, I’ve been very impressed with superior customer service I got from the Apple Store! I am also AMAZED at how user friendly this MacBook Pro laptop is! The screen is very clear and image-sharp, the icons are readily available at the bottom of the screen, I can customize this desktop many different ways, I LOVE how the keypad lights up in diminished room lighting so that the letters and numbers don’t wear off like my old PC and most importantly for me, I especially enjoy not getting PC hassles and computer downtime any more….. I’m converted!
Battery Life Galore! Now. . .I’m a MAC.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I just converted to a Mac Book Pro from a Sony Vaio. What a difference!! I’ve never had a laptop with such a long battery life which is key because I travel a lot for work. It’s also super light weight so it doesn’t bog me down when I’m carrying all of my work stuff through airport security. I’ve had it for about a month now and have not experienced even one single problem. Transferring my files was a cinch, but it takes a minute to get used to the new operating system. I watch movies on it, do presentations on it, browse the internet and check my mail. So nothing terribly intricate, but I feel like my internet connection is way more reliable than it was on my old computer.
I can’t see any reason to go back to a PC and probably never will. I have an iPhone and syncing up everything is also really easy now. OH! And I can’t forget iPhoto and Garage Band!! What GREAT applications. I like how the iPhoto software recognizes everyone’s faces.
I recently bought an electronic drum kit to practice in my apartment. I plan on hooking it up to garage band and seeing what options this application has for that. I’ll update this post later.