“Apple has done a complete and meaningful redesign of its top-selling commercial notebook, the MacBook Pro, for durability, serviceability, energy efficiency, and eco-consciousness. A one-piece, rigid, machined aluminum frame (“unibody”) forms the MacBook Pro’s internal structure, a design feature it shares with the new aluminum MacBook and MacBook Air. As with the MacBook Air, the clamshell laptop that upended the thin-and-light PC notebook market, Apple made some marvelously unorthodox design decisions for the MacBook Pro,” Tom Yager reports for InfoWorld.
“All the external I/O ports have been moved to one row along the left side: Ethernet, 800MHz FireWire, two USB 2.0, DisplayPort, audio-in/out (analog and optical), and ExpressCard. Apple has moved the battery charge gauge from the bottom to the left side as well,” Yager reports.
“There are a few steps backward from last year’s model, but these are generally minor. On the criteria that matter most to me — durability, longevity, flexibility, power efficiency, and ecological impact — I’ve yet to come across a mainstream notebook that measures up to the unibody MacBook Pro. Apple’s MacBook Pro is still the best notebook you can buy,” Yager reports.
Full review here.
Related articles:
BusinessWeek: Apple’s winning streak keeps going with new MacBook, MacBook Pro models – November 05, 2008
Apple’s new 15-inch MacBook Pro: HDD vs. SSD shootout – October 27, 2008
50 man-hour MacBook Pro review with video and more – October 24, 2008
Part II: Ars Technica reviews Apple 15-inch MacBook Pro: aesthetics, horsepower, and slick features – October 22, 2008
Houston Chronicle: Glossy LED-backlit display is a strength of Apple’s new MacBook Pro – October 21, 2008
Ars Technica reviews Apple’s new 15-inch MacBook Pro: You’ll fall in love – October 20, 2008
CNET: Hands-on with Apple’s new 15-inch MacBook Pro – October 17, 2008
PC Magazine reviews Apple’s new 15-inch Macbook Pro: ‘Among the best notebooks on the market’ – October 15, 2008
Apple unveils new MacBook, MacBook Pro, updated MacBook Air models; Updated white MacBook now $999 – October 14, 2008
comon 17″!
Got one the day after they came out. Absolutely love the improved graphics capabilities. Truly worth every penny
maczar,
What did you upgrade from? What sorts of things are better graphically on this new MBP vs. your prior machine?
Just thinking about an eventual upgrade. Probably next revision.
i7 processor upgrade will make me jump
u
p
!
Received mine the other day (2.53 ghz). Amazing machine. Glossy screen produces vivid colors. IMO much better than a Matte screen. Very quiet.
Apple continues to create works of art.
Before I let anybody near, I drape a towel over the keyboard to catch the drool.
And does it run cool. Real cool.
Does anyone know if Snow Leopard will make use of the RAM in the video cards? I am wondering if 512 MB version would be better than the 256 MB version come next June. I know that currently 512 is over kill and most people don’t need it and I am not a big gamer.
@cubert
Last December, bought a 24″ iMac with intel graphics. Great machine, and still have it. But it doesn’t play advanced games that require high graphics cards. Back in February I bought one of these games (CSI Hard Evidence), only to find that it would not play on the iMac. But it does quite nicely on the new MBP. Of course it only plays on windoze via Bootcamp. But it plays well.
Wait, is it even possible to buy a 24″ iMac with integrated graphics?
@Logan
“Wait, is it even possible to buy a 24″ iMac with integrated graphics?”
Not since the white iMacs.
http://www.apple.com/imac/specs/
Old ATI graphics cards, they may as well be integrated.
800MHz FireWire???
InfoWorld does not know that transfer rates are in Mbits/sec?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FireWire