See the Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo) slide show.
Following on the heels of the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro and replacing the 17-inch PowerBook G4, the 17-inch MacBook Pro delivers many of the same beloved features as its little sibling, such as a scrolling track pad, the Sudden Motion Sensor, an excellent software package and adds a huge, bright 17-inch display that's great for graphics work. Better yet, our fully loaded test configuration powered through most of CNET Labs' performance tests, exhibiting only a few of the growing pains encountered by other Intel-based Apple laptops and desktops, such as the iMac Core Duo. Of course, such performance doesn't come cheap: The 17-inch MacBook Pro's default configuration costs AU$3,199 (upgrades on our review unit brought the price up). But for graphics professionals and other Mac users who have money to spare, the 17-inch MacBook Pro is a dream.
Design
With the MacBook Pro, Apple hasn't radically redesigned the PowerBook form factor, it has just made a few refinements to it. Measuring 392mm wide, 265mm deep, and 25.9mm thick, the sleek, aluminium MacBook Pro looks very similar to the 17-inch PowerBook G4 it replaces. At 3.1kg, the 17-inch MacBook Pro is a hair lighter than its predecessor and the lightest laptop of its size on the market. With its
AC adapter, which like other Apple laptops connects magnetically to the case, the MacBook Pro weighs 3.58kg. For the sake of comparison, the Dell Inspiron 9400 weighs 3.6kg, while the ToshibaQosmio G30 weighs 4.49kg.
Underneath the lid, the MacBook Pro extends the tradition of the PowerBook's minimalist design. The MacBook Pro has just a power button, a big keyboard framed by stereo speakers, a very large touch pad with a single mouse button, and a handy built-in iSight camera that sits above the display. Though the keys are a bit shallow, they're comfortable to type on, and we love the keyboard's backlighting feature, which adjusts to changes in ambient light levels. We don't like that the keyboard is located 137mm back from the laptop's front edge; we wish it were centred to encourage a more ergonomic typing position. The touch pad lets you scroll through long documents, Web pages, and spreadsheets by dragging two fingers down or across the pad, a terrific feature that's unique to Apple laptops. Arguably the 17-inch MacBook Pro's most stunning feature is its display: the large widescreen display features a fine 1,680 x 1,050 native resolution.
Features
The 17-inch MacBook Pro offers a decent selection of ports and connections, though it comes up a bit short of what you'll find on a similarly sized PC laptop, including the Inspiron 9400. That said, the MacBook Pro features three USB 2.0 ports; FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 ports; an ExpressCard slot; and a DVI port (VGA with included adaptor) for connecting to an external monitor. It's also equipped with Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (enhanced data rate), and you can access the Internet via 802.11g Wi-Fi radio and Gigabit Ethernet. As with the PowerBook, the MacBook Pro features a slot-loading SuperDrive that plays and burns DVDs and CDs. One new extra is the Apple remote that controls the included Front Row multimedia player. We wish, though, that the MacBook had a storage slot for it. Unlike most PC laptops, the MacBook Pro lacks a built-in media reader for flash memory cards, and there's no S-Video output or built-in modem -- both of which the PowerBook had.
The MacBook Pro ships with Mac OS X Tiger, highlights of which include the incredibly cool Spotlight search utility and the customisable Dashboard, a collection of handy desktop tools. Also included is the robust iLife '06 software suite, Front Row media centre software, and a handful of other apps. In addition, the beta of Boot Camp lets you turn the MacBook into a dual-boot machine that runs full versions of Mac OS X and Windows XP (though you need to purchase a full version of Windows separately).
Performance
The 17-inch MacBook Pro comes in one default configuration that costs AU$4,399. Though there aren't a lot of upgrade options, our review unit included RAM and hard drive enhancements that brought the price up. For that much money, you'd expect some pretty high-end specs, and the MacBook delivers; it has a fast, 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo processor; 2GB of speedy 667MHz DDR2 RAM; an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics card with 256MB of VRAM; and a blazing 7,200rpm, 100GB hard drive. Still, the MacBook Pro is a bit more expensive than similarly configured Windows laptops.
CNET Labs compared the 17-inch MacBook Pro against a number of older Apple laptops running the PowerPC processor as well as other Core Duo-based Macs. Unsurprisingly, the MacBook Pro trailed behind a PowerBook G4 when running Sorenson Squeeze, which requires the Rosetta translation program to run on the new chipset. But its ample amount of RAM and quick hard drive helped it power through our Photoshop CS test, in spite of Rosetta. (We expect the MacBook Pro's performance to even out once software publishers release more so-called universal binary apps; however, we recommend checking if your applications are or will soon be Intel-compatible before buying any new Apple system.) Of course, on native applications such as iTunes, the 17-inch MacBook Pro saw significant gains over the previous generation of PowerBooks. Likely due to its discrete graphics card, the 17-inch MacBook Pro displayed very respectable Doom 3 frame rates, though its 23.2 frames per second (fps) can't compete with the 56.5fps achieved by the Inspiron 9400 we tested.
(Shorter bars indicate faster performance)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
In our DVD battery-drain test, the MacBook Pro lasted 2 hours, 54 minutes--quite respectable for a desktop replacement that's not likely to see too much time away from the wall socket.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
Service and support
Apple desktops have a one-year local warranty. At Apple's support Web site, Mac owners can download the latest drivers and manuals. In the event of simple malfunctions, the company offers an online knowledge database and support forum for troubleshooting. Should the Mac require further diagnosis or repair, Apple will send a technician onsite to repair your computer. For the first 90 days, there will be complimentary telephone support to resolve any Mac related inquiries. If such a service is invaluable, the warranty can be upgraded to AppleCare Protection Plan for an additional AU$579 which extends the coverage to three years with an international telephone support and hardware troubleshooting.
dreamer152
30/05/2008, 03:37 AM
rating
10/10
I am writing this notice with macbook pro 17" and i love my mac...
Pros: Faster machine
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paulw
06/11/2007, 03:56 PM
rating
9/10
looks like a dream machine runs like one too
Pros: fast , easy ,stylish, you cant go wrong
Cons: If you can afford the sting,youll be stoked!
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samtrev
02/03/2007, 12:24 AM
rating
10/10
bloody brilliant
Cons: little bit too expensive but i think still worth the $$
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abeherbert
16/11/2006, 09:09 PM
rating
10/10
I had a Presario V5000 and it sucks!!! I can't listen to music on it cause it'll start slowing down a lot, but that is really hot! I'm packing my laptop up now to send it back... NOT SATISFIED!!!!!
Pros: The performance it has.
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macConvert
24/09/2006, 05:14 PM
rating
10/10
freakin amazing
I had a Toshiba P100 17" 1.8GHz core duo and it absolutely sucked compared to this.
This unit is so much lighter than other 17" notebooks - and so much thinner.
Windows runs great via bootcamp and the bundled software is better than what you get with a PC.
Overall I think this is the machine that will make sure I never by a PC notebook again.
It may be pricy but it is defintely worth it!
Pros: Great design. Lightning fast. Fantastic software Reliable. Great with boot camp for windows...I could keep going on and on...
Cons: It may not have a media card reader but it has a express card 34 slot. I bought a media card reader for this lsot on ebay for $40. This solves the only problem I HAD with this notebook.
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08/09/2006, 04:03 PM
rating
9/10
Awesome Laptop
This is a great machine with loads of features
Pros: Display
Webcam
Thin
Light(ish)
Good Performance
Illuminated Keyboard
Good Battery life for a Desktop Replacement
Runs Mac Os X
Cons: Heat
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wlea3217
15/08/2006, 10:40 PM
rating
10/10
the bomb
Pros: It is an absolute delight to use. I have never experienced such a beautiful computer. I was afraid to switch to MAC, but this machine is so easy to use. I'm converted for life!
I was originally thinking of running windows on it, but OSX is so amazing, I would want to compromise by running windows.
Cons: The only con is the weight.....but hey, it's 17inch!
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12/08/2006, 11:06 PM
rating
10/10
best machine i ever have!!!!
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