Customer Reviews

Apple MC372LL/A MacBook Pro 15-inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Length:: 5:08 Mins

Hopefully this video will help communicate how great this machine is.
It isn't without it's issues, but great no less.

This particular MBP is excellent. I use a Quadcore PC for graphic intensive work and picked up one of these to help with development work - webpages and research. This laptop blows away my Windows Quadcore, totally! It is so speedy. Startup in about 30 seconds, shutdown in 2-4 seconds, resume from sleep in 0-2 seconds. Applications open in seconds and there are no lags, hiccups or awkward moments when you wonder whether your computer is out for tea. OS X is solid with lots of innovations such as quicklook which save heaps of time. PDF files can be viewed instantly. Images can be multi-selected and viewed swiftly or in slideshow mode. Wonderful zooming. With Windows laptops a wireless mouse is an absolute must. I bought a Logitech desktop set in anticipation for using with the MBP, but I use the touchpad 90% of the time. It's so useable and responsive. The screen is gorgeous - yummy good. I like how the Mac OS is so simple and easy to use, plus there are some really good freeware apps to improve things.
Here are a few.
PathFinder - not free - tabbed Finder with dual panels. A Must!
iGetThingsDone - Task organiser
NeoOffice - completely free office suite
Opera Browser - although I use Safari 95% of the time, I do use Opera to grab html and image elements from websites
Carbon Copy Cloner - backup util
ClamXAV - antivirus
Burn - backup and write DVD's / CD's
Filezilla - FTP / uploading files
GrabberWindow - essential - takes screenshots
Inkscape - vector app
Jalbum - create online photo albums
Jumpcut - souped up clipboard
Journler - excellent for note taking
MacSword - Bible browser / study
Mindnode Pro - Mindmapping. Not free - buy the pro version has lots of plusses over the free version
ffmpegx - convert videos
Name Mangler - batch file renamer
Qumana - remote offline blogging
Seashore - image editing like photoshop
Sidenote - desktop note reminder - unobtrusive and handy
unRarX - unzipper - recommended
VLC - movie player
Vox - music player
VMFusion - not free but affordable - run Windows without leaving OS X

There's no reason to buy a Windows laptop when Macs are this good.
Can't recommend this one enough. In terms of heat, I use my own workaround just in case even though I haven't noticed it get hot at all. I chopped up an eraser into 1 cm segments and have placed one at each corner. This 1 cm gap ensures the laptop keeps cool, plus the rubber eraser won't let the laptop slip from side to side. I was going to buy a Rain MBP stand but the erasers seem to do the trick.
I don't play games on my MBP. Laptops, be they Windows or Apples, are not made for playing graphics intensive games. Slim bodies aren't able to cope. Eventually the heat will destroy the internal components. I have been tempted to play Grid on my MBP but just to see the stunning level of detail obtainable. I will leave on Grid just to demo for 5 minutes every 6 months or so. But the sensible rule is No intensive games.
Older games should be ok. But it doesn't make sense to spend so much money on such a machine and then waste it on games.
My only gripe is that MBP's should come with video adapters included in the box, or a coupon so buyers can pick them up free from a local istore.

The MacBook expensive, no HDMI, could use two more usb outlets, but using it is another story. It just kicks butt!!!! Fast, beautiful graphics, and high-octane preformance. Set-up was easy, and the it sort of grows on you because of the ease of operation. And mind you, this is from someone who until recently never used a Mac at all. I still use a PC ( I also have a Samsung N-150 Netbook), but I find myself using the Mac more often. If you can afford it, GET IT.

PS: Get the AppleCare Protection Plan if you can.

Been running my new MacBook Pro for about 4 weeks now and it's handled just about anything I've thrown at it. Primarily used for web development and digital photography, there's very few hiccups found on this machine. Apple's software, as always, is solid and full featured, but not necessarily deep with customization.

Pros:
+Incredibly slim and light
+Beautiful screen
+Games modestly
+Works right out of the box with no junkware

Cons:
- Gets INCREDIBLY hot, it will burn you if you game on your lap
- For the hardware it's pricey, but you pay for the entire package

I've been waiting for an eternity (feels like it anyway) to get a laptop. I'm glad it waited, this one is great. So far, I have no complaints. The battery holds up well, it's built very solidly, and runs fast.

Yes, the screen is glossy, but I haven't found it to be annoying in the slightest.

Yes, it gets warm after using it for a while, but not too bad, and the aluminum body seems to be good at dissipating the heat.

And yes, I was stressed out about spending so much, but now that it's all over, I zero regrets.

I love it.

It is getting tough finding flaws in Apple's laptops.

After I got the iPad, I'm pretty sold that I don't need a real computer for about 75% of things I used to use one for. However, I was a SysAdmin in college and currently a daily photojournalist so I simply cannot do my job without a UNIX or OS X based computer. I have quite a history with Apple laptops. This list reads like the casualties in an Agatha Christie novel:

-Powerbook 160 - battery finally died
-Powerbook Duo - Failed Motherboard
-Powerbook G4 Titanium- retired after 5 dead IBM hard drives
-Powerbook G4 12" 867 mhz - dead due to motherboard failure
-Powerbook G4 12" 1.5ghz - sold to friend
-Macbook White - Dead after friend spills pitcher of iced tea on it
-Macbook White (2) - Keyboard failed
-Macbook Aluminum - Sold to Friend in need

So I go through these things like toilet paper, unfortunately. The rigors of my job do no favors either.

I upped for this 2.5ghz Core i5 model with the motivation I would hold on to this one for the next five years. So far here are my impressions....

-Fast, Fast, Fast
-Bright Display - colors feel a tad washed out if I get picky here. Display glare does bother at times.
-Decent battery life, but not quite sold on the 8 hour claim.
-Beautiful and sold construction
-Surprisingly decent external speakers ("Decent" is the key word. Most of the time I plug in my Skullcandy earphones.)
-Same great illuminated keyboard and glass touchpad
-Weight feels noticeably heftier than the 13.3"
-Windows 7 runs great (Bootcamp), but HOT as a stove burner. Windows power management sucks.
-SD card slot does me no good, my D700 only uses CF.
-Much improved Mag power connector to the old style that stuck out (the cables wore away all the time on those)
-No Blu-Ray drive. Apple makes a lot of excuses why they don't put one in, but it's all marketing crap. Give me Blu-Ray for my trips.

Overall, having used just about everything they've ever made, I would say this thing is probably one of the best computer, if not the best, Apple makes.
I'm still thinking sooner or later, my iPad will take more and more duties from this computer in the years ahead, but for now, when it comes to work, this Macbook Pro can't be beat.

At $2k, it ain't cheap, but if you need and really use a computer for work like I do, you can't find a better companion.

Our family has used Mac notebooks since the first 400 MHz Ti PowerBook, and this is the best one yet. The screen is the first reflective screen we have used, and, frankly, we were dubious about it because of the reflected images. It has turned out to not be a problem, even outdoors. The high contrast really makes photographs look beautiful. As delivered, this Mac runs quite hot, and has poor battery life. That is because many applications automatically switch on the NVIDIA graphics processor behind the scenes, and you can't prevent it from happening. I installed Cody Krieger's (free) gfxCardStatus, which lets you select either the Intel integrated graphics processor or the NVIDIA (or allow auto-switching). When you need maximum graphics performance, say for games, you select the NVIDIA with one click, but for everything else, run the Intel integrated GPU, and the Mac will run perfectly cool with 6-7 hours of battery life.

This product has a fatal flaw that would have been a deal killer if I had done a little research and read some of the threads on other websites, including Apple's, before I purchased this machine. This is my *third* one of these machines since October 5, 2010, when I placed the original order. The new mid-2010 MacBook Pros have graphics problems and no one can seem to figure out what it is and Apple doesn't seem to want to admit there's a problem. Every single machine I've had (including this one) has a suspiciously similar problem: graphics processing. The screen randomly turns into a mosaic/tiled look when using Safari and iTunes (both Apple products) and I have to turn the machine off to get rid of the problem. Two brand-new machines have gone into kernel panic. I spent this much money for a poorly designed product?? I'd like to think I didn't, but that would only be kidding myself. I plan to sell this machine and get a new model when Apple starts producing a MacBook Pro that doesn't ship with unresolved hardware problems. I love Apple products; this is my 5th or 6th Apple computer, but the mid-2010 MacBook Pros (*all* of them) have a very serious problem that should have been tested and resolved before the design went into production.

**UPDATE** December 5, 2010
I think I may have found a workaround of sorts to the problem I initially described. The machine I am working on now, which is the computer in which this review is listed, has done that tiled/mosaic effect thing described above a couple of times. Each time, I have gone into Energy Saver in the System Preferences menu and unchecked the box labeled "Automatic graphics switching". Each time, the tiled/mosaic look has immediately disappeared from the screen, without rebooting or any other action on my part. If you do this, you will have to uncheck that box every time you restart the computer because it appears that it is something that System Preferences wants to have checked and it will re-check that box after you have restarted the machine. Just remember to do that. I love the idea of dynamic graphics switching. Apple should have done more to ensure that it operated trouble-free, and acknowledge that there is a problem. I should not be having these problems with a computer that costs this much.

**UPDATE** January 15, 2011
I am getting rid of this machine as soon as I can. Regular kernel panics and the razor sharp front edge are the nails in the coffin.

Kernel Panic. It regularly goes into kernel panic, currently about once a week. I've got about 15 windows/tabs open in Safari, 10 or so text-only Word docs, 3 or 4 uncomplicated Excel files, and maybe 2 or 3 Acrobat Pro files, along with a few other normal things (solitaire, preview, iPhoto, etc.). This shouldn't be enough to cause a machine with the resources this one has to go into kernel panic. I should probably take it to the Genius Bar. I did that with the other two machines of this model that I had -- both pronounced defective.

Sharp Front Edge. The reviewer below is absolutely correct about the razor edge on the front. I thought it would be OK, but the *sharp* edge on the front is a truly painful experience that is starting to make me wince at the thought of sitting down at this machine. Thanks to my fellow reviewer for the info on the rubber protective sleeve. Maybe I can find one and make the machine ugly so I can have another reason to get rid of it.

Most disappointing Apple experience ever.

**UPDATE** March 9, 2011
Apple store put in a new main logic board under warranty, which includes replacing that dreadful graphics processor. Machine went into what appeared to be permanent kernel panic this morning. Nothing I did, including resetting PRAM, among other things, would keep the machine from going into kernel panic, usually while the apple logo that shows during startup was still on the screen. Just as a point of reference, the cost to replace the MLB is about $1500 ($500 for the board alone). Three days to repair. Machine has never worked better or faster. Hope it stays that way.

It's my First Mac experience and I have to say ....It is the Best Laptop in the Market.
Simply, I got the Best Design,the Best Battery Life ,and so Far the Best Performance (score ~6) in Windows 7(Bootcamp).....what do I need more??!!!.Very fast Machine,I've installed Parallel desktop in order to run Windows 7 and MacOSX @ the same time ,I still Get 4.5 score.The Built-in Intel Hd card can handle all Day-to-day tasks with great Battery Life.However, with the Nvidia 330 M ...believe it or not ,I was able to play 2 Movies@ 1080p, 10/15 Mbps @ the same time with more than 30fps.the Battery life stand for more than 8 Hrs "web surfing" .....
Worth every penny....

Ordered the Mac Book Pro 15 from Amazon. Got a good price , free shipping, and it came in quicker than expected. I have previously owned (2) HP desktop computers, and had problems with both. After listening to the chatter about the Mac computers, I took the plunge, and am so happy that I did. These things almost run themselves.They are pricey, but I feel that they are worth the extra money. For those of you that are thinking of getting a new computer, this is the way to go. It even loaded the necessary software to set up my HP7350 printer, with hardly any effort on my part. It is also much faster than my previous computers, and is fun to operate. Regards, GNB