Customer Reviews

Apple MacBook Pro MA464LL/A 15.4" Laptop (2.0 GHz Intel Core Duo, 1 GB RAM, 100 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

It's the most stunning idea, isn't it? This top of the line MacBook Pro is the fastest Mac Notebook ever, and probably one of the fastest Macs period.

When Steve Jobs announced the new Macs, with Intel Core Duo processors I was almost certain I wanted to buy one. Why? Macs are well known for ease of use and capabilities, but they have managed all that for years, with processors that are not always top-notch. That all changed in January 2006.

Processor in the new MacBook Pro

The Intel Core Duo processor in the new MacBook Pro is an amazing chip. What have I noticed about the speed of the machine featuring this chip? It is incredibly fast. You'd be surprised by how much faster even web browsing is, when you have a processor as powerful as the Core Duo. However, what I've really been impressed by is doing things such as video encoding. I've encoded videos in H264 as much as eight times faster than my Powerbook G4. Furthermore, the iLife applications that are included on the MacBook Pro fly, with the speed. iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, and Garageband perform like never before. I've really been impressed by the speed.

The Core Duo is a great processor. It offers exceptional desktop PC performance, in a design that can fit in small computers and notebooks. It features two cores on a single die, which effectively gives you the performance of two processors. Don't let the 2 GHZ clock speed fool you. This Core Duo Chip will outperform 3+ GHZ Pentium 4 processors. It really is an amazing breakthrough, from Intel.

Video Card

The new MacBook Pro 2 GHZ model features an ATI Radeon X1600 graphics processor using PCI Express 256 MB of GDDR3 video memory. This is the best graphic card Apple has *ever* included in a notebook. This graphic processor will work well for most gaming, and it is great for viewing back complex H264 movies, including high definition videos. You can enjoy high definition H264 videos, without drop frames.

Ports -

The MacBook Pro features 2 USB 2.0 ports, 1 Firewire 400 port, Gigabit Ethernet, audio in/out, and Expresscard (34 slot).

Display - Apple touts the display on the new MacBook Pro as bright as the cinema displays, and there is no question: these displays are bright! Depending on your lighting condition, you'll almost certainly not turn the display to full brightness. I had to turn down the brightness, for it was hard on my eyes. However, it is nice to know the brightness is there, when needed. The native resolution is 1440x900 giving you plenty of screen real estate, to keep the applications you need visible.

Video out - The new MacBook Pro has a DVI video output. An adapter is also included to output VGA. There is an optional adapter available to output S-Video and composite video. Furthermore, the DVI video out supports up to a 30-inch Apple Cinema Display (or other comparable display). This gives you great possibilities. You can easily use your MacBook Pro on the road, but plug it into a keyboard, mouse, and huge display, when at your desk. The perfect all around system.

Memory - This Mac is a powerhouse and 1 GB of memory (thats included) will get you started nicely. However, you may consider adding even more memory at some point. The MacBook Pro supports up to 2 GB of memory. It uses PC5300 DDR2 - SODIMM modules.

Applications -

Apple includes iLife '06, which has iPhoto, iMovie, iWeb, iDVD, and Garageband. There is the Safari web browser, the always useful iCal, AddressBook, iChat, etc. Overall, I was pleased with the included software.

iLife 06 is particularly great. I love the new full-screen photo editing, photo comparing, etc. You can now also order calendars and greeting cards made with your photos, direct from Apple, by using the iPhoto software. iMovie has new themes, which helps make professional-looking home movies, and iDVD now supports widescreen DVDs. iWeb is a brand-new applications, which makes it easy to create professional quality webpages, quickly. I can't wait to rebuild by site using iWeb. Apple continues to make it easy to create music, manage your digital images, make movies, and create web sites.

A trial (30 day) of iWork '06 is also included, which includes the page layout program Pages, and the presentation program Keynote (which makes presentations that blow away presentations made by rival Powerpoint).

Hard Drive -

This model of the MacBook Pro includes a 100 GB 5400 RPM hard drive. This is going to be sufficient for most people to hold their photographs, music, and some videos. However, others will need more space, so you can always use an external drive, when at your desk. It is also important that you remember to backup your important files to either another external hard drive, or DVDs. I only point this out because today with great machines like the MacBook Pro we're storing more of our great memories on computers than ever before, so make sure you don't lose them, if something happens to your machine. Apple includes a great backup program called Backup 3, if you subscribe to the .mac service. I use it all the time, and it simple interface helps me keep peace of mind.

Superdrive-

The optical drive included with the new MacBook Pro allows you to watch DVDs, listen to music, burn DVDs, and burn CDs. It is a slot-loading drive, so the disks slide magically in and out of the computer's right side. There are no drawers to break off. Note - The drive does *not* burn dual layer DVDs.

Front Row Experience - Apple has included a new software title that at this time is only available on the iMac, Mac Mini, and MacBook Pro. Front Row. Front Row comes with your MacBook Pro, and a remote control is also included. Front row allows you to watch and listen to media items, on your computer, from across the room. Click one button on the remote, and bring up Front Row, for quick access to your music, movies, podcasts, DVD, and more. I like this feature, but I wonder how useful it is, since I'm usually sitting right in front of the computer and can just use a mouse, to access this content.

PowerPC Applications on Intel Machine

If you own a lot of software for Mac, then most of it is probably compiled for PowerPC. Developers are working hard to make titles run natively on both Intel and PowerPC, but many titles are not yet ready. However, many titles you can use on an Intel Mac because Apple has included Rosetta, which translates the PowerPC code into something the Intel machine can read. However, you never see Rosetta for it works quietly in the background and makes running PowerPC applications seamless. Microsoft Office, for example, works perfect under Rosetta. Intensive applications such as Photoshop will run under Rosetta, but it will be slower until Adobe has an Intel compiled version of Photoshop. Rosetta does work and if you add memory to your iMac, you may find such application somewhat equal to how it would perform on a 1GHZ PowerPC G4, from my experience.

Two titles I use EyeTV and Toast 7 are not yet compiled for Intel, but they run fine on my Intel Mac, under Rosetta. Again, you don't have to open anything special to use Rosetta. Your Mac knows when it needs it and uses it.

Wireless- The MacBook Pro can still connect wirelessly to networks using its included Airport Card. Furthermore, it features a Bluetooth module to connect wirelessly to devices.

Design - This MacBook Pro is beautiful, and you notice the quality as soon as you begin to open the box. It is packaged with care, in beautiful packaging. The MacBook Pro is thin, and the display is beautiful. The Mag Safe Power Connector is another amazing design feature on this machine. If someone or something pulls on the power cord connected to your notebook, instead of the notebook flying, the magnet on the connector releases, leaving your MacBook Pro safe.

Overall, I am very excited about the MacBook Pro. It is incredibly fast on Intel-native applications, and it does a very good job running PowerPC applications. If you're upgrading from a G4 Mac like myself, this machine will seem to fly. If you're upgrading from a G5 based Mac, it will be faster on native applications, but the increase in performance will be less significant to you. The Intel machines are the future of Apple, so there is no question this is a good machine, and it is powerful enough to be a good computer, for quite some time. I'm happy with my purchase, and I look forward to continue exploring my Intel Mac in the coming days

After the hype of the Keynote in San Francisco in January, I decided to finally take the plunge and revisit the world of apple after an absentia of >20 years. Yes, my last apple was a 48kb IIE.

So here is my mini-review after 1 week of use.

Packaging and Aesthetics : Excellent, light weight, fantastic build quality.

LCD Display: Nice, but not as nice as the Fujitsu/Sony's

OS: Very nice OS compared to windows XP. Easy to use. But one big caveat. I am surprised that OS X took up so much space! Found a 2GB folder with nothing but printer drivers. iWorks is 2GB NB MS office is only 561 MB. On a fresh MBP, almost 20 GB of harddisk spaced used at the outset....So for all those who think Windows is bloatware think again.OS X might be worse in this respect.

Battery life: Average 3hrs of use. 2hrs + if playing a DVD.

Features:
Pros: iSight built in. Magsafe to prevent my 4 year old from tripping. Remote control!

Cons:where is the FW 800, Dual layer burner and my modem!

Performance: Fast with optimized universal binary software.

Packaged software:
Pros:iLife 06- Great!,Front Row- Fantastic, Dashboard!
cons: should have bundled iworks for free rather than just a trial.

Software availablity: Most stuff that you do on a PC is available. One big hole is in the games dept though.

Overall, my conversion to the Macworld has been an easy one although I have to admit I won't be throwing away my PC as the workplace remains PC only.

Conclusion: A solid 4.5 Stars

Before I begin this review I'd like you the reader to know that this is my first Mac - I've been set free from the PC world for the most part now and it is awesome! I brag to my co-workers about how nice it is to use the MAC OS over Windows. I can see now what everyone before me has talked about in their reviews of Apple's computers. It take a little patience to learn the Apple OS, but in no more than one week you should be feeling confident while moving around in the Apple world.

The MacBook Pro has essentially everything you could want in one, well-designed package. To say this is a really great computer is an understatement. I highly recommend it. I enjoy all the little additions that apple has put into it the design that make it so user friendly.

Major features of this computer are the illuminated keyboard, the built-in iSight camera (which is really fun especially with kids), built-in Bluetooth, and its ultra-sharp LCD screen make it very attractive to someone looking to buy a new computer. I am also amazed at how slim it is, especially when you consider how much it has inside it. When it's connected to my Logitech 2.1 speaker system, I find that the sound quality I get when using iTunes is outstanding!

There are two areas of improvement that I am eager to see overcome. One is that I wish there was more available native software that works on the Intel-native MacBook Pro. I've been reading that there are software companies working on updating/revising their products to work on the new system so I don't really see this as being a long-term problem, rather just a minor annoyance (all the old software works, but the speed is much slower than when using a native Intel app). Second observation is this machine can get very hot. I had to buy a notebook-cooling pad so it doesn't overheat. I have a ThinkPad I use for work (not by choice), and when comparing the heat it generates compared with the MacBook Pro I realize how hot the MacBook Pro can get compared to other computers.

In the end, I looked at a lot of other computers and decided to get this one. I am glad I did.

If you're considering buying a MacBook pro consider exactly what type of user you are, power, casual, gamer, wordprocessor, etc. before stepping into this product. What you get from the feature reviews is a lot about system specifications, which will help you determine if the machine is cutting edge enough for you, but might not necessarily help you determine if the MBP will fit as nicely as your favorite pair of shoes.

I believe the system specs were covered in the feature reviews, or you can just go to Apple's website and pull down the same information, so let me try and cover what hasn't been covered yet.

If you are like me, and hate carrying around a heavy piece of equipment from place to place, the MBP is a good option. It is very portable, at just over five pounds, it is a great choice for a user who is always on the move. Even with the battery pack in the case I find myself not complaining about the weight.

However, this portability does have a draw back - in creating a compact notebook the components are very close together and the mechanisms for maintaining cool temperatures inside the MBP are not quite up to par. Anyone who has actually used a MBP for more than an hour will tell you that even during normal operation it gets very warm to the touch, and sometimes too hot to use comfortably. If you are the type of person who likes to use a laptop on the lap or to type for long periods of time directly on the device, the MBP might not be for you. Because the case is metal it acts as something of a heat-sink, meaning that the entire device will eventually get warm, if not very hot. This is by far the biggest drawback of the MBP. If the device was always cool to the touch and you could set it on your lap I would have given it 5 stars, but alas, such is not the case.

If you are like me and will be using the MBP as a primary device at a desk or workstation, I highly suggest buying a secondary keyboard and a mouse for it. You will find yourself getting very uncomfortable with the heat if you don't.

Secondly, in response to what other users have said about the MBP not seeming as fast as other macs, I would say that this is true only initially before apple's programs are converted to Universal Binary (a code which can be run natively on the Core Duo). Applications which run on the MBP or any apple with an Intel chip and are not marked by the Universal logo, run under a seamlessly integrated program called Rosetta. Because Rosetta as to translate the application into a code that Intel processor can understand some of the "speed" is lost. However, with a little patience Apple will role out more UB apps in the future, thereby taking advantage of the MBP. I was running one of Apple's most robust programs "Aperture" on my MBP flawlessly.

In closing, I just want to say that my biggest suggestion to people is to consider the heat issue and consider how you use the computer. If you're looking for a true lap "laptop," I'd look elsewhere (or at the plastic covered MacBook). If you're looking for a mobile powerhouse pick up the MBP.

I went from a G4 powerbook to a macbook pro. The new machine is definitely a more powerful and faster computer (and it runs less hot). If you use your computer for the standard functions -- word processing, web browsing, watching movies, downloading photographs and the like -- you won't notice that much increase in speed, however, because most software has not yet been rewritten for the new intel chip. I really notice the juice when I use software that has been updated -- for example, Mac's own web-browser, Safari. There the acceleration is really obvious.

But if you are still happy with your older mac, you might want to wait a bit before investing in this new computer, until more programs have been adapted to the chip. I have encountered a couple of problems trying to use programs at my university library which just have not yet been updated even for the new Safari. It's frustrating when your computer is out ahead of the rest of the software, sometimes even rendering it unusable.

Also, I was a little disappointed that Mac did not take advantage of rolling out their intel chip to make design changes in the appearance of the computer. There are a couple of small changes in the look and functionality -- I like the new magnetic connection for the power cord, and, as they say, you can never be too rich or too thin. At one inch, this notebook is about as thin as they come. In spite of all that (and call me superficial), this machine basically looks just like my old one. I'd come to expect more dramatic visual innovations from the generally cutting-edge design team at Macintosh.

As for being able to run Windows too, why would one ever want to? Well, I'm not a gamer, I guess. I'm just not tempted by the dual functionality, especially since I'd have to pay money for a Windows program. Not happening.

I've been running on Apple laptops for the past couple years, so it seemed natural to grab one of these as an upgrade.

Let me start by saying it is a quality piece of hardware. My 15" unit has the same screen resolution as my old 17" G4, and is a great *potential* upgrade for 17" users tired of carrying an aircraft carrier sized laptop.

To better understand my 3 star rating, let me preface by saying that I'm an amateur photographer. So a couple key elements for me are being able to import and process my photographs.

The first gotcha -- no PCMCIA slot. Maybe the little slot they've put into my 15" model is a technical step up, but that doesn't help me be more productive with all me existing gear. Sure I can import directly from the camera, but I don't always want to have to drag it out and drain its battery. I often have several compact flash cards with pictures in them and shuttling them back into the camera is cumbersome. To me this was a real mess up on Apple's part. Many of us have large investments in PCMCIA hardware (microdrives, compact flash etc) and to arbitrarily muck that up seems like old school Apple arrogance.

Second gotcha, no Intel native version of Adobe Photoshop and while the PPC version runs, it suffers *terribly* in performance. Add to that that I've seen issues with minor file corruption when saving files from Nikon raw to JPG and its very clear that until the native version of Photoshop comes out, Intel Apples are crippled for anyone wanting professional level image editing.

My 15" MBP doesn't get uncomfortably hot while running, but the upper left hand corner warms up considerably while running all the old (PowerPC) applications.

Will I get rid of my 15" MBP? No. Would I recommend it to others, yes but with caveats. Think about what it is you need this machine to do for you. If you need a high performance application that hasn't been ported to the Intel version of the operating system, then stay away. If you're a typical office user who gets email, surfs and might use the built in video and picture programs then it will be ok for you.

I was on the fence for so long when it came to deciding on a laptop. Used, new, refurbished? I went with new, [...]

i love the backlit keybard. the "m" key looks like an inverted "w" because of the unsual font on the keyboard letters. This machine is super fast. I have already encoded 2/3 of my cd collection with itunes 6. It didnt take but a couple of hrs to encode 65 cds.

I, too, wish the screen went back a bit more for contorted computing but it should go back enough for most people.

This is my first date with os X so I am still trying to learn all the extensions like dmg, gz, tgz, and all that unixy stuff. But the system seems very stable running with a gig of ram. I have the 2.0ghz model.

The 2finger scolling feature (for horiz and vertical) on the trackpad is an awesome innovation. I do wish the trackpad prefs included sensitivity adjustment capability to go along with the speed.

Yes, the machine does get warm to hot but not dangerously so and it also depends on how long you use and what you are doing. I use a sweatshirt on my lap if I use it on my lap.

The camera which is built in is a nice touch, but i never use a webcam. I do wonder, however, if someone on the wireless network can look at me remotely with this thing. The reason I wonder is because it was so effortless to connect to the internet and when clicking on the airport icon, I see all kind of strange name and router device names, some with email addys. I don't even know if I am gaining or sharing access to the internet thru my wireless dsl modem or from someone elses but my surfing speed and download speed are lightning fast. The imovie hd update took about a minute and a half to download wirelessly (a 52Mb file).

Well, I am overall impressed with the machine and even more impressed that I knuckled down the cash to get it. It comes very well stocked with software so you save a ton right there. And, I know the are plenty of nice pc laptops for a fraction of the price out there but I have been a mac user my whole life. I am greatful for not having to suffer the bumpy transition of early os X incarnations. Tiger seems to on the right track but i do miss the quaintness of pre os X systems. I feel more grown up using this new system.

The mag plug for power is another great innovation. I don't intend on testing its limits ;) but I am confident it will do its job if I ever get careless after a night of heavy drinking. ;)

For most mac users this would be a great step up from whatever you owned prior especially when you compare to older laptop models. 5 stars is my personal opinion. If you decide to invest in one of these macbooks, I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy mine. Happy 30th, APPLE!

I received my stock MacBook Pro with 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo processor and 100GB hard drive last night, and this thing has completely blown me away. It is extremely fast, and that is not an overstatement in any way.

I also love the build quality, iSight camera, lit keyboard and the "wide" trackpad, which perfectly matches the wide screen. Not to mention it is extremely silent; all I can hear is the hard drive, and I haven't yet noticed the fans, even with playing Unreal Tournament 2004 at 1600x1200 (hooked up an external Dell display). It should also handle Doom 3 well, so I will test that once I get my hands on a copy. It seems like this thing is even a good gaming machine because it comes with a very good graphics card.

All that being said, I am not a gamer, but I do enjoy playing games occasionally, so it is important to me that I can do that well.

I had pretty high expectations for the MacBook Pro, and yet it still exceeded them. This is the finest computer, laptop or tower, that I have ever used. The Core Duo processor and faster bus really do make the MB Pro dramatically faster than the Powerbook G4s. Even mundane tasks like surfing the web are noticibly quicker. Front Row is a great multi-media browser and runs like a dream on Apple's latest laptop. Seemingly a small feature, the Mag-Safe power cord is actually very useful. Have already accidently caught the cord on something a few times and had it fall safely away from the MB Pro.

Had heard complaints of irritating noise from earlier buyers, but haven't experienced that problem with my MB Pro. The only complaint I really have is the lack of Universal applications right now. Programs run so much faster natively on the MB Pro than in emulation through Rosetta. By the end of the year, however, pretty much every current app should be Universal.

This is the finest Laptop I have had the pleasure to own. I have owned HP, Sony, KDS and IBM. None of these are close in quality to the MAC. Some folks have complained about the fan noise...I can't hear my fan run. The unit runs a little warmer than I would like but is much cooler than the Sony Vaio it replaced. We have 5 computers on our wireless network 2 Macs and 3 PC's. We will replace one of the PC's soon with another MAC.....Buy ANY Mac...you will not regret it.