Apple MacBook Pro MC373LL/A 15-inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)

by Apple

• 2.66GHz Intel Core i7
• 500GB Serial ATA; 5400 rpm, 8x DVD/CD SuperDrive, 4GB DDR3 RAM
• 15.4 inch LED-backlit display, 1440-by-900 resolution
• Intel HD Graphics and NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with automatic graphics switching and 512 MB dedicated graphics memory
• Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard Operating System

Product Description

Amazon.com

The new MacBook Pro sets all-new benchmarks for Mac notebooks. This 15-inch MacBook Pro features an Intel Core i7 processor and next-generation NVIDIA graphics that bring high performance to everything from 3D games to photos and videos. Additionally, the MacBook Pro comes standard with automatic graphics switching that provides performance when you need it and energy efficiency when you don't--helping the built-in battery last up to 8-9 hours.

The 15-inch unibody MacBook Pro (see larger image).

As with previous models, the new MacBook Pro features a precision unibody enclosure crafted from a single block of aluminum, creating a thin and light mobile computing workhorse (less than 1 inch thin and just 5.6 pounds) that's also highly durable. And it includes a 15.4-inch, LED-backlit glass display as well as a glass trackpad that doesn't include a button (for larger tracking area) that features Apple's Multi-Touch technology.

This version of the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro (model MC373LL/A) features a 2.66 GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 500 GB hard drive, and 4 GB of installed RAM. Other features include integrated Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking, Bluetooth connectivity, an SD card slot, and two USB 2.0 ports (see full specifications below). It also comes with the Mac OS X Snow Leopard operating system as well as the iLife software suite, which includes the latest versions of iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand.

Key Features

Automatic Graphics Switching

The MacBook Pro offers excellent graphics flexibility with two video processors--the discrete NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M processor (with 512 MB of GDDR3 video memory) for heavier workloads and an integrated Intel HD Graphics processor for better battery life on the go. When gaming or using processor-intensive applications like Aperture or Final Cut Pro, you'll appreciate the power of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M, which brings more realistic game environments and virtual worlds playing at high resolutions and fluid frame rates. And the automatic graphics switching feature determines which graphics processor an application needs and switches instantly between the processors.

The backlit keyboard--great for typing in low-light settings
(see larger image).

Intel Core i7 Processing Power

The first level in Intel's latest processor family, the dual-core Core i7 provides a fast, responsive computing experience for your everyday tasks as well as image management in iPhoto, video editing in iMovie, and enjoying your entire music and HD video collection in iTunes.

With Intel's Turbo Boost technology, the Core i7 automatically speeds up your processor when it needs extra performance--making it a great match to processor-intensive applications like Aperture 3 or Final Cut Pro. The combination of greater L3 cache size and higher frequencies give you ultimate performance for the toughest tasks. And Intel's Hyper-Threading Technology enables each core of your processor to work on two tasks at the same time, delivering the performance you need for smart multitasking.

Buttonless Multi-Touch Trackpad

With no button on the glass trackpad, there's more room to track and click--left, right, center, and everywhere in between. Without a separate button, the trackpad gives your hands plenty of room to move on the large, silky glass surface. It also incorporates Multi-Touch gestures--including swipe, pinch, rotate, and four-finger swipe. And it also now supports inertial scrolling, an intuitive way to scroll through large photo libraries, lengthy documents and long web sites.

Key Specifications

• 15.4-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with edge-to-edge, uninterrupted glass (1440 x 900-pixel resolution).
• 2.66 GHz Intel Core i7 dual-core processor (4 MB shared L3 cache).
• Dual graphics processors with automatic switching between NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M (with 512 MB of GDDR3 video memory) for demanding applications and integrated Intel HD Graphics (with 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory) for power savings.
• 500 GB Serial ATA hard drive (5400 RPM)
• 4 GB installed RAM (1066 MHz DDR3; supports up to 8 GB)
• 8x slot-loading SuperDrive with double-layer DVD support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)

   

  

  The left (above) and right (below) sides of the MacBook Pro (see larger image).

   

  
• Built-in iSight camera for video chatting
• Wi-Fi wireless networking (based on 802.11n specification; 802.11a/b/g compatible)
• Gigabit Ethernet wired networking (10/100/1000)
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) for connecting with peripherals such as keyboards, mice and cell phones
• Two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port
• SD card slot
• Mini DisplayPort video output with optional adapters for DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI, and HDMI output
• Multi-Touch trackpad for precise cursor control with support for inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities
• Full-size backlit keyboard
• Stereo speakers with subwoofers
• Dimensions: 14.35 x 9.82 x 0.95 inches (WxDxH)
• Weight: 5.6 pounds
• Up to 8-9 hours of battery life
• Meets Energy Star 5.0 requirements

What's in the Box

MacBook Pro, display cleaning cloth, 85W MagSafe Power Adapter, AC wall plug, power cord, software DVDs, printed and electronic documentation

Limited Warranty And Service

The MacBook Pro comes with 90 days of free telephone support and a 1-year limited warranty, which can be extended to 3 years with the AppleCare Protection Plan.

Installed software

Mac OS X Snow Leopard is an even more powerful and refined version of the world's most advanced operating system. In ways big and small, it gets faster, more reliable, and easier to use. New core technologies unleash the power of today's advanced hardware technology and prepare Mac OS X for future innovation.

• Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard (includes iTunes, Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row, Xcode Developer Tools, and more)

iLife helps you do more with photos, movies, and music than you ever thought possible. In iPhoto, you can browse, edit, and share your photos in stunning new full-screen views. Create epic Hollywood-style movie trailers from your home video in iMovie. And GarageBand gives you everything you need to make a great-sounding song--including tools for keeping your song in perfect rhythm and guitar and piano lessons.

• iLife (includes iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iWeb, and iDVD)

AppleCare Protection Plan

Because Apple makes the hardware, the operating system, and many applications, the Mac is a truly integrated system. And only the AppleCare Protection Plan gives you one-stop service and support from Apple experts, so most issues can be resolved in a single call. Extend the complimentary service and support on your Mac to 3 years from the original Mac purchase date with the AppleCare Protection Plan. You get direct telephone access to Apple experts for technical questions, and you get global repair coverage--including both parts and labor--for your Mac and select Apple peripherals.

Optional Accessories and Related Products

	Apple Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter The Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter lets you connect an advanced digital monitor, such as the Apple Cinema Display, to your MacBook Air.
	Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter Use the Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter to connect your MacBook Air to a 30-inch display that includes a DVI connector, such as the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display.
	Apple Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter The Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter lets you connect a standard analog monitor, projector, or LCD that uses a VGA connector or cable to your MacBook Air.
	85W MagSafe Power Adapter Need an extra adapter for home or work? The MagSafe Power Adapter is held in place magnetically, so if someone trips over it, the cord disconnects harmlessly while your MacBook Pro stays put on your desk.
	MagSafe Airline Adapter With the MagSafe Airline Adapter, your MacBook Pro can go the distance no matter how long your flight. Just plug it into your airline seat power port to watch movies and stay productive from takeoff to landing.
	Apple World Travel Adapter Kit Essential for any traveler, this World Travel Adapter Kit includes the Apple USB Power Adapter, USB Cable, and six interchangeable AC adapter plugs that let you plug your Apple MagSafe Power Adapter, Portable Power Adapters, and AirPort Express into most electrical outlets around the world.
	Time Capsule Back up a lifetime's worth of memories with Time Capsule, a wireless hard drive that works seamlessly with Time Machine in Mac OS X. It's also a full-featured 802.11n Wi-Fi base station with simultaneous dual-band support. Choose from 1 TB and 2 TB models.
	AirPort Extreme Base Station Speed, range, and easy setup make AirPort Extreme the perfect wireless solution for home, school, and small business. It offers simultaneous dual-band support and lets up to 50 people share Internet access, a wireless network, a hard drive, and a printer.
	27-inch Apple LED Cinema Display The stunning 2560-by-1440 resolution, built-in camera and speakers, and easy connectivity of the 27-inch Apple LED Cinema Display add up to a viewing experience unlike any other.
	Apple Magic Mouse Magic Mouse is unlike any other mouse you've ever used. The Multi-Touch surface lets you use gestures to swipe through photos and scroll down web pages. And the entire mouse is the button, so you can click anywhere.
	Apple Magic Trackpad Magic Trackpad is the first Multi-Touch trackpad designed to work with your Mac desktop computer, and it supports a full set of gestures. Click, scroll, swipe, and rotate to control what's onscreen. Use it along with your mouse or as an alternative to one.
	MobileMe MobileMe is the service from Apple that keeps your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, and PC in perfect sync--no docking required. MobileMe stores your mail, contacts, and calendar information in the cloud and uses push technology to keep everything in sync across all your devices (annual subscription fee and Internet access required).

Product Description

The new MacBook Pro 15-inch models set all-new benchmarks for Mac notebooks. The 15-inch MacBook Pro feature Intel Core i7 processors, which boost performance up to 50 percent(1) and reach Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.33GHz. Next-generation NVIDIA graphics bring high performance to everything from 3D games to photos and videos. And the built-in battery lasts up to 10 hours (8 to 9 hours on the 15-inch models).(2) (1) Up to 50 percent faster compared with previous-generation MacBook Pro. (2) Testing conducted by Apple in March 2010 using preproduction 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo–based 13-inch MacBook Pro, 2.66GHz Intel Core i7–based 15-inch MacBook Pro, and 2.53GHz Intel Core i5–based 17-inch MacBook Pro. 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%.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

112 of 116 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Video Review: MacBook Pro i7 - Great Machine! October 10, 2010

By D. Bowman

Length: 5:08 Mins

I love this computer.
I have a couple of issues with it, but nothing big.
I hope the video helps.

56 of 57 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great computer after 10.6.4 was released June 17, 2010

By Robert VINE™ VOICE

I have had this computer for three weeks now, and waited to write a review until I had fully tested it. The first one arrived with a bad keyboard, was sent back to Apple for replacement. The returned macbook pro however suffered from daily freezes at which point the keyboard and mouse were locked out, but processes continued and within about 5 minutes control was restored. This turned out to be a very common problem as fully documented on the Apple web site. Fortunately, Apple released an update to Snow Leopard (10.6.4) which solved the problem for most of us.

This computer is incredibly fast, especially if one has fully loaded it with memory (8GB) and ordered a solid state drive. But even without the SSD and standard memory (4GB), it is the fastest macbook pro ever made by nearly 30%. I love it.

I recommend users order this computer with 8GB of memory if at all possible. The extra memory makes a big difference in performance and is not that much more expensive. In addition, this computer comes with two options for screen resolution. I got the high resolution display with anti-reflection, and it is a joy to work on. Now when I go back to my older macbook pro with standard resolution, I notice and am bothered by the difference.

Other reviews have listed some of the advantages of this computer, other than speed. So let me list some of the issues:

1. Graphics intensive applications generate lots of heat. When graphics is switched to the faster chip (this is automatic unless you choose to always use the faster chip in the energy preferences), the computer gets hot. Not so hot that you cannot use it on your lap, but approaching that level.

2. Computationally intensive applications also generate lots of heat. Running any program that simultaneously activates multiple cores and the fast graphics chip is the perfect storm, and this computer gets really hot on the bottom. Now you cannot comfortably work with it on your lap. If this is going to be a typical situation, get a cooling pad. I am using the logitech N100 and it completely solves the problem, but at added expense and battery drain (it uses the usb port). But I am often running calculations in the background, and for that, a cooling pad is essential. I anticipate it will also be important if you use this computer for gaming.

3. The battery life is highly dependent upon usage. The high speed graphics option is great unless you are running on battery, then it is a serious drain. Unfortunately, the software engineers did not provide an option to always use the slower graphics chip when on battery. This is an important option which should be implemented in a future release even if it means some applications will not be able to run at all. The battery issue is a flaw that prevents this computer from being a good travel computer. You cant change out the battery, and if you are traveling and the battery gets low, you simply have to close up shop or find an outlet. These are very hard to find, and the airlines often do not provide outlets on the seats or in their waiting areas in the airports.

Despite the above issues, which forced me to give this computer 4 stars, I love it. It is the best notebook computer I have ever used, although I will take another macbook pro when I travel because of the battery issues. The speed of this computer is comparable to a 3 GHz desktop Nehalem Mac Pro. The i7 chip is indeed a powerful processor and all your applications will run about 30% faster than on previous Macs.

48 of 54 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Perfect but does not have the Quad core i7 June 29, 2010

By Abhay Kulkarni

Amazon Verified Purchase

This was my first Mac. It arrived only after a couple of days. Packaging was immaculate as always. The Apple box itself was awesome.

Setting up a Mac and getting used to it was a breeze. Apple has so many tutorials that it is really easy to get to know things. OS X - is awesome. Within a few minutes I was up and running. Configured my mail, expose, spaces, dock. Downloaded XCode, Chrome and I was up and running in no time.

So why a 4 star instead of a 5 star. Couple of reasons:
1. Running a software update brought down 1.2 GB of updates. Thank god I am on a broadband. Still it took about an hour. With the recent known vulnerabilities, I did not want to run a Mac that had known exploits.
2. The hardware itself is amazing - simple design. But I was expecting I will get the "Clarksfield" family of i7 processors which are quad core. But instead, got a dual core Arrandale. Not only does it have 2 cores instead of 4, it also has 4MB of L2 cache instead of 6 or 8. I would appreciate if Apple and Amazon both were clear about this. Apple Appstore also does not mention which i7 we will get. I suppose we can blame Intel for this - they make it believe that i7's are all quad cores - but they are not.