Artwork Masquerading as Technology

Let me just say that this is the first laptop I have purchased since my trusty 366Mhz iBook and all I can say is WOW! I have been waiting for Apple to release a major change in it's laptop lineup for quite a while, and with the release of the 15.4" and 17" MacBook Pro models, I couldn't wait any longer!

At first glance, I thought the 15.4" model was indeed the 17". The screen is widescreen format and is a very nice size. It measures approximately 8.25" high by 13" wide by 15.4" diagonally. The colors are absolutely stunning. The DVD viewing quality is superb, as well! Screen resolution is set at default to 1440 x 900 pixels. An optional glossy screen is available through the online Apple store.

When trying to choose between the 2.0Ghz model and the 2.16Ghz model, I asked about the speed difference. I was told by an Apple rep that it's compared to driving on the interstate at 55mph for the 2.0GHz and at about 63mph for the 2.16Ghz. Noticeable, but not major. This wasn't enough for me to justify spending the extra $400+ for the 2.16.

Also, the 2.16Ghz model has a 100GB hard drive, versus the 80GB drive that comes with the 2.0Ghz model. The 2.16 also comes with a single 1GB RAM chip and the 2.0 comes with 512 MB of RAM. Still not enough to justify the extra money.

I almost had mad my decision when the rep asked what I would be doing on the machine. I responded that I am a graphic design instructor and that I would be using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver and Acrobat, which either machine would handle. He then asked if I would be doing any video editing, to which I replied, yes, since I have Final Cut Pro. He then told me I needed the 2.16Ghz machine. Not for the processor, the hard drve or the RAM, but for the graphics card. It turns out that the 2.16 has a 256MB RadeonX160 GDDR3 card with dual link DVI support, whereas the 2.0 comes with a 128MB card. BIG difference for video editing!

The 15.4" MacBook Pro also sports 2 USB 2.0 slots, which I am happy to say are one on each side, so it doesn't matter if you are right or left handed! On the right side is located one Firewire 400 port, a built-in security slot for lock-down purposes, a Gigabit Ethernet port and an external monitor DVI port for which Apple includes a DVI to VGA adaptor in the box. The left side has a headphone/optical digital audio out port, an audio line in/optical digital in port, the Magsafe power adapter port and an ExpressCard/34 slot. The back of the computer is strictly slits for ventilation. All ports are located on the sides. The front has the DVD/CD burner slot on the right side, the monitor-release button and the infrared receiver for the Apple remote, which is also included.

All-in-all, included in the package are the MacBook Pro, power adaptor, AC power cord which hooks into the power adaptor, a DVI to VGA adaptor and an Apple Remote which operates the Front Row software app, which allows you to control your music, videos, view photos and watch movies from across the room.

Built into the top of the monitor, just above the screen in the iSight VGA video camera which allows portable video conferencing and the ability to take still photos and morph and manipulate them in Photobooth, another included application.

iLife '06 is included on the hard drive, which is another review in and of itself. Suffice to say that iLife is a super bonus because through it, anyone can build there own HD home movie using iMovie, create their own soundtrack using GarageBand and burn it to a professional-looking DVD with iDVD. iPhoto manages all your digital photos and, new his year is iWeb, which lets anyone build websites by simply dragging and dropping!

The heart of this baby is the 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo processor which supports a L2 cache and a 667Mhz frontside bus. Both MacBooks support up to 2GB of RAM in two slots. Apple states that the lithium-polymer battery provides up to 4.5 hours of life. This is something I have yet to test. Stay tuned.

The 2.16 comes standard with a 100GB 5400rpm SATA hard drive, but if ordered from Apple's online store, is upgradeable to a 120GB drive.

The MacBooks are also Bluetooth and Airport Extreme-ready right out of the box. When I turned mine on and did the initial setup, it immediately picked up on my wireless router and logged on. NO SETUP REQUIRED!!

Another nice feature is the backlit keyboard. There is also a sensor which picks up on ambient room light and adjusts the keybard light and monitor brightness accordingly.

Dimensions of the laptop break down into 1" thick by 14 inches wide by 9.6 inched deep. It weighs about 5.6 pounds.

Overall, I can't say enough about my new MacBook Pro. The speed, over my 1.6Ghz G5 tower is phenomenal! The fact that Apple will be releasing Bootcamp, the app that allows you to run Windows XP on any Intel-based Mac, was another determining factor in my purchase. Why buy a machine for each system, when one machine will run both! Currently Bootcamp is in Beta and is a free download on Apple's website. The Apple rep told me that Apple will not allow them to install it on the machines in the store to test though. Since Mac will not support the Windows troubleshooting, they didn't want to open that can of worms until after Beta testing was done.

Is there anything I wouldn't say good about the MacBook Pro? One thing. It does get a bit warm on the bottom while in use, so don't use it wearing shorts!