Unibody 15 Inch MacBook Pro: The Full Review
Introduction
I’m been on the new 15 Inch Unibody MacBook Pro, released in October 2008, for just a little over 6 months and I’d like to share my full review of the machine.
First off, I’d like to say, just by saying that I bought this 6 months ago, is that Apple seems to update their products every 6 months and many of the people who will be reading this review will probably be reading it when it is outdated, as it already is outdated, however, I would like to note that the October 2008 model is not that different compared to the current models, the current models have simply been refreshed and have more powerful specifications, which brings me to my first category.
Speed and Performance
The specifications of my MacBook Pro are 2GB of RAM and an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 Ghz Processor, as well as a 250GB 5400 RPM HDD. I was simply blown away by what the computer can do with these. On Windows, 2GB of RAM seems to be nothing, but with Leopard,it takes more advantage of it and turns it into something supernatural, and with Snow Leopard promising even more features to take more advantage of RAM, it is likely to improve. Adobe Photoshop opens in less than 20 seconds and I’m ready to edit easily. iMovie, Final Cut Express, Pixelmator, Aperture, and other graphic intense applications perform very well. With the current models having 4GB of RAM as standard, I can hardly imagine how much faster applications will be running.
The Intel Core 2 Duo technology is simply astounding,
on my previous Windows computer, I was on an AMD Turon X 1.8 Ghz processor, single core. The Macbook Pro’s 2.4 Ghz processor blows it away and on top of that there are 2 Cores, for you unfamiliar with core technology, cores simply split the processor in to, and allow each “part” to process different applications, making multi-tasking seamless.
I don’t really have much to say about the HDD, other than that it is 2x more space than I had on my previous computer. 5400 RPM (revolutions per minute) is still the standard in the current MacBook Pros, but there is also 7200 RPM and SSD (Solid State Drive) options available. If you want things to work faster on you’re computer, get an SSD or a faster RPM HDD. Be warned that SSD are $500+ more expensive though.
Design
I’m very happy that I upgraded later because I originally planned to buy a MacBook Pro in September, and I’m happy I waited for the Unibody update. The design is simply incredible.
The new MacBook Pros are machined from a single piece of aluminum
- Jonathan Ive
Since they are made from just a single piece,
they are lighter and have much less parts, it also makes them more sturdy, since the single piece surrounds the entire thing, serving as a shell, but you still will want a case with you’re MacBook Pro, as aluminum scratches easily, I would recommend the see-through hard shells made by Speck.
Miscellaneous Features
I would also like to note that the MacBook Pro comes with some over the top features like a built in Webcam and Microphone, called an iSight, perfect for video conferencing and making YouTube Videos. It also comes with a
Backlit keyboard which is activated by the ambient light sensor, in fact, I’m using it right now in the car as I write this review. The MacBook Pro also comes with a sleep indicator that slowly shines at the bottom right through the aluminum enclosure.
One of my favorite features of the MacBook Pro is the glass multi-touch trackpad. Apple’s iPhone, famous for it’s multi-touch gestures, have been implemented into the trackpad.
Simply swipe three fingers back and forth while browsing the web, and you can scroll through previously visited pages. Want to resize an image in iPhoto? Simply pinch you’re finger together and extend to make it larger, visa versa as well. You’re probably also wondering “Where the hell is the click button?” Well I’ve got news for you, the whole trackpad is the button.
Battery Life
Apple advertised the Unibody 2008 models to have 5 hours of battery life, and the new updated ones get up to 7 or 8 hours. I used to think that Apple lied about battery life, but they certainly do not,
I easily get 5 hours of productivity in with full brightness while browsing the web and up to 4 while gaming. Also remember that there are 2 graphics cards in the MacBook Pro, the low end one, the 9400M gets you 5 hours of battery life, and the higher end one, 9600M GT, gets you 4 hours, which brings me to my next and final topic.
Graphics
Nvidia, probably the most popular GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and Graphics Card maker, for a good reason, make’s chips for the MacBook Pro’s. Since they MacBook Pro’s have 2 graphics card chips, it allows you to have flexibility with battery life, depending on what you’re doing, as I mentioned before, but also allows you to have unbelievable power when using graphics intense applications.
I am a frequent player of World of Warcraft, and when using the low end card, the 9400M I will get around 50 FPS (frames per second) when in Shattrath City, a beautiful city within the game full of thousands upon thousands of moving objects, which requires tons of graphics power. Some players I know who play World of Warcraft can get as low as 1-8 FPS in this same zone.
Software
The MacBook Pro’s ship with Mac OS X Leopard, the most recent major release of Mac OS X. This thing is at least 10 times better than any version of Windows, I would pay 1/4 of the price of the MacBook Pro just for the operating system, it is far ahead of it’s time.
It comes with brilliant bundled software like iLife, which includes iPhoto, iMovie, Garageband, and iWeb, software that has been compared to $100+ products made for Windows. And hey, if you don’t like Mac OS X, or you simply need to run an application on Windows, you can also install Windows on you’re Mac, using an application called Boot Camp, which allows you to have both Mac and Windows. Or, if you’re lazy, like me, you can also use virtualization software like Parallels and VMware Fusion, which allow you to run Mac OS X and Windows side by side.
Pricing
I’ve only got one thing to say about this,you get what you pay for. If you don’t believe me, go buy one, you’ve got 60 days to return it if you’re not satisfied.
Overview and Rating
I’m extremely happy with my MacBook Pro, I expect it to last me many years, maybe 4+! Over all, I’d give the MacBook Pro a 10/10. This thing is simply perfect, you can’t go wrong if you buy it.
JD Remington