APPLE MACBOOK PRO 17-INCH REVIEW

Macbook Pro 17-Inch Unibody

The Macbook Pro has long defined itself as the premier notebook in style features and performance. And while it has not been one of the cheapest notebooks, it still gets high praise for its keen adherence to design and performance.

Design & Performance

The design of the new Unibody MacBook Pro is one more of refinement then innovation.

For starters the system is now housed in a shell made from a single sheet of aluminum (hence the name unibody). According to Apple this allows the system to be more environmental friendly (a big issue with Apple these days) as well as providing easier access to parts and components.

The screen has now been embellished with a new edge to edge glass screen which results in significant glare in highly lit rooms. Ironically Apple offers an anti-glare option for a cool $50. (yeah we know). Clearly Apple is aiming this laptop at photographers and graphics designers as it touts the high color gamet of the screen (something regular users would not be interested in).

The keyboard has also been reworked and has been given the spaced click-it keyboard that has been in the MacBook 13-inch for years. We have noticed that while they look the same, the feel is above average for the MacBook Pro and feels a lot more refined.

The touch pad has also been reworked. In all the single button has been removed and instead has been replaced with a multi-touch pad that can accept one, two and four finger gestures. The whole thing has been turned into a giant click pad which does get some getting used to but is totally worth it.

You've probably heard about the integrated battery. This has been our major problem with the new system. Although it does perform nicely (and lasts for 1000 charges according to Apple) it still falls short for those who would be tempted to use this computer for more then six hours without charging it or an extended battery.

In terms of specs: the system can take up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM (equivalent to 16GB of DDR2), up to 500GB HDD and or 128GB SSD, NVIDIA integrated and discrete graphics as well as 3 USB ports Bluetooth 2.1 and WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n.

We just wish Apple would have given a little thought to putting a card reader into the thing and a Blu-Ray option.

Performance
Performance was a little disappointing to us. Mainly because we had tested the MacBook Pro 15-inch and was expecting a little more for $3400.

Although the system did not disappoint performance wise, it was not a great step up from the 15-inch model.

As we said before, this system is mainly intended for those who want a 15-inch system with a little more screen real estate.

The system was able to do basic tasks such as word processing and web surfing just as good as the MacBook but totally blew it away when it comes to graphic performance.

We'll just note that this is not a gaming system so if you're looking to play Crysis or COD4 you should probably look else ware. But it can handle most mid range games with decent graphics.

The SSD option really boosts hard drive performance and if you have the money its something you should invest in.



Conclusion
The new 17-inch MacBook Pro is a prize winner (just not in price), and if you have the dough you will not be disappointed. However we cannot justify the premium price for such a little upgrade over the 15-inch model. But if you want the best of the best, then this is your call.