The MacBook Pro 15-inch feature Intel Core i5 processors, which boost performance up to 50 percent 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 8 to 9 hours on the 15-inch models. Up to 50 percent faster compared with previous-generation MacBook Pro.
FEATURES:
- New Intel Core i5 Processor - The Intel Core i5 processor boosts performance up to 50 percent over the previous generation. Based on Intel's latest 32-nanometer process technology, the Core i5 also offers Intel's Turbo Boost feature. If you're using processor-intensive applications like Aperture 3 or Final Cut Pro that would benefit from an extra performance kick, Turbo Boost dynamically increases the speed of one or both cores. Built-in Hyper-Threading allows two threads to run simultaneously on each core, so Mac OS X recognizes four virtual cores instead of just two. When you're running multiple applications at once, the Core i5 processor spreads tasks more evenly across a greater number of cores--so you can get more done, faster. And unlike systems that connect memory to the processor through a separate controller, the MacBook Pro uses an integrated memory controller to connect memory directly to the processor. With faster access to memory, each core gets right to work on your data, rather than waiting for it to arrive.
- Next-Generation Graphics - The latest MacBook Pro features the NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics processor--the fastest graphics ever in a Mac notebook. With 48 processing cores and 256 MB of dedicated video memory, this graphics processor delivers even more horsepower than the previous generation. And you don't have to sacrifice efficiency for speed: The NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M is up to 30 percent more energy efficient than its predecessor.
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There are tons of detailed reviews on this computer, so I don’t have to say much about it. I purchased this from Amazon on the first day it came out, upgraded to 8GB using 2x4GB Crucial DDR3 memory Crucial Technology CT51264BC1067 4 GB 204-pin SODIMM DDR3 PC3-8500 CL=7 Unbuffered NON-ECC DDR3-1066 1.5V 512Meg x 64 Memory. I just ordered the Intel 80GB SSD drive Intel 80 GB X25M Mainstream SATA II Solid State Drive (SSD) Retail Package SSDSA2MH080G2R5 and the MCE OptiBay.
Update 4/27/10
Just installed the SSD and the OptiBay. The OSX, the applications and the Win7 Parallel VM is on the SSD. Much faster now. Most of the programs now open with just half bounce to one bounce.
However, there is an issue with short battery. I am getting only roughly 4 hours on battery. It seems there are issues with the graphic switching, which is keeping the NVIDIA going instead of the onboard graphics. Bugs me a bit, but I guess that’s all part of being early adopter. I’m sure Apple will get this resolved soon. I have no regrets on this purchase. More here… […]
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As much as I wished Apple did more changes in the new models of Macbook pro still this one is perfect in many ways: it has great design, high performance, outstanding display. Still it has a few minor imperfections: it heats a lot. I use it mainly at home and almost always it stands on the table but if I actually put it somewhere close to skin it just burns intolerably, so it’s hard to call this a LAPtop :), the the curves near the trackpad where the niche for opening is (don’t know how this part is called))) well for some reason they are made so sharp that they sometimes leave marked on my hands while using trackpad. Other than these remarks it’s absolutely great.Apple MacBook Pro MC373LL/A 15.4-Inch Laptop
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I’m very happy with my purchase. Now I can forget the slowly and sticky windows. Simply the best.
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I just switched (May 2010) from Windows7 to the Mac 15″ PowerBook Pro (i7). This machine is a dream!
Boot time after a complete shutdown is about 30 to 45 seconds, even with tons of software. Shutdown is maybe 10 seconds! You can close the lid to put it to sleep, open the lid and voila! No waiting! (My one-year-old top-of-the line Win7 laptop grinds away, installs updates, gives me constant popups saying I have to deal with this or that–by which time I’ve forgotten what I was going to do when I turned it on.
It’s fast! It’s clean! Once you get used to the interface it’s delightful that it stays out of your way. Everything works. I get 5-6 hours of graphics work done without a recharge.
I’ve even found a substitute for OneNote that works for me: Scrivener.
It’s intended as a writing program, but I like it because I can get in quickly to save notes, import a web page or image or sound file, and organize everything easily. For longer projects it’s thoughtfully designed and intuitive to use. It doesn’t have the colors and tabs of OneNote, but has all the functionality. Amazon doesn’t sell it, but they should. MacWorld just voted it one of the must-have apps. ([…])
One complaint about the PowerBookPro is Airport. I get dropped offline when I’m a little distance from my wireless router, even though my Windows machines find the network easily. It’s annoying and needs a fix. Restarting the computer often helps, and since restart is so quick…well, still 5 stars from me!
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First of all i was really impressed from the service & packaging of Amazon.
I love my new apple macbook pro, it beats any other laptops around. best performance and all of this packaging in
best look laptop.
highly recommended!
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I’ve owned this laptop since December of 2009 and so far, I haven’t encountered ANY problems or bugs with it. I’m very happy with it, because it’s so amazing.
Let’s start with the pros:
– Amazing design, first of all. Nice, sleek, and an eye-catcher.
– Fast. Awesomely fast, compared to my Windows desktop, which is like a snail.
– The screen is bright, sharp, and vibrant. The colors look amazing on this thing.
– The speakers are pretty good for a laptop. This is my first laptop, so I really don’t know how it compares to PC laptops.
– The battery life lasts as long as it advertises. However, if you are doodling in Photoshop, watching a video or playing a game with high graphics, the battery may only last around 3 hours or less. I’m not sure the exact number of hours, tho.
– Nice multitasking abilities. Just swipe the track-pad with four fingers and BAM, there’s all your windows.
– It comes with GarageBand, which benefits me, since I can easily record and edit my songs. Not sure if it’ll benefit you.
– It hasn’t even crashed once. I’ve never even gotten a virus either (but it’s still good to have a virus software on it like ClamXav or something).
– I love the battery monitor on the left side. It’s very convenient.
– It charges up rather quickly, which is awesome.
– After nearly half a year, I’ve only used up 20% of my battery. Therefore, if I calculate correctly, the battery will last you around 2 to 2.5 years or maybe less. But I guess it depends on what you do on it. I don’t play games on it a lot, but I do watch a lot of videos. So maybe if you do lightweight stuff on it, it could last you longer.
– Love the back-lit keyboard. You can adjust it’s brightness with pushing one button. I never thought it’d be useful, but it actually is.
– If you’re listening to iTunes and you want to pause it, just click the pause button on the keyboard. It’ll pause, even if you’re on a different window. On Windows, you have to open up iTunes and click pause, which is a pain. That is why I’m listing this in the pros.
– This laptop, as you imagine, holds so much space. I’ve only used like, 30GB. lol.
– The track-pad must be the best track-pad in the world. Seriously.
Now on to the cons:
– Like some other reviewers said, this thing gets really HOT. Especially if you’re watching videos or playing games. I swear, if you put it on your bare legs, it’ll burn you. You could probably cook eggs on it.
– The edges are rather sharp. It leaves lines on my wrists whenever I use the track-pad. 🙁
– The USB ports are too few and are too close together. I would have liked a USB port on the right side. But hey, you can’t have everything you want.
– Everyone knows this, but you can’t change the battery unless you’re a computer expert who knows how to take apart computers. It doesn’t bother me that much, tho. Luckily, I have an Apple store in my future college campus. 😀
– You can’t maximize windows to fit the whole screen. But, oh well, it doesn’t really bother me but it may bother someone.
I think I’ve covered everything. Despite the immense heat and the sharp edges, I really love this laptop and, as of last year, I am an Apple fan because they make such nice products. If you have the money for this laptop, totally go and buy it. It’s worth every penny and you won’t be disappointed. 😉
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I own a Sony Vaio Z series 2.66, SD, Blu ray 4 GB ram Wind. 7, also I ve always have used Windows, I still love may old computer but, since I bought my Iphone I ve learn that apple software and hardware is really great, there are no problems at all, it is always ready to use, if you are still thinking to buy this Macbook STOP… just buy it you wont regret, i did it and I will buy more of this babies for my family specially one for my mom.
First I was really afraid to do the change, this first Mac Laptop but in less than 1 day Im a NEW MAC LOVER, when I was a anti-mac guy, but I was wrong, the price is nothing compared to what you get. If you are tired of buying a laptop and that in 5 months it does not work the same as when you bought it, you need to buy this laptop, it is always ready to WORK AS THE FIRST DAY YOU BUY IT!
SORRY WINDOWS 7, YOU ARE GOOD BUT MAC IS BETTER!!! I give you my word, just do it you wont regret!
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I have been using PC’s for many, many years. After many battles with Microsoft garbage I decided to look into other Operation Systems and found Ubuntu. This led me to discover other possibilities and options. I needed a new laptop and after a lot of research decided to look into a Mac. I purchased a Macbook Pro 15.4″…maxed out with all the options. Yes it was expensive. However, it was the best thing I have ever done. I love my Mac. I give it 5 stars. Even though there are minor issues with software, hardware choices, etc. they are ALL minor. I am a very picky consumer. Also one who has been a computer technician for over 20 years. I love my Mac. The quality is impeccable. Yes it is expensive. But, it is the best laptop you will ever buy. PERIOD! I will never go back as long as the quality stays the same…I AM A MAC!
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So to start I researched the new laptop market quite extensively for a computer for my everyday tasks (internet,iTunes, etc) and my graduate program that I will be starting (MBA). I have always used Windows machines and more specifically one HP four years ago and 3 Sony Vaio’s since then. I have also owned all 3 iPhones and the new iPad so I thought that a MacBook Pro would be the next logical step but I have to admit that I was hesitant to put everything on the Mac platform having used Windows my whole life. However, the more I researched computers out there, there are really no PC’s that have the fit and finish of the MacBook line. Most are plastic things that are made for 1 year at most. And of course they run Windows which even Windows 7 needs tending and caring more often then I prefer. I did consider the HP Envy line and while the specs are impressive I had a lackluster experience with HP so I wasn’t sure that it would last at least 2.5-3 years that I need for my program. I also seriously considered the Sony Vaio Z and while impressive in specs, it is still a very expensive machine which is made more for portability and its screen flex caused me concern.
So I bought the MacBook Pro i7 and upgraded the hard drive to 7,200 RPM. I originally thought I would use mostly Windows on it and just got it for the fit and finish/styling that I really liked. I know that sounds crazy but I wasn’t really planning on using the mac OS X part extensively. However, when I got the machine I must say that OS X is pretty amazing. Having used Windows extensively it is not that hard to learn OS X. Here are my findings for the machine:
Speed: The machine is blazing fast. There have been lots of articles on specs and benchmarks but just know from everyday use and even from transferring files over etc it is amazing! I personally chose the i7 chip because it future proofs the purchase and with the Amazon sale it was a great deal.
Overall System: It is a beauty to look at and work on. It is a very thin and not terribly heavy I mean if you are planning on lugging it around all day it might get heavy but it is not really bad. My old Vaio F was 6.5 lbs that felt much heavier.
OS X: It is very easy to work with. Things just work. That sounds like a cliche but in reality it is true. I think the hardest thing for Windows users like myself is trying to make things harder then they are. For instance, I expected installing my programs on OS X to be a pain like on Windows but it is so easy that I thought it wasn’t working. But that is the point, things are a lot easier and you have to kind of go with it. Windows is a lot harder from that perspective. Yes after using it for years you know how to do things with it but it is a pain and you don’t realize how easy it really should be until you start working on OS X.
Heat: It does get hot when you are doing a lot on it but mostly on the left side. It is not unbearable but it does heat up. But so does the Vaio Z and other machines using these chips. The design of laptops has not caught up to the chips from that perspective. So for me the heat was a wash because they all run quite hot at this point in time. This is by no means unbearable. But if you like to place the machine on your lap, probably won’t work so well.
Screen: I have the base 1440×900 it is nice. I don’t mind it I personally find the other one too small but again it is preference try an Apple store if you want to see the screen differences. And I was incredibly worried about glare. It picks up a ton outside because of the glass but I don’t work outside so that is no big deal for me and in the house even by a window it has been fine for me. Again it is preference but I have been pleasantly surprised by the lack of glare experienced. I think the Apple Store lighting makes the glare very apparent so it is a good test of worst case scenarios but in reality in the house it is not as bad as at the Apple Store.
Windows 7/Boot Camp: Yes I do need some Windows things so reluctantly I am installing Windows 7 but I am miffed at how much space I need to devote to it. It reminds of why I got the Mac to begin with just bloated overall.
Apple Service: This I think is where it really shines. I had to use the Genius Bar to assist me in removing a stripped screw (my fault in trying to remove the cover to swap the hard drive for a faster one). Tip: Use the hardest screwdriver (Titanium) possible for it not the crap at Fry’s it makes a difference. The screws are very soft and will strip quickly. So I took my new machine in without ever having turned it on and I know that Apple Store doesn’t swap the drives for users but I asked the Genius to help me remove the screw. To my surprise he removed it, replaced it and then went ahead and did the install and reimaged the machine in 15 minutes. Now that is amazing service. And that is where the difference in pricing comes in. With my old Sony’s I would drop good cash on those and when I went to Sony Style it was like why are you here again. They could care less about assisting me. Apple is just very different from that perspective. That is why the Vaio Z gave me pause. 2,500 knowing that they don’t stand by their products is a hard sell!
Final Assessment: To each his own some people love Windows and that is fine, but I would submit to really study the build quality of the PC you are planning to purchase, the overall experience, service and ease of use etc before committing. People complain about Mac components being downgraded but honestly does it matter if you have a 1GB video card mated to a plastic rig or a completely designed system that is designed to work well together? Only the user can answer that for themselves depending on usage needs. For most the specs are great. But I think Apple did a nice job on this build and I really appreciate the fit, finish and ease of use. Is it worth the 2,000? I think so because it is a good machine for several years, has excellent service built in if you are close to an Apple Store and is just great to work on.
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I purchased the Macbook Pro i7 and opt for next day delivery. Product received on time and in great condition. Upon startup, I setup profile and overall process took less than 15 minutes. After running Mac software Update, I am all set. Overall, I am pleased that I chose i7 over i5 as I want my macbook to last longer with better processor. Startup and shutdown time are significantly faster than my mac mini. I did not experience any screen freeze as mentioned by other Mac forum users on my macbook. The battery lasted about 6-7 hours in my testing, which is closed to the advertised 8-9 hours and much better than my other Windows laptops. Finally, I chose to buy from Amazon over MacMall or other stores because of Amazon’s great customer service.