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Apple MacBook Pro (Core Duo T2500 processor 2.0GHz, 512MB, 15.4-inch TFT)

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List price as of Mar 6, 2006:
S$3488

Product Summary

Good

6.9

out of 10

The good: Beautiful, sleek design; robust software package, including Mac OS X Tiger; illuminated keyboard and big, scrollable touch pad; multimedia features include DVD burner, built-in Webcam and remote control.

The bad: Nonnative software runs slowly; few firm dates on when the software transition will be complete; subpar battery life; lacks media card reader and some other ports; higher-end configurations are much more expensive than their PC equivalents; only 90 days of toll-free technical support.

The bottom line: The MacBook Pro delivers unparalleled style, a solid set of features and software. But a few transitional performance issues keep it from rivaling the most powerful PC laptops.

Read full review of the Apple MacBook Pro »

Average User Rating

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Excellent

8.3

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CNET Asia Review

By Justin Jaffe
Mar 6, 2006

Editors' note :

As of May 2006, Apple has bumped up the processor speed of its base model to 2.0GHz and the high-end unit to 2.16GHz.

Apple's first laptop since the company switched to Intel processors, the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro features a Centrino Core Duo processor and, in doing so, ushers in a new era of Apple computing. Replacing the 15-inch PowerBook in the company's lineup, the MacBook Pro delivers many familiar and beloved features (a scrolling track pad, the Sudden Motion Sensor, an excellent software package) along with a few new ones. While the Intel partnership gives Apple the potential to match the performance capabilities of its Windows-based competition, the first MacBook Pro, like the iMac Core Duo, shows signs of the growing pains Apple faces in switching to the new platform. We expect the company to work out these kinks as it transitions the remainder of its laptops to Intel but for now, if you use Photoshop or other nonnative applications, wait or look at a Windows-based laptop. The HP Pavilion dv1000t and the Acer TravelMate 8200 offer superior performance and many of the same features for a lower or equal price. That said, if performance and battery life aren't a huge concern (and the 12-inch PowerBook is too small for you), the MacBook Pro delivers the goods better than any other Apple laptop.

Design
With the MacBook Pro, Apple's hasn't radically redesigned the PowerBook form factor--it has just made a few refinements to it. As such, the sleek aluminum MacBook Pro looks very similar to the 15-inch PowerBook G4--just a tad wider to accommodate the slightly larger 15.4-inch display and a few millimeters thinner. Striking a successful compromise between portability and usability, the MacBook Pro weighs 2.54kg--less than the PowerBook and toward the upper end of the thin-and-light category. The MacBook's AC adapter, which is larger and heavier than the PowerBook's, brings the total package to 2.81kg. One awesome innovation: The MacBook's AC adapter connects magnetically to the laptop so if you accidentally trip over the cord, it will simply detach instead of sending your MacBook flying or tearing out the laptop's innards.

Underneath the lid, the MacBook Pro extends the tradition of the PowerBook's minimalist design. The MacBook Pro has just a power button, a big, keyboard framed by stereo speakers, a very large touch pad with a single mouse button and one new feature: A handy built-in iSight camera that sits above the display. Though the keys are a bit shallow, they're wide and we found them comfortable to type on. We also love the keyboard's backlighting feature which adjusts to changes in ambient light levels. The touch pad lets you scroll through long documents, Web pages and spreadsheets by dragging two fingers down or across the pad: A terrific feature that's unique to Apple laptops. The MacBook Pro's 15.4-inch widescreen display features a fine 1,440 x 900 native resolution and looks noticeably brighter than the 15-inch PowerBook's display and about as bright as the average PC laptop display.

Features
Apple updates some of the PowerBook's ports and connections with the MacBook Pro while scaling back a few others. Overall, we think the MacBook Pro comes up a bit short of what you'll find on similarly priced PC laptops such as the TravelMate 8200 and the Pavilion dv1000t. That said, the MacBook Pro features two USB 2.0 ports (fewer than most comparably sized PC laptops); a FireWire 400 port; an ExpressCard slot; DVI and VGA ports for connecting to an external monitor. It's also equipped with Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (enhanced data rate) and you can access the Internet via 802.11g Wi-Fi radio or Gigabit Ethernet. As with the PowerBook, the MacBook Pro features a slot-loading SuperDrive that plays and burns DVDs and CDs. One new extra is a small remote control, which looks like an iPod Shuffle, that controls the included Front Row multimedia player. We wish the MacBook had a storage slot for it (like the Pavilion dv1000t has for its remote). Unlike most PC laptops, however, the MacBook Pro lacks a built-in media reader for flash memory cards. Also, there's no S-Video output, composite-video connection, FireWire 800 port or built-in modem--all of which the PowerBook had.

The MacBook Pro ships with Mac OS X Tiger which include the incredibly cool Spotlight search utility and the customizable Dashboard--a collection of handy desktop tools. Also included is the robust iLife '06 software suite and a handful of other applications; an equivalent batch of PC software could easily run hundreds of dollars.

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User Reviews

iLi

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MacBookPro is awesOme =))) virus free, reliable and compatible.

Oct 1, 2006

Rating: 10 out of 10 (Perfect)
Pros: its awesome. when installed crossfire i can play any pc games in my mac.. weehee.. its awesome!
Cons: well...hmm... i wish to get highest spec which is more satisfactory =))))
Opinion:
well.. its awesome.. i can do anything everything wv my MBP and i am just a student! huhu. i play, i work..its FANTASTIC! well i earn hard to get my MBP and i have to take care of it because last saturday night it slip from my hands and it fell. Thank god for the technology bt in terms of hardware at the end left side not the one near the screen got a dent. Just realise I must be very careful with it since it has sensors in evry corner and i do not want to ruin that either. Well atleast they do sell the back casing separately and so on which means if i am creative enough i can spray paint it and do more!

For me no matter what is the best brand i'd buy, if it still uses xp programmes i wont take my chances since there is a possibility where it might be infected ... Read more

chiwaitang

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mac is GOOD and the review sucks

Jun 8, 2006

Rating: 8 out of 10 (Excellent)
Pros: it's a mac
Cons: it's expensive
Opinion:
Machine is excellent if money is no problem, otherwise check out the macbook or and IBM thinkpad 60-series, that's about the only one that fits in the same region of quality.

And the review of CNET is really bad. Just check out the processor speed and DDR between the windows based laptop vc the macbook pro. The windowsbased laptop has 4 Gig of DDR versus 512 DDR for the macbook pro for Christ sake. And it's a respective 2,0 GHz vs 1,83 GHz duo processor... They should really rewrite this review.

stewielee

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Great looking and hot (literally)

Mar 9, 2006

Rating: 8 out of 10 (Excellent)
Pros: Really great looking, slim, fast, REALLY bright screen
Cons: Short Battery life, gets really hot
Opinion:
its a great notebook to take around because it has a good mix of features built into it. Front Row is a nice touch. Using the apple remote to control powerpoint/keynote presentations is also a nice touch. On the downside, the batt life has much to be desired (3h) and there arent many software around which is optimized 4 intel processors in a mac.

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