Apple MacBook Pro Review - Top Laptop
As you read this review you might be wondering - is the Macbook pro really worth it 
when compared to a PC. Or, how does the macbook pro stack up against the plain old macbook.
When you think of the choices of laptops available in the market, choosing the best can be a nightmare - but if you have already narrowed your focus down to a Mac, the rest might be a downhill task.
The plain Macbook (or macKbook!) gives best bang for the buck, unfortunately the macbooks come with a 13" screen size - slightly less than the ideal size for a daily use laptop. So we have to move up a notch to the Macbook Pro.
If you have really made up your mind on the Mac and a high degree of portability is your #1 issue, consider the Macbook instead of the Macbook Pro.
Out of the box you will find that apple macbook pro is loaded with more features than you could probably use.
Great Deals For
Macbook & MacBook Pro
Mac Mall is an apple wholesaler and prices are usually attractive when compared to the Apple Store. On occasion you can find very good deals for the Macbook pro at Mac Mall's openbox outlet store. These go really fast so you need to check in once a while to see what's available.
If you are really a bargain hunter try hunting down the macbook pro on Amazon.
And regardless of where you are located on the globe, you can always find someone on ebay offering the cheapest macbook pro. But make sure you buy from a well rated seller with the warranty included.
The Macbook Pro comes in two screen sizes the 15.4" and the 17".
The 17" screen is best suited if you need a desktop replacement and is the only computing device you plan to own. The 17" inch macbook pro is a full 1.5 lbs heavier than the 15.4" inch.
The 15.4" laptops have 2 different models shown below, the only difference between these models is the processor speed and the disc drive capacity:
Unibody Construction : Built of a single block of aluminum, the macbook pro models since 2008 has set a new standard in construction - something that we are sure will be dutifully emulated by other manufacturers. The aluminum construction not only gives the laptop a sturdy feel, but is also provides heat dissipation - making the need for loud cooling fans moot!
Glass Trackpad : A brand new, clean design, the glass trackpad has no buttons, instead the whole trackpad is one large button. This is both cleaner and less prone to failures. Its a pleasure to use the new gestures on the Macbook pro - supporting 2, 3 and 4 finger gestures. Who needs a mouse anymore! The glass trackpad itself is worth an upgrade to the macbook pro!
Graphics : The Macbook Pro models currently sold are powered by the Nvidia GeForce graphics card.
Nvidia has been making the top rated video cards for years, and it is highly satisfying to see these cards in the Pro models.
Memory
All the Macbook Pro models come delivered with 4GB RAM. This can be upgraded to 8GB RAM.
If you use graphics heavy software, it is well worth the upgrade.
Hardware Features
The following hardware features are common to all the Macbook Pro models:
Integrated blue tooth, Wireless N (Airport Extreme), 2 USB Ports (17" has 3 usb ports), Firewire 400 and Firewire 800, DVD Super Drive, Built in iSight Camera.
The one feature that we really would have liked to see is built in cellular modem and maybe, maybe some GPS functionality.
Operating System
Leopard OS 10.5 is the operating system on the Macbook pro. If you have used a Mac before you should know that this is one of the easiest OS to use whether you are a newbie or a seasoned pro. If you have ever tried to find your way around windows vista, you should find the Leopard a breeze.
Physical Configuration:
On the left side of the 15 inch mac
book pro you will find a Magsafe power port, an ethernet port, one firewire port, one mini-display port, 2 USB ports, An Audio In Jack, An Audio Out (earphone) jack, and a card slot
On the right side of the macbook pro is the DVD slot and a Kensington lock. The bottom of the laptop is one single piece of aluminum. There is no removable battery or other such annoyances.
The Battery
The new Lithium-Polymer battery is built into the laptop. It provides a charge of upto 6 hours on the 15" models and upto 8 hours on the 17" models. In our test on the 15" model it lasted 5 hours without problems.
Top Features
Here is a list of hardware features on the Macbook Pro that you will really appreciate just as we did. You will find that these features are pretty unique in some respect to other laptops :
- New Glass Trackpad and the gestures
- Back-lit keypad
- Super long Battery Life
- Integrated iSight camera
- Magsafe power connector - a magnetically attached power connector.
- 1" thickness
Our not so favorite features include : Heat dissipation when used constantly over several hours, average battery life and the absence of a built-in cellular modem.
Macbook Pro as a College laptop ?
Macs have always been a college favorite. And the Mac book pro is no exception. If you are a college student seriously considering the macbook, and have some extra cash to plunk down, you should give the pro a try. Once you have made your choice on which macbook to buy, next you can check the best prices for the macbook pro.
Whats software is included in the mac book Pro ?
OS X (Snow Leopard) includes :Time Machine, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row, Xcode Developer Tools.
Macbook Pro also includes iLife'08 with - iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, and GarageBand.
Where to buy the macbook pro: There are several places that you would end up scouring online for the place to buy or for the best prices for the mackbook pro. Authorized retailers like the MacMall can usually discount the macbook substantially.
Warranty
The delivered warranty on the Macbook pro is 1 yr with 90 days telephone support.
If you have ever dropped something, scratched something, dinged something or thrown something in a fit of anger - you should certainly consider an extended warranty, because it can happen to your spanking new macbook pro!
A laptop contains more fragile parts than a desktop, these parts are not easily serviceable on your own, even if you consider yourself fairly tech savvy. And if murphy's law applies to you, as it does for most of humanity , you would want to get a decent warranty to protect your investment.
Apple offers the Apple care package which can be purchased for upto 3 years from most retailers.
Conclusion:
Macs have been the favorite laptop of people in the creative professions for years, its undoubtedly getting more and more mainstream - giving PC and Windows a run for the money. It sure is going to be fun the next few years as the next couple of years would see a resurgence of the old PC / Mac wars (albeit this time a cold war) in Silicon Valley again!
PS. If you are still more inclined toward a PC, you should see our recommendations for the top 2 PC based notebooks for the year.