A hands-on look at the new MacBook Pro

computerworld ^ | jan. 25, 2006 | Yuval Kossovsky

[Mr. Blonde]

Apple Computer’s new MacBook Pro -- the renamed Intel-based successor to the PowerBook unveiled by Apple CEO Steve Jobs two weeks ago -- isn’t yet shipping (see "Update: Apple unveils Intel-based laptop, iMac"). But Apple officials are now showing off their newest 15-in. laptop, and I had a chance at a special Apple event last week to get a closer look at it. In fact, I had some real "pick it up and use it" hands-on time.

The good news is that the MacBook Pro, which comes in two models and starts at $1,999, feels and looks just as solid and well built as its aluminum-clad predecessor. The better news is that it outperforms and is better engineered than any G3- or G4-based laptop models Apple has sold.

First, I should say up front that I don’t know whether the model I had in my hands was a prototype or an example of the final product, which is due to ship officially next month.

Having said that, I can tell you this laptop is fast. Really fast. I am hesitant to say it’s exponentially faster than the G4 version, but subjectively, this baby cooks. Universal binary programs like Safari and Apple’s iLife suite -- which have been rewritten by Apple to take advantage of the new dual-core 1.83-GHz Intel processor inside -- launched in one or two icon bounces. And using the Microsoft Office suite, which hasn’t yet been rewritten, was seamless using Rosetta.

For those of you who may not have been following Apple’s transition to Intel, Rosetta is emulation software built into the latest version of Mac OS X 10.4. It was designed to allow programs written for the G4 processor to run without a hitch on Intel. It works. I did not feel like I was using a translation/emulation environment at all, something that’s going to be important in the months ahead as Apple moves more of its hardware to Intel and software developers follow with recoded apps. Although older versions of Mac programs will work on the Intel hardware, they will likely run slower than on a native G3 or G4 chip.

Apple wants to make this transition as seamless and transparent as possible, and if my short time using Rosetta is any benchmark, I’d say they’re off to a good start.

The built-in Web cam -- think of it as a smaller iSight camera -- is clearer and offers higher resolution video than was previously available on the G4 PowerBook. And when using iChat A/V, you can now act as the host for a four-way video session -- largely because of the Core Duo chip speed. That’s noteworthy because four-way video is processor-intensive and thus was previously available only on Apple’s G5 computers.

The LCD screen, which offers a 1,440-by-900-pixel resolution, is much brighter than those on earlier Apple laptops. In fact, there was no discernible difference between the screen brightness on the MacBook Pro and a 20-in. iMac Core Duo sitting next to it. Anyone who’s seen how bright those iMac screens are will appreciate how good looking this laptop screen is. No doubt the inclusion of a new video card, the ATI Mobility Radeon X1600, helps. The ATI card offers 256MB of video RAM on the top-end MacBook Pro, half that amount on the entry-level version.

One of the innovations offered on both versions of the MacBook Pro is the new “MagSafe” power connector. If you’ve ever knocked your laptop off a table by inadvertently catching on the power cord, you’re going to appreciate this new connector. It uses magnets to stay connected, and no matter how many times I tried to pull on the cable to yank the MacBook off the table, the connector successfully disconnected each time. The MacBook Pro never moved more than a quarter of an inch. This is good news for those of you who would rather your laptop not fall to the floor. In other words, it’s good news for all MacBook Pro owners

While Apple has given with the new MagSafe connector, it has taken away by getting rid of the FireWire 800 connector slot and the modem. FireWire 800 was left off the motherboard of the new laptop largely because it has not achieved much a following among users. But for those who need the faster data transfer speeds available with FireWire 800, other offerings are on the way: I saw a prototype Belkin FireWire 800 ExpressCard 34 model that should ship by the time the MacBook Pro does. I’ve also been in contact with the ExpressCard standards group and am waiting for a list of manufacturers that will have cards in the 34mm flavor for the MacBookPro. I’ve heard from sources that several manufacturers are readying GPRS/EDGE and CDMA/EVDO cards for road warriors.

The loss of the modem jack may be a sign of things to come. I was told that Apple had found that 90% of PowerBook owners used the 802.11g Airport wireless card, Gigabit Ethernet or a Bluetooth connection to a cell modem to get network access. So for cost and package-size reasons, the modem was left out. A USB modem dongle is easily added for a few dollars, and it is instantly recognized and configured for use as if it had been built in.

Apple has also learned some lessons from the titanium-clad PowerBook G4 that predates its aluminum models. Owners sometimes complained about poor Wi-Fi reception on the titanium books, so Apple has moved the antenna strip for the Airport card to the inner hinge -- and the covering material for that part of the computer is plastic, not metal. The Bluetooth antenna is on the other side of the laptop, to keep those wireless devices from interfering with each other when the Airport card is using the 802.11b standard.

Although I did not have enough time to determine battery life on the new model, Apple has said it will be “as good or better” than current PowerBook offerings.

In summary, except for the wonky name, I can say the MacBook Pro looks like a real winner.

[Mr. Blonde]

I definitely agree that MacBook Pro was not a good choice. I also have to wonder what the iBook will become? Not to give any fire to the Mac haters but is MacBook Con in the works? You know for consumer.

Wireless would have to be my one complaint about my Powerbook. My sister's Dell could pick up a wireless signal (excellent strength no less) and I couldn't in the same spot.

[Mr. Blonde]

Might be interested.

[adorno]

Might be interested.

Me too...when the prices come down.

It is after all, Intel Inside. And all the other Intel based computers are selling for much less.

[irishjuggler]

I'm holding out for an Intel Mac Mini with a Blu Ray drive. Any of you Mac gurus think something like that will be out by the end of the year?

[Mr. Blonde]

Don't know about the Blu Ray drive, but the Intel Mac Mini is supposed to be out sometime this year.

[Mr. Blonde]

I agree that the prices should come down. I'm sure they will eventually. Apple has had a history of lowering prices and giving more features for the same price as the old model. Like the new video iPod.

[Mr. Blonde]

It seems to me that affordability is the only thing really lacking now. I don't know what specific programs you need, but I haven't had any problems with compatibility. And for the most part, it seems most software from Apple gets high marks in efficiency.

[Criminal Number 18F]

Wireless on my new iMac CoreDuo is bulletproof -- all the stuff that messes up my 17" Powerbook (2005 version) bounces off -- microwave, satphone, flourescents.

When they make a 17" intel MacBook I'll retire the G4.

A lot of people will be waiting for Adobe. CS2 is never going to be native, only the next version, CS3 or whatever they call it. However, I can get by with Graphic Converter for photo editing for now.

I have a PC I need for a couple of arcane things and don't connect to the net because of windows's poor security. I spend several hours a week purging adware, spyware and viruses from friends and relatives "bargain" PCs. A Windows PC is a bargain for the sort of chump that places no value on his time, and wants to support the Red Chinese (as Microsoft does by assisting in their hunt for dissidents).

d.o.l

Criminal Number 18F

[Swordmaker]

MAcBook Pro review... from Compuworld PING!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

[jalisco555]

Although I did not have enough time to determine battery life on the new model, Apple has said it will be “as good or better” than current PowerBook offerings.

A lot better, I hope. I need to carry two batteries just to watch a movie on my 17" Powerbook.

[Pete'sWife]

We've been kicking around the idea of getting a Mac.

Here are a few questions for the Mac-savvy amongst us:

Will a Mac (desktop) work on a wireless network if the other computer is a PC?

What will I be able to do with a Mac that I cannot do with a PC?

What will I be UNable to do with a Mac that I CAN do with a PC?

Thanks in advance!

[Terpfen]

I also have to wonder what the iBook will become?

It'll probably be renamed MacBook. So we'll have the MacBook and the MacBook Pro.

And just to amuse myself... grammar alert! Stating that you wonder about something is just that, a statement, not a question, and therefore the question mark is not required: "I also have to wonder what the iBook will become." Now, if you wish ask a question with this statement, one would say, "I also have to wonder, what will the iBook become?"

Yes, yes, I'm done amusing myself.

[Terpfen]

The entire Mac product line will be transitioned by the end of 2007. Expect the iBook and Mac Mini to get their new CPUs by summer.

As far as the Blu-Ray drive goes... we won't see one in the Mac Mini for a while. The drive alone would cost more than the rest of the Mini.

[Terpfen]

#1: Yes.

#2: You will be able to more quickly and securely accomplish whatever tasks you want to do. You will be able to more easily troubleshoot problems, should they crop up. You will be able to avoid a good number of issues that plague the Windows/PC platform, mainly casual spyware/adware/virus infection and crashes caused by old/badly-written drivers.

#3: You mainly won't be able to play every new computer game at the time of its release, if ever. Some high-profile games get ported over eventually, such as Doom 3, World of Warcraft, and Unreal Tournament, but for the most part, computer gaming is a Windows/PC phenomenon. This will eventually become less of an issue, as Windows Vista will be installable on a Mac, and you can simply boot into Vista when you want to play a game. This is all assuming you care about such things.

Also, Microsoft's Windows XP Media Center Edition is more comprehensive than what Apple offers (Front Row is basically nothing more than a central access point for the Mac's DVD player, photo viewer, etc.) Rumor is that the new Mac Mini will have TiVo software and some form of external storage, becoming the ideal media center computer. That's just a rumor, though.

[Pete'sWife]

Thank you!

We had a Mac SE30 many years ago, and really loved it. It was as straightforward as any electronic device we ever used.

We don't play computer games, so that's not an issue.

I think it's time...

Thanks again!

[af_vet_rr]

At first I thought a MacBook Pro was not a good choice, due to the lack of Intel support for 'Pro' applications (Photoshop among them), but here's where I changed my mind:

The Single Core version of Intel's new CPU/platform was not going to be out for a while.

Also, it would be foolish to launch an iBook with the previous generation - Pentium M or whatever, because it would be considered "old technology", and it would be even more foolish to launch with the new Dual Core/Core Duo chip, becuase when the Intel PowerBooks came out, you'd have no clear advantage of going from iBook to PowerBook.

Once the iBook moved to G4s, at the low-end, there was no reason to buy a 12-inch PowerBook, other than DVD burning and memory.

Now, once again, there will be a much more clear difference between the MacBook/PowerBook and iBook lineup - Dual core versus Single core.

[sergeantdave]

I've got boatloads of problems with software compatibility.

Files created on the G3 aren't recognized by the imac G5.

All my pagemaker 6.5 files made on the G3 are tossed aside by the G5 as not recognized. So I've essentially lost thousands of Pagemaker files and need to go to the G3 to work with pagemaker. Arrrgghhh! Plus I can't launch the OS9 emulator as a start-up on the G5.

After many days and many choice words, I was finally able to figure out a work-around for the G5 to recognize the old WriteNow files. Now I have the joy of opening thousands of WriteNow files on the G3, converting to RTF and saving so the G5 Text Edit can open them.

Switching from the G5 to the intel-based model I hope will be less troublesome.

[antiRepublicrat]

Me too...when the prices come down.

They won't. The Macbook Pro is already very price-competitive in its market (price it against a Dell, you'll see what I mean). You will have to wait for the new version of the iBook for a lower price range.

[antiRepublicrat]

CS2 is never going to be native, only the next version, CS3 or whatever they call it.

I know the odds are for that, but don't discount early compatibility entirely. Adobe and Apple are tight together with this, so a universal binary update may be available. Adobe did ship new core libraries for Photoshop when SIMD came to x86 chips. Its times like this I wish I were still on the Photoshop list, which had Adobe programmers on it. They wouldn't comment on future products, but you could get some hints sometimes.