Apple’s 17-inch MacBook Pro wins over a skeptic Page 2 of 2

A huge improvement in processing power

Apple describes the current MacBook Pro as being anywhere from 50 percent to 74 percent faster than the original MacBook Pros released two years ago, depending on the tasks being measured. Since I have one of those original MacBook Pro models, I decided to see just how accurate those results are. My experience, both in terms of specific performance testing and the overall feel of the two laptops, more or less confirms Apple’s claims. Although I don’t have access to the exact suite of applications that Apple used in its test results, my evaluation indicates serious performance improvements, even though the clock speed of the processors has not changed dramatically.

Read Macworld Labs’ 2.6GHz MacBook Pro benchmarks

Much of this performance boost is the result of the differences in architecture between the original Core Duo processor and the current Core 2 Duo chip. The changes that result in such dramatic performance boosts include an expanded Level 2 cache and a much faster 800MHz bus design. Some performance improvements can also be attributed to the expanded video memory and updated graphics card.

Exactly how well does the latest MacBook Pro compare to its predecessor in real-world conditions? For starters, the boot time from pressing the power button to a fully loaded Finder and Desktop is noticeably, if not dramatically, faster. The 2008 model started up in 39 seconds, 15.8 seconds faster than the 2006 model. In day-to-day use, the changes are less obvious when launching applications and working with files and folders, with the new model being about one or two seconds faster for most operations.

One dramatic difference is the performance of PowerPC-based applications that run using Rosetta emulation. Although most Intel-based Mac users are now working with Intel-native or Universal Binary applications that can run on either processor, I decided to try out Office 2004 on both machines to get an idea of the difference when using Rosetta. Office 2004 is the last Power PC-only version of the popular Microsoft suite of apps.

Launching and opening a 2.1MB document took 22 seconds on the older MacBook Pro and just 12.5 seconds on the new one. The performance of older Office applications was also noticeably faster on the new machine. Not surprisingly, the performance and launch times of Universal and Intel-native applications, including Apple’s own iWork suite, was about the same when working predominantly with text and limited graphics. When dealing with graphics or multimedia in iWork and iLife, there were more noticeable improvements; the newer MacBook Pro seemed much snappier.

Adobe Creative Suite 3 applications launched in roughly the same amount of time on both machines. But using them was faster on the newer model. The exact increases depended on the types of tasks. Some, such as adjusting an image’s color mode, were only minutely faster on the newer MacBook Pro. Others, including most renderings and filter options, were significantly faster. Again, the exact gains varied, but when using some 3-D and processor-intensive filters in Photoshop, the new hardware was up to twice as fast as the older MacBook Pro. That’s even better than Apple’s overall test of 45 filters implied.

The Xbench benchmarking tool also revealed a surprising degree of difference between the two machines. Overall CPU tests with Xbench indicated that the newest model offers twice the performance of the first-generation MacBook Pro. The 2008 model had a score of 175.17; the 2006 model, a score of 73.76. Memory performance was also up significantly, no doubt due to the faster bus: The new laptop got a score of 193.67; the old one, 111.88. Likewise, graphics tests revealed significantly better scores for both Quartz 2-D imaging and OpenGL 3-D imaging. Although benchmarking tools don’t always translate directly to real-world observable results, there were significant gains between the models and it shows in regular use.

When it comes to speed, the overall takeaway is this: If you regularly work with professional-level graphics and video applications, you will notice increased performance that is not immediately obvious when comparing just processor clock speeds. If you’ve held off considering a new MacBook Pro because there aren’t obvious differences between the systems, it may be worth taking one of the newer models for a spin and reconsidering. For more general use such as Web surfing, doing e-mail or online chats, you’ll see an improvement, but it may not be as big.

Faster hardware isn’t the only change in the new 17-inch model. The MacBook Pro line now supports all of the same multitouch trackpad gestures that were introduced in the MacBook Air. These include the ability to swipe through items (photos in iPhoto/Aperture, Web pages in Safari or songs in iTunes, for instance) with a three-finger gesture on the trackpad, as well as the ability to zoom the contents of an image or the text of a Web page by pinching, much like on the iPhone or iPod Touch. In image-related applications, it also allows you to rotate images using two fingers.

The trackpad that comes with the MacBook Pro isn’t as large as MacBook Air’s, however. While it is still certainly functional and cool—not to mention a feature that is very easy to get used to if you work with it frequently—it does work better with the MacBook Air’s larger trackpad.

Battery life

The whole point of a laptop is to get work done on the road—and you can’t do that without decent battery performance. So how does Apple balance that power and that brilliant screen with battery life? Surprisingly well. While Apple’s assessment that this laptop should manage more than four hours for light Web use and word processing seems a bit optimistic, I have to say the MacBook Pro performed decently.

I spent a couple of days working completely on battery power while preparing for this review. While I did reduce the screen brightness and take advantage of some other Energy Saver features available in all Mac laptops (such as allowing the hard drive to spin down and the screen to dim when not in use), I didn’t go overboard. I kept the screen at about two-thirds of full brightness, for example.

When I stuck with word processing, Internet access and occasional tasks in Adobe CS3, battery life averaged between 2 hours 40 minutes and just over 3 hours. Using older PowerPC applications on occasion—those not compiled to run natively on Intel processors—seemed to cut down battery life by at least a few minutes. As you would expect, using disk- and media-intensive applications also pulled down overall battery life.

I wouldn’t call this MacBook Pro a power hog by any means. It is certainly on par or a little bit better than most laptops from Apple or other manufacturers. But I also wouldn’t venture on a cross-country flight without a power adapter. (Apple offers an adapter that can be used on airplanes for $49 to ensure access to any in-flight power outlets available.) Likewise, I’m not sure I’d rely solely on battery power for a full afternoon of video or audio editing, intense gaming or doing anything beyond some basic word processing with the screen brightness turned way down.

Final thoughts

Without a doubt, the 17-inch MacBook Pro is an impressive machine, both in terms of performance and the new LED screen. It has certainly changed my perception of Apple’s largest laptop. Like the MacBook Air at the opposite end of the spectrum, it shows that Apple understands there isn’t a one-size fits-all machine for Mac users on the go.

If you are someone who works with video, graphics or music for a living and you need a portable workspace, then you have to check out this laptop. Even if media work is something you only do as a hobby or if you’re just eyeing a portable with an amazing display for movies or games, this machine is well worth a look. You may decide that it’s still bigger than you need. Or you may find, as I did, that your assumptions about size and weight pale in comparison to the solid design, stunning screen and ample processing power available on Apple’s biggest laptop.

[Ryan Faas is a frequent Computerworld contributor specializing in Mac and multiplatform network issues. You can find more information about him at RyanFaas.com.]