Pros

  • Improved battery life
  • Higher quality display
  • Bootable SD card slot
  • Lower price

Cons

  • No video adapters or Apple Remote included
  • No ExpressCard slot
  • No matte screen option

At A Glance

This 15-inch MacBook Pro bests or matches the standard 17-inch configuration in many of our tests. It's a great choice, particularly if you’re a switcher, a new buyer, or have one of Apple’s older notebook models. If you already have a unibody MacBook Pro, though, you will already have most of the great features these new models have to offer.

Manufacturer’s Description

The Intel processor, a bigger hard drive, plenty of memory, and even more features all fit inside just one liberating inch. The MacBook Pro has the performance, power, and connectivity of a desktop computer. Without the desk part.

The Specs

Pricing
Part Number MB986LLA
Processor
Processor type Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor speed 2800.0 MHz
Cache size 6.0 KB
Bus speed 1066.0 MHz
Memory
Memory type DDR3
Memory speed 1066.0 MHz
Memory max 8.0 GB
Display
Display size 15.4 inches
Display type Glossy LCD with LED Backlight
Aspect ratio 16:10
Resolution 1440 x 900 pixels
Graphics
Graphics Type Discrete
Primary Graphics Chipset Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT
Storage
Drives included 1.0
Drive size 500.0 GB
Hard Drive Speed 5400 RPM
Other storage SD Card
Battery
Battery Type Lithium ion
Vendor Rated Battery life 7.0 hours
Standard Number of Batteries 1
Number of Included Batteries 1
Green
Energy Star compliant 1.0
Dimensions
Width 14.35 inches
Depth 9.82 inches
Height 0.95 inches
Weight 5.5 pounds
Sound
Speakers Stereo
Storage Media
SD card Yes
Included Software
Included Software iLife
Operating System Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard)
Other Features
Docking Station Port No
Devices
  • AC Adapter
  • Built-In Microphone
  • Built-In Speakers
  • iSight Camera
Input devices
  • Keyboard (backlit)
  • Touchpad (multitouch)
Ports and Connections
Ethernet Type
  • 10/100/1000 Mbps
  • Wireless Ethernet - 540 Mbps IEEE802.11n
Available Interfaces
  • Audio - Line In / Line Out Combo (1/8" Mini)
  • Bluetooth
  • Firewire 800 port
  • Mini DisplayPort
  • USB - Universal Serial Bus Port (x2)
Bluetooth Yes
Slots SD Card

Performance

Macworld Labs
iTunes AAC - MP3 Encode 54  min
iMovie Export to iTunes for iPhone 39  min
Quake 4 77.1fps  fps
Cinema 4D XL 10.5 0:45  min
Photoshop CS3 0:48  min
Compressor-encode Short Babies.mov to h.264 for video podcast 92  min
Tested Configuration Mac OS X 10.5.7
iTunes 7.7 0:54
iMovie HD6 0:39
Speedmark 6 Score 139
Compressor 1:32