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Pros

  • Thin, rounded design
  • Ecologically conscious
  • Retains FireWire port
  • Great new keyboard
  • Easy to service and upgrade
  • Large trackpad with numerous multi-touch gesture choices
  • Faster top-of-the-line 15-inch model
  • Gorgeous bright glossy screen

Cons

  • Disappointing battery life compared to the last model
  • No choice of screen finishes
  • Trackpad button can be hard to press
  • Some multi-touch gestures more difficult to maneuver than others

At A Glance

Essentially a replacement for the 2.53GHz unibody 15-inch model released in the fall of 2008, this MacBook Pro features the same processor speed as the 17-inch laptop. Otherwise, this 15-inch model is no different than what came before, with two graphics chips-one integrated in the motherboard (GeForce 9400M) and the other discrete (GeForce 9600M GT)--and a glossy screen.

The Specs

Processor
Processor type Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor speed 2660.0 MHz
Cache size 6.0 KB
Bus speed 1066.0 MHz
Memory
Memory type DDR3
Memory max 4.0 GB
Display
Display size 15.0 inches
Display type Glossy LCD
Resolution 1440 x 900 pixels
Graphics
Primary Graphics Chipset NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
Storage
Drive size 320.0 GB
Other storage Express Card 34
Battery
Vendor Rated Battery life 5.0 hours
Dimensions
Width 14.35 inches
Depth 9.82 inches
Height 0.95 inches
Weight 5.5 pounds
Included Software
Operating System Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Other Features
Input devices Touchpad (multitouch)
Ports and Connections
Ethernet Type
  • 10/100/1000 Mbps
  • Wireless Ethernet
Express Card 34 or ExpressCard/34 1
Available Interfaces
  • Bluetooth
  • Firewire 800 port
  • USB - Universal Serial Bus Port (x2)
Slots Express Card 34

Performance

Macworld Labs
Quake 4 65.8fps  fps
Cinema 4D XL 10.5 0:47  min
Photoshop CS3 0:56  min
Tested Configuration Mac OS X 10.5.6 with 4GB of RAM
iTunes 7.7 0:57
Compressor 1:36
Speedmark 5 Score 235
iMovie HD6 0:44