Mac Product Guide: 15-inch MacBook Pro/2.53GHz

15-inch MacBook Pro/2.53GHz

While it appears to be identical to its predecessor at first glance, this MacBook Pro has been remodeled both inside and out. It sports a new unibody architecture similar to the MacBook and MacBook Air enclosures. The matte screen option is gone, replaced by a glossy 15-inch screen. The latest MacBook Pro also employs Nvidia's Hybrid SLI technology, a pairing of two graphics chips-one integrated in the motherboard (GeForce 9400M) and the other discrete (GeForce 9600M GT). This model features a slightly faster processor--2.53GHz vs. 2.5GHz--than its predecessor at the same price.

	Reviewed	Full Review

The MacBook Pro's new design and its features definitely come out on the plus side of the ledger, with some outstanding aesthetic and engineering improvements to recommend it--not the least of which is significant attention paid to environmental issues--at exactly the same price as the previous model. However the mandatory glossy screen may be a deal killer for some people, and the reduced battery life from the previous model (according to our testing) is a discouraging development.

Pros: Thin, rounded design; easier to service and upgrade; ecologically conscious; gorgeous, bright, glossy screen; retains FireWire port; large trackpad with numerous multi-touch gesture choices; great new keyboard.

Cons: No choice of screen finishes; trackpad button can be hard to press; disappointing battery life compared to the last model; some multi-touch gestures more difficult to maneuver than others.

Basics

Reviewed Price: $2499

Processor: 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

Information about this system on Apple's website

Price Comparison

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Lab Tests

Speedmark 5 Score	231
Cinema 4D XL XL 10.5	0:53
iMovie HD 6	0:44
iTunes 7.6	1:00
Photoshop CS3	0:56
Compressor	1:41
Unreal Tournament 2004	77.0fps
Tested Configuration	Mac OS X 10.5.5 with 2GB of RAM

Tested Configuration	Mac OS X 10.5.5 with 2GB of RAM
Display	flat panel ; 15.4 inches; 1,440-by-900
Processor	2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Cache	3MB shared L2
Frontside Bus Speed	1,066MHz
Memory	4GB of DDR3 SDRAM ; 4GB maximum - 1,066MHz
Graphics Card	Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT (256MB of GDDR3 with dual-link DVI support) and Nvidia GeForce 9400M (256MB of DDR3 shared with main memory); Maximum resolution:2,560-by-1,600; Port(s):Mini DisplayPort port
Hard Drive	320GB Serial ATA, 5,400 rpm
Optical Drive	8X SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW)
Ethernet	10/100/1000BASE-T
Wireless	AirPort Extreme built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR built-in
Peripheral Ports	Firewire: 1 FW 800 port; USB: 2 USB 2.0 ports
Audio	Inputs: Combined optical digital input/audio line in;Outputs: Combined optical digital output/headphone out
Expansion Slots	ExpressCard/34 slot
Dimensions	14.35 x 0.95 x 9.82 inches
Weight	5.5 pounds
Battery Life	5 hours