capsule review

17-inch MacBook Pro/2.66GHz

Macworld |

Today's Best Tech Deals

Picked by Macworld's Editors

Find More Hand-Picked Tech Deals

Top Deals On Great Products

Picked by Techconnect's Editors

See More Hand-Picked Deals
At a Glance

  • Generic Company Place Holder Apple MacBook Pro Notebook

The new 17-inch MacBook Pro has a lot going for it, from the faster processor, front side bus and memory speeds, to its thinner and lighter, unibody design. Add in a new battery that lasts longer per charge, and you've got yourself a winner.

At a Glance

  • Apple filled in the last piece of the unibody puzzle, introducing this new MacBook Pro at the January 2009 Macworld Expo. It sports the same enclosure as the 15-inch laptops introduced in the fall of 2008. The chief feature in this new 17-inch system is a new battery that uses custom-shaped cells. That should give the machine a battery of eight hours using integrated graphics, according to Apple. The downside? The battery is not removable. Other changes include a faster processor (2.66GHz) and the removal of the FireWire 400 port (though FireWire 800 remains).

    Pros

    • Thin, rounded design
    • Great new keyboard
    • Only Apple laptop with anti-glare option
    • Large trackpad with numerous multi-touch gesture choices
    • Longer battery life than predecessor

    Cons

    • Trackpad button can be hard to press
    • No video adapters or Apple Remote in the box
    • Battery is no longer user-replaceable
Related:
  
Shop Tech Products at Amazon