Apple’s MacBook Pro line of notebooks is available in 13-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inch models. Designed for the professional who needs power and portability, the MacBook Pro line of notebooks also appeals to a wide range of users beyond the professional user target market.
Aluminum Unibody Construction
The MacBook Pro is both strong and lightweight, a contradiction that Apple was able to circumvent by creating a new manufacturing process for its notebook line of Macs.
Instead of building the case out of a bucketful of individual pieces (case bottoms, tops, interior frames, sub assemblies, support structures, etc.), Apple instead used a single billet of aluminum, which is then machined to produce a one-piece case. That’s the simple secret: The MacBook Pro’s case is a single piece of aluminum. The result is a very strong, very lightweight notebook.
LED-backlit LCD Displays
The MacBook Pro offers three display sizes: 13.3 inch, 15.4 inch, and 17 inch. All three displays use the same LED-backlit widescreen display technology to produce maximum brightness levels the moment you turn the MacBook Pro on. You won’t have to wait around for cold cathode fluorescent backlights to warm up.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro is only offered with a glossy display. While this helps produce vibrant colors and deep blacks, it can also cause some reflection issues in bright light. The 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pros can be configured with either a glossy or anti-glare matte finish display.
Graphics Performance
The MacBook Pro uses the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M in the 13-inch model and in the baseline 15-inch model. The rest of the MacBook Pro line uses dual graphics processors: the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M and the NVIDIA 9600M GT.
The paired graphics processors can deliver 2.5 times the graphics performance of the single 9400M graphics processor. Of course, the additional graphics performance comes at a cost: quicker depletion of the MacBook Pro’s battery. Thankfully, Apple lets you decide if the second graphics processor should be enabled when running off the battery.
7-Hour Battery
MacBook Pros come with a new battery technology based on Lithium-Polymer. This new Lithium-Polymer battery provides a longer run time; 7 hours for the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pros, and 8 hours for the 17-inch MacBook Pro. The battery can also be recharged up to 1000 times. That’s roughly three times the life cycle of most notebook batteries.
The battery could have a longer lifetime than the MacBook Pro. With a normal usage pattern, you can expect the battery to last 5+ years. It’s a good thing, too, since Apple says the battery is not user-replaceable, although it can be replaced at Apple stores.
Is the MacBook Pro Right for You?
Long battery life, in both run time and life time, along with dual graphics processors and an LED-backlit display make the MacBook Pro a natural choice for graphics professionals.
Its lightweight, extremely sturdy case design also makes the MacBook Pro a proven performer for individuals who need a Mac with them all the time.
The only real question is: Which size is right for you?
