Across the great divide: MacBook Pro vs. the PC competition

By Michelle Thatcher
For years, the Mac vs. PC debate has been fueled mostly by subjective ranting; the platforms and the components were so different that it was impossible to compare fundamental characteristics such as performance. But now that Macs are migrating to Intel processors, analyzing Mac hardware versus PC hardware is a bit more like comparing (ahem) apples to apples. To that end, we're pitting the MacBook Pro against a number of PC competitors, stocking the laptops with Core Duo processors and a number of other high-end components and comparing them not only on performance and battery life but on characteristics such as design, features, and price. All to answer one fundamental question: if you configure a PC and a Mac with identical components, which laptop reigns supreme?

And now...let's introduce the competitors in our first bout.

In this corner, we have the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro running Mac OS 10.4 and equipped with a 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo (T2500) processor; 2GB of DDR2 SDRAM (666MHz); an ATI Mobility Radeon x1600 graphics card; and a 100GB hard drive spinning at 5,400rpm. (Note: this is a different configuration than the one we reviewed in March.) In the opposite corner, the Acer TravelMate 8200, running Windows XP Professional and equipped with a 2.0GHz Intel Core Duo (T2500) processor; 2GB of slightly slower DDR2 SDRAM (533MHz); an ATI Mobility Radeon x1600 graphics card; and a slightly larger 120GB hard drive spinning at 5,400rpm.

These two laptops are as evenly matched as any two you're going to find. Only one can win. Let's ring the bell, and let the fight begin!