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25 out of 27 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"Apple's Best Laptop Yet"
Pros: Very Powerful, Includes iSight and Frontrow, High Screen Resolution
Cons: Expensive When Compared to Similar Laptops
Summary: I got an opportunity to use a MacBook Pro for a day and I thought I would share my opinion.
Setting up the MacBook Pro is very simple, just like all Apple computers. Within a few minutes, the system was ready to run. The first thing you notice is the screen. In high resolution, the pictures is simple amazing. If you need high resolution for video/photo editing on the go, this is the laptop for you.
Like the iMac, performance received a significant boost. It is a very powerful computer. I reccommend upgrading to at least a gigabyte of RAM. At 512mb, multitasking can get a bit sluggish.
The keyboard is very comfortable and is backlit. The touch pad is very big and easy to use. I really like the touch pad scrolling. I am primarily a Windows user, so the one button was a bit hard to get used to. But you can connect a USB mouse if you want.
The built in iSight camera is very nice and quite handy. I like taking a picture of myself in PhotoBooth, using an effect, and making it my MSN Messenger (for Mac) display picture. Like the iMacs, the MacBook Pro also has FrontRow. It is a very nice idea, allowing you to listen to music, view picture slideshows, watch videos, and play DVDs. A small remote controls the whole thing. The remote doesn't have a storage area on the computer itself, making it a bit less portable. Also, I'm not sure how useful FrontRow will be on a laptop.
OS X is a blast to use, making tasks like ejecting CDs almost "fun". The built in iLife programs allow you to play and organize all of your pictures, music, and videos. You can burn high quality DVDs and even edit HD movies. Also, there is a web site creation program, though it lacks versatility.
Most people will need some type of word processing software, so iWork is almost necessary. For a mere $50 (with student discount) you can get a text/graphic design program in Pages and a presentation maker in Keynote. Pages can also function as a basic word processor and even a spreadsheet. Both programs are fully compatible with their Office counterparts.
Though it is an expensive, it is simply the best laptop I've ever used. You get tons of functionality and the included software makes up for the higher price when compared to a Windows laptop. After all, Apple includes almost all the software you would ever need to use right on the machine. Just be sure to get iWork or a similar program.
- 3 replies to this review
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I never used a Mac before i bought my MBP. I was tired of having to reformat my aging PC to rid it of spyware and viruses all the time. I was in the market for a laptop and many mac fanatic friends keep preaching about apple so in a bold move I went all in. I love the OS! its very clean, very intuitive (like they say). I have had my MBP 2GHz, 1G RAM for almost two months and I am feeling very comfortable with it. The main things I miss from windows was the availability of software that I am yet to find for the macs. The absolutelly amazing camera that comes on board is (as of yet) limited to a handful of messaging programs. All my friends and family are on MSN so problem there as I am unlikely to convince everyone to switch to yahoo, aol, or the apple messaging platforms. I am sure that someone will work a new version of a multiplatform supporting MSN and video soon enough though. Another thing I love about the MBP is the remote, I use it all the time to play music in my lab. There are even programs out that make use of the remote and hardrive protecting mechanism to protect the laptop when you are in a coffee shop, etc. (ialertu). Although I am not as proficient in my new OS as i am with XP, and although there is stil not enough Universal aps. that make full use of the speed of these puppies, I do love my machine very much. I keep my old XP for the many programs I have accumulated, But it is more of a hardrive to me now than a real computer. Hey Mr. Gates: I'm not coming back in the forseable future.
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I am using my fifth apple laptop, a 17in G4, I am a photographer and when I am in the field the resolution and calirity of the images is fantastic. I can print on location which a real time saver fot me.
Don Black -
Actually if you go to a competitor's website and custom config a laptop similar to the macbook pro, the price on the mbp is usually cheaper. Take this article for instance (read it, don't just look at the table)
http://www.macworld.com/news/2006/02/13/pricecomparison/index.php
As you can see, the MBP is cheaper and the dell still doesn't have all the features the mbp does.
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