Apple MacBook Pro 2009 (2.66GHz, 17-inch)
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CNET Editors' Review
- Reviewed by: Dan Ackerman
- Released on:
- Reviewed on:
- Updated on:
The good: New aluminum unibody construction comes to the 17-inch model; useful multitouch trackpad gestures; attractive edge-to-edge glass on display; dual graphics provide more power or more battery life.
The bad: All-clicking trackpad is a bit awkward; matte screen option costs extra; switching GPUs is not as seamless as it should be.
The bottom line: A little late to the party, Apple's redesigned 17-inch MacBook Pro joins the 15-inch model with a redesigned aluminum body, new trackpad with expanded functionality, and a dual-graphics setup for either longer battery life or better performance.
Editors' note: As of June 2009, the product reviewed here has been replaced by an updated model.
When the latest 13- and 15-inch MacBooks were announced in October 2008, a similar revamp of the larger 17-inch version of the MacBook Pro was conspicuously missing from the lineup. In January of 2009, Apple announced the 17-inch model would be getting the same "unibody" aluminum chassis, buttonless (or more accurately, all-button) trackpad, and edge-to-edge glass on the LED backlit display. It's actually taken until late February for the systems to start shipping, but finally big-screen fans can get all the latest ... Expand full review
Editors' note: As of June 2009, the product reviewed here has been replaced by an updated model.
When the latest 13- and 15-inch MacBooks were announced in October 2008, a similar revamp of the larger 17-inch version of the MacBook Pro was conspicuously missing from the lineup. In January of 2009, Apple announced the 17-inch model would be getting the same "unibody" aluminum chassis, buttonless (or more accurately, all-button) trackpad, and edge-to-edge glass on the LED backlit display. It's actually taken until late February for the systems to start shipping, but finally big-screen fans can get all the latest and greatest Apple improvements in a desktop replacement design, starting at $2,799.
Internally, Apple has moved to a Nvidia chipset with improved integrated graphics, which is then paired with a dedicated Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT graphics card that can be turned off and on as needed to improve battery life or boost performance.
The MacBook Pro, while expensive, remains a go-to for media professionals, and the new 17-inch version will be an especially welcome addition for photo and video types who have wanted the latest graphics, chassis, and trackpad upgrades in an HD-friendly 1,920x1,200 package.
| Price as reviewed | $2,799 |
| Processor | 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo |
| Memory | 4GB, 1066MHz DDR3 |
| Hard drive | 320GB 5,400rpm |
| Chipset | Nvidia MCP79 |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce 9400M (integrated) and 512MB Nvidia 9600M GT (dedicated) |
| Operating System | Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard |
| Dimensions (width x depth) | 15.5 inches wide by 10.5 inches deep |
| Thickness | 0.98 inch |
| Screen size (diagonal) | 17 inches |
| System weight / Weight with AC adapter | 6.5/7.2 pounds |
| Category | Desktop Replacement |
At a little bit less than 1-inch thick, this 17-inch desktop replacement is actually thinner than some of the chunkier 10-inch Netbooks, such as the Asus Eee PC 1000HE. Like the current 13- and 15-inch MacBooks, the 17-inch Pro is constructed starting with a solid block of aluminum, which is carved down, rather than a thin outer shell that has had support struts added to it. The result is a lighter and thinner, yet stronger, chassis that feels very solid and substantial.
The glass trackpad is the same as found on the smaller MacBooks, and offers a much larger surface area than before, thanks to the elimination of a separate mouse button. In fact, the entire trackpad depresses like a button, although simple tapping, as on a PC laptop, will also work once you turn that option on in the settings menu. While it seemed massive on the 13-inch MacBook, we could actually stand to have an even bigger version on this model.
With its multitouch gestures, you can hide all your apps by sweeping four fingers up on the pad, and you can also designate one corner of the trackpad as a "right-click" zone. Very useful, as well, is sweeping four fingers left or right, which brings up the application switcher. Once you get used to that, going back to a regular trackpad would be difficult.
The wide-spaced, flat-key keyboard is an Apple standard, and we're always a fan of backlit keys, which are standard on the Pro and also available on the higher-end 13-inch MacBook.
The 17-inch wide-screen LED display offers a 1,920x1,200 native resolution, which is particularly useful for working on 1080p HD video content or editing large photos--two tasks MacBooks are associated with.
The colors are rich and deep, but the glass also grabs stray light rays with ease, making the glossy screen seem that much glossier. Adding a matte-screen coating is now an option, but one that costs an extra $50. On a system costing almost $3,000, Apple should really not pass that particular expense on to consumers.
| Apple MacBook Pro 2009 (2.66GHz, 17-inch) | Average for category [desktop replacement] | |
| Video | Mini DisplayPort | VGA-out, HDMI |
| Audio | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks | Stereo speakers with subwoofer, headphone/microphone jacks. |
| Data | 3 USB 2.0, FireWire | 4 USB 2.0, mini-FireWire, SD card reader |
| Expansion | ExpressCard/34 | ExpressCard/54 |
| Networking | Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Optical drive | DVD burner | DVD burner or Blu-ray |
While the MacBook Pro line offers one of the last vestiges of the once-great FireWire port, we still think many users would love to have an SD or CF card slot and the option of a high-end Blu-ray drive, especially with such an eye-catching big-screen display.
Apple is making a firm move to the DisplayPort camp by including a mini DisplayPort connection instead of mini-DVI or VGA, but a variety of external dongles (sold separately) will give you any video output you need. The company also offers up to a 256GB solid-state hard-drive option, although that will set you back $750. Bumping the standard 320GB drive from 5,400rpm to 7,200rpm is much more reasonable, only costing an extra $50.
With a 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, the MacBook Pro performed excellently on our standard benchmark tests, but only marginally faster than the 2.6GHz 15-inch version (a 2.93GHz chip is available for an additional $300). While Windows-based laptops with similar CPUs are also fast, efficient machines, Apple has an advantage in our benchmark tests because many of the apps we test with, such as QuickTme, iTunes, and Photoshop, run more quickly on Mac OS X.
Hide Review New York native Dan Ackerman, a former radio DJ turned journalist, has written about technology and music for publications including Spin, Blender, The Hollywood Reporter, and Men's Journal. He hosts the weekly CNET Labscast show (Mondays at 2pm ET) and his most recent album, Tales Out of Night School, is available now.
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stars 48 of 49 users found this review helpful
"REVIEW FROM A LONG TIME PC USER! READ IF YOU'RE UNUSURE" By tintuk
Pros Lightweight, Fast, Visually appealing, Illuminated keyboard, magnetic power input, led screen, isight camera, apple bundled software, battery life, 64-bit, ABILITY TO EASILY RUN OTHER OPERATING SYSTEMS WITHIN APPLE 0S= I.E., WINDOWS, LINUX, ETC.
Cons they didn't convince me to buy an apple earlier in life. :)
Summary I been 'anti-apple' since I was a child. It all started with Commodore PET computers and pretty much grew from there. I have owned very many computers, both desktops and notebooks. Over the past few years, I have all but done away with desktop's and rely now solely on ... Expand full review
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