Like the standard MacBook, the MacBook Pro also includes a built-in webcam, along with two USB 2.0 ports, digital audio input and output, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1. It has the same large trackpad, made out of a small glass panel that acts like one big mouse button, along with the ability to use multi-finger gestures to control tasks such as right-clicking or quickly switching between applications. However, there are also a few other small differences that separate the MacBook Pro from the less expensive MacBook.
The large trackpad acts like one big mouse button
Long-time Mac users who noticed the lack of Firewire in the new MacBooks will be relieved to see that the MacBook Pro still has a Firewire 800 port. This provides almost twice the data transfer speed of an ordinary USB 2.0 port and there are lots of designers and video editors who use Firewire disks in their work, so this remains an important option for many Mac users. For these guys, that alone will justify the £250 price differential.
The MacBook Pro also has an ExpressCard 34 slot, which the standard MacBook lacks, for additional accessories and upgrades.
We were a little worried that the new MacBook Pro would have a built-in battery as the MacBook Air does. But we were relieved to see that the power pack is easily accessible through the base of the unit. In fact, a minor redesign here puts the hard disk, battery and memory slots all behind a single removable panel.
More ports than the standard MacBook
The battery indicator that used to be on the base of the unit is now on the left-hand edge, making it much easier to quickly check the battery level, while the DVD drive has been moved from the front to the right-hand side.
COMMENTS
@ Pierre
"Now if it could switch seemlessly, it could be interesting. I must go, I just tried to think of a way to switch graphic cards without closing the applications using them and got a major headache."
It's easy in theory: clone the whole session -but with the new graphic settings- in a virtual console, then close the original session. Now you go and implement that.
Social status
That looks like a typical Mac to me. Social status accessory. Nice piece of design that can also be used as a computer. There is one major problem with this one though. That's the dual video card thing. It's so-oh-very-badly implemented. Let's see what you wrote about that...
"You don’t even need to shut the machine down to do this – although you do need to log out of your user account, and then log back in again. Alas, it's not an automatic process.
Still, logging out and in again only takes about ten seconds, but it does mean that you’ll need to shut down any open applications and save your work before switching between the two graphics processors. However, that’s a very minor inconvenience when set against the power-saving advantages of this dual graphics processor approach."
I beg your pardon? If I have to plug (or unplug) the thing, save all my stuff, close all applications, log off and log on again, shurely I could spare two more minutes for a reboot. If I can't spare two more minutes, I probably don't want to save and close everything, log off and log on either. Unless the darn thing needs 10 min to shutdown and 10 more minutes to boot up. But Leopard isn't like Vista, is it?
This feature is a major FAIL. Now if it could switch seemlessly, it could be interesting. I must go, I just tried to think of a way to switch graphic cards without closing the applications using them and got a major headache.
@Kenny Millar, Sena Gbeckor-Kove
If I understood it correctly, the dual GPU was a bit of an accident which happened because the chipset they used already includes the 9400 GPU They wanted something a little more professional for the MacBook Pro however, so they added the other. Since they now had both GPUs in the machine anyway, the design team figured they could just as well find a use for both and decided to put in the power-saving option.
Matte Screen optional?
On the Apple Store webpage, under the purchase options for the MacBook Pro 17", there is a matte screen option. I have not gone the extra step of actually ordering it, because I just learned from this article that a newer 17" MBP might be coming out in a couple of months.
@ Law
I am a creature of habit. I started with Ctrl when there was no FN, or windows key or anything else besides Ctrl and Alt (there were no other computers besides PCs where I come from). So I can make my peace with the keys between Ctrl and alt, which I rarely use, but not with Fn instead of Ctrl, because my muscle memory says, the key at the far left is the Ctrl (I am glad that I came across Suns late in my life, and thanks to Linux, I was prepared). By the way, I keep in my mind following layouts: US, Lithuanian numeric on US, Lithuanian standard, Lithuanian standard on US, French, Lithuanian standard on French, my custom Lithuanian on French, so one key renamed will not make me more confused. Nor missing, or swapped keys (type mama on French layout using US keyboard and you will be surprised). However one must have draw the line somewhere. For me the line I realised is the position of Ctrl and Fn keys and Home, End, PgUp and PgDown keys in a nice column at the far right of the keyboard.
