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Apple MacBook Pro 15in

Class act

Review Remember the Apple PowerBooks? They were pants. Of course, I didn't know this at the time. It's only now, having had the chance to play with Apple's latest MacBook Pro, that I realise that everything that came before it was so dreadfully ordinary.

Apple MacBook Pro 15in

Apple's MacBook Pro 15in: now with Core i5 or i7 CPU options

Apple's latest series of MacBook Pro computers are available in three models according to screen size - 13in, 15in and 17in - and a restricted range of Intel processors. The product tested here is the mid-range model that Apple probably expects to sell in the greatest numbers: a 15in unit fitted with an Intel Core i5-540M (dual-core, four thread) processor running at 2.53GHz.

For this new range, Apple has almost completely dispensed with its curvy design legacy. Apart from its four rounded corners, the MacBook Pro is a straight-edged notebook in which right-angles are the fashion of the day. It's also much slimmer than I had imagined: indeed, it is just 5mm thicker than the innovative MacBook Air.

There is no clasp since a powerful magnet keeps the clamshell securely closed. Once the unit is open, you can tilt the display back on its hinges without having to hold down the base unit to stop it toppling over. This notebook is perfectly balanced. The rubber feet, although not terribly grippy, are set almost flush with the base.

Apple Macbook Pro Core i5

The minimalist styling continues unabated

The 15.3in glossy widescreen display is surrounded by a flush bezel in jet black, with an iSight webcam embedded in the bezel above the screen. The 1440 x 900-pixel display is razor sharp and very easy on the eye.

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