Note: This review is from someone who knows very little about computers.
Although I truly enjoy PCs and will still continue to keep and use my PC laptop, I felt it was time for a change. It took minutes to load up videos and photos, and I was starting to get very frustrated with the entire process. I hadn't considered purchasing a Macbook Pro before, because I felt the cost wouldn't be worth it. I spent over a month researching and reading and watching reviews. I finally took the leap. The following describes features of the Macbook Pro that I find important to an everyday user.
External Appearance: I sometimes look at the laptop and get surprised by how thin it is. However, once I lift it up, I am surprised again by how heavy it is. Apple has done an amazing job at creating a laptop that thrives on outward simplicity. The cold aluminum feels strong and almost indestructible. The Magsafe adapter is a great feature to have, especially if you need to connect your laptop and sit further away. A trip over a cord easily separates the adapter from the laptop, and nothing is harmed. At first I was surprised that there were only two USB ports, but I can't imagine a time where I will need more than two. The difference I noticed from my other laptop is that there is a lack of ports which might add to the fact that it has an incredibly simple design and that it uses only what it needs. What it thrives on is what's inside.
The Screen: I was originally considering getting a large monitor for the Macbook Pro, so I could easily edit documents and pictures. It's not worth it. Even watching Youtube videos looks great. I was looking at pictures taken on a simple point and shoot camera, and they looked phenomenal on the screen as well. However, the glossy screen can seem like a mirror at times and can get incredibly annoying. 15.4 inches is perfect for anyone considering making the Macbook Pro their primary computer at home.
iLife & other apps: I haven't used iLife as much as I would want, but I was able to look at the Mac app store, and I am pleasantly surprised by the quality of apps provided. If you love writing, Scrivener is great for drafting stories, novels, screenplays, and poetry. iWork is also available at the app store. Each of them are sold separately for $20.00 each, which is cheaper than purchasing iWork altogether! Pages and Numbers are incredibly intuitive, and they definitely compete with Microsoft Word and Excel. Like the app store for the iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad, there's something for everyone. There are apps for work, play, and everything in between.
Speed: From opening Safari to opening apps, there isn't a glitch in speed. Once I start editing film, I'll update if it changes but if not, that means it's still working amazingly. I did play a few games and not only are the graphics amazing, but there isn't any stopping or starting.
Finder: I didn't think it would be very useful until I downloaded a program and had no idea where it went. Finder (of course) finds every single thing on your Macbook Pro, but it does it with speed.
Trackpad: I wasn't sure whether or not I would like the trackpad. I didn't like the original settings but once I changed it, I'm not even considering getting a mouse. It's fun experimenting with it at first and learning the different motions on your own. The trackpad has made surfing the web easier than before.
Keyboard: I was hesitant about the backlit keyboard. I love that I can type at night, but I am used to the keys being closer together. It did take a couple of hours to get used to it but once I did, it vastly improved my typing speed. The spaces between the letters helped, and the fact that the keys aren't raised high definitely helps. Even better? The keys are practically silent.
Heat: I had read reviews about how hot a Macbook Pro gets but after a week, I haven't noticed any extreme heat. Again, I haven't done anything extreme, so I will update if it changes.
Portability: If you decide to take the laptop around, I would recommend getting a case for it. It is prone to scratches and dents, so any protection helps. I carry the laptop in my backpack, and the weight is quite noticeable. I think it's something I'll get used to, but I'm still surprised by its weight. It is, however, a great device to carry around but if I wanted it for true portability, I might have gone with the 13.3 inch or possibly a Macbook Air. Given the fact that this my primary device used at home, I prefer to keep it there unless I know I will absolutely need it.
The hard drive and RAM are completely replaceable. People were disappointed with the slow performing 5400 RPM hard drives, but I honestly don't see a difference in speed. If it is a huge problem, again, it can easily be upgraded. I plan on upgrading the RAM to 8gb soon. My initial benchmark test showed a score of 8843, so I'm excited to learn what the score will be after upgrading.
If there are any major changes with the laptop, I will update.
UPDATE:
The first thing I would like to update on is battery life. The battery life for the Macbook Pro is pretty good. I no longer worry during lectures or taking it to work. I average about six hours with going on the internet, watching a few videos, and writing.
Secondly, gaming on this machine is great. I played Left 4 Dead 2 for a few hours with a friend. There were maybe one or two times where the game would lag, but it would be for a split second. Other than that, it looks amazingly clear. Load up times for gaming is FAST. As soon as my game booted up, I would ask my friend where he was, and he was still only halfway done with loading. Playing with the trackpad is also very responsive and pretty fun. When gaming, the fan is loud and the laptop gets very hot. However, it's not as hot as my 2009 Toshiba laptop.
I was very worried about how hot the device gets after a period of time. After reading many reviews, I noticed that one of the main problems was the laptop getting so hot, it would burn someone's lap. However, I noticed that this was more a worry with previous generation's of the Macbook Pro, and I have yet to notice a real problem with it.
The speaker quality is amazing. I was originally going to get separate speakers and a mouse for the laptop, but it's not really worth it.
The great thing about this laptop is that it's small enough to take anywhere you need it, but it's powerful enough to use as a regular desktop.
Update #2 1 Month Later:
I thought I'd give one last update. Since people generally give reviews right after they receive a product, I think it would be great to give people an idea of how a product is running a month and a half into ownership
The first thing I would like to mention is lag time. A few times I've experienced considerable lag while trying to perform a few tasks. Once or twice it would happen while I was attempting to play a game. Or I'll attempt to switch out windows, and the infamous beach ball appears. What I would like to mention isn't about that lag itself but the performance AFTER it happens. Each time I experience this, I was tempted to press CTRL + ALT + DELETE (in typical Windows fashion) but after waiting a few seconds, my programs would run as usual. I don't have to restart or worry about my files being corrupted. No computer is without hiccups, but I would like to mention that this laptop is great at handling them. I no longer have to cross my fingers and close my eyes for five minutes while it reboots. It just works.
If you like creating short films or Youtube videos, the speed of creating and uploading films is incredibly fast and easy. After playing with iMovie and iPhoto, I'm glad they're additions to preinstalled programs. Although this isn't exactly a review of the laptop itself, I do enjoy the built in programs and how they easily integrate themselves with the Macbook Pro. The lack of bloatware is also very refreshing. When I first purchase a laptop, I spend the first hour or two attempting to delete free trials.
As someone who has used both PCs and Macs for the past decade, the choice really is up to the consumer. Honestly, I feel that both have very easy user interfaces and both are great for any project that might come up. Why did I choose a Mac over purchasing another PC? I think I was ready for something I wasn't used to in my own home. I've had two PC laptops that failed in less than two years of my persistent aggression. I also wanted impeccable design quality. I didn't want something that just looked good. I wanted it to be both functional and durable. It just so happened that the design for the Macbook Pro fits it all perfectly.
I hope this helps.
9/15/2011 Update:
This is the last update. I promise. I have had this product for close to five months, and I've definitely had some ups and downs with it. I've noticed that while watching Netflix, there's considerable lag when I have more than three programs open. I have to force quit Safari from time to time due to a very sluggish performance. At some point, I really want to upgrade the RAM and update the hard drive, but I'm waiting for prices of SSDs to go down.
Despite this, it continues to amaze me. For the first time in my life, I can open up my laptop and not have to wait a few minutes for it to load up. It's just there. The issue of portability is nonexistent, as I never have to bring my charger if I'm going somewhere for a day or two. The battery life is phenomenal. I have been scanning and uploading a lot of pictures, and it handles it with ease. Creating videos is still a fun process.
While the cover is aluminum, it is still very fragile. I do have a couple of small scratches on the bottom. It still continues to go strong.
I will actually update this a year from now to see how it really holds up. A year is right when I need a new laptop. We'll see if it can take the abuse.
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The update to the 15-inch MacBook Pro in February 2011 was significant. Indeed, significant is an understatement. Quick thanks to Amazon and Apple Stores for having these immediately available at launch.
The primary upgrade to this revision? The processor! Intel has a brand new architecture called Sandy Bridge, and these MacBook Pros are the first Macs to feature this technology. Some have called it some of the most significant changes to Intel architecture since Pentium 4 was introduced. These 15-inch MacBook Pros as well as its big brother, the 17-inch, not only take advantage of Sandy Bridge, but the Quad Core i7 Variant. Quad Core processor in a notebook Mac! Wow.
I actually chose the 13-inch model for my personal use (only Dual Core on the 13-inch), but this 15-inch is replacing an aging iMac at the office to save space and leap over its performance. These Quad Core Chips are amazing. Early benchmarks are showing this entry-level 15-inch, 50 percent faster than the upper end i7 15-inch MacBook pro from a year ago. A dramatic improvement. Furthermore, if you're still on a Core 2 Duo machine such as the iMac I am replacing, the performance is as much as 2.5 times faster. At least in terms of the processor. This is most beneficial in processor intensive applications, for consumers such applications are iMovie and Garageband. Professionals will see the new processors beneficial in any professional photo editing, video, or music work.
One downside is that due to cost, the machine still comes with a spinning hard drive standard. In this case, the standard drive is a 5400 RPM 500 GB drive. That offers plenty of storage, but is slightly slower than a desktop 7200RPM drive and much slower than a new, solid state drive. You do have options. You can special order the machine from Apple with a 7200RPM drive, or Solid State Drive. However, what I have decided to do, is simply, when I'm ready, swap out the drive myself. Other World Computing sells solid state drives compatible. It might not be easy for every user, but for those with some computer experience, it is a fairly easy swap. Then I can install a faster solid state drive, when the more acceptable capacity drives come down a bit in price. You might also choose to do the swap yourself because you can then put the hard drive that was originally in the machine, into an external enclosure, and use it as an external drive for backup. Of course, any damage you cause to the machine would not be covered under warranty. Therefore, if you have any concern, you might want to see if you can special order from Apple online, or in many situations, you will find the standard hard drive to be acceptable.
After the processor advancement, Thunderbolt is the other great new technology included in this revision to the MacBook Pro. Thunderbolt looks like the Mini Displayport that was already included on the MacBook Pros. Indeed, it will still function perfectly as a Mini Displayport, for connecting an external display. However, Thunderbolt is more importantly a new interface to connect external devices in the future, such as, external hard drives, HD camcorders, and perhaps even iPads, iPods, or iPhones someday. Data would then transfer many times faster to and from these devices than it does currently. These devices were not available at the time of the MacBook Pro's launch, but we have already heard that external drives should be available later this year with Thunderbolt connectivity.
iSight camera has been upgraded to HD resolution and Face Time pre-installed on the computer. This gives you the ability to video chat, easily, with other Macs and notably, iPhone 4s and the newest iPod Touch with front facing camera.
The consumer software you expect to be included by Apple is once again here. The latest version of Mac OS X Snow Leopard (operating system), iLIfe 11 including iPhoto, Garageband, iMovie, iDVD, and iWeb is all here. OS X always includes Safari web browser, iTunes, and Mail applications too. The average user would be good to go out of the box. You might pick up Microsoft Office for your office document needs, or simply purchase Apple's iWork applications (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote) from new Mac App Store on your computer.
The new MacBooK Pros, thanks to Sandy Bridge technology are fast. They will save you time, when using processor intensive applications. Time in business, saves people money and frustration. The average consumer might see less gains with this update as physically the MacBook Pro has retained it identical appearance, size, and weight. Nevertheless, under the unibody, improvements have certainly occurred which result in a much faster notebook. The fact that these 15-inch and 17-inch models now include Quad Core Processors standard is really extraordinary. This is putting recent top of the line desktop performance, into a sleek and attractive Mac Notebook. A breakthrough. Recommended Product!
Best Deals for Apple MacBook Pro 15.4" Laptop - 500 GB HARDRIVE - i7 QUAD-CORE
I discovered the new line of MacBook Pros the day after they became available for sale and immediately decided I was ready to upgrade. I've had a 13" 2.26GHz Core2 Duo mid-2009 MacBook Pro for a few months and since it was my main computer I decided a bigger screen was necessary, and the CPU upgrade would be awesome. I ordered through Amazon Prime and paid the extra $4 for overnight shipping and it arrived yesterday. I considered buying through Apple but the $150 tax savings with Amazon Prime is a no-brainer. I would have loved if Amazon had the anti-glare screen option even if it was a little more expensive but I'll live. I had a great cheap anti-glare (matte coating) screen protector from eBay on my 13" and just ordered one for my new 15".
The packaging was great. The main white MBP box was packed inside two layers of plain brown cardboard boxes, so it was well protected. For cheaper, less-fragile items I don't always understand why Amazon occasionally uses bigger boxes, but for something this fragile and expensive I welcome that. Once I opened the main white box I saw the usual stuff: the power cable, the manuals and discs, and of course the MBP. The MBP was enclosed in a plastic sheet which comes off easily.
Once I booted the MBP I was surprised at how quickly it arrived at the desktop, given that the hard drive is a plain old 5400 RPM. I assume the CPU accounts for that extra speed. It was nice and snappy, but I knew I wouldn't be using an HDD, rather an SSD. I also had an 8gb kit of RAM I would replace the 4gb with.
I sold my 'old' MacBook Pro with it's original hard drive and kept the 60gb solid state drive I had been using for a few months. I had previously upgraded from a 2008 unibody MacBook with the same SSD and it worked no problem in the 13" MBP, but that was not the case with this new early 2011 MBP. The machine starts fine with the 500gb HDD that it came with, which is to be expected, but it won't boot from the SSD. It freezes at the Apple logo with no spinning indicator. I assume it's because of the significant change in hardware. I tried booting from my old Snow Leopard DVD and repairing permissions but no luck. I had a second 60gb SSD with Windows 7 installed (via boot camp) which started fine but at least 10 drivers needed to be installed. I used the Boot Camp installer on the Snow Leopard DVD and all installed well in Win7. Luckily I do not need to use Vista or XP on this machine since Apple has announced that only Win7 is supported for these early 2011 MBPs.
After I finished getting Windows 7 back running properly I wiped the OSX SSD (I have backups on a network drive) and re-installed Snow Leopard. I did not monitor the installation but it definitely installed quickly. Of course the SSD and new RAM accounts for a lot of that speed, but the CPU definitely is quicker than the Core2 Duo I've been used to.
Once I was up and running in Snow Leopard I was pleased with the smoothness of the machine. Time will tell whether there are any issues and I'll be sure to update with any new findings or problems. I will say that if you can find good prices on an SSD (even a 60gb is enough for many) and an 8gb RAM upgrade it will definitely make the MacBook Pro experience much more enjoyable.
UPDATE 3-15-2011:
I've now had this laptop for a couple of weeks and I have to say it's exceeded my expectations. I ordered an anti-glare screen protector and painstakingly applied it so now I have no problems with glare. I also ordered a new stand so now it sits at an angle which allows for better airflow out the back vent. I installed SmcFanControl to be able to monitor the internal temperatures and can adjust the fan speed in case it runs a little hot. I've installed Windows 7 in a virtual machine and no longer intend on using boot camp as I don't like having to close all my Mac apps and things to reboot into Windows, so I just run it in a VM and all runs well.
One thing I've noticed though is that Google Chrome takes up a LOT of CPU resources and increases the temp by 15 to 20 degrees and I can't figure out why. It's a fresh install with no extensions so I guess I won't be using Chrome unless they resolve that. It's not an issue with the laptop but I figured those Chrome fans out there would like to know that I've had an unfortunate experience with it on this MBP.
Finally, it runs pretty cool on average but when I run a VM or a few things at once it does tend to heat up and I end up turning up the fan speed with SmcFanControl. There are only minor quirks, otherwise it's great! Once I have some more free time I'll try some games, such as a port of GTA San Andreas, and update with how they run and what happens to the MBP.
UPDATE 2 on 4-11-2011:
I decided that I would sell my month-old MBP on eBay and splurge on the high-resolution anti-glare version directly from Apple. I received a $100 student discount and ended up paying $150 tax since I ordered directly from the Apple web store. My new MBP was shipped from China over the weekend. I have to say that it is amazing. The high resolution is almost too high and the small text can hurt your eyes even if you have relatively good eyesight like me (I'm 22 so no reading glasses anytime soon hopefully). However being able to see more on the screen can be a blessing, as it reduces the need for scrolling on web pages and documents.
As for the anti-glare part of the screen, it looks great and I'm able to use it outside with very few issues. The anti-glare protector I had on the previous MBP was fine but there's nothing like an actual anti-glare screen. Plus I am happier with the silver bezel than I initially expected. I ended up paying just over $2000 which is a crazy investment for a college student but I know that its resale value will stay high and it will last me much longer than my previous HP and Dell notebooks. Overall I have no regrets and praise these new MacBook Pros highly.
Honest reviews on Apple MacBook Pro 15.4" Laptop - 500 GB HARDRIVE - i7 QUAD-CORE
I just bought one of these, so I my comments are based on fairly limited experience. It replaces a MacBook Pro I bought in May 2006 that's still working fine, but I needed to upgrade to something faster for a major project I'm going to be working on.
What I have:
I got the model with the high-res non-glare display (Amazon doesn't offer upgrades like the non-glare option). I find reflections to be very distracting, so the non-glare option is a must-have for me. If you go that route note that while the glossy screens are glass with black borders, the non-glare screens are plastic and have an aluminum frame just like all of the older MacBook Pros had.
After using it for a while to ensure there weren't any problems I upgraded the memory to 8GB. It only takes a few minutes, it's easy to do, and the cost of the memory from a third party vendor was half of what Apple charges for their 8GB upgrade.
Next I replaced the optical drive with a 60GB solid state hard drive (there are third-party mounting brackets you can use to replace the optical drive with a second hard drive), cloned the original drive to it, and then set my home folder to be the original home folder on the original drive. The result of all this that I have two internal hard drives, one of which is the original 500GB hard drive and the other is a 60GB solid state drive.
This gives me the best of both worlds. I get the speed of an SSD when booting (< 20 seconds) and launching applications (really, really fast), and the space of a regular hard drive for the minimal cost of a 60GB SSD. So the system and all applications run off a solid state drive while stuff like pictures, music, and so on resides on the original drive. This also means that if I push the system hard enough even 8GB of memory isn't enough the virtual memory system will use the much faster solid state drive. I put the optical drive in a cheap case so I can use it on the rare occasion I have a need for it to install software.
I use this MacBook Pro most of the time with Apple's original 30" Cinema Display. This requires an adapter that has to be powered by a USB port, but seems to work fine. Before I bought this I read some less-than-flattering reviews of the adapter in which a lot of people said they experienced problems trying to use it, but it's worked fine for me. Apple's current line of displays will connect directly without an adapter.
My impressions so far:
It's a tiny bit lighter than my old MacBook Pro, a little thinner, a little wider, and a little deeper. It definitely runs cooler, though the temperature seems to vary based on how hard the processor is working. But it's much more comfortable when I'm using it on my lap.
The body is machined from a block of aluminum. The bottom is open and covered with a solid sheet of aluminum with only the four feet and ten tiny screws holding it down. The result is a laptop that feels amazingly solid. If I grab my old MacBook Pro by the sides and twist it I can feel it give and hear a little squeak as parts rub against one another. With this I feel and hear nothing.
I recommend upgrading the memory to 8GB. I experienced a few pauses I attribute to the virtual memory system kicking in when I used it with 4GB, but not one since I upgraded the memory to 8GB. If you have deep pockets, these actually support 16GB of memory although Apple only claims 8GB. Unfortunately, as I write this 8GB chips cost 16x what 4GB chips cost (you need two), so it wasn't worth it to me to upgrade to 16GB, but if you have the money and want to max out the memory you have the option of taking it to 16GB.
Fit and finish are flawless, same as you see in all the pictures.
Beyond that I'm not sure what I can tell you that you can't learn from the product description here or on Apple's web site. You'll save money buying it from Amazon, but if you want either the high-res glossy or anti-glare displays you'll have to order your MacBook Pro from Apple or another vendor that offers them. The only other two optional upgrades Apple offers are a memory upgrade to 8GB and some hard drive options, but it's cheaper to upgrade those yourself.
I've been using Mac laptops for years and this is fine successor to previous models. Solid build quality, clean look, and all the latest technology. With every generation laptops become more viable alternatives to desktops, giving you the ability to use them as a desktop by connecting them to an external display and keyboard and then you can take the whole system with you if you want. With support for up to 16GB of RAM, an Intel i7 quad-core processor, and the ability to install a second internal hard drive and have 2TB of internal hard drive storage (with dual 1TB third-party drives) this latest generation MacBook Pro is serious stuff in an elegant, portable package.
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I'm over all happy with my new mac...this is my first. it's fast battery life is AMAZING!!!! even right now. I unplugged it this morning...it's been on for about 8 hours and i still have 2 hours left! WHAT!?!?!?!?! unheard of. it's crazy i run Photoshop CS5, Apatrure, Final Cut, Lightroom, and others....And the Rendering time incredible...5 star :)
