Apple MacBook Pro (17in., 2.16GHz Core Duo): a first look
Published: 26 Apr 2006
Apple has added a 17in. version of the MacBook Pro to its lineup, replacing the 17in. PowerBook G4. The second Apple notebook to feature Intel's Core Duo processor, the 17in. MacBook Pro looks very similar to the 15.4in. model, save for a bigger display and a few additional ports.
With roughly the same specs as the 15.4in. model, we can already predict much about how the 17in. MacBook Pro will perform. The Intel Core Duo processor should deliver performance that's on a par with the fastest PC notebooks, and we can expect the ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 GPU to handle graphics better than the PowerBooks ever did. The MacBook Pro's physical dimensions are virtually identical to those of the 17in. PowerBook G4; at 3.1kg, it's the lightest notebook of its size on the market. Here's a full rundown of the specs:
- 17in. wide-screen display (1,680 by 1,050 native resolution)
- 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo
- 1GB DDR2 (2x512MB) RAM (standard); 2GB DDR RAM (£178 upgrade)
- 667MHz frontside bus and main memory
- PCI Express architecture
- 100GB 7,200rpm or 120GB 5,400rpm SATA hard drive (same price)
- ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with up to 256MB memory
- ExpressCard/34 slot
- Dual-link DVI, VGA adapter included
- One FireWire 800 port, one FireWire 400 port, three USB 2.0 ports
- Optical digital and analogue audio I/O, built-in microphone and stereo speakers
- Slot-loading 8X SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
- Illuminated keyboard, scrolling TrackPad
- Built-in AirPort Extreme (802.11g), Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and Gigabit Ethernet
- MagSafe power adapter
- Mac OS X Tiger with iLife '06 featuring iWeb
- Although it doesn't appear that the Boot Camp utility comes preinstalled, you can still download it from Apple's Web site to run Windows XP on the MacBook Pro
The Intel processor gives Apple the potential to match the performance capabilities of its Windows-based competition, but as demonstrated with the 15.4in. model and the iMac Core Duo, we've witnessed the growing pains Apple is experiencing in switching to the new platform. For now, beware: if you use Photoshop or other applications that are not optimised for Mac OS on Intel hardware, you will see diminished performance, forced as they are to run through Apple's stopgap Rosetta translation utility. You can read more about the ins and outs of the Intel Macs in our full review of the 15.4in. MacBook Pro and in our Boot Camp article.
The base configuration of the 17in. MacBook Pro costs £1,701.28 (ex. VAT), which we think is a tad expensive -- although it's definitely a better deal than the 17in. PowerBook G4 was. Apple says that units will begin to ship in the next 7 to 10 days; our full review will appear shortly.
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