Product Description

Features: Operating System Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger Dimensions391mm x 264mm x 25.4mm (W x D x H) Weight2.3kg Processor2.4 GHz, 64 bit Intel® Core 2™ Duo Processor Main Memory2048MB DDRII 667MHz Display17" (WXGA+) LCD Hard DriveSATA 160 GB Optical DriveDVD+/-RW Dual Drive Wi-Fi802.11a/b/g BluetoothYes

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #105329 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Apple
• Model: MA897B/A
• Released on: 2007-06-12
• Dimensions: 6.83 pounds

Manufacturer's Description

Latest Intel mobile architecture

Powered by the most advanced mobile processors from Intel, the new Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro is over 50% faster than the original Core Duo MacBook Pro and now supports up to 4GB of RAM.

 

Leading-edge graphics

The NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT delivers exceptional graphics processing power. For the ultimate creative canvas, you can even configure the 17-inch model with a 1920-by-1200 resolution display.

 

Next-generation wireless

Featuring 802.11n wireless technology, the MacBook Pro delivers up to five times the performance and up to twice the range of previous-generation technologies.

 

Connect. Create. Communicate.

Quickly set up a video conference with the built-in iSight camera. Control presentations and media from up to 30 feet away with the included Apple Remote. Connect to high-bandwidth peripherals with FireWire 800 and DVI.

Designed for life on the road

Innovations such as a magnetic power connection and an illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor put the MacBook Pro in a class by itself.

 

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Customer Reviews

OK, looks nice but overpriced and not without crashes
I'd second win2mac's review - I moved from a Dell Inspiron 9400 to a MBP (with 4gb of RAM) as I was so shocked and disappointed by how rubbish Vista was. From the Apple's marketing I was expecting the machine to fly, and to never crash. I had reservations about build quality, having ordered an Apple before (cube) and it not work out the box, but so bad is vista that I was prepared to take the risk.

I'm not disappointed, just a bit underwhelmed. Yes, you can use OSX and windows using Parallels, so effectively you can have the best of both worlds from an OS perspective, but I'm not sure that really justifies the high price. I bought mine in the US, so £1400 for a 4GB MBP - I definitely wouldn't pay any more. I'd agree about the SD card slot - its not an issue of 'simply connecting your camera' as not everyone is only using SD cards in a camera - there is other data and you don't want to have to take a camera or SD card reader with you all the time.

A few more USB ports would have been nice - I've found I've had to go and replace my existing mybook external drives with mybook pros (which have firewire connections) as the MBP has only 3 x USB ports, so once you've got a mouse in one, a printer / scanner in another and maybe a card reader / camera occasionally connected to the third, there's no space to connect any USB HDDs.

Apple Magsafe AC chargers at £60+ for a spare is just a joke, particularly given the build quality and problems they have had. Apple needs to get out of its "let's rip the consumer off on the hardware wherever we can" mentality - it leaves a bad taste.

Other issues - software wise - most stuff you can find alternatives for - however, I still think a killer replacement for MS Money and also OneNote is something that is sorely lacking on the mac, and I have to go back through Parallels to do my book-keeping in MS Money. Hopefully the new version of Office for Mac (due early 2008) will address the OneNote issue. In the meantime, I'm using the bundled OmniOutliner (a weak substitute, but its free and no worse than any of the numerous other alternatives I checked out / shareware and freeware).

The machine also gets really hot - obviously the aluminium casing acts as a heat sink, but sometimes its almost too hot to touch. Quite nice in my cold flat in winter, not sure how well it will cope come next summer.

And, despite people claiming that macs never crash - nonsense. Mine has a few times since I've had it - on balance, I'd say it is marginally more stable than a windows based machine, but when it does crash, you've got little idea why and its more catastrophic (sibling errors, anyone) and requires a reinstall. Thankfully, a plus point of mac is that it is easier to make a clone of your whole HDD than windows seems to be, so you can do this relatively painlessly.

OSX does seem a lot less fussy than vista though, a far cleaner interface, and that's the main thing, and my main reason for switching from PC to mac. I'm sure a lot of people who are disenfranchised by vista will make the same decision, despite the shortcomings of the mac. Ultimately, what I think this is: Apple have over-marketed the brilliance of macs, so people have unrealistically high expectations. Just remember - its only a computer, and it will go wrong from time to time, even as a mac!

unconvinced
Bought a MacBook Pro 17" 2.4GHz /2GB/160GB spec from the US two weeks ago as a replacement for a Toshiba XP machine which was stolen. Having done a bit of research I was led to believe that the new Mac is miles ahead of Win based PC's in terms of speed, robustness of system, ease to operate etc. Well, based on my experience the end result is not as perfect as Apple would like us to believe:

The positives:
- sleek and attractive design
- integrated camera which works well with internet chat applications
- easier to work multimedia apps (making movies, dvd's and plugguing in diff model cameras)
- plug and play seems to work with the majority of devices I've tried (digital cameras, external hard drives, USB readers)
- Ability to split the HD and run Windows (haven't tried it yet)

The negatives
- No built-in SD card (or any flash card) slot. Almost any above average pc laptop has one these days. Obviously a surmountable issue with a usb card reader but for a company priding itself on well thought-out design and functionality one would have expected to see it integrated in
- The computer is slower than my xp machine in opening pretty much any application. Quite puzzling giving the high clock speed and sufficient RAM
- I've had occasional crashes or rather "non-responses" from several applications (firefox, iDVD, Adobe). Was quite unhappy as was expecting lower crash rate than Win
- I've realized the range of software for Macs is still limited and a lot of multimedia sites (ITV, BBC, etc) don't support it.
- The price differential to a windows based machine is too high (almost double!)
- While plug and play works for most devices, connecting to a non-mac wireless modem was incredibly frustrating. Does Apple expect everyone to have an AirPort? It took me several hours to get my Orange Livebox to connect to the Mac and now I can't get any other computer to work with it (long story but appears that macs don't read WEP keys easily (an older but widely used encryption technology). It's frustrating to have to trawl the internet for tips which should really be on the Apple website

So overall, is it worth it to spend double the money on a Mac laptop vs a comparable PC one? My personal opinion is "no."

Really, really good

Cliche - I never usually write reviews but:

... I have got a lot from Amazon reviewers in the past so this is my turn! I didn't actually purchase from Amazon - I went direct through Apple with a cosy educational discount! I opted for the 17" high resolution screen with a 200gb 7200rpm drive and 2gb memory. I have finally (after 4 days) transferred my old PC data across which I did via a crossover cable easily. The MacBook Pro is amazing - it is absolutely rapid at any given task, and Leopard is a joy to work with. Already I look at my old Windows XP interface with slight pity! The 17" high resolution screen is class - but be warned you need to set the font size preferences with certain applications to medium (or just zoom in) - my eyes can't quite cope at times! .. But the screen is really, really good. I got the Asaka 17"note book cooler (available on amazon) and it is also very good - extremely quiet and keeps the MacBook Pro nice and cool. I also purchasd the wireless mighty mouse which takes getting used to - but is also excellent (contrary to some reviews). I did have one or two 'waking up from sleep' issues (search google, there have been problems) but this was resolved easily with the help of an Apple Care telephone rep who helped me reset my battery (take battery out, hold power for 5 seconds) - all fine now.

Bottom line: The 17" MacBook Pro is expensive but very, very good. A great standalone home/business machine or simply just a portable.. If you're unsure about switching from PC to Mac and have the funds to do it, I would suggest just do it...