APPLE MACBOOK PRO 15-INCH (DUAL GRAPHICS)

MacBook Pro Offers Speed and Endurance

Rarely does Apple update an entire line of laptops in one fell swoop. While the new aluminum MacBooks didn't come as a surprise, a new MacBook Pro seemed like a long shot. The latest crop of MacBook Pros benefit from a new manufacturing process and host of performance tweaks that keep them among the best notebooks on the market. The Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Dual Graphics) is an amazing piece of design engineering, with a glass screen, a lighter and thinner aluminum chassis, a multipurpose touchpad, and dual nVidia graphics cards.

At 55 pounds, this MacBook is slightly heavier than the previous MacBook Pro (5.3 pounds), but it's the only 15-inch mainstream laptop that is less than one inch thick. Though not the first to have a glass screen, the 15.4-inch widescreen is still a sight to behold. Typing on the MacBook's keyboard is an absolute pleasure, and the illuminated keys are a great asset in darkly lit areas. This system also comes with gesture capabilities, such as pinching, rotating, and enlarging with two fingers. And don't forget about the dual graphics: The nVidia GeForce
9400M GT preserves battery life, while the nVidia GeForce 9600M GT boosts 3D performance. One feature I missed was a flash memory card reader.


Because of a lower clocked processor, the MacBook Pro trailed our comparison system. the HP HDX16t, on most of our benchmark tests, including the video-encoding tests. CineBench R10, and SYSmark 2007 Overall. However, this system did perform well on 3D benchmark tests. If you are a Mac loyalist, you will love this laptop. But comparing
features head-to-head, the HP system offers a little more for your money.—Cisco Cheng


PC Magazine January 2009