Product Notes: Apple MacBook Pro

February 26th, 2008

Apple announced updates today to its MacBook Pro line of 15-inch and 17-inch models that feature Intel's recently introduced Penryn microprocessors. These new models also include a smaller version of the multi-touch trackpad introduced in the MacBook Air, which supports two-finger scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, tap, double-tap, and drag capabilities. Other changes in these latest MacBook Pros include increased memory for their discrete video cards.

Notable in what is not included is any significant modification to the aging case design, higher resolution displays for the MacBook Pro 15-inch, or integrated WWAN capability.

This fairly significant update follows a previous minimal MacBook Pro update in November 2007. The MacBook Pro 15-inch meets or exceeds the Mid-Weight Notebook specifications in the newly-revised Notebook Computer Purchasing Guide. The MacBook Pro 17-inch meets or exceeds the Mainstream 'Desknote' specifications in the 'Desknote' Buyer's Guide.

Like all other current Apple notebooks and desknotes, the MacBook Pro has received a Silver rating from EPEAT and is Energy Star 4.0-certified.

Configuration & Ordering Notes

Several notes when ordering a MacBook Pro:

1. The MacBook Pro is available with Intel's current Core 2 Duo processors. Information Systems & Computing (ISC) sees the 2.4 GHz or 2.5 GHz processors as the best choices - the 2.6 GHz processor will not show enough speed improvement to justify the extra cost.
2. ISC strongly recommends choosing AppleCare when purchasing any Apple notebook.
3. See ISC's Notebook Computer Purchasing Guide and ISC's 'Desknote' Buyer's Guide for more configuration hints. As of February 2008, configuring a MacBook Pro 15-inch to the Mid-Weight Notebook specification can be done for approximately $2,100 to $2,600 while configuring a MacBook Pro 17-inch to the Mainstream 'Desknote' specification can be done for approximately $2,850 to $2,900.

ISC sees the MacBook Pro 15-inch as being a solid choice among mid-weight notebooks available in early 2008. It also remains Apple's only choice for Mac OS users who require either significant expansion capabilities or discrete graphics cards.

MacBook Pro graphic courtesy of Apple

--John Mulhern III, Senior Project Leader, ISC Technology Support Services (February 26th, 2008)