| Ease of use: | | | Service & Support: : | | | Quality & Durability: | | | Design/Looks: : | | | Value for Money: | |
Good: Elegant, sturdy, environmentally sound design, Compact size and weight
Bad: Expensive, Few ports, No matte screen option
Recommend: No
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Apple MacBook Pro 15.4-inch Display NoteBook - MA8 Review
The most important change in the Apple MacBook Pros myriad new features, is the build and manufacturing process. Apple now machines every aluminim notebook casing out of a solid "brick" of aluminum, thereby reducing weight and size of components, but increasing structural strength. While the new MacBook Pro weighs just hair more than the previous MacBook Pros, 5.5 pounds compared to 5.4, they offer a much sturdier build quality and a thinner profile, at 0.95 inches compared to 1 inch thick, but also slightly wider and deeper.
We tried to bend and warp the case, but short of a world champion Phonebook ripper, our efforts were for naught. Similarly, the screen panel cannot be twisted or shifted without considerable effort, and now locks into place with a magnetic clamp instead of a mechanical latch.
The new MacBook Pros 15.4 inch LED screen is the same 1440 x 900 resolution as its predecessor, and still displays pristine color fidelity, although, as you can see in the photos below, viewing angles leave a bit to be desired. In a dark or moderately light indoor setting, we found that only 30-40% brightness was necessary.
The main complaint that most users will have is that Apple has discontinued the matte screen option. While the glossy glass screen is great while viewing in the dark, it can be quite reflective and hurting under broad daylight.
Below the screen youll find a new black, back lit keyboard. We preferred the older keyboard on previous Macbook Pros and PowerBooks, as the new keyboard is slightly more audible (sometimes even squeeky) and noisier than the older keyboard, but sufficiently tactile. After a few minutes we adjusted to the new keyboard just fine, so were confident all of you will do too.
Another significant change is the new MacBook Pros larger glass trackpad, which does away with buttons. The trackpad itself now functions both as a single tactile button as well as a multi-touch surface supporting various gestures: two figured rotation, zoom, and left-clicking and four fingered swipes to activate Expose. In OS X, these gestures are both incredibly responsive and useful, but running Windows under Boot Camp, decidedly less so. Boot Camp drivers currently offer little more than tap to click, which is disappointing, but were hopeful that Apple remedies this with a future update.
You can find the MacBook Pros assortment of inputs and outputs, now all conveniently arranged on one side, Around the left edge of the notebook. DVI-out has also given up the ghost for a new mini-DisplayPort jack, capable (in theory) of carrying both audio and video signals
One can expect fully charged battery to be running for 4-5 hours and it gets recharged again in two hours. The new MacBook Pro is unquestionably Apples most revolutionary notebook to date, the quality is simply unmatched, while its size and weight to performance ratio is excellent allowing you to multi-task and game comfortably
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