Apple has recently introduced new additions to the Pro family; the Apple Macbook, now enhanced with much awaited upgrades. The Macbook comes in three screen sizes with varying specs and prices. These are the 13, 15 and 17 inch screens. Here’s a generic look at the functionalities that the Macbook has now to offer to loyal Apple customers.

WHATS HOT

• New to the Pro line is something, the absence of which had been annoying Macbook users up till now. An SD card slot. Standard on the 13- and 15-inch Pro laptops, this now makes the users thank Apple every time they forget their card readers.
• FireWire: To complete the transformation, the 13-inch Pro reacquires its missing FireWire port, making it even more useful for creative professionals on the go.

• The Macbook Pro has retained in design what was good in its predecessor, the solid unit-body construction. Built out of an aluminum brick, with no excesses or cracks anywhere, the Macbook Pro spells sleek. It’s a move that makes sense, as the two lines were becoming fast indistinguishable. It’s both lighter and sturdier than the older plastic versions of the 13-inch MacBook.
• The new Pro also retains the same oversize touchpad, where the entire surface depresses like a button–although a simple tapping (as on a PC laptop) will also work once you turn that option on in the settings menu. The two-, three-, and four-finger multi touch gestures, which let you hide all your apps by sweeping four fingers up on the pad, or bring up the application switcher by sweeping four fingers left or right, will not let you return to the ordinary touch pad.
• According to Apple, the new display offers a wider color gamut, and the screen certainly looks bright and colourful. The 13.3-inch wide-screen LCD offers a 1,280×800-pixel native resolution, which is standard for screens this size.
• The 13-inch MacBook Pro performed as expected in our benchmark tests, with the 2.26GHz GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU roughly on par with the 2.4GHz processor in the late-2008 version of the 13-inch MacBook. Trading up to the faster 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo available in the 15-inch MacBook Pro yields a marked improvement too. An even faster 3.08GHz CPU is available on the 15-inch MacBook Pro, the first time Apple has exceeded the 3.00 GHz mark.

• The back-lit keyboard has also certainly made typing loads easier, especially with the feature now being available in all sizes, as opposed to being only in the 13 inch version.
• Like the MacBook Air and 17-inch Pro, now all sizes of the Macbook Pro have a non-removable battery unit. Apple boasts of increased battery time of up to6 to 7 hours, rightly so. Also Apple promises a 1000 recharging cycles (makes up to 5 years) before you need to go change the battery. Dependable and Suave.

WHATS NOT

• The high-gloss screen can prove to be annoying for some users; the edge-to-edge glass covering the entire display is a bit too prone to catch stray light rays. Thus the no matte screen or discrete graphics options are a drawback.
• Mobile broadband options and Blue-ray leave a blank spot.

• In terms of mass, the MacBook Pro isn’t light; you might call it reassuringly heavy at 2.04 kg. The screen mechanism allows extension to roughly 130 degrees. If you require a screen that opens fully flat (180 degrees), this isn’t the laptop for you.
• Unfortunately, we haven’t seen any changes to the basics of Apple’s warranty and support plans. New Macbooks still include a standard one-year, parts-and-labour warranty, but only 90 days of toll-free telephone support.
• The Apple Remote costs an additional £15, even when purchasing the high-end 17-inch MacBook Pro (£1,849 upwards). You could call it focus or stinginess, either way; any luxuries come at extra cost.
• It is impossible to use “tap click” without tapping when taking your finger off the track pad and it’s generally far too sensitive to the touch. The Touchpad proves to be a tad too big for use at times.

FEATURES

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.26 GHz) ; RAM installed: 2 GB DDR3 SDRAM ; Hard drive size: 160 GB ; 1280×800 has been standard on 13” LED backlit widescreen laptops;

• Dimensions: 12.8×8.9 inches; Height: 0.95 inches; Screen size (diagonal): 13.3 inches. System weight/weight with AC adaptor 4.5/5.2 pounds.
• Price is varied for sizes: 13” comes for $1199, 15” comes for $1699 while the 17” comes for $2499
• 160 GB, 250 GB, 320 GB, or 500 GB hard drive; 160 or 256 GB SSD (Solid State Drive)

CONCLUSION By offering more features for less money, the 13-inch MacBook Pro remains one of the most universally useful laptops available. Though the 17” model is most appropriate for desktop replacement, the 13” is best suited for minimal heavy usage. The 15” is guaranteed to improve your performance for Graphics designing, 3D games, video editing, Photoshop and the like. The performance and battery life, too, are exceptional for the price range. All in all, pick up the Apple Macbook Pro without a second thought when it comes to buying a new laptop. Take a bite out of Apple.

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