A long time coming
A redesign of the MacBook Pro—Apple's professional level notebook—has been a long time coming. The machine's physical design has not changed at all since the MacBook Pro was originally introduced in early 2006 (which, in itself, was barely different than the PowerBook G4 before it), and its internals have only evolved over time. But as of last week's special launch event, Apple has finally answered the call for an updated MacBook Pro, giving its flagship mobile an overhaul on both the outside and the inside.
And boy, are there a lot of changes. A single unibody enclosure. An expanded, button-free trackpad. Multiple GPU units. Oh my! In this two-part review, we'll take a look at the new MacBook Pro in usage scenarios that range from professional to casual to entertainment. Part I of the review focuses on the new features of Apple's latest and greatest, while Part II will focus entirely on benchmarks and performance. (Look for Part II tomorrow.)
Out of the box
Consistent with Apple's latest efforts to reduce the amount of waste it blasts into the environment, Apple has shrunken the MacBook Pro's packaging to be more compact and similar to that of the MacBook. That's fine, because the unboxing experience is just as streamlined as it has ever been.
Smaller packaging = happy environment
Contained within the retail box is the MacBook Pro, a power brick, a power brick extension cord, and a packet of restore discs. Pretty sparse, but also pretty standard. Do you really need much else anyway?
Tech specs
With the new MacBook Pro, you get the option of choosing between a 2.4GHz and 2.53GHz model (the two standard offerings) if you're going for the 15" model. As of this writing, the 17" MacBook Pro has only been "refreshed" and has not received the same updates as the 15" MacBook Pro.
| | $1999 | $2499 |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo | Intel Core 2 Duo |
| Clock speed | 2.4Ghz | 2.53Ghz |
| Memory | 2GB DDR3 RAM | 4GB DDR3 RAM |
| Hard drive | 250GB SATA @ 5400rpm | 320GB SATA @ 5400rpm |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce 9400M + 9600M GT with 256MB | NVIDIA GeForce 9400M + 9600M GT with 512MB |
| Dimensions | Height: 0.95 inches, Width: 14.35 inches, Depth: 9.82 inches | |
| Weight | 5.5 pounds (2.49kg) | |
4GB is the max amount of RAM that either machine can support. The hard drives in both can be upgraded to faster and higher-capacity drives, or to a 128GB solid-state drive. Apple has completely eliminated 4200RPM drives across the MacBook Pro line, and all drive sizes are available in up to 7200RPM. The higher-end model's processor can also be upgraded to a 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo for an extra $300.
The MacBook Pro that we're reviewing is the stock $2,499 model. Now, on to what makes this new MacBook Pro so special.
Construction
There are a number of physical differences in the new MacBook Pro that set it apart from the previous model. The new version is just a hair thinner (0.95 inches thick versus 1 inch), but also just a hair wider and deeper. It has gained 0.1 pounds in weight, making the overall size of the machine extremely similar to the last version. Of course, it's still thicker than a MacBook Air and thinner than the old MacBook Pro, but that's to be expected.
Top left: MacBook Air. Bottom left: 2008 MacBook Pro. Top right: original MacBook. Bottom right: PowerBook G4. Background: Dwight Schrute bobblehead.
However, what truly makes the new model different is its construction, which features a "precision unibody enclosure" that Apple is still busy patting itself on the back over. The entire bezel and frame of the machine is made out of a single block of aluminum, whittled down to the perfect size, shape, and structure for the MacBook Pro. You can check out a video of how the enclosure is made (the same process is used for the new MacBook, Apple's consumer notebook line) on Apple's website.
Look ma, no buttons!
In addition to this new enclosure, Apple has made a pretty significant change to the MacBook Pro's trackpad and button—that is, the button is gone, and the enlarged trackpad is the button. Generally speaking, if you're already used to Apple's trackpads and your thumb knows where to click for the button, things aren't much different.
The entire trackpad gives tactile feedback when clicking, so when you use your thumb to click anywhere in the bottom half of the trackpad, it clicks just like a button would. (In fact, the top part of the trackpad clicks too, but barely). In our experience, we never accidentally clicked it while moving our fingers around the trackpad to navigate across the computer; it's resistant enough to not click while you're using it for tracking, but easy enough to click when you intend to.
The trackpad also knows when you are holding onto something, like a window or a folder. For example, if you are dragging a file across the desktop with your pointer finger and your thumb is holding down the invisible button on the bottom, you can let go with your pointer finger and still be holding onto the file. Move things around all you want just like you would on a normal trackpad, and it'll figure it out.
Texture-wise, the new trackpad feels almost identical to the old trackpad; an observation that Phil Schiller takes huge issue with. We were told that he insists it's "way smoother" than the old trackpad. Going back and forth between an original MacBook Air and the new trackpads seems like no difference to us. It certainly doesn't feel like glass, although that's what it is.
As expected, the trackpads are nice and huge, just like the MacBook Air. The lack of a button can sometimes throw your brain for a loop here and there, but if you choose not to think about it and just go on using the computer as you normally would, it works mostly as expected.
One of our favorite new features of the MacBook Pro's trackpad is the multitouch support, actually, and we're not just talking about using your thumb to hold onto a file while you're dragging it with your pointer finger. Apple has introduced one, two, three, and four-finger multitouch gestures with this machine—more than any previous Mac laptop. The usual ones are all there—two-finger scrolling, pinch and zoom, document rotation, and two-finger-right-click. But now, if you're using a new MacBook Pro, you can also use three fingers to go back and forth in Safari, for example (three finger swipes do different things in different applications). Four finger swipes let you switch between apps like you would with Command+Tab, and four-finger swipes up and down activate Exposé and/or expose your desktop.
This doesn't seem like much to fawn over on paper, but once you get used to some of those four-finger swipes, you'll fall in love. Since a few other Macs (such as the MacBook Air) already have two-finger gesture support, we hope that Apple adds some of this functionality to other machines via Software Update in the near future.
We did run into some trouble with the MacBook Pro's trackpad, however. After installing the Boot Camp drivers in order to run Windows Vista, it became pretty obvious that Apple has not updated these drivers to account for the new TrackPad under Windows. While clicking, double clicking, and dragging are all very fluid under OS X, it was a crapshoot under Vista.
Right clicks, even while holding down the control-button, were erratic. Dragging would drop out in the middle of the action, making it nearly impossible to select a group of files or drag them to the trash. We can only hope that these Windows issues are addressed via an update in the near future. For now, just plan on using an external mouse when you switch operating systems.
The shiny
In a controversial move, Apple now offers only glossy screens on its MacBook Pro line. Previously, customers had a choice between purchasing a glossy or matte screen on this particular notebook line—the MacBook and MacBook Air have long ago gone glossy-only. That trend should have foreshadowed what ended up happening with the MacBook Pro, then, because Apple has decided that matte is out, and glossy is definitely in.
Let's preface this by saying that consumers in general—and especially crotchety Mac users—love arguing about glossy vs. matte. Everyone has their personal preferences, and the matte group is particularly vocal about their intense hatred for Apple's decision.
Apple's excuse for going glossy-only is that there is only a small group of users who still use matte, while the vast ("with a capital V," says Steve Jobs) majority of consumers like the contrast and color pop that glossy screens offer. This we can't argue with. Nearly everyone we spoke to who considers themselves an "average" computer user preferred glossy screens for that exact reason. Where the real argument comes in, at least among our readership and the tech world, is whether glossy is preferable to graphic and video professionals.
To get a true feeling for this, we asked our two resident graphic pros about their opinions on the matter: Ars Creative Director Aurich Lawson and Ars contributor (and magazine creative director) Dave Girard.
First up are Aurich's comments.
Aurich Lawson on glossy vs. matte
Everyone has a preference when it comes to matte versus glossy, and there's no question that in real-world usage in a variety of environments, each has distinctive strengths and weaknesses. You also can't discount the familiarity factor; most people are just used to the look of a matte LCD screen, and that is what feels right to them. Personal preferences aside however, there are some persistent myths about glossy screens that seem to make the rounds every time this debate comes up. Let's examine a couple popular ones.
First up is the person who tries to equate the differences to glossy versus matte paper stock. You simply can't do that. The mediums are just not comparable. One relies on reflective light to carry the image to your eyes, the other emits light. To put it another way, a printed CMYK image relies on subtractive color, while an image on an LCD uses additive color. It is an apples and oranges comparison.
I suspect that the false comparison with the paper stock argument feeds another persistent myth, which is that glossy screens are not for professionals. Let's just leave aside the the fact that an image on a monitor will never entirely match an image printed on paper no matter what kind of screen you have, for a variety of reasons not least amongst them the differences between subtractive and additive color cited above. The simple fact of the matter is that a matte screen, far from a neutral view, is actually distorted when compared to a glossy screen. The matte coating that diffuses glare and reflections also works on the image on the screen, reducing contrast and saturation.
In a properly light-controlled environment (without which there is zero point in talking about professional work), with all tech specs being equal, and with properly calibrated screens, a glossy LCD is going to outperform a matte one every time. This is particularly evident in the higher contrast a glossy screen provides, the deeper blacks are what give it the richer look people often comment on when first exposed to a glossy display. Like any consumer tech this can be abused and cranked up to impress people in stores, but no pro uses a screen the way it comes out of the box.
Dave Girard on glossy vs. matte
I think that you can get a glossy screen that has deep blacks, accurate color and a wide gamut, so the problem really is just the glare. It's distracting and for someone like me, who's constantly retouching images and scouring images for dust (next to a window, no less). A glossy screen would make my work a nightmare of squinting and head-bobbing.
I do use an external monitor, but I need to work on the road, and sitting in a café during the day with one of the new machines would be really annoying. Apple should sell one of the new MacBooks with a handy black drape.
In other words, you can take my last-gen matte MacBook Pro from my cold, dead, hands!" [Wow, tell us how you really feel, Dave. --ed.]
Do-it-yourself battery, hard drive, and RAM upgrades
One of the strangest things about Apple's notebook line over the past few years has been the disparity of serviceability between the consumer and pro lines. The MacBook, when introduced, had an exceptionally easy-to-replace hard drive and memory. This stood in stark contrast to the MacBook Pros, which required a steady hand, voiding your warranty, and a handful of tiny screws to keep track of.
A small latch on the back of the new MacBook and MacBook Pro pops the battery compartment open (assuming there's no lock inserted).
Apple has rectified this situation with the new cases, making it super simple to remove and replace the hard drive and even improving upon the old MacBook system in terms of security.
On the new MacBooks, the battery compartment cover is accessed by a pushable latch instead of the traditional rotational system that required a coin. Also new to this system is that when a Kensington lock is attached to the notebook, this latch and the back plate become locked into place. Using a lock on your laptop now makes it much more difficult for a nefarious individual to simply pop out your battery and abscond with your data.
Pulling the latch up pops the cover open and exposes the battery and hard drive
Even if the criminal were able to pry off the back plating (definitely doable with some work), they would need a miniature screwdriver, and even then, the Kensington lock would be holding in place a small metal "tumbler" that locks the hard drive chassis to the frame. The dedicated criminal would have to then be carrying a set of torx screws to get your data. All of this is going to take much more than the two seconds it takes to steal someone's hard drive in the old MacBooks.
The battery flips up and out of the machine with minimal effort
Apple has also changed how you upgrade or replace the memory in the new MacBook and MacBook Pro. In the old MacBook Pros, a few screws held closed a small door which exposed the memory to the end user. In the MacBooks, removing the battery itself exposed two latches that ejected the memory.
In the new MacBook Pros, you must remove eight small screws of varying sizes to release the entire back panel of the notebook. This exposes pretty much the entire innards of your computer.
Upgrading or removing memory from the machine requires removing the whole back panel and exposing the motherboard.
From that point, replacing the memory is just as straightforward as it has always been. One area of error here is dropping the small screws into the chassis and having to hunt around for them. So exercise a little bit more caution when upgrading your memory on these new machines.
If you'd like a more detailed teardown of the new MacBook Pro to learn how it's constructed, visit iFixit's MacBook Pro disassembly guide.
Miscellany
Latch-free and lovin' it
With the new MacBook Pro, Apple has finally eliminated the (annoying) mechanical latch that has been persistent throughout the PowerBook and MacBook Pro lines for so many years. While the MacBook and MacBook Air have gotten rid of the mechanical latch ages ago, moving onto a magnetic closure, the MacBook Pro kept it for way too long... until now. Perhaps one of the most welcome "small" changes to the MacBook Pro, the machine now sports an invisible magnetic closure just like its little brothers. Just open and close the notebook—no button-pressing or latch-hooking needed.
DisplayPort
Also new to the MacBook Pro line is the addition of a Mini DisplayPort that replaces the DVI ports offered on older models. DisplayPort may be new to Mac users, but it is actually a standard promoted by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). One of the benefits of DisplayPort is, of course, that it can transmit more bandwidth than DVI and support much larger external displays. It also supports High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) used in many high-def DRM schemes.
Mini DisplayPort is the sixth from the left, between USB and line-in
The downside, of course, is that DisplayPort is still very young, and Apple is one of the first major computer manufacturers to introduce it to the masses. This means that, in order to use it with all of your old stuff, you're going to have to start buying converters until it becomes more common among your other devices (namely monitors). It does, however, work natively with Apple's newly-introduced 24" display (which will become available next month), and the display is practically designed entirely around the MacBook Pro. If you're not hurting for cash and you want to use an external monitor with your MacBook Pro, it's certainly a very streamlined solution due to the DisplayPort compatibility, USB hub, and MagSafe power built right into the display.
Chiclet keyboard
Here, again, the MacBook pro joins its younger siblings by adopting the new "chiclet" keyboard style that Apple has integrated into the MacBook Air, the MacBook, and the standard keyboards that ship with desktop machines. Not everyone is a fan of this style of keyboard, but we here at Ars are devout followers. We find the flat, nearly silent keys to be a joy to type on, and we're glad that the MacBook Pro has finally joined the rest of the gang in this regard.
The MacBook Pro's keyboard is still LED-backlit just like previous generations. While not entirely necessary, it's a nice touch.
Headphones/Microphone
The MacBook Pro's headphone jack isn't much different than previous generations. However, the MacBook Pro itself now supports the iPhone's clicky headphones that let you skip ahead, pause, play, and skip back tracks just by clicking the little nub on the cord. This is particularly useful if you've got iTunes running in the background while you're working, and you're not in the mood to switch apps (via four-finger multitouch swipe, of course!) just to change tracks.
Additionally, the MacBook Pro's headphone port also appears to support audio-in, meaning that you can use those same iPhone headphones to have a conversation in Skype, for example. We like this little value-added detail.
New Battery Indicator
Apple no longer builds the LED power indicator into the battery units themselves. This undoubtedly increased the complexity of the battery units, but it allowed for individuals with multiple batteries to know at a glance how much charge each unit had without having to plug it into a machine. Now there is a small graphical column of green LEDs along the left side of the MacBook and MacBook Pros that serve this purpose.
Resource - Ars Technica
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