Last year, when Apple 15-inch MacBook Pro update, packed a Core i7 CPU and switchable graphics iconic company in the aluminum unibody chassis. Apple is upping the ante again, this time with the second generation of Core processors from Intel, AMD graphics, a high-definition webcam and Thunderbolt, a new high-speed connection that an entire HD movie can transfer in less than 30 seconds. Plus, this powerhouse still delivers excellent battery life. Apple kept the same price as before (from $ 1,799 to $ 2,199 as configured), so the more you get for your money?
The 15-inch MacBook Pro sports the same cut-from-a-single-piece-of-metal unibody design as before, with a sturdy aluminum frame and rounded edges. The overall look is stylish and modern, but it makes upgrading individual components (such as RAM and hard drive) is difficult, as the whole bottom has to be unscrewed.
The 15-inch MacBook Pro has the same dimensions (14.4 x 9.8 x 1 inches) and weight (5.6 pounds) as the previous version. While we certainly felt the extra lift, while the performance of the machine home, did it fit in our bag, which is more than we can say about most 15-inch notebooks. The Dell XPS 1915, for example, weighs one pound more and a bulkier measures 15 x 10.4 x 1.3 to 1.5 inches. , Regardless of the MacBook Pro will table an entire airline.
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Like Windows-based notebooks, Apple is updating its laptops with the second generation Intel Core processors. Our 15-inch MacBook Pro comes with a 2.2-GHz Intel Core i7 processor and 4GB RAM 2720QM. After installing Windows 7, we ran PCMark Vantage in Boot Camp and saw a score of 7648, which is tops in the 15-inch notebook category, where the average is 4764, and about 1,000 points higher than the previous MacBook Pro (6699 ). The only ones that scored higher – and costs less – had SSDs: The Lenovo ThinkPad T410s (11,264) and the Sony VAIO Z (9475). The15-inch MacBook Pro Geekbench score of 10,874 was double the previous generation (5422).
Booting into Mac OS X 10.6 took the 750GB hard drive a fast 44 seconds same as the previous generation. In OS X, we duplicated a 4.97GB directory of multimedia in 2 minutes and 20 seconds with a speed of 36.4 Mbps. That is about 12 Mbps faster than the category average.
The benefits of the integrated media encoder to the second generation of Intel Core processors were also clear when we transcoded into a 114MB MPEG-4 AVI using Oxelon Media Encoder. It took the new 15-inch MacBook Pro is only 37 seconds, 10 seconds faster than the previous model, and 45 seconds faster than the average. We then used CyberLink Media espresso on a 5-minute 1080p convert video to iPod touch format. The program, using the AMD GPU to accelerate the conversion, it took 1 minute and 24 seconds needed to complete the task. In 46 seconds faster than the category average.
For the latest generation MacBook Pros, Apple switched from AMD Nvidia GPUs. Our 15-inch model, the Nvidia GeForce chip GT330M replaced by an AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 1GB of DDR5 memory. However, like the previous generation, the 15-inch MacBook Pro comes with switchable graphics – this time with an integrated Intel Graphics HD 3000 GPU.
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As with the last generation MacBook Pros, users no longer log out or suffer through a few seconds delay while the notebook switches chips, the transition has been seamless and immediate. Unlike Nvidia’s Optimus technology, which routes everything through the integrated GPU (but same result), Apple’s method disables the GPU that is not in use. In this way, Apple claims better battery life while still delivering more power when needed. If software detects that a graphical application frameworks such as Core Graphics, OpenGL, and Quartz Composer, it will turn on the discrete GPU. Users can also disable automatic switchable graphics in the Energy Saver control panel, but it will lead to the discrete GPU to remain at all times.
On 3DMark06 (implemented in Boot Camp), the discrete GPU AMD scored 10,359, which is more than double the category average (3559) and about 3,250 points over the previous 15-inch MacBook Pro. The beats of dedicated gaming rigs like the ASUS G53Jw, the Nvidia GTX 460 GPU notched 8640, but it is a virtual link with the HP Envy 17; that machine the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 GPU-driven system a score of 10.482.
Conclusion
You have to credit Apple for finding a winning formula and tweaking the right places. The new 15-inch MacBook Pro is not only better than its predecessor, but almost every other notebook with a fair margin. It has the same sleek design, but includes the next generation Intel and AMD processors and Thunderbolt for high-speed data transfer. As always, though, Apple products command a premium: $ 2,199 is a reasonable price to pay for such services. For comparison, a Dell XPS 1915 with the same processor, but 6GB RAM, a 750GB 7200-rpm hard drive, Nvidia GeForce graphics GT540M (and 2GB memory), a resolution of 1920 x 1080 screen, Blu-ray, a Skype Certified 2 MP webcam, and a nine-cell battery, costs about $ 700 less. Yet that system is much larger, weighs one pound more, and even with the larger battery, not so long on one charge. As always, if you want the best, you have to pay for the best.
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