The new MacBook Pro 17-inch model sets all-new benchmarks for Mac notebooks. The 17-inch MacBook Pro feature Intel Core i5 processors, which boost performance up to 50 percent(1) and reach Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.33GHz. Next-generation NVIDIA graphics bring high performance to everything from 3D games to photos and videos. And the built-in battery lasts up to 10 hours (8 to 9 hours on the 17-inch model).(2) (1) Up to 50 percent faster compared with previous-generation MacBook Pro. (2) Testing conducted by Apple in March 2010 using preproduction 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo–based 13-inch MacBook Pro, 2.66GHz Intel Core i7–based 15-inch MacBook Pro, and 2.53GHz Intel Core i5–based 17-inch MacBook Pro. Battery life depends on configuration and use. See www.apple.com/batteries for more information. The wireless productivity test measures battery life by wirelessly browsing various websites and editing text in a word processing document with display brightness set to 50%

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3 Responses to “Apple MacBook Pro MC024LL/A 17-Inch Laptop”

1. Peter Kim says:

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   Purchased: 4/15/10 (Mac Connection)

   Shipped: 4/16/10 (via UPS)

   Delivered: 4/21/10

   My previous laptops:

   Dell Inspiron 6400

   Dell Inspiron 8600

   Before I settled on the MacBook Pro, I also eyed the HP Envy 15 and Dell Studio XPS 16. While those laptops provided a better array of basic specifications (i.e. processor, hard drive, graphics card, optical drive) at a lower price, I was drawn to the portability and battery life that the MacBook Pro offered even as a “large” laptop. Small nitpicks such as the HP Envy 15 lacking a backlit keyboard and the Dell Studio XPS 16 utilizing a last-gen graphics card also helped sway my decision. (note: I am aware that the Mobility Radeon HD 4670 slightly outperforms the GeForce GT 330M. However, it requires more power and is not used in an ‘automatic graphics switching’ setup.)

   —edit// (Added May 6, 2010)

   On May 5, 2010, HP officially introduced the Envy 14 (replaces the Envy 13) and 17 models with a mid-to-end-of May release date. Two of the caveats addressed with the new models are the backlit keyboard and the option to turn off the discrete graphics card (though, not automatically).

   —

   HARDWARE:

   There is no denying the solid design and appealing aesthetics involved with the MacBook Pro’s construction. Simply put, the look, feel, and refinement of the laptop’s aluminum unibody enclosure is second to none. It is thin, light, and it feels durable/sturdy. The 17-inch LED display delivers crisp pictures and an enjoyable video-viewing experience. Furthermore, the resolution (1920-by-1200) provides great real estate that should be well appreciated by users who require or enjoy organizing multiple windows and applications on the screen simultaneously. Unfortunately, Apple opted not to implement an IPS LED screen for the 2010 hardware refresh. Considering the price, I highly expected the new MacBook Pros to receive the IPS treatment since the iMac line recently incorporated it. The keyboard is top-notch. It is comfortable and it supplies a decent amount of feedback while typing. The multi-touch trackpad is absolutely brilliant. It is a joy to use and its convenient functions streamline the overall experience and laptop’s “ease of use”. While the three USB 2.0 slots are sufficient (not to mention, really close together), it is disappointing that Apple did not upgrade the hardware to utilize USB 3.0. People speculate that Apple will instead be implementing Intel’s ‘Light Peak’ technology rather than USB 3.0 in the near future. For now, the FireWire 800 port will have to do. The lack of a Blu-Ray optical drive was not too big of a deal for me but I understand it can be an issue for other consumers considering the price of the laptop.

   PERFORMANCE:

   A majority of other reviews I read centered on the Core i7 processor rather the Core i5. It is safe to say that the Core i5 is more than enough for my needs and, most likely, a majority of other users’. It smoothly and effectively handles multiple applications and activities. I experienced no performance degradation while carrying a video chat, jamming to music, checking e-mail, browsing the web, and chatting online at the same time. Moreover, I encoded video and music files with ease while working with other applications. For users who regularly use processor-intensive applications such as Adobe Photoshop and Aperture 3, the Core i7 would be more suitable. I do not play computer games so I will not discuss the Intel HD graphics or GeForce GT 330M in that respect. All I can say is that it does the job perfectly well when watching high-definition video clips, movies, or Flash-based video. The 500GB hard drive is great for storage but the 5400-rpm specification is underwhelming. I still wonder how a laptop in such a price bracket comes standard with just a 5400-rpm hard drive. I expected at least a hybrid 128GB SSD + 250GB 7200-rpm hard drive setup as “standard”. Shame. On a side note, I have always heard of stories about MacBook Pros heating up to temperatures where they are unbearable to use on the lap. I can confirm those stories from using any processor-intensive application or watching high-definition TV episodes online. Ouch.

   BATTERY LIFE:

   Let’s just start with the numbers. I get about 4-6 hours (well, 6 hours if I am very battery conscious) on a daily basis. This involves general tasks such as e-mailing, chatting, music listening, and web browsing with the occasional video viewing. The screen’s brightness is usually between 45-60% and the keyboard backlighting is not used. Now, these are commendable numbers by any means considering the size of the laptop. However, it is an absolute letdown when Apple claims one can squeeze up to 9 hours on a single charge. I even emulated the “test settings” Apple used to achieve those battery life numbers. I barely squeezed out 6 hours with about 4% remaining.

   VERDICT:

   Great personal laptop with a few subjective issues concerning the purported battery life and price-to-hardware/performance ratios.

   OFF-TANGENT RECOMMENDATIONS:

   If you decide to purchase an AppleCare Protection Plan to extend your MacBook Pro’s warranty/support, look on eBay. You can easily find a legit AppleCare for less than half the price that Apple lists. If you are looking for a backpack to carry your MacBook Pro in, I highly recommend the Incase Nylon Backpack (CL55092 09).
2. Samer A says:

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   I finally made the decision to get rid of my two laptops (an HP envy, and a 13″ macbook pro) in favor of this 17″ macbook pro with a dual boot setup using Boot Camp. Initial impressions: The best choice I’ve ever made. Here’s the whole thing broken down:

   THE SIZE

   This thing is pretty beastly, but it’s not unwieldy. You definitely feel its size the second you pick one up, or move it around, but you’ll quickly get over that once you open it up and turn it on. The keyboard is super expansive, the screen is unbelievable (more on that later) and you definitely can still stay mobile with this thing if you really need to. It’s definitely not something you can easily move around with 1 hand from room to room, but if you’re like me, and do most of your work at a desk, then this is a great choice to make. (Note: I also own an iPad, which is a fantastic pair with this thing, since it does about 90% of what I do on-the-go as far as mobile computing goes.)

   THE SCREEN

   So I mentioned already that you’ll most likely fall in love with this thing like I did when you open it up and turn it on. It has the highest PPI (pixels per inch) of all the apple laptops they sell and it shows. I actually am considering not even hooking this up to my external monitor anymore, because of how brilliantly sharp it is. Colors really pop and text is easy to read. Also, since it’s 17″, you get a better-than-HD 1920×1200 resolution. My work is in development, so this is really a major selling point for me. I need to be able to manage all my windows in Xcode and Interface builder without tons of overlap and clicking between browsers, my chat windows and my code.

   THE KEYBOARD

   If you’ve used a macbook pro keyboard in the past year or so, you’ll feel right at home with this thing. I will say this as a negative, however: It’s not super comfortable on your arms right past your wrist, because the sharp edges of the laptop dig into your skin after a while.

   THE PERFORMANCE

   I copied over my entire OS/settings to this new macbook pro and ran some field tests to see how fast this thing is in comparison to my old macbook pro–and it screams. An iPhone/iPad project that takes 5-10 seconds to build on my old machine (core 2 duo) takes a fraction of that time here. The i5 is most definitely a step up from previous core 2 duos. I finally have a laptop I can stick Windows 7 on that is as good as a dedicated Windows machine can do. (Being able to have this 1 comp to run both environments is great!)

   BATTERY LIFE

   I will have to come back and update on battery life, but I can tell you that it’s worlds better than my HP. That was similarly spec’ed and barely worked 2 hours on the go. This one so far is looking like 6 hours with wifi and full brightness. They have it rated at 8-9 hours, but I’m sure that’s with brightness turned down and not full use the whole time. Truthfully, anything better than 2 hours with this kind of power is great for me.

   TOUCHPAD

   Again, if you’ve used a recent MacBook Pro, this is essentially identical. The biggest change here is that you can now use “inertial” scrolling, so that you can just flick your fingers to scroll long pages, and it will keep scrolling until it slows to a stop. This is very similar to the iPhone scrolling of long pages, or if you’ve used a Magic Mouse, it does the same thing.

   Also, of note, is that of all the new copy cat glass track pads, I haven’t used one that works as well as these. Even inside Windows, it performs real well and you feel productive with it. I’ve used other PC’s with the no-button glass touchpad, and it makes me want to throw them across the room after a few minutes..

   OTHER THOUGHTS/CONCERNS

   While I’ll keep this at 5 stars, this isn’t necessarily a perfect computer. I have a few gripes with it, but they aren’t really deal breakers and all the other pros make up for them so well that I’m okay with it. For starters, this has three USB ports (the 15 and 13 model only have 2) but unfortunately they are literally all lined up next to each other. If you have any kind of a fat usb device, you’re out of luck for placing anything next to it.

   Also, you’ll most likely need to buy the mini-display port to HDMI converter because while Apple loves mini-display port, the rest of the world is just now using HDMI as its standard. You can find one here on amazon for real cheap (< $10). I take this as a con simply because you'll need to (most likely) always carry around an adapter or two to hook up to most projects or tv's or monitors.

   VIDEO PERFORMANCE

   I haven’t yet tested any games or anything but it’ll run HD videos so smoothly and they look *fantastic* on this screen. Seriously–I thought my old macbook pro 13 looked good running HD, but this computer puts it to shame. I can’t wait to try out some games on here. (Valve is coming to the mac soon! And of course Blizzard makes all their games for mac os as well, so what more do you really need? )

   FINAL THOUGHTS

   If you’re looking to spend this amount of money on an apple, and don’t mind the bigger size of this thing, then go for it. You won’t regret it. I’m so happy to be using this coming from the two laptops I had to previously carry around everywhere. Having everything in 1 device, with this much power, and with this great of a battery life, is a blessing.
3. Tony Pham says:

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   I love how they packaged the macbook pro.

   And the macbook pro is just a beauty. 17 inches, with a great os, and great hardware.

   I’m in love with the machine. I’ve used mac for about 5 years now, and I had the older version that came out like 4 years ago, and getting this one is just a total upgrade. This macbook pro is faster, better, and so much more sexy.

   The processor is much faster. I use audio editing programs and the difference is there. The speed is great for any kind of task. I’ve did a little bit of editing with video on pro tools and it’s outstanding. It doesn’t heat up much, unlike my previous macbook pro 5 years ago where that heats up really hot.

   The space it gives you is great. I have plenty of space to install anything I want!

   I’ve tried starcraft II beta on this laptop, and it works flawlessly!

   This is my 1st 17inch and it seems quite comparable big to my 21 inch monitor. It’s a huge computer and I love it. It is heavy so if you don’t like carrying bulks of pounds on your back, this isn’t the laptop you want…(try the 13 inch)

   It’s a powerful laptop, you won’t be disappointed!

   I admit it does break the bank, but I believe it’s worth every penny!

   Mac does it right!