New Macbook Pro Unibody Review

I have been considering getting a Mac for sometime now. Since I got my iPod Touch I have been going to the Apple Store a lot, taking classes here and there to learn about my iPod and learning about the Mac in general. I got the Mac because I have been getting into multi-media content creation more and more. With the iLife 08 applications it makes editing videos, and pictures a snap. So why the Macbook Pro? At first I was 90% sure that I was going to get a 24″ iMac because I enjoy the speed of a desktop system. I ended up getting the Macbook Pro because after the new ones were announced a few months ago I just thought that they were so sexy that I had to have one. I tried a few of them out at the Apple Store and after initial use I came to realize that the Macbook Pro was really the best option for me. My desk space doesn’t really have room for another desktop system and the Macbook Pro offers me the flexability to either be on my desk hooked up to an external monitor or on my sofa or coffe shop working as well. Of course it’s not as fast as the iMac, but how fast do you really need to go. So after about three weeks with my new Macbook Pro what do I think of it so far?

System Specs:
Macbook Pro 15.4″
2.4Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
4GB of DDR3 Memory
250GB 7200 RPM Hard Drive

Design:
The thing I am most impressed with the Macbook Pro is the design. It is in one word sexy. The built quality is excellent and it feels extremely solid.
There is really no other laptop on the market that can compare with the Macbook Pro in terms of design and build quality. The laptop is very thin and not that heavy at all to have on your lap for hours at a time. Any did I mention that it’s quiet? WOW, I never hear a fan on this laptop unlike my old laptop that you hear the fans from far away.

Screen:
After having a previous laptop with a matte screen and now having this glossy screen I have to say that the glossy screen screen positives outweigh the negatives. The colors are very vibrant and they just pop out of the screen. Watching a movie on this screen is truly amazing. I haven’t really noticed any issues with lots of glare either, but then again I haven’t taken it outdoors to try it.

Keyboard and Speakers:
The keyboard on the Macbook Pro is really easy to type on. It has a full keyboard which is great and the back lit keys when it’s dark is a nice feature to have as well. Not noisy at all. The speakers sound surprisingly well. Much better than your conventional laptop speakers. They won’t replace your regular computer speakers, but if you just want to hear some tunes while working on your couch they sound terrific.


Trackpad:
The trackpad on the new ubibody Macbook Pro is another one of my favorite features on the laptop. After using it I can’t go back to any other trackpad. I find myself on my other windows laptop using the gestures and of course they aren’t supported. The gestures are great. The 3 finger swipe to backward or forward and phenomenal and I can’t live without the 2 finger scroll. I really didn’t me much time at all to adjust to the new trackpad.

Heat and Fan Noise:
I really can’t feel any heat coming from this laptop unless I am doing something really stressful on it like encoding a video or something of that nature. The system when it is doing something stressful does tend to get hot, actually a little more than I tend to like. I solved that issue by downloading an App called SMC Fan Control and with it you can adjust the speed of the fans to cool down the system. Other than that you really never here the fans at all, unlike my older laptop that sometimes just startles you with the fans turning on.

Battery Life:
The battery life on these new laptops is not what Apple advertises. I think that it lasts up to 5 hours if you are not doing anything on it. If I am just surfing the internet with iTunes playing in the background I am lucky if I get a little over 3 hours with it. I have noticed that if I use the Safari browser instead of Firefox the battery life is a little higher. I am not going to give up Firefox for Safari just yet. The Firefox extensions are just something I can’t live without. Battery life is not that big of an issue for me as I mostly have the laptop plugged in, but it would be nice to have a little longer battery life.

Performance:
I have to say that this does not have the speed of a desktop system, but considering that this is a laptop the performance is really top notch. It opens applications very quickly and handles multi-tasking with ease. I have thrown everything at this laptop and it really never slows down. I really think that the new DDR3 memory is the contributing factor to how fast programs open. I think the 7200rpm hard drive I opted to get might be helping as well.

OSX and iLife 08:
This is the first Mac I have ever owned so it is taking me a little time to get used to a whole new operating system. I have been using Windows ever since 3.1 so it is a little strange using a whole new operating system, but so far OSX is a breath of fresh air. It’s fun being able to try new things and OSX is a fun operating system. The iLife 08 suite bundled with the laptop is one of the best suites on the market. It’s really a must have if you enjoy working with pictures and media in general.


Overall:
Even with some of the negatives I mentioned I am extremely happy with my new Macbook Pro. It is thin, light, the design is timeless, and it handles tasks and multi-tasking with great performance. There is no other laptop on the market that I would change it for. I have to say that this is one of the best computers in general I have ever owned. I am not a complete switcher as I have to still use my Windows PC for my business, but I am open to new things and this new Macbook Pro lets me have the best of both worlds. If you are in the market for a new laptop I would highly recommend picking up a new Macbook Pro. You won’t be disappointed.