An Apple MacBook Gone Pro

It doesn't look that different to from the old Power Book, but the new Intel Core Duo chips really set this laptop apart

by Cliff Edwards

Editor's Rating:

The Good: Greatly improved performance for common tasks

The Bad: Third-party software applications can run slowly

The Bottom Line: Outperforms competitors with hardware and software innovations

Reader Reviews

Apple's switch of its mainstream products to Intel chips was completed in May with the release of the MacBook. I've been testing its more expensive sibling, the MacBook Pro, for a couple months and am reviewing it as part of a series on high-end notebooks.

While not all the software has caught up with the new chips, this machine proves the changeover is well worth any resulting temporary headaches. True to recent form, Apple (AAPL) delivers another hit with the MacBook Pro, opting for simple, understated innovations to sell a commodity product at premium prices -- starting at nearly $2,000 for the 15-inch model, and $2,800 for the 17-inch version.

There's little not to like about the MacBook Pro. It doesn't look much different from the now-retired PowerBook. The same sleek silver casing is there, with white trim beneath the cover. The only noticeable differences are the built-in iSight camera above the display and a new power-cord technology called MagSafe. With it, you don't have to worry about tripping over the cord and sending the computer flying of your desk or table. Instead, the magnetic connector simply breaks away. Apple also dropped an S-video output, as well as a built-in modem.

CHIPS AHOY.

It's what's under the hood that sets the MacBook Pro apart. It was one of the first computers to use Intel's new Core Duo chips, which put two processor cores onto one sliver of silicon. That keeps the computer from overheating quickly and creates a capable multitasking platform that lets you do tough jobs like photo processing and video editing without slowing the system to a crawl.

The version I tested came with a 2.16 Core Duo processor, two USB 2.0 ports, a SuperDrive combo DVD and CD player, and an ATI Mobility graphics card. It offers built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, as well as a built-in microphone and stereo speakers. As one might expect with a system running so many goodies, battery life is okay, but not great.

When Apple announced it would switch its PC chip vendors, CEO Steve Jobs acknowledged that the company's notebook offerings had been seriously lagging competitors' in terms of performance. The new MacBook throws down the gauntlet, offering screaming-fast page downloads from the Web and quick access to Apple software programs such as the iLife productivity suite.

BOOT CAMP.

For third-party applications, the company is using a translation software called Rosetta to deliver software such as Adobe Photoshop. In those cases, there appears to be a slight slowdown in performance, but none so bad that it will make you rue the day you walked into the Apple store. And for those who do, Apple offers a free software download called Boot Camp that lets you boot the MacBook Pro in either Windows or Mac OS X. Though the company doesn't support you if you run into problems resulting from Boot Camp, one could conceivably buy the Windows version of Photoshop to boost performance until Apple and other third-party companies catch up.

What are my quibbles? Like its desktop cousin, Apple includes the relatively new Front Row music and video software. It offers good music playback, but video and photos are not nearly as Apple-licious as the company's other software because of an overly simple remote and lack of a TV tuner card. Unlike the iMac, the uber-thin MacBook Pro has no magnetic side to keep the remote from getting lost, and I found myself constantly looking for the gum-sized doodad.

None of these are deal-breakers in my book, though. I'd wholeheartedly recommend the MacBook Pro for those looking for one of the very best notebooks on the market.

Edwards is a correspondent in BusinessWeek's Silicon Valley bureau.