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Apple MacBook Pro MA601LL/A 15.4" Laptop (2.16 GHz Intel Core Duo, 1 GB RAM, 100 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive) | List Price: $1,899.99
Discount Price: $2,474.00
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Brand: Apple
Binding: Personal Computers
Warranty: 1 year warranty
Features: - 2.16 GHz Intel Core Duo processor with 2 MB shared L2 Cache
- 1 GB (single SODIMM) 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300); 100 GB 5400 rpm Serial ATA/100 hard drive; slot-load 4x SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW)
- One FireWire 400, two USB 2.0 ports, and ExpressCard/34 slot; no FireWire 800 slots
- Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit); built-in 54 Mbps AirPort Extreme (802.11g); built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
- 15.4-inch TFT non-glossy widescreen display with 1440 x 900 resolution
OK but with some shortcomings [Posted on 2006-12-05]
I've been a Mac fan for about 20 years but have been using windows and linux laptops for the last 10 years or so because of compatibility requirements with my work. I was pretty excited to get this mac. The laptops are so beautiful and the OS is so clean that it's easy to fall in love with the machines. The good stuff everyone talks about: great OS, good keyboard feel, beautiful screen, nice power cord and connection, and generally quiet operation. But there are also ergonomic disappointments, especially compared to my old Thinkpad T41:
- The first and obvious one is the celebrated issue with the heat - the machines do get unacceptably hot under the palms near the keyboard. I'd love to ignore it, but it's irritating.
- The keyboard layout is much less efficient than the Thinkpad. There is about 4.5" of space between the front edge of the laptop and the keyboard, and the edges are quite sharp. I'm used to resting my palms on the area in front of the keyboard, but with the Macbook Pro this causes the edge to dig into the area above my wrist. The Thinkpad has much softer edges and also has a slight tilt to the base which makes typing much more comfortable.
- the keyboard feel is good but the layout is far inferior to the Thinkpad. For a company that resists a two-button mouse on the laptop because it's allegedly too complex, it's bizarre to build a keyboard that requires you to select 2 keys to do a forward delete or bring up a contextual menu, especially when the 4 modifier keys (fn, ctl, option, and apple) are all small and right next to each other.
I didn't get an appreciation for these annoyances at the store. Net net: make sure you're comfortable with the ergonomics before you plunge for $2K. As much time as you're going to spend with the machine, make sure it's comfortable.
Best laptop I've ever used [Posted on 2006-12-23]
Before this Macbook Pro, I have had two $2,500 and $3,000 Windows machines, which did ok.
This is the best computer I have ever used. I do alot of photo editing, I create my own DVD's with the iLife suite and edit movies. I organize my video, music, and tv collections just fine. I use this laptop to run Keynote presentations which look great and present the information clearly.
This is the Intel Core Duo (which I have), and not the Core Duo 2 which is even more powerful. But the machine runs great. Not a single problem with it yet, and though it was slightly hot for the first two weeks, for some reason it has cooled down, which is nice.
I am very fond of the ability to run Windows via BootCamp (not Virtual PC, REAL windows), which runs faster than my windows desktop and I need for 3ds Max.
This really is a Pro-fessional laptop, and I am very satisfied. I'll never go back to Windows.
It doesn't get any better than this [Posted on 2007-01-09]
Unbeatable price, great delivery speed...a week after it was made in Shanghai. Great deal, great computer, great seller.
good laptop, better than my last 2 Sony VAIOs [Posted on 2007-01-10]
I used this machine primarily for business and I don't play computer games. So put this review in that context.
I am running Windows XP on top of the Parallel Virtual machine. Works quite well. All my Windows applications run, without exception so far. I bumped up the memory to 2GB just to give Windows room; it may be possible to run with just 1GB, but I did not mind spending the extra $140 for the memory.
Plus points: powerful processor, big big screen, nice enough keyboard, quiet fans, nice speakers, bluetooth integration, price is competitive with other PCs.
Negative points: DVD drive died and replaced under warranty in the first week, big screen means more weight, and hot machine (don't put it on your lap unless you are sitting inside an igloo).
Intangible point: a Microsoft consultant said to me: "Your laptop is really cool; who makes that?" Ha. He obviously did not see the fruit logo on the cover.
Defective [Posted on 2007-02-12]
1) Two pixels in the screen burst;
2) The computer is overheating;
3) It is very slow and I cannot open two programs at the same time;
4) There is a strange noise, possibly the cooler.
Please advise
Luiz F. P. Braconnot
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