Apple MacBook Pro MC373LL/A 15-inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)

I love this computer.

I have a couple of issues with it, but nothing big.

I hope the video helps.

I have had this computer for three weeks now, and waited to write a review until I had fully tested it. The first one arrived with a bad keyboard, was sent back to Apple for replacement. The returned macbook pro however suffered from daily freezes at which point the keyboard and mouse were locked out, but processes continued and within about 5 minutes control was restored. This turned out to be a very common problem as fully documented on the Apple web site. Fortunately, Apple released an update to Snow Leopard (10.6.4) which solved the problem for most of us.

This computer is incredibly fast, especially if one has fully loaded it with memory (8GB) and ordered a solid state drive. But even without the SSD and standard memory (4GB), it is the fastest macbook pro ever made by nearly 30%. I love it.

I recommend users order this computer with 8GB of memory if at all possible. The extra memory makes a big difference in performance and is not that much more expensive. In addition, this computer comes with two options for screen resolution. I got the high resolution display with anti-reflection, and it is a joy to work on. Now when I go back to my older macbook pro with standard resolution, I notice and am bothered by the difference.

Other reviews have listed some of the advantages of this computer, other than speed. So let me list some of the issues:

1. Graphics intensive applications generate lots of heat. When graphics is switched to the faster chip (this is automatic unless you choose to always use the faster chip in the energy preferences), the computer gets hot. Not so hot that you cannot use it on your lap, but approaching that level.

2. Computationally intensive applications also generate lots of heat. Running any program that simultaneously activates multiple cores and the fast graphics chip is the perfect storm, and this computer gets really hot on the bottom. Now you cannot comfortably work with it on your lap. If this is going to be a typical situation, get a cooling pad. I am using the logitech N100 and it completely solves the problem, but at added expense and battery drain (it uses the usb port). But I am often running calculations in the background, and for that, a cooling pad is essential. I anticipate it will also be important if you use this computer for gaming.

3. The battery life is highly dependent upon usage. The high speed graphics option is great unless you are running on battery, then it is a serious drain. Unfortunately, the software engineers did not provide an option to always use the slower graphics chip when on battery. This is an important option which should be implemented in a future release even if it means some applications will not be able to run at all. The battery issue is a flaw that prevents this computer from being a good travel computer. You cant change out the battery, and if you are traveling and the battery gets low, you simply have to close up shop or find an outlet. These are very hard to find, and the airlines often do not provide outlets on the seats or in their waiting areas in the airports.

Despite the above issues, which forced me to give this computer 4 stars, I love it. It is the best notebook computer I have ever used, although I will take another macbook pro when I travel because of the battery issues. The speed of this computer is comparable to a 3 GHz desktop Nehalem Mac Pro. The i7 chip is indeed a powerful processor and all your applications will run about 30% faster than on previous Macs.

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This was my first Mac. It arrived only after a couple of days. Packaging was immaculate as always. The Apple box itself was awesome.

Setting up a Mac and getting used to it was a breeze. Apple has so many tutorials that it is really easy to get to know things. OS X is awesome. Within a few minutes I was up and running. Configured my mail, expose, spaces, dock. Downloaded XCode, Chrome and I was up and running in no time.

So why a 4 star instead of a 5 star. Couple of reasons:

1. Running a software update brought down 1.2 GB of updates. Thank god I am on a broadband. Still it took about an hour. With the recent known vulnerabilities, I did not want to run a Mac that had known exploits.

2. The hardware itself is amazing simple design. But I was expecting I will get the "Clarksfield" family of i7 processors which are quad core. But instead, got a dual core Arrandale. Not only does it have 2 cores instead of 4, it also has 4MB of L2 cache instead of 6 or 8. I would appreciate if Apple and Amazon both were clear about this. Apple Appstore also does not mention which i7 we will get. I suppose we can blame Intel for this they make it believe that i7's are all quad cores but they are not.

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As much as I wished Apple did more changes in the new models of Macbook pro still this one is perfect in many ways: it has great design, high performance, outstanding display. Still it has a few minor imperfections: it heats a lot. I use it mainly at home and almost always it stands on the table but if I actually put it somewhere close to skin it just burns intolerably, so it's hard to call this a LAPtop :), the the curves near the trackpad where the niche for opening is (don't know how this part is called))) well for some reason they are made so sharp that they sometimes leave marked on my hands while using trackpad. Other than these remarks it's absolutely great.Apple MacBook Pro MC373LL/A 15.4-Inch Laptop

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So to start I researched the new laptop market quite extensively for a computer for my everyday tasks (internet,iTunes, etc) and my graduate program that I will be starting (MBA). I have always used Windows machines and more specifically one HP four years ago and 3 Sony Vaio's since then. I have also owned all 3 iPhones and the new iPad so I thought that a MacBook Pro would be the next logical step but I have to admit that I was hesitant to put everything on the Mac platform having used Windows my whole life. However, the more I researched computers out there, there are really no PC's that have the fit and finish of the MacBook line. Most are plastic things that are made for 1 year at most. And of course they run Windows which even Windows 7 needs tending and caring more often then I prefer. I did consider the HP Envy line and while the specs are impressive I had a lackluster experience with HP so I wasn't sure that it would last at least 2.5-3 years that I need for my program. I also seriously considered the Sony Vaio Z and while impressive in specs, it is still a very expensive machine which is made more for portability and its screen flex caused me concern.

So I bought the MacBook Pro i7 and upgraded the hard drive to 7,200 RPM. I originally thought I would use mostly Windows on it and just got it for the fit and finish/styling that I really liked. I know that sounds crazy but I wasn't really planning on using the mac OS X part extensively. However, when I got the machine I must say that OS X is pretty amazing. Having used Windows extensively it is not that hard to learn OS X. Here are my findings for the machine:

Speed: The machine is blazing fast. There have been lots of articles on specs and benchmarks but just know from everyday use and even from transferring files over etc it is amazing! I personally chose the i7 chip because it future proofs the purchase and with the Amazon sale it was a great deal.

Overall System: It is a beauty to look at and work on. It is a very thin and not terribly heavy I mean if you are planning on lugging it around all day it might get heavy but it is not really bad. My old Vaio F was 6.5 lbs that felt much heavier.

OS X: It is very easy to work with. Things just work. That sounds like a cliche but in reality it is true. I think the hardest thing for Windows users like myself is trying to make things harder then they are. For instance, I expected installing my programs on OS X to be a pain like on Windows but it is so easy that I thought it wasn't working. But that is the point, things are a lot easier and you have to kind of go with it. Windows is a lot harder from that perspective. Yes after using it for years you know how to do things with it but it is a pain and you don't realize how easy it really should be until you start working on OS X.

Heat: It does get hot when you are doing a lot on it but mostly on the left side. It is not unbearable but it does heat up. But so does the Vaio Z and other machines using these chips. The design of laptops has not caught up to the chips from that perspective. So for me the heat was a wash because they all run quite hot at this point in time. This is by no means unbearable. But if you like to place the machine on your lap, probably won't work so well.

Screen: I have the base 1440x900 it is nice. I don't mind it I personally find the other one too small but again it is preference try an Apple store if you want to see the screen differences. And I was incredibly worried about glare. It picks up a ton outside because of the glass but I don't work outside so that is no big deal for me and in the house even by a window it has been fine for me. Again it is preference but I have been pleasantly surprised by the lack of glare experienced. I think the Apple Store lighting makes the glare very apparent so it is a good test of worst case scenarios but in reality in the house it is not as bad as at the Apple Store.

Windows 7/Boot Camp: Yes I do need some Windows things so reluctantly I am installing Windows 7 but I am miffed at how much space I need to devote to it. It reminds of why I got the Mac to begin with just bloated overall.

Apple Service: This I think is where it really shines. I had to use the Genius Bar to assist me in removing a stripped screw (my fault in trying to remove the cover to swap the hard drive for a faster one). Tip: Use the hardest screwdriver (Titanium) possible for it not the crap at Fry's it makes a difference. The screws are very soft and will strip quickly. So I took my new machine in without ever having turned it on and I know that Apple Store doesn't swap the drives for users but I asked the Genius to help me remove the screw. To my surprise he removed it, replaced it and then went ahead and did the install and reimaged the machine in 15 minutes. Now that is amazing service. And that is where the difference in pricing comes in. With my old Sony's I would drop good cash on those and when I went to Sony Style it was like why are you here again. They could care less about assisting me. Apple is just very different from that perspective. That is why the Vaio Z gave me pause. 2,500 knowing that they don't stand by their products is a hard sell!

Final Assessment: To each his own some people love Windows and that is fine, but I would submit to really study the build quality of the PC you are planning to purchase, the overall experience, service and ease of use etc before committing. People complain about Mac components being downgraded but honestly does it matter if you have a 1GB video card mated to a plastic rig or a completely designed system that is designed to work well together? Only the user can answer that for themselves depending on usage needs. For most the specs are great. But I think Apple did a nice job on this build and I really appreciate the fit, finish and ease of use. Is it worth the 2,000? I think so because it is a good machine for several years, has excellent service built in if you are close to an Apple Store and is just great to work on.