The Apple Macbook Pro 17 inch laptop

Specs :

Intel Core Duo 2.16 Ghz

2 GB 666 Mhz DDR2 SDRAM

Mac OS X 10.4.10

17 inch glossy screen

120gb 7200rpm SATA HDD

Superdrive dual layer DVD burner

Webcam

3*USB 2.0

1* Firewire 400

1* Firewire 800

Wifi / Bluetooth

ATI Radeon mobility x900 128mb videocard

To start with, I should explain that first of all I’m a life long Windows user and administrator (MCSE certified and all that). But after using this 17” baby for a couple of days I was completely converted and so was my wife. About 2 weeks later we got her the 15” model which I will mention in this review as a comparison for those who are looking to choose between these 2 models.

Now as you’re probably aware, the newer Mac’s that are equipped with Intel processors can no longer only run Mac, but are in fact able to run Windows as well. Apple doesn’t really support it but they provide the tools for it nonetheless (Bootcamp). Of course to run Windows you’ll still need a license for it, but for a lot of people this was the last obstacle in the way of getting a Mac; the fact that they could no longer run the software they have been running for years. You can install Windows on a second partition and choose to boot your machine from it and work with ‘just Windows’, however a better option exists if you are not doing this to play 3d games. You can use either Parallels desktop or VMware workstation for Mac to run a virtual copy of Windows under Mac OS X. In this way you can just work on the Mac as normal, and only have Windows running ‘in a window’, or on a second monitor. Only with Parallels you also have something new called ‘Coherence mode’, which allows you to completely blend windows applications into your Mac OS environment. So instead of having a complete monitor or window containing your Windows desktop, each application will be a floating window, in between all the ‘Mac windows’. I know terminology is now starting to get very confusing with the different meanings of the word ‘window’, so here’s a screenshot. As you can see here, it’s completely integrated this way and all you windows applications will work as designed. Now I’ll try not to make this a Parallels desktop review but a Macbook pro review so I’ll stop here by just saying, even though this looks kick-ass, once you get a little used to the Mac way of things, you won’t want to use Windows for anything anymore so you probably will not be using this feature as much as you may be thinking right now.

The Mac works blazingly fast compared to Windows in a lot of things (some things are the same obviously). I’m mainly talking about starting applications, copying files and switching between different applications. Part of this maybe just a feeling you get from the way the graphics deal with everything, it just all looks so smooth. Some of the graphical features have been incorporated into Vista now, like when you are switching between applications you can see a movie still running in a small version but to run Vista you’ll need a monster PC .. to run Mac OS in all its glory, all you need is any basic kind of Mac.

Everything just works. I know that sounds like some lame Mac statement, but it’s true. And this is coming from someone who does Windows for a living. Me and my wife have both had Mac’s for over a year now, and we’ve both installed all sorts of little tid bids on it from Office for Mac to Matrix screensavers and al sorts of browsers and media players. Not once have I had to explain anything to her, or found myself puzzled by anything. Everything works like a charm and nothing breaks like it does in that other operating system. No slow downs because I have many applications installed, no files left over from stuff I uninstalled, no error messages, nothing. Plug in a video or photo camera, an external hard drive or a random usb keyboard or mouse … it just works. No looking for installation cdroms, going to the vendor website to get a driver  and still have trouble installing it .. none of that. So this is a real relieve for me. After working at an IT job all day, the last thing I want to do when I get home is reinstall Windows.

The cost. This will be my closing argument in what is obviously a positive review so far. Everybody thinks Mac are more expensive then PC’s. This is not true in all ways. First of all, there are only a few models of Mac’s too choose from, so you’ll find yourself wanting the more expensive models very quickly. Compare these to PC’s / laptops of the same specs from other vendors, and you’ll find the prices compare just fine. There are not many laptops sporting a 2+ Ghz Intel Core2 Duo CPU around yet, most of what you’ll find on the market right now is the 1.4 Ghz models, and believe me there is a world of difference in performance between this Mac and my Dell laptop which has that commonly used 1.4 ghz cpu. Found a laptop that does have it ? Check if it also has Firewire 800 .. didn’t think so. Internal webcams are not standard in all laptops yet either, and I have yet to see the first webcam that has the clarity and sharpness of the Apple iSight cam. Apple also gives you a complete suite of free software with the Mac, all pre installed and ready to run. Everything from Web browser, media player, photo application, video editing, it’s all there, right when you take it out off the box.