Apple MacBook Pro Review

Despite the hefty cost tag, the Apple MacBook Pro remains of the best selling laptops on the market, & as of summer 2011, is the second best-selling laptop computer on Amazon.com. There is a huge fan base of Apple MacBook users who return lots of times, not out of brand loyalty, but because they know Apple produces a well-built computer than is often worth the additional cost. Today they take a glance at the 13.3-inch Apple MacBook Air (MC700LL/A), released earlier this year, & the latest incarnation of a well-praised laptop computer dynasty.

Look & Feel

The trackpad is arguably of the best you will find on any laptop computer. Made of glass, & featuring Apple's Multi-Touch know-how, the trackpad is long lasting, responsive, & feels "right" under our fingers. There is no buttons - all motions are captured by Multi-Touch, which translates swiping, pinching, rotating & scrolling motions fluently onto the screen. The MacBook Pro also has a back-lit keyboard, great for typing in darker environments.

As with most Apple products, the aesthetics of the MacBook Pro has always been of its primary selling-points. The computer is produced from a single block of aluminum, giving it a solid & long lasting feel. In this respect it is similar to the earlier generation of MacBooks. Due to the device's slim design, the solid construction doesn't make the laptop computer any heftier than average. While some may call the general design "plain," with the standard white Apple logo on the top, they contend that it is a professional & tidy look most users will appreciate for its simplicity.

The MacBook Pro's display measures 13.3 inches diagonally. The LED-backlit shiny display has a 1280x800 pixel resolution, which is standard. The size of the display is a bit on the "petite" side as laptops go, but it offers better portability than immense notebooks. The 15.4 MacBook Pro adds a small miniscule small miniscule little bit of weight & costs roughly $300-$500 more.

Performance

The MacBook Pro is not a "gaming" computer, but still offers modest graphics performance. The Intel HD Graphics 3000 is an integrated, than a stand-alone, graphics chip. While not as powerful as a separate graphics processor, the 3000 can handle lots of the latest games, albeit on low graphics settings & with occasional glitches. For games & other graphic-intensive application like Photoshop or AutoCAD, you may need to think about a laptop computer with a discrete graphics card.

MacBooks have usually offered strong performance, & the latest MacBook Pro is no exception. The laptop computer is powered by Intel's latest generation of "Sandy Bridge" processors, the Core I line. The processor is a dual-core Core i5, which runs at.4 GHz & has a shared L3 cache for better multi-tasking performance. The performance of the i5 is somewhere between the cheaper Core i3 & the more expensive i7. For most applications, the Core i5 processor, combined with GB of installed RAM, has over processing power to get the job completed.

The latest Apple MacBook Pro, currently retailing for about $1,150, is a serious investment. For someone looking in this cost range, however, the MacBook delivers great performance & a pleasant, transportable, & long lasting design. Although there are cheaper options out there, the MacBook Pro is definitely a shoe-in for long-time fans.