Review: Apple MacBook Pro

Creating stylish, design-led notebooks is something Apple has always been good at, and the new MacBook Pro is no different. However, being more expensive than rival traditional Windows-based laptops, Apple has always struggled to penetrate the mainstream corporate market.

The new range of MacBook Pros (15in and 17in models are available) might not look much different from the previous line-up, but don’t be fooled: this is a major update.

Apple has totally reengineered the chassis, with these new models starting life as a single block of recyclable aluminium - what Apple calls a 'unibody'. This not only makes it look good, according to Apple, but reduces the chances of hardware failure.

Measuring less than 1in thick, it’s just a shade thinner than its predecessor and won't take up too much space when travelling. And at 2.49kg, it’s also relatively light compared to other 15in notebooks.

All ports are located down the left side of the notebook, while a slot-loading DVD/CD writer sits on the right. Open up the 15.4in screen and you’ll instantly notice the new keyboard, with each key rising up through the aluminium chassis through its own individual slot. With such well-spaced keys, typing is an effortless task and, thanks to the backlight, even possible in poorly lit environments.

The large trackpad ditches the usual separate mouse button - instead, the whole trackpad acts as a button. It’s something that takes a bit of getting used to, but thanks to the support for multi-touch gestures (for example, swiping four fingers in a downward vertical motion lets you switch applications) it’s something we enjoyed using.

Interestingly, Apple has ditched the dual-link DVI port of previous MacBook Pros and instead gone with a new Mini Displayport socket. It's a move that will incur the wrath of those looking to hook up large displays with resolutions of up to 2,560 x 1,600, since additional adapters will have to be purchased from Apple.

Worse still, if you want to power both DVI and VGA displays, you'll need to purchase two separate Mini Displayport adapters and, at £20 and £69 for the VGA and dual-link DVI adapters respectively, you’re paying a lot extra for functionality that came as standard with the previous model.

Those planning to use the MacBook Pro for off-site presentations will now also have the added hassle of having to remember the adapter in order to hook the notebook up to a projector.

Other ports include a single Firewire 800 and two USB2 ports and Gigabit Lan, along with the excellent Magsafe power port. Unlike standard power sockets that can be ruined by someone tripping on the cable, the Magsafe adapter is held in place by a magnet so, if the power cable is snagged, it will detach from the notebook without sending it tumbling or causing damage to the power socket.

Our review model is the more powerful of the two 15in versions and features a 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of Ram, 320GB hard drive and an 512MB Nvidia 9600M GT graphics card; there’s also a secondary graphics chip, which we’ll cover in a moment.

The hard drive included as standard with this 2.53GHz 15in MacBook Pro is a 320GB Sata model running at 5,400rpm. You can upgrade to a faster 7,200rpm version for £35, while those constantly on the move might be tempted by the 128GB solid-state drive (SSD) option which, with no moving parts, is far more robust. However, the SSD will set you back an additional £350.

IT administrators will delight in the MacBook Pro’s newfound ease-of-service. Thanks to the removable battery, models that perform poorly away from the mains can easily and quickly be fitted with a new one without having to send the laptop back to Apple. The hard drive can also be removed by undoing a few screws.

As far as security goes, there's no fingerprint scanner, as found on many other corporate laptops, but when locked up via the Kensington slot, both the battery and hard drive will also be secured, which is a nice touch.

Meanwhile, those businesses with an eye on green computing will be pleased to hear that the display is free from both mercury and arsenic. The packaging it’s shipped in has also been reduced compared to previous models.

The 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor is more than powerful enough for office tasks, but in terms of performance it's the graphics setup that's of most interest. Not only is the Nvidia Geforce 9600M GT the fastest graphics chip to be housed in a MacBook Pro, but it's part of a hybrid graphics setup.

During graphics-intensive tasks the MacBook Pro will use the 9600M GT, but when you're running relatively basic tasks, such as office applications, you can switch to the integrated graphics chip - in this case an Nvidia Geforce 9400M.

The idea behind this is that you get the raw graphics power when you need it, but at other times the MacBook Pro will be able to conserve its battery life by stepping down to the far less powerful integrated graphics.

However, a big drawback is that you need to manually switch between the 'better battery life' and 'higher performance' modes and then log out and back in again.

There's no denying the quality of the 15in widescreen 1,440 x 900 resolution display; whether watching DVDs or scrolling through spreadsheets it looks stunning, with bright, crisp colours and sharp text.

However, although use under office lighting shouldn't cause any problems, the extra-glossy coating means it’s a magnet for reflections, especially if you take it outside.

The previous MacBook Pro came with a matte screen as standard and offered the glossy coating as an optional extra, and we suspect many business users will be disappointed that this choice has now been taken away from them. Apple does, however, still offer the non-glossy option if you’re prepared to up your budget and go for the 17in MacBook Pro.

Wireless connectivity is bang up-to-date thanks to Apple's inclusion of a dual-mode adapter that can operate in 802.11n mode both on the usual 2.4GHz and 5GHz spectrum.

With many wireless corporate networks jostling for space on the cramped 2.4GHz spectrum, being able to switch to 5GHz without having to buy an adapter is a real bonus - you will, of course, need to make sure all your wireless routers are also able to operate using 802.11n on 5GHz. As expected, Gigabit Lan is the wired alternative.

Battery life is never going to be great given the large screen, but the fact that it’s LED backlit does reduce power consumption. During standard use with Wi-Fi turned on and the screen at full brightness, we managed just over three hours’ use; turn off Wi-Fi and dim the screen and you can expect to get closer to Apple’s four and a half hour battery life claim. When playing back a DVD using the internal drive, battery life dropped to just under two hours.

Given the impressive design touches, it's no great surprise that the MacBook Pro is priced above more mainstream corporate laptops from the likes of Lenovo and Dell that, with similar a specification, are around £200 cheaper. If you plan to roll MacBook Pros out to an entire workforce, this price difference will soon become a major stumbling block.

Ultimately, at £1,749 you are paying quite a premium for the stylish, high-quality design of this MacBook Pro. Money can be saved by opting for the slightly slower 2.4GHz model at £1,399, but with the standard MacBook much cheaper at just £949 for the basic model, we suspect most businesses will prefer to go down the non-Pro route when kitting out large numbers of staff.