17-inch MacBook Pro an excellent desktop replacement
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
May 19, 2006 at 12:08am
Okay, let’s just put the cards on the table. The new 17-inch MacBook Pro from Apple is a lousy whip-it-out-and-work-anywhere laptop. It’s just too big—and forget about using it if you’re flying coach. But it’s a darn tootin’ excellent desktop replacement. If you want/need just one Mac “for all seasons” and don’t need ultimate portability, this is your baby.
The laptop comes in an aluminum enclosure like its 15-inch sibling, is merely an inch thick and weighs 6.8 pounds. It includes the gotta-love-it illuminated keyboard, a built-in iSight video camera and the Front Row media software with Apple Remote. Those are nice additions since the notebook also can be connected to an external monitor or TV, using a built-in DVI port (for up to a 30-inch Apple Cinema Display) or other optional cables that’ll cost you extra. For example, a TV adapter with S-Video and composite costs US$19.
The MB Pro runs a 30-inch Cinema Display as flawlessly as a Power Mac G5. You can connect the two for an extended desktop, mirrored desktop (both displays show the same thing) or (my personal favorite) “lid closed” operation. In the latter you’re just using an external display with the cover of the laptop shut. But you can have different settings for each display. For example, I have a photograph that fills the screen on the MacBook Pro when it’s disconnected from the 30-inch Cinema Display. But when I connect the two and close the laptop’s lid, the same photo “tiles” (at my preference) for the massive display. Sweeet.
Like its smaller siblings, the 17-inch MacBook Pro features the MagSafe power adapter, which first appeared in the 15-inch MacBook Pro. It’s a magnetically coupled power cord connection that connects and disconnects magnetically to the appropriate port on the MacBook Pro. When it’s tugged or yanked (accidentally or on purpose) it comes loose from the laptop and leaves the portable in place. In other words: no MacBook Pros taking a spill when someone trips on the power cord. It’s a very nice, and potentially money saving, feature. Every MB Pro also includes Apple’s Sudden Motion Sensor that’s designed to protect the hard drive in case of a fall.
The 17-inch MacBook Pro includes a 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo processor, has a 667MHz front-side bus and 667 MHz of DDR2 SDRAM memory that’s expandable to 2GB. Despite its extra horsepower, the super-sized MacBook Pro didn’t seem to generate as much heat as its little brother. It still gets warm, but not unbearably so.
Apple claims that that the MacBook Pro is “up to five times” faster than the PowerBook it replaces. Maybe in a perfect world, but not in reality. My “gut feeling” estimates it’s about twice as fast for Universal Binary software, which includes the iLife ‘06 and iWork ‘06 suites. The new laptop also launches faster; it boots up in about 20 seconds. For non-Universal Binary software, such as Photoshop and Word, the results vary. Word is a bit slower launching, though once it’s up and going, I’ve noticed no appreciable difference in usage. I’m a lightweight Photoshop user and the 17-inch MacBook Pro that I’m using has 2GB of RAM, so the Adobe software runs just fine (after a slow launch, as with Word).
Apple says the big ol’ laptop sports a display that’s 36 percent brighter than its PowerBook predecessor. The screen is crisp and vibrant—and DVDs playing on the laptop look gorgeous. The big brother of the MacBook Pro line sports an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 PCI Express graphics with 256MB of dedicated GDDR3 graphics memory, and a Scrolling TrackPad. It includes a FireWire 800 port (yes, you heard right—FireWire 800), a FireWire 400 port, three USB 2.0 ports, optical and digital audio input and output, built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), and integrated AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi wireless networking.
Unlike the 15-inch MacBook Pro, which has a measly 4x SuperDrive, its big brother boasts an 8x SuperDrive, which is much handier for reading and burning CDs and DVDs.
Battery life is humdrum, but not bad considering the size of this baby. Starting with the MacBook Pro fully charged, I wrote articles while listening to some iTunes for just under three hours before the juice was exhausted. After recharging I watched a DVD for about 140 minutes before I had to plug the laptop in.
I’m still not happy that Apple has dumped the modem (you can get an external one for $49) from all new Macs, but I’ve resigned myself to this fact of life. There’s no PC Card slot; instead, there’s a ExpressCard/34 slot, which seems like a fair trade-off to me.
The 17-inch MacBook Pro is a marvelous, powerful beast. If you need a hybrid desktop/laptop this is your baby. Think of it as a deptop.
Macsimum rating: 10 out of 10
Every MacBook Pro includes iLife ‘06 and Mac OS X 10.4.6. The new 17-inch MacBook Pro will begin shipping next week through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. With a suggested retail price of US$2,799, it includes:
° 17-inch widescreen 1680×1050 LCD display with 300 cd/m2 brightness;
° 2.16 GHz Intel Core Duo processor;
° 1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB;
° 120GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
° A slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
° PCI Express-based ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB GDDR3 memory;
° DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately);
° Built-in Dual Link support for driving an Apple 30-inch Cinema HD Display;
° Built-in iSight video camera;
° Gigabit Ethernet port;
° Built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
° ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
° Three USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port, and one FireWire 400 port;
° One audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
° Scrolling TrackPad and illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor;
° The infrared Apple Remote;
° 68 watt hour lithium polymer battery;
° 85 watt Apple MagSafe Power Adapter.
Additional build-to-order options for the 17-inch MacBook Pro include 100GB (7200 rpm) hard drive, up to 2GB DDR2 SDRAM, Apple USB Modem, and the AppleCare Protection Plan.
Ugh Says:
Eric,
First lesson: it’s Mac, not “MAC.” Sheesh.
Posted on May 19, 2006
Alan Says:
I want to hold off for the same reasons as Eric but I also want to have one for the fall semester. Depending on Apple has available in August, I may just get a MacMini to hold me over until I can get the desired MacBook(Pro?).
Posted on May 19, 2006
Reid Says:
I’d just hold out for the new processor, not the OS. You’ll be able to pick up Mac OSX 10.5 reasonably from the Apple Store when it’s released and 10.4 is by no means antiquated like Windows XP is now. Holding off on products doesn’t make a lot of sense to me unless the particular product is facing an immediate update. When you hold off for updated hardware, something better will appear in the rumor mill within weeks. It’s better to buy something and not worry about what’s next than constantly being paranoid that obselescence is around the corner.
Posted on May 19, 2006
Zac Says:
Apple is always releasing new products, as I am sure all tech companies do. If you are happy with the product that is available now, and the price that it is available for, pick it up.
In this specific case, I agree, don’t wait for 10.5. 10.4 is excellent and 10.5 will be an easy enough upgrade if you think it is worth the money.
In terms of the Core 2’s, they may be worth waiting for. They are only a few months away. But it is worth noting that there is no way of telling excatly how or when they will filter into Apple’s product line. You may not see the Core 2 you want until December, and then you’ll just want to wait for 10.5 to say the (probable) $129 and then you will have waited eight months and still not have the computer you want.
So, no easy answer, in other words.
Posted on May 20, 2006
Jack Campbell Says:
Dennis… you and I are exactly on the same page insofar as integrating this beast into our work life. I am plugging along on my loaded last-gen 17-incher until the first revision MacBook Pro 17 comes out. Then, I plan to move my Dual G5 Powermac over to accounting duties, and move me and my sales and creative people all over to 17-inch MacBook Pros, with either 30 or 23 inch displays, as indicated by the person’s workflow.
I am not shifting now as I am a bit leery of gen-one products, plus, I am waiting for the Kyocera EVDO ExpressCard… as I am now hugely hooked on Verizon’s nationwide EVDO coverage.
With the Intel chip shift, Apple finally has their portable line up to a performance level that, in my sales and marketing related activities and the actual usage I put on these machines, I no longer need a “desktop” machine… nor the ongoing hassles of trying to kep a desktop and portable happily synch’d together.
I doubt we are alone in this situation, and expect to see a growing wave of lighter-duty users moving exclusively to MacBook variants rather than Apple’s desktop machines.
Posted on May 20, 2006
Robv515 Says:
Looking for thoughts on running Final Cut Pro Studio on a macbook pro (15") or an IMAC (intel 20"). This will be using mostly DV video and a G-Raid drive for render / storage. Will also be creating DVD’s through IDVD or DVD studio pro.
Any way better than the other ?
Thank you for your time
Posted on June 22, 2006
Omar Says:
so I want a MBP but I’m worried about a sudden upgrade. will mac replace my mbp if the whine is present or such ? thank you .
Posted on July 31, 2006
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Contributor
Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
Eric Schwartz Says:
Looks like a great computer. I am looking into purchasing my first MAC and am considering this one. Two things that may be holding me back are (1) Intel Core Duo 2 processor coming out this fall and (2) the next version of the Apple operating system coming out late 2006 or early 2007. Any thoughts?
Posted on May 19, 2006