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Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch unibody) review

In this review

Note that switching between GPUs doesn't require a reboot, but you do have to log out and back into your user account, closing apps in the process.

With the 9600M GPU turned on, we got 4 hours and 14 minutes on our video-playback battery-drain test, which is very impressive for a desktop replacement. Switching the 9600M off added about 30 minutes.

We've heard concerns about the sealed battery compartment, which means you can neither replace a worn-out battery nor use an extra battery on a long trip. Over 4 hours of use with a 17-inch laptop should help assuage the extra-battery concerns, since that's more than double the battery life of most desktop replacements.

The lack of a user-replaceable battery is a more serious issue. Apple claims that the battery in the 17-inch Pro is good for 1,000 recharge cycles. If accurate, that means the battery should outlive the useful life of the laptop. Apple's retail stores will also open the chassis and replace the battery for a fee.

Multimedia multitasking test (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
Apple MacBook Pro -- 17-inch, 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo (Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT)
386 

Adobe Photoshop CS3 image-processing test (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
Sony Vaio AW170Y/Q
126 
Apple MacBook Pro -- 15.4 inch, 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo (Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT)
130 
Apple MacBook Pro -- 17-inch, 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo (Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT)
134 
Dell Studio XPS 16
134 

Apple iTunes encoding test (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
Apple MacBook Pro -- 15.4 inch, 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo (Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT)
142 
Sony Vaio AW170Y/Q
144 
Apple MacBook Pro -- 17-inch, 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo (Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT)
149 
Dell Studio XPS 16
162 

Video-playback battery-drain test (in minutes)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
Apple MacBook Pro -- 17-inch, 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo (Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT)
254 
Apple MacBook Pro -- 15.4 inch, 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo (Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT)
196 
Sony Vaio AW170Y/Q
117 
Dell Studio XPS 16
103 

 

Conclusion
The redesigned 17-inch Apple MacBook Pro is an expensive machine but its excellent performance, impressive battery life and attractive, solid design make it an appealing proposition.

Additional editing by Charles Kloet

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User reviews1

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bobs's avatar
5 stars out of 5

bobs 26 April 2009

Good: The Sheer Beauty

Bad: Nothing

Comment: Its very good no other laptop company offer the same amount of quality best buy in the world

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