MacBook Pro

MacBook Pro

The MacBook Pro is a line of Macintosh laptops originally created by Apple in 2006. It is now in its third generation. The first generation was released in January 2006 (a 15 inch model) with the 17 inch model coming in April of the same year. The third generation of the MacBook Pro was released in June 2012 (15 inch), with the 13 inch model coming on October 23, 2012. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews, thanks in large part to the flash storage, power, and Retina display and was referred to as “groundbreaking” in Macworld.

Key Information

The MacBook Pro has the very latest graphics to go with top of the line processors. The 720p FaceTime HD Camera allows you to make calls to iPhones, iPads, and other Mac computers. The Multi-Touch trackpad allows for easy interaction with what’s on your screen, and the smooth glass surface gives users plenty of room for gestures, such as swiping to flip through photos, pinching to zoom in and out, and rotating to adjust an image. The buttonless design allows users to click anywhere on the screen. MacBook Pro offers a long-lasting battery even with faster graphics and more powerful processors. MacBook Pro automatically searches and finds available networks and allows you to join them with a single click. The Thunderbolt port allows you to connect as many as six devices, including Mini DisplayPort and Apple Thunderbolt Display peripherals. Users can also connect HDMI-compatible devices, including home stereos and televisions. MacBook Pro can be bought online from Amazon for over $1100. Used ones can be purchased in the $800-$900 range. A 13-inch: 2.5GHz MacBook Pro can be purchased from the Apple Store for $1200 while a 13-inch, 2.9GHz MacBook Pro can be bought for $1500.

Tech Specs

The MacBook Pro features a 15.4 inch (diagonal) screen with Retina display and a LED-backlit display. It has a 2880×1800 native resolution at 220 pixels per inch, and has support for millions of colors. It has a 2.4GHz quad-core Processor and 8 GB of 1600MHz DDR3L onboard memory. It comes with 256 or 512 GB of storage. It has the following dimensions: height – 0.71 inches, width – 14.13 inches, depth 9.73 inches, weight – 4.46 pounds. It has a built-in 95-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery that offers up to 7 hours of wireless web surfing and 30 days of standby time.

Pros

  • MacBook Pro has a beautiful, ultra high-resolution and high-quality display
  • Considering the resolution and quality of the display, the laptop is thin and lightweight
  • It has excellent battery life, especially when considering the quality of the graphics and size of the processor
  • Offers two USB 3.0 ports to go with two Thunderbolt ports and one HDMI port – the HDMI port allows users to connect their MacBook Pro to an HDTV for better movie viewing
  • The touchscreen option allows users to use their MacBook Pro like they would their iPhone or iPad making for easy transition between devices

Cons

  • Certain applications which are not updated for the Retina Display may appear blurry and cause the scroll performance to be sluggish
  • The cost – the MacBook Pro costs over $1000 making it one of the more expensive laptops available
  • RAM is limited to 8 GB and cannot be upgraded
  • Battery is difficult to replace
  • No internal Firewire or Ethernet (adapters can be purchased but they come at an additional cost)
  • No internal optical drive
  • Internal storage is not meant to be upgraded by users