Recently launched 17-inch Apple MacBook Pro is the combination of Intel’s latest Core i7 with the Sandy Bridge architecture along with AMD’s Radeon HD 6750. Around the desktop, 4GB of RAM and a quad-core processor gives the Apple MacBook plenty of room for multitasking, which is obvious with a 17-inch screen.
Apart from a full-power Radeon HD 6750, MacBook actually retains onboard Intel HD graphics as well, and reverts to that chip to save battery when you’re not doing any heavy lifting. With this power packed processor the transition is very smooth: no error messages, no warnings. The only indication of fan faintly whirring occurs is when a game is played.
Though titles are not easy to come by on OS X, whatever games you can play run marvelously. We were able to play Half Life 2 at superb 1920 x 1200 resolution with every setting adjusted to the top, and frame rates never dropped below 90 fps.
If you’re looking for a notebook with all the power and creature comforts of a desktop, it’s hard to find a something other than Apple’s 17-inch MacBook Pro. Gamers and pros like video editors will appreciate the additional processing power, graphics power and speedy new Thunderbolt interface, Apple’s flagship MacBook Pro 17-inch remains a shining example of the company’s cut-no-corners engineering performance at best.
Pros:
- Ultra-solid unibody construction
- Gorgeous high-resolution display
- Fast, efficient Core i7 processor
- Intel Thunderbolt, FireWire 800, ExpressCard 34
- Superb speakers
- Above-par battery life
- Backlit keyboard
Cons:
- Glossy screen catches glare, doesn’t recline far enough
- There is no SD card slot, crowded USB ports
- Lesser Thunderbolt accessories
- Unnecessarily condensed keyboard
- No Blu-ray drive option
- Steep price premium
- No user-replaceable battery
