Apple MacBook Air Fall 2010 (Core 2 Duo 1.86GHz, 128GB SSD, 13.3-inch) Review

The good: Apple's MacBook Air is thin and powerful enough to use as a mainstream laptop. It has an excellent battery and includes an SD card slot.

The bad: The Air has limited connections compared with other 13-inch laptops, and its keyboard isn't backlit. It's outclassed by the new MacBook Pro line.

The bottom line: The second generation of Apple's MacBook Air fixes many of our issues with the ambitious original, adding more USB ports, an SD card slot, and a more powerful processor.

Review: Apple's original ultrathin MacBook Air was the very definition of a specialty laptop: its alluring design was offset by a limited number of connections and an underpowered CPU, making it truly useful for only a small fraction of users. The second generation of the 13-inch MacBook Air addresses most of our issues with the Air, adding a second USB port, an SD card slot, a higher-resolution display, and better CPUs.
To maximize battery life, this new MacBook Air moves to an SSD-only hard drive, and like the 11-inch version we reviewed last year, the system starts up in a ... Expand full review

Apple's original ultrathin MacBook Air was the very definition of a specialty laptop: its alluring design was offset by a limited number of connections and an underpowered CPU, making it truly useful for only a small fraction of users. The second generation of the 13-inch MacBook Air addresses most of our issues with the Air, adding a second USB port, an SD card slot, a higher-resolution display, and better CPUs.
To maximize battery life, this new MacBook Air moves to an SSD-only hard drive, and like the 11-inch version we reviewed last year, the system starts up in a flash and wakes up from its sleep state even faster.
All these improvements don't come cheap, however. At $1,299 (and up), this is a premium-priced laptop, and it feels even more so when you consider that the 11-inch Air and standard white MacBook are available for $999 (to say nothing of the $499 iPad).
If you can survive without a built-in optical drive, and don't need more than the two USB ports provided, we'd be tempted to say we'd grab this 13-inch MacBook Air over the more powerful 13-inch MacBook Pro, because its slim, lightweight design makes it a lot easier to carry around, but keep in mind that the newly refreshed 13-inch MacBook Pro (with Intel's latest Core i-series CPUs) both is much more powerful and has better battery life.

Price as reviewed	$1,299
Processor	1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory	2GB, 1,066MHz DDR3
Hard drive	128GB SSD
Chipset	MCP89
Graphics	Nvidia GeForce 320M
Operating system	OS X 10.6.6 Snow Leopard
Dimensions (WD)	12.8x8.9 inches
Height	0.11-0.68 inches
Screen size (diagonal)	13.3 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter	2.3/2.7 pounds
Category	thin and light

This second-generation MacBook Air looks and feels a lot like the original at first glance. Both the 11-inch and 13-inch versions of the Air have the same thickness, ranging from 0.11 inch to 0.68 inch, but spread over the larger footprint of the 13-inch chassis, this model seems especially thin.
At the same time, the rigid aluminum construction makes the Air feel sturdy enough to just throw in a bag and carry along with you. The trade-off there is that the 13-inch Air feels a bit heavier than its thin body would lead you to expect, especially compared with its 11-inch cousin or an iPad.
The large island-style keyboard and trackpad (which is the same glass version found on other MacBooks) both work very well, although the function keys at the very top are small. The F5 key is the only function key missing an alternate function; on other MacBooks (including the original MacBook Air), it's for the keyboard backlight. It's a shame it's missing here, as we've become used to it in Apple laptops, and it's genuinely useful for couch-based computing at night.
Despite the move by other laptop makers to larger clickpad-style touch pads, we have yet to find a touch pad that comes close to the MacBook's, especially as Apple provides for useful three- and four-finger gestures. The pad is hinged at the top, allowing the entire pad to click down, but we prefer traditional tapping (which is off by default and must be activated in the Preferences menu).
While the original MacBook Air has a then-standard 1,280x800-pixel screen resolution, this new version bumps that up to 1,440x900 pixels, although, unlike the 11-inch MacBook Air, this is not a 16:9 display. The screen area lacks the edge-to-edge glass over a black bezel found in other MacBooks; instead the screen is surrounded by a thick silver bezel, which is one of the only aesthetic issues we had with the system. Interestingly, the newer 13-inch MacBook Pro keeps the lower 1,280x800 resolution, making this the highest-res 13-inch laptop Apple makes.

	Apple MacBook Air	Average for category [thin and light]
Video	Mini-DisplayPort	VGA plus HDMI or DisplayPort
Audio	Stereo speakers, headphone jack	Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data	2 USB 2.0, SD card reader	3 USB 2.0, SD card reader
Expansion	None	None
Networking	Ethernet (via USB dongle), 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth	Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional mobile broadband
Optical drive	None	DVD burner

Doubling the USB ports over the original Air from one to two is a welcome gesture, as is adding an SD card slot (but the smaller 11-inch version lacks that). Those additions take the MacBook Air from being a narrow-audience speciality system to a laptop that's useful enough for almost anyone.
That said, there are still some missing features that will rule the MacBook Air out for you if you absolutely need them; dedicated VGA or HDMI outputs are no-shows (you'll need an aftermarket adapter for the Mini-DisplayPort jack), as is onboard Ethernet (available via a $29 USB adaptor) or a built-in 3G wireless antenna. An external optical drive is available for an extra $79, but there's no Blu-ray option for MacBooks.
The base configuration of the 13-inch MacBook Air includes a 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU (not the current Core i-series), 2GB of RAM, and a 128GB solid-state drive. You can add another 2GB of RAM for $100, or trade up to a package that includes a faster 2.13GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD for $1,799.
The Core 2 Duo/Nvidia 320M combo is similar to what you'd find in the current $999 white MacBook (although this is a ULV version of the Core 2 Duo in this case). Though it's not as fast as a non-ULV laptop, the MacBook Air is zippy enough for everyday use, and feels much closer to mainstream performance than the original Air.

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Apple MacBook Pro Winter 2011 (2.7GHz Core i7, 13-inch) Full Reviews

The good: CPU updates offer big leaps in performance; phenomenal battery life; excellent ergonomics, keyboard, and large, smooth, multitouch clickpad are still among the best available; 720p HD Webcam.

The bad: Graphics performance is slightly worse than last year's 13-inch Pro; 13-inch screen resolution still low compared with the MacBook Air; Thunderbolt port still an unknown until accessories become available; limited upgrade options; expensive; no HDMI or Blu-ray.

The bottom line: Despite retaining the same price and look as last year's model, the new 13-inch MacBook Pro's significant CPU updates and fantastic battery life make it one of the top laptops we've reviewed, provided you can live with passable integrated graphics.

Review: The 13-inch MacBook Pro is the most affordable of Apple's high-end laptops. With the admittedly supercharged 15-inch version starting at a princely $1,799, the 13-inch model's starting price of $1,199 is the one many consumers will likely consider first. Its size is also ideal, and in fact, we've long considered 13 inches to be the sweet spot in laptops for usability and portability. The question is: does the smaller Pro deliver the processing punch that last year's lacked?
In short, unequivocally yes. This year's 13-inch Pro gets a cutting-edge processor upgrade that many ... Expand full review

The 13-inch MacBook Pro is the most affordable of Apple's high-end laptops. With the admittedly supercharged 15-inch version starting at a princely $1,799, the 13-inch model's starting price of $1,199 is the one many consumers will likely consider first. Its size is also ideal, and in fact, we've long considered 13 inches to be the sweet spot in laptops for usability and portability. The question is: does the smaller Pro deliver the processing punch that last year's lacked?
In short, unequivocally yes. This year's 13-inch Pro gets a cutting-edge processor upgrade that many were waiting for--including us. That upgrade comes in the form of next-generation Intel Core i-series CPUs. The 2011 MacBook Pros are the first laptops we've reviewed at CNET with these processors; the entry-level 13-inch model features a second-generation 2.3GHz Core i5 processor, and the $1,499 configuration has a 2.7GHz dual-core Core i7.
However, despite the processor improvements, the use of Intel's HD Graphics 3000 integrated graphics is a step backward from the integrated Nvidia graphics found in the 2010 13-inch Pro. It's not a huge backslide, though, and for many it's a survivable loss. Plus, it does come with the much talked about high-speed data/video port, Thunderbolt.
Thunderbolt is envisioned as a sort of future unified successor to USB, FireWire, and DisplayPort, allowing peripherals to carry data and video at 10Gbps. We don't know when Thunderbolt-compatible peripherals will be available (although Apple says the first ones should show up in the spring of 2011), how much they'll cost, or if Apple will be adding the technology to future displays or iOS devices. For now, it's a wait-and-see gamble on a future technology, but at least the port is backward-compatible with Mini-DisplayPort and can support HDMI out with the purchase of a cable. The 13-inch MacBook Pro also keeps its FireWire 800 port, so Thunderbolt is more of an added feature than a risk Apple's making you buy into.
In the end, the 2011 13-inch Pro is a big step up in processing performance for the same price as its predecessor. To put it in perspective, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is about as powerful CPU-wise as last year's $2,199 15-inch Core i7 model. And while its integrated Intel graphics are a bit less capable than the previous model's Nvidia 320M GPU, the payoff comes with another big leap in battery life.
Lastly, if you're on the fence between the $1,499 13-inch and the $1,799 15-inch Pros, that $300 buys you a lot more computer. On the other hand, we'd argue that most people won't see or don't need the extra performance and it is a larger, heavier laptop.

Price as reviewed / starting price	$1,499 / $1,199
Processor	2.7 GHz Intel Core i7 (dual-core)
Memory	4GB, 1,333MHz DDR3 RAM
Hard drive	500GB 5,400rpm
Chipset	Intel H67
Graphics	Intel HD 3000
Operating System	OS X 10.6.6 Snow Leopard
Dimensions (WD)	12.8 x 8.9 inches
Height	0.95 inches
Screen size (diagonal)	13.3 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter	4.5/5 pounds
Category	Mainstream

There's nothing different design-wise about the new MacBook Pro. Walk up to the 2011 version and you'd have no idea that you were looking at a "new" Mac. The iconic design and unibody construction has remained intact, even identical, to last year's 2010 model, even down to the port layout. Ports line the left side, and the side-connecting MagSafe charging cable plugs toward the rear, staying out of the way. The slot-loading drive lines the right side. A wide expanse of aluminum and Apple's simple but excellently constructed keyboard feel like tech minimalism in a world of overwrought and overdesigned laptops, and the large multitouch clickpad is still--even nearly three years later--one of the largest we've seen. Construction quality is, as always, rock-solid: compared with other flexy laptops, the seamless metal body of the Pro feels like modern art.
That being said, we wouldn't mind some design improvements in the future, especially when it comes to thickness and weight. The 13-inch Pro is compact and thin, but compared to wafer-thin Apple products like the iPad and MacBook Air, it ends up feeling heavier. Then again, if thickness matters that much, you can always buy an Air.
A backlit keyboard still comes standard, even on the entry-level $1,199 MacBook Pro. It's useful for typing in low-light conditions, and the ambient light sensors control screen brightness and keyboard lighting in perfect balance. The ergonomics work excellently, and the MacBook Pro also has some of the largest, deepest palm-rest zones in a 13-incher.
Edge-to-edge glass still frames the Pro's 13.3-inch screen, and, yes, there still isn't a matte screen option--although on the larger 15-inch line, antiglare is offered. The display has excellent brightness, color, and contrast, and the screen's viewing angles are generous, but the 1,280x800 native pixel resolution is identical to the 2010 model's. Oddly, the MacBook Pro might be the last laptop that hasn't switched to a 16:9 1,366x768-pixel display. Even more oddly, the 13-inch MacBook Air actually has a higher resolution than the current 13-inch Pros, at 1,400x900 pixels. We're surprised that there wasn't a resolution upgrade in the higher-end $1,499 configuration.
Speaker volume is adequate, and both music and movies sound good on the integrated stereo speakers. The MacBook Pro doesn't have audio that reaches out and grabs you, unless you're wearing headphones; then again, on a 13-incher this slim, it does better than equivalent competition.
A new HD Webcam offers 720p wide-screen Web chats via the new FaceTime app, which comes preinstalled. FaceTime, which has been available as a beta release for a while, allows calls to both Mac users and iPhone 4 owners. iPhone 4 calls come in at a fuzzier resolution, but Mac-to-Mac calls looked relatively crisp over Wi-Fi. Swapping between portrait and landscape mode can be triggered with a single button-click.

	Apple MacBook Pro Winter 2011 (Core i7, 13-inch)	Average for category [Mainstream]
Video	Thunderbolt (Mini-DisplayPort)	VGA plus HDMI or DisplayPort
Audio	Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone combo jack	Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data	2 USB 2.0, FireWire 800, SDXC card reader, Thunderbolt	3 USB 2.0, SD card reader
Expansion	None	None
Networking	Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth	Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional mobile broadband
Optical drive	DVD burner	DVD burner

While most ports on the 13-inch MacBook Pro remain carbon-copy identical to those on last year's model, there are a few notable additions. The SD card slot now accepts SDXC cards. More importantly, the Mini-DisplayPort has subtly been transformed into the aforementioned Thunderbolt port. The Intel-developed data and audio/video port has extremely fast throughput at a maximum of 10Gbps, and compatible hard drives will be able to send files with blazing speeds. The tiny Thunderbolt port is powered, and will be able to daisy chain up to six connected devices, be they hard drives or even monitors. It's backward-compatible with old Mini DisplayPort monitors or cables, and like with last year's Pros, it can output audio and video over HDMI with a Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter.
Thunderbolt may be a rival to USB 3.0, but devices that can use the port won't even be available until spring. Most people will simply use the USB 2.0 and FireWire 800 ports on the 2011 MacBook Pro and be completely satisfied. Still, it's comforting to know that future port support is there. Is it necessary right now? No. In two years, however, it could be indispensable. Consider it future tech on your MacBook Pro--a perk, rather than a necessity.
Apple's laptops have always had limited upgrade and configuration options; the new Pros are no different. The 13-inch MacBook Pro comes in $1,199 and $1,499 configurations, with 2.3GHz Core i5 and 2.7GHz Core i7 dual-core CPUs, respectively. Our high-end $1,499 Pro comes with a 500GB hard drive and 4GB of DDR3 RAM. RAM can be expanded up to 8GB for an extra $200; the hard drive can be expanded up to a 5,400rpm 750GB drive for $100 or a solid-state drive at 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB. Those aren't cheap: the 128GB upgrade costs $200, whereas the 512GB costs a whopping $1,200.
That's it as far as configurations go. The 1,280x800-pixel glossy screen can't be upgraded, unlike on the 15-inch Pro. There's no option to add discrete graphics, either. It's an odd disconnect: even the 13-inch MacBook Air has a higher-resolution screen, and the lack of higher-end graphics feels cheap for such an expensive laptop.
The new second-generation Sandy Bridge Intel Core i7 CPU is a huge improvement on last year's 13-inch Pro. Benchmark tests show that this model is nearly twice as fast in multitasking and the iTunes test. Start-up boot time is also zippy, although nowhere near as fast as on the MacBook Air. This is the processor upgrade we were hoping for last year, and then some. Though you should obviously keep in mind that the 15-inch Pro is even faster, for the price and the size, it's hard to beat what the 13-inch offers. Until other next-gen Intel Core i-series laptops arrive, aside from the new 15-inch quad-core MacBook Pro, this is the second-fastest Apple laptop we've ever reviewed. Though the 15-inch 2011 MacBook Pro has an edge in multitasking, the 13-inch Pro more than held its own at single-task benchmarks--in fact, it was nearly the equal of its more expensive sibling.

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Apple MacBook Air Fall 2010 (Core 2 Duo 1.86GHz, 128GB SSD, 13.3-inch)

The good: Apple's MacBook Air is thin and powerful enough to use as a mainstream laptop. It has an excellent battery and includes an SD card slot.

The bad: The Air has limited connections compared with other 13-inch laptops, and its keyboard isn't backlit. It's outclassed by the new MacBook Pro line.

The bottom line: The second generation of Apple's MacBook Air fixes many of our issues with the ambitious original, adding more USB ports, an SD card slot, and a more powerful processor.

Review: Apple's original ultrathin MacBook Air was the very definition of a specialty laptop: its alluring design was offset by a limited number of connections and an underpowered CPU, making it truly useful for only a small fraction of users. The second generation of the 13-inch MacBook Air addresses most of our issues with the Air, adding a second USB port, an SD card slot, a higher-resolution display, and better CPUs.
To maximize battery life, this new MacBook Air moves to an SSD-only hard drive, and like the 11-inch version we reviewed last year, the system starts up in a ... Expand full review

Apple's original ultrathin MacBook Air was the very definition of a specialty laptop: its alluring design was offset by a limited number of connections and an underpowered CPU, making it truly useful for only a small fraction of users. The second generation of the 13-inch MacBook Air addresses most of our issues with the Air, adding a second USB port, an SD card slot, a higher-resolution display, and better CPUs.
To maximize battery life, this new MacBook Air moves to an SSD-only hard drive, and like the 11-inch version we reviewed last year, the system starts up in a flash and wakes up from its sleep state even faster.
All these improvements don't come cheap, however. At $1,299 (and up), this is a premium-priced laptop, and it feels even more so when you consider that the 11-inch Air and standard white MacBook are available for $999 (to say nothing of the $499 iPad).
If you can survive without a built-in optical drive, and don't need more than the two USB ports provided, we'd be tempted to say we'd grab this 13-inch MacBook Air over the more powerful 13-inch MacBook Pro, because its slim, lightweight design makes it a lot easier to carry around, but keep in mind that the newly refreshed 13-inch MacBook Pro (with Intel's latest Core i-series CPUs) both is much more powerful and has better battery life.

Price as reviewed	$1,299
Processor	1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory	2GB, 1,066MHz DDR3
Hard drive	128GB SSD
Chipset	MCP89
Graphics	Nvidia GeForce 320M
Operating system	OS X 10.6.6 Snow Leopard
Dimensions (WD)	12.8x8.9 inches
Height	0.11-0.68 inches
Screen size (diagonal)	13.3 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter	2.3/2.7 pounds
Category	thin and light

This second-generation MacBook Air looks and feels a lot like the original at first glance. Both the 11-inch and 13-inch versions of the Air have the same thickness, ranging from 0.11 inch to 0.68 inch, but spread over the larger footprint of the 13-inch chassis, this model seems especially thin.
At the same time, the rigid aluminum construction makes the Air feel sturdy enough to just throw in a bag and carry along with you. The trade-off there is that the 13-inch Air feels a bit heavier than its thin body would lead you to expect, especially compared with its 11-inch cousin or an iPad.
The large island-style keyboard and trackpad (which is the same glass version found on other MacBooks) both work very well, although the function keys at the very top are small. The F5 key is the only function key missing an alternate function; on other MacBooks (including the original MacBook Air), it's for the keyboard backlight. It's a shame it's missing here, as we've become used to it in Apple laptops, and it's genuinely useful for couch-based computing at night.
Despite the move by other laptop makers to larger clickpad-style touch pads, we have yet to find a touch pad that comes close to the MacBook's, especially as Apple provides for useful three- and four-finger gestures. The pad is hinged at the top, allowing the entire pad to click down, but we prefer traditional tapping (which is off by default and must be activated in the Preferences menu).
While the original MacBook Air has a then-standard 1,280x800-pixel screen resolution, this new version bumps that up to 1,440x900 pixels, although, unlike the 11-inch MacBook Air, this is not a 16:9 display. The screen area lacks the edge-to-edge glass over a black bezel found in other MacBooks; instead the screen is surrounded by a thick silver bezel, which is one of the only aesthetic issues we had with the system. Interestingly, the newer 13-inch MacBook Pro keeps the lower 1,280x800 resolution, making this the highest-res 13-inch laptop Apple makes.

	Apple MacBook Air	Average for category [thin and light]
Video	Mini-DisplayPort	VGA plus HDMI or DisplayPort
Audio	Stereo speakers, headphone jack	Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data	2 USB 2.0, SD card reader	3 USB 2.0, SD card reader
Expansion	None	None
Networking	Ethernet (via USB dongle), 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth	Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional mobile broadband
Optical drive	None	DVD burner

Doubling the USB ports over the original Air from one to two is a welcome gesture, as is adding an SD card slot (but the smaller 11-inch version lacks that). Those additions take the MacBook Air from being a narrow-audience speciality system to a laptop that's useful enough for almost anyone.
That said, there are still some missing features that will rule the MacBook Air out for you if you absolutely need them; dedicated VGA or HDMI outputs are no-shows (you'll need an aftermarket adapter for the Mini-DisplayPort jack), as is onboard Ethernet (available via a $29 USB adaptor) or a built-in 3G wireless antenna. An external optical drive is available for an extra $79, but there's no Blu-ray option for MacBooks.
The base configuration of the 13-inch MacBook Air includes a 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU (not the current Core i-series), 2GB of RAM, and a 128GB solid-state drive. You can add another 2GB of RAM for $100, or trade up to a package that includes a faster 2.13GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD for $1,799.
The Core 2 Duo/Nvidia 320M combo is similar to what you'd find in the current $999 white MacBook (although this is a ULV version of the Core 2 Duo in this case). Though it's not as fast as a non-ULV laptop, the MacBook Air is zippy enough for everyday use, and feels much closer to mainstream performance than the original Air.

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Apple MacBook Pro 17-inch Notebook Review

Apple Mac Pro Review are happy to stock the fantastic Apple MacBook Pro 17-inch Notebook.
With so many available today, it is good to have a brand you can recognise. The Apple MacBook Pro 17-inch Notebook is certainly that and will be a great purchase.
For this reduced price, the Apple MacBook Pro 17-inch Notebook is widely recommended and is a regular choice with lots of people. Apple Computer have included some great touches and this equals great value for money.
Features:

• 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo , 8GB DDR3 SDRAM, 500 GB SATA HD, 8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW),
• NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT, iSight camera; Mini DisplayPort output port with support for DVI, VGA, and dual-link DVI , omnidirectional microphone
• 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit) Ethernet, AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi , Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• 17-inch (diagonal) high-resolution LED-backlit glossy widescreen display, 1920-by-1200 resolution, Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard

Following on the heels of the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro and replacing the 17-inch PowerBook G4, the 17-inch MacBook Pro delivers many of the same beloved features as its little sibling, such as a scrolling track pad, the Sudden Motion Sensor, and an excellent software package, and adds a huge, bright 17-inch display that's great for graphics work. Better yet, our fully loaded test configuration powered through most of CNET Labs' performance tests, exhibiting only a few of the growing pains encountered by other Intel-based Apple laptops and desktops, such as the iMac Core Duo. Of course, such performance doesn't come cheap: the 17-inch MacBook Pro's default configuration costs $2,799 (upgrades on our review unit brought the price up to $3,099). But for graphics professionals and other Mac users who have money to spare, the 17-inch MacBook Pro is a dream.
With the MacBook Pro, Apple hasn't radically redesigned the PowerBook form factor, it has just made a few refinements to it. Measuring 15.4 inches wide, 10.4 inches deep, and 1 inch thick, the sleek, aluminum MacBook Pro looks very similar to the 17-inch PowerBook G4 it replaces. At 6.8 pounds, the 17-inch MacBook Pro is a hair lighter than its predecessor and the lightest laptop of its size on the market. With its AC adapter, which like other Apple laptops connects magnetically to the case, the MacBook Pro weighs 7.9 pounds. For the sake of comparison, the Dell Inspiron E1705 weighs 8.2 pounds, while the Toshiba Qosmio G35 weighs 10.2 pounds.
Underneath the lid, the MacBook Pro extends the tradition of the PowerBook's minimalist design. The MacBook Pro has just a power button, a big keyboard framed by stereo speakers, a very large touch pad with a single mouse button, and a handy built-in iSight camera that sits above the display. Though the keys are a bit shallow, they're comfortable to type on, and we love the keyboard's backlighting feature, which adjusts to changes in ambient light levels. We don't like that the keyboard is located 5.4 inches back from the laptop's front edge; we wish it were centered to encourage a more ergonomic typing position. The touch pad lets you scroll through long documents, Web pages, and spreadsheets by dragging two fingers down or across the pad, a terrific feature that's unique to Apple laptops. Arguably the 17-inch MacBook Pro's most stunning feature is its display: the large wide-screen display features a fine 1,680x1,050 native resolution.
The 17-inch MacBook Pro offers a decent selection of ports and connections, though it comes up a bit short of what you'll find on a similarly sized PC laptop, including the Inspiron E1705. That said, the MacBook Pro features three USB 2.0 ports; FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 ports; an ExpressCard slot; and a DVI port (VGA with included adapter) for connecting to an external monitor. It's also equipped with Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (enhanced data rate), and you can access the Internet via 802.11g Wi-Fi radio, and Gigabit Ethernet. As with the PowerBook, the MacBook Pro features a slot-loading SuperDrive that plays and burns DVDs and CDs. One new extra is the Apple remote that controls the included Front Row multimedia player; we wish, though, that the MacBook had a storage slot for it. Unlike most PC laptops, the MacBook Pro lacks a built-in media reader for flash memory cards, and there's no S-Video output or built-in modem--both of which the PowerBook had.
The MacBook Pro ships with Mac OS X Tiger, highlights of which include the incredibly cool Spotlight search utility and the customizable Dashboard, a collection of handy desktop tools. Also included is the robust iLife '06 software suite, Front Row media center software, and a handful of other apps. In addition, the beta of Boot Camp lets you turn the MacBook into a dual-boot machine that runs full versions of Mac OS X and Windows XP (though you need to purchase a full version of Windows separately).
The 17-inch MacBook Pro comes in one default configuration that costs $2,799. Though there aren't a lot of upgrade options, our review unit included RAM and hard drive enhancements that brought the price up to $3,099. For that much money, you'd expect some pretty high-end specs, and the MacBook delivers; it has a fast, 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo processor; 2GB of speedy 667MHz DDR2 RAM; an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics card with 256MB of VRAM; and a blazing 7,200rpm, 100GB hard drive. Still, the MacBook Pro is a bit more expensive than similarly configured Windows laptops; for example, an Inspiron E1705 with comparable specs costs $2,889.

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Apple MacBook Pro MC374LL/A 13.3-Inch

Apple Mac Pro Review are delighted to stock the excellent Apple MacBook Pro MC374LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop.
With so many on offer today, it is good to have a brand you can trust. The Apple MacBook Pro MC374LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop is certainly that and will be a superb buy.
For this price, the Apple MacBook Pro MC374LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop is highly respected and is a popular choice for most people. Apple Computer have included some nice touches and this means great value for money.
Features:

• 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
• 250 GB Hard Drive, 8x DVD/CD SuperDrive, 4GB DDR3 RAM
• 13.3 inch LED-backlit display, 1280-by-800 resolution
• NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics processor with 256 MB of shared memory
• Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard Operating System

1) The MBP 13 now has 4 gb of ram standard (2 x 2 gb sticks). This allows you to multi-task easily without any issues ( last years model had only 2gb of ram which was inadequate) Now there's no need to spend more money upgrading your ram UNLESS you're really into heavy duty multimedia work

2) It also features the Nvidia GeForce 320M integrated graphics processor with 48 processing cores. This is an improvement compared to the Geforce 9400M graphics chip in last years model and will help in graphics and content creation.

3) The included hard drive is 250 gb (160gb in last years model).

4) Mini display port now supports video AND sound with a compatible Mini-DP to HDMI adapter (last years model only supported video) 

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Macbook Air 11.6inch

The 11.6inch Macbook Air is a beautiful, solid and eye-catching laptop which feels premium all over. These review will be more useful for customers which are going to buy MacBook Air 11.6inch in apple store.It delivers much higher performance than the typical netbooks, and thanks to its SSD storage this mini laptop never keeps you waiting. Keyboard and touchpad are extremely well-designed, just like every other Apple laptops out there. The only thing that will hold most people back is the high price of this mini laptop ($999 for 64GB version and $1199 for the 128GB version ).

Design:

The 11.6-inch Macbook Air is incredibly thin and light. It measures 11.8 x 7.56 x 0.68 inches at its thickest point, and weight just 2.3 pounds. The full unibody aluminum chassis is solid, beautifully designed, and feels premium all over. Despite the super slim design, the manufacturer still manages to include two USB ports (one on each side), a headphone jack on the left, and a mini DisplayPort on the right. The only thing missing is the SD Card slot, which can be found on most 10-inch netbooks.

Keyboard and Touchpad:

Both the full-size keyboard and extra-large glass touchpad on the Macbook Air 11 are excellent. The chiclet-style keyboard provides crisp feedback, and multitouch gestures perform extremely well on the touchpad. If we were to find something to complain about them, it will be the lack of backlit for the keyboard, which is available on the Macbook Pro.

Performance:

The 11-inch Macbook Air runs on the 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 processor, which is a previous-generation Intel technology. In the GeekBench test, the Air scored 2,159, which is lower than some cheaper ultraportable laptops that run on Intel’s latest Core processors. For example, the $899 version of the Acer Aspire Timeline 1830T that runs on Intel Core i7 CPU scores a whopping 3,742 in GeekBench. Having said that, the 11-inch MacBook Air still feels very fast, especially when it comes to booting up (15 seconds) and waking up from sleep mode (instantaneous), thanks to the SSD storage which is significantly faster than the hard-disk.

Battery Life

Laptop Magazine gets 5 hours and 18 minutes of battery life in their battery test which involve continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 40 percent screen brightness; PC Mag gets 3 hours 44 minutes from their continuous MP4 video playback test; and CNet Australia gets 4 hours 23 minutes from their video playback battery drain test. Based on the test results above, it’s save to say that you will get at least 4.5 hours of battery life under normal usage.

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