The Bottom Line
Pros
- Thinnest and Lightest 17-inch Notebook
- Ability to Run Mac OS X and Windows
- MagSafe Power Adapter Prevents Cord Tripping Damage
Cons
- Expensive
- Display Not LED Backlit Like 15-inch Version
Description
- Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 Dual Core Mobile Processor
- 2GB PC2-5300 DDR2 Memory
- 250GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
- 8x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
- 17" WUXGA (1680x1050) Wide Screen LCD With iSight 1.3MP Webcam
- NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT Graphics with 512MB Memory
- Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11a/g/n Wireless, Bluetooth 2.0
- Three USB 2.0, FireWire 400, FireWire 800, ExpressCard/34
- 15.4" x 10.4" x 1" @ 6.8 lbs.
- Mac OS X 10.5, iLife Suite
Guide Review - Apple MacBook Pro 17-inch Desktop Replacement Laptop
7/14/08 � With the introduction of the Intel based Mac systems, many people were looking forward to the prospects of running Windows on a Mac or Mac OS X on a standard PC. With the release of Mac OS X 10.5, users now have the ability to officially load both Windows and Mac OS X on a system through Boot Camp. This makes the MacBook Pro 17-inch a godsend to developers who are looking to run applications on both of these platforms. To date, this ability is only available on Mac systems unless you invest in virtual machine software.
One of the big problems with desktop replacement notebooks is their size and weight. On average, the systems tend to be at least one and a half inches thick and weight roughly 8 or more pounds. The 17-inch MacBook Pro is probably one of the smallest systems available to feature a 17-inch display. It's very thin 1-inch profile may still be much larger than the MacBook Air, but it is still quite thin. It also only weighs 6.8 pounds that is significantly lighter. This make it a great system for those needing a large screen notebook and have to travel frequently.
The system performs extremely well thanks to the Intel Core 2 Duo T9300 processor and its 2GB of memory. It does suffer somewhat in the graphics department because of the GeForce 8600M GT is a bit dated, but they have increased its memory to 512MB. The 17-inch LCD screen also lacks the LED backlighting found on the 15-inch versions.
The drawback to all these features is the cost. The MacBook Pro certainly comes out most expensive than many similarly equipped PC systems. If you are also looking to run Windows on the system, you have to factor in the cost for that software as well. At least it is cheaper than having two separate machines.
