The New Macbook Pro - my first impressions…

After a nearly 4-week wait, my new Macbook Pro finally arrived. And, I have to say, it was worth waiting for - definitely a step up from my previous Macbook. Not to dissimilar (I imagine) from sliding into the drivers seat of a new BMW. Here’s my initial thoughts…

I ordered the 15″ 2.4GHz model with 200Gb hard-drive and 4Gb of RAM (2Gb is standard). I chose the 15″ because I carry it around a lot (and didn’t want the extra 1.4 pounds of the 17″) and I got the extra RAM because I often run VMware Fusion with multiples virtual machines running - for which the extra RAM headroom makes a big difference.

Tech Specs

• The processor is a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3MB of shared L2 cache; this is the new Penryn chip made with Intel’s next generation 45nm manufacturing process - essentially meaning it runs cooler and requires less power.

• The screen is actually a 15.4-inch (diagonal) antiglare LED display - this translates to 1440×900 pixels of very clear viewing and again, reduced power requirements. Going from my previous Macbook (1280×800) this is quite a lot of extra screen real estate (25% larger).

• Other improvements over my first-generation Intel Macbook include Firewire 800, a ExpressCard/34 slot, a NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor with dual-link DVI support and 256MB of GDDR3 memory, a double-layer writable DVD superdrive, and 802.11n (108Mbit) wireless networking.

Aside from coming with Leopard 10.5.2 and iLife ‘08, the other touted feature (by Apple at least) is the new ‘Multi-touch’ trackpad. Using technology borrowed from the iPhone, you can now pinch, swipe, or rotate to enlarge text, advance through photos, or adjust an image. I haven’t used this much yet, but I imagine it will become second nature once I get used to it.

Battery life? The Apple website claims 5hrs of ‘wireless productivity’. My Macbook gave me 3hrs pretty much consistently - so I’m guessing 4hrs is likely to be a more realistic expectation for the Macbook Pro.

Overall First Impressions

Certainly the first thing I noticed, aside from the standard high quality finish, was the snappy responsiveness and the pleasing extra touches - like the way the illuminated keyboard fades on as the ambient room light darkens. In many ways it is a combination of Leopard and the refined Hardware package that makes the whole user experience so elegant.

As a Mac user already, moving up to the Macbook Pro has simply taken the usability and sheer enjoyment up a level - I have been quite surprised at how much more my experience has seemed to improve. Previously, my trusty Macbook held the prize for the best Laptop I had used. Now I’m afraid the crown has now moved to the Macbook Pro.

Summary

Great user experience - snappy with all my applications, nice feel, and lovely crisp screen. All the interfaces you might need, and plenty of storage. Ideal for a mobile consultant or executive - and in my humble opinion, worth every cent.