Powered by a 2.0 or 2.16GHz dual-core Intel engine. Up to five times the speed of the PowerBook G4. Eight times the graphics bandwidth. With built-in iSight for instant video conferencing on the move. Front Row with Apple Remote to dazzle everyone in the room. Now available in 15- and 17-inch models starting at just $1999.

Specifications

* 15.4- or 17-inch widescreen display
* Up to 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo
* 667MHz frontside bus and main memory
* PCI Express architecture
* Up to 120GB Serial ATA hard drive * ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with up to 256MB memory on 16-lane PCI Express * ExpressCard/34 slot * Dual-link DVI, VGA adapter included * FireWire 400, FireWire 800 (17-inch only), and USB 2.0 ports * Optical digital and analog audio I/O, built-in microphone and stereo speakers * Slot-loading SuperDrive * Illuminated keyboard, *Scrolling TrackPad * Built-in AirPort Extreme (802.11g), Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, and Gigabit Ethernet * Mac OS X Tiger with iLife ’06 featuring iWeb, iWork ’06 trial, and more * MagSafe Power Adapter

Apple has added a 17-inch version of the MacBook Pro to its lineup, replacing the 17-inch PowerBook G4. The second Apple laptop to feature Intel’s Core Duo processor, the 17-inch MacBook Pro looks very similar to the 15.4-inch model, save for a bigger display and a few additional ports.

“Upside: With roughly the same specs as the 15.4-inch model, we can already predict much about how the 17-inch MacBook Pro will perform. The Intel Core Duo processor should deliver performance that’s on a par with the fastest PC laptops, and we can expect the ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 GPU to handle graphics better than the PowerBooks’ ever did. The MacBook Pro’s physical dimensions are virtually identical to those of the 17-inch PowerBook G4; at 6.8 pounds, it’s the lightest laptop of its size on the market.

Downside: The Intel processor gives Apple the potential to match the performance capabilities of its Windows-based competition, but as demonstrated with the 15.4-inch model and the iMac Core Duo, we’ve witnessed the growing pains Apple is experiencing in switching to the new platform. For now, beware: If you use Photoshop or other apps that are not native to the Mac OS, you will see diminished performance, forced as they are to run through Apple’s stopgap Rosetta translation utility. You can read more about the ins and outs of the Intel Macs in our full reviews of the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro and iMac Core Duo and in our comparison of Windows XP and Apple OS X on the MacBook Pro.

Outlook: The base configuration of the 17-inch MacBook Pro costs $2,699–the same as the 15.4-inch model when configured with a 2.16GHz processor. We still think that’s a tad expensive–a similarly configured Dell Inspiron E1705 or HP Pavilion dv8000 costs hundreds less, and the base models $1,700 less–but it’s definitely a better deal than the 17-inch PowerBook G4 was. Apple says units will begin to ship in the next 7 to 10 days; our full review will appear shortly.” -Cnet reviews.

[eminimall products=”MacBook Pro 17-inch Intel Core Duo notebook”]

This entry was posted on May 18, 2006 and is filed under Apple, News.