MacBook Pro first hands-on!

Well you've heard the talk, now check out the pics in the gallery below. Believe it or not, that trackpad isn't as hard to use as you think. The new laptops are shockingly similar to current models, and in here those glossy displays don't seem too bad. Still, we're going to need to really road test these to figure out if we can live with that glare. We can definitely live with the new graphics chips, however.

MacBook Pro first hands-on!

[Downpour Posted Oct 14th 2008 6:24PM]

I am tring hard to be a fanboy, I am, but just compare the spec and price to a Sony with Blue-Ray, Bigger/Better - Memory, HDD, Screen, Graphics, firewire, for much less money...

The only thing the mac has is nice aluminum... and OSX (out of the box)

[Agent007 Posted Oct 14th 2008 6:45PM]

I'm assuming this is one of those things that looks gaudy in photos but classy in person. You know, like a Porsche?

[Agent007 Posted Oct 14th 2008 7:00PM]

One more thing(no pun intended): I wouldn't mind the redesign as much if the screen bezel was aluminum like on the MacBook Air. A touch of black (i.e. the keys) is okay with the aluminum, but with the black bezel, it's too much.

[KatthewMern Posted Oct 14th 2008 7:21PM]

This is how I feel about this release...

Pros-
- GPU
- SSD
- New case strength (supposedly)
- More environmentally friendly (supposedly)
- Brighter Display
- The weight is only slightly better, but it's better.

Cons-
- No option for matte display
- New Design
- No BluRay (not even the option, without using FastMac drives)
- No more RAM
- Only 1 FW800 port
- No FW400 (WTF, are you kidding me, how do you connect any tape deck?! Don't get me wrong, I love FW800, but some products don't support it, so there's an adapter you have to carry around with you.)
- MiniDVI means one extra adapter you have to carry around with you.

Basically, Apple has compromised again. Apple has disappointing me with it's product intros for the past three years... and I'm a loyal customer. The only major revision that the MBP has gotten in since switch to intel was the intro of core duo, and the addition of one extra Gig in the RAM department. I am definitely not impressed with this introduction. How can Apple be a BluRay supporter with no products that support BluRay?

[BigFatDuck Posted Oct 14th 2008 7:57PM]

i can't believe all the haters trying to say this is not a worthy upgrade. *DUAL* graphics configuration for better customization for the task, better graphics all around, larger GLASS touchpads with more complete multi-touch support (anyone complaining about the lack of a physical button needs to wake up, once you've used a multi-touch device a physical, static button is a negative), much improved cosmetic design all around, BLACK keys (finally! i wish my filthy imac keys were black to begin with!), glass LED backlit screens (i *LOVE* my imac screen, although my wife complains about the 20" gradient issues), better specs nearly across the board = SAME FREAKING PRICE. get real, in my eyes this is a bigger upgrade than when they switched from powerbook to macbook pro with the intel chips- although not as big a deal for developers.

and on a related note, i love how people are complaining that the NEW aluminum macbook is more expensive than the old one (or similarly spec'd from other companies)- that's why they kept the old one fools!

[kisai Posted Oct 14th 2008 9:10PM]

I also like the iMac's black bezel.... Give it time, people will come around. Common folk need a little time to adjust. Apple tends to communicate design a bit ahead of the curve. Some unfortunately will never know what good design is. That is why we have Fall-a-part and K-ma-part. Cheap crap for the masses.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 14th 2008 8:16PM]

f**k Apple with their we-just-want-to-get-richer-and-richer-not-taking-into-consideration-anymore-our-loyal-pro-users-that-really-made-this company-what-it-is strategy. Sell-outs!

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 14th 2008 8:20PM]

It's funny how the first thing people look at is the negative things. If you honestly compare what the new one has compared to the old one, you will see this upgrade is so worth getting. I mean seriously. I am a producer who uses my MacBook Pro 17 inch all the time outside. Yes the matte is nice but the glass is not going to kill you. Let's be real about it. All of you who are complaining about there being no button on the track pad, get over your old tired selves and go to a sorry pc then. The graphics are off the hook. The design is off the hook. There is nothing wrong with the new keyboard. Yes its black. WE ALLL SEE THAT. I am fine with the keyboard i have now and fine with the one they chose to go with. Another thing, for all of you complaining about what they took away STOP. They are taking away technology that is fading away. Stop crying and just get another cord for your firewire. I mean is it just me or does apple have a whole lot of customers that are nothing but complainers. someone PLEASE go find a pc that can even stand to the technology that the new macbook pro has. So all you complainers stop crying. Why would you switch then complain? I don't know about the rest of the immature ignorant babies on here but...I'M A MAC, not a pc.

[Melmation Posted Oct 14th 2008 8:33PM]

Ugh Ugh and UGH!

Apple, what are you up to? You know, I'm one of those guys who can see through their unique way of thinking.

2000, remove the floppy drive from all our computers - everyone I knew went berzerko, but I could see their reasoning.

2006, remove the PCMCIA port from the MBP - Weird, annoying, but ok, it's an advance

2008, REMOVE FIREWIRE 400 AND DVI PORT from the MBP!! WHAT?!?!?!

I have sat and tried to justify this idea, but I am blinded by the so far Ugly looking mutant babies made when the macbook air and the iMac got jiggy with it.

Oh, hey, remove the matte screen too while your at it, oh wait, you did. Nice.

Plus, unless they get that white MB updated or killed off their line looks as ugly as a family smacked by an ugly stick. It is just all higgledy piggledy. Not only the physical look of their line up but also their pricing strategy as pointed out by most people on here. There's no need to go over it, just head on over to the Apple store and look with a questioning frown for yourself.

It would be cheaper and more tasteful looking to Gaffer tape a portable LCD panel to a Mac mini and hoik a car battery around with you than to buy a new Macbook.

I really must apologize, but as a usual fence sitter, even I have found it hard to stay up there. Some of what Apple have done is brilliant, some is just weird. here's my list of pro's and cons...

PRO's:

1) Graphics are super duper with dual wizardry going on under the hood
2) machined casing from a single block of aluminium - AWSOME!
3) User changeable hard drive - at last
4) Magnetic latch - cool

MEH's:

1) Repositioning of ports - fine, whatever
3) battery power indicator now on the side - whoopsie-do
4) Greener - ok, that is good, but to 90% of the world, no-one will care or decide to buy one based on that fact alone
5) Glass track pad - sounds weird, but I am sure they have tested it and usability studies have proven it to be fine after getting used to it.

CON's (as I see it):

1) All Glass screen - no other option available. Now, as any regular poster on these forums will know, this is a heated debate as to which is best. Most times it is settled that Gloss for some, matte for some. Matte is generally great at keeping colours true and working in any light. But glass all the way? I think it's imensly brilliant on the iMac which is a stationary machine. But on a portable which is going to be brought into all sorts of lighting conditions? I find it too constricting Apple.

Also, I know CRT monitors were glass and that is all we had up until the advent of LCD screens, but now we have the choice, why take it away from us? I see this as a BIG factor to people buying a MBP, I know it will affect my decision greatly

2) No Firewire 400 - Now, seriously, come on. As a poster mentioned above, try using a fire wire camcorder with the new laptops. Seriously?? seriously?? Anything from mini DV camcorders for home use to Pro end HD camcorders are scuppered when it comes to being used with one of these new machines. I can see it now...

"Ok, just got back from the shoot, lets get logging", "Where's your firewire port on this thing?", "Uh, don't think it has one" "Oh. Erm, got a computer that has a firewire port". "only my MBP", "Right. Em. Okay, I'll drive home and use my iMac to log the footage and then bring it back here on a drive"

Now, I know you can get firewire 400 to firewire 800 leads, but come on, so many people are geared up for firewire, it's just not fair to go and decide to change the industry standard just because it saves you some space inside or took away the headache of integrating firewire 400 support.

Plus, people in the know are going to be thinking, like I am, "Well maybe they will do the same thing as when the MBP came out, and in the next gen, add a firewire 400 port, like they added a firewire 800 port to the second gen MBP (something which peeves me greatly to this day and NO, an express 3/4 card will not cut the mustard. That's like buying a car without a boot (trunk) and then having to bolt one on afterwards.

3) Black keys on keyboard - Buh? what? oh I see, you blacked out the screen bezel, so to keep that design aspect company you made the keys a black plastic. Ah right. I like the MB keys, I love the MBA keys, but this is just too much. A lot of people have thought the same. Seriously Apple, it looks a tad wrong. I mean, sure, be bold in your designs, but even design has basic rules and, UGH, just, go away.

4) Price point - Now, I can see why things might be more expensive. There is a lot of new tech in there, and I am sure that pumping out drilled cases for each and every notebook isn't cheap, but seriously? price increase? at least keep it at the same! come on! on the MB, where is the entry level MB? oh, it's an old duffy white plastic one. Great. Wait a few months into the new year and that one will be upgraded and there will be a complete price point restructure, and soon everyone will forget that Mac laptops used to be cheaper.

Just like in the UK with fuel prices. Nine months ago, I drove around looking for the cheapest diesel I could find which turned out to be £1.11 a litre which was silly money even back then. Then around May, June, the prices went up to about £1.26 a litre and people had to pay it. Now, the prices are going down a little and people are going mental because they can find diesel at £1.15 a litre and think Christmas has come early.

It hasn't! it used to be 90p a litre just over a year ago! but no one seems to remember that. Same thing here, Apple hoik the prices up, people buy anyway, and in a year no-one will remember when you used to be able to pick up a refreshed MBP less than the price of the previous version. Hopefully the price point will change, but I doubt so for the immediate future.

5) Mini DVI port - this is a biggie with me, and I am sure quite a few others. Not only was I proud to have a full sized DVI port on my MBP, but I was also proud that 99% of where I went to work, I could hook it up to a monitor or projector without an adapter, and if I needed an adapter, I had a straight DIV to VGA adapter in my bag just incase.

Now, we either have to conform to Apples mini DVI port or use a Dongley dongle hanging out the side of our laptop to use it with a standard DVI ported screen. I know this shouldn't be a deal, and I know they supply a dongle with the laptop, but come on, seriously, a DVI port for crying out loud! it was fine on a MB as the chances of someone needing a huge screen was about 50% but most MBP users I know have it hooked up to a monitor on their desk as, the name suggests, they use it as a "PRO" machine which has the magic of being able to be taken away from home when needed.

I just feel, at the minute, the removal of a DVI port was just a tad too soon. Apple, I liked your "Less is better" approach, but in this case, for me anyway, less means more, as a "less" size port now means "one more dongle" - cheers. (as does one less port (firewire 400) means one more lead to buy, or shove 3/4 express card in there which juts out and ruins the lines of the machine)

Anyway, I am sorry about my rant, but I really can't help it, I feel confused and annoyed by Apple's moves today. It's like because of the iPhone (their 'new baby') the other children are getting less attention IE the actual Computers that made Apple what they are.

I used to be so pleased to educate people about mac's and was proud to prove them wrong abotu so many of their miss givings about the machines and OS "I like windows" - runs that, "i heard their slow" - reders stuff fast, "No copy and paste?" - this is a laptop, "Can't get many programs" - here they all are etc etc.


I know this post might seem like an over reaction, and maybe it is, maybe in a few months I will be fine with what Apple have done, but I can't help feel that I used to love Apples approach and execution. I'm not a race car fan, but to me it is like Mr. Apple used to navigate the course, cutting fine corners and over taking the competition and making the crowd gasp at he seemingly impossible.

Now, today at least, it seems like Mr. Apple is just cutting through the corners, ripping up the grass just to get home quick and count his money.

Mel

[kigamoosh Posted Oct 15th 2008 12:49AM]

Question: I'm not even a visual artist, but all these updates like the glossy screen and chicklet keyboard have left me very disappointed. I've been waiting to switch to Mac because I want to do heavy electronic audio, thinking this new update would be the time to do it, but I can't see myself being *comfortable* with this laptop. I want to use luxuries like Final Cut Pro and Digital Performer that are only for OS X. Desktop is not an option.

So, besides getting an older MPB, what high-end, aggressively priced laptops would work with the EFi-X dongle (or a similar one, if one exists) that would be good for a gamer and electronic musician?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 14th 2008 9:30PM]

Apple is taunting me with the new black keys. Now people can easily point at the lack of black keys on my MBP and say that it's an old model. :(

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 14th 2008 10:06PM]

I can deal with some of the machine's shortcomings as it is a beautiful work of art and has all the muscle to back it up now. But the bag of hurt surrounding Blu-Ray really doesn't come from Blue-Ray. What's worse is that the hardware AND software support Blu-Ray, all the thing needs is a drive. maybe next year.

doyleclark.com

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 16th 2008 10:15PM]

I hate those glossy screens. No way will I buy one of those. How can anyone stand the reflections????

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 15th 2008 1:44AM]

SERIOUSLY !!!

When are you going to put the MODIFIER KEY SYMBOLS ON THE KEYBOARD??

Thanks for the Command clover, but what about Control, Shift, Option, etc...

The Drop Down Menu shows the symbols but the HELP search for keyboard shortcuts identify the key.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 15th 2008 12:34AM]

This has been the most anticipated product reveal for me in quite a while, but with Apple's recent changes, my gearing up for school has been put in doubt. Deleting firewire from the MacBook leaves media students like me in the lurch. I'm constantly working to make my audio production rig more portable, and 'logical upgrades' to the MB had my hopes high. I was anticipating backlit keys and BluRay on the new MacBook, and I feel like the kid who asked for two Christmas presents and got the lesser of the two. (Well, that WAS me. *sigh*) I just did a quick google search on USB 3, and no...it won't be a simple firmware update. Another thing, since they've updated the case design- will the incoming BluRay drive swap out with the SuperDrive? I'm not too worried about the chiclet keyboard (chee-klay!!). I felt the last generation MB keyboards were very clunky. Surely Apple improved that design with the best of both MB and MBP worlds and spread the love. Note that the backlighting can be more versatile and is better contrasted against the black keys. I currently have a 15" PB G4 but the school I'll attend requires all students to have an Intel-based computer. I don't see finding the best synthesis for my needs in a new Apple computer right now. Like many of the faithful, I've tried shifting my perspective on innovation to embrace the future. But right now, I'm...stunned...

[NineToez Posted Oct 15th 2008 1:29AM]

Add in Blu Ray & USB 3 and I'm sold. Matte screen would be nice, but not a deal breaker for me. I'm sure by Spring 2009, they will add these items in and I'll be waiting with AMEX in hand.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 15th 2008 2:14AM]

I was just thinking; I know that the motherboard in the Macbook Pro must be SLI ready, but you can not use this becuase it runs Mac OS X which does not support SLI. So what if you were to put Windows on this baby; would SLI work and how would you change Graphics Cards?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 15th 2008 10:57AM]

well, thats a good question, but i still doubt it would work while using OS X. however, OS X is unix based, if someone who knew the code wanted to, i dont see any reason someone couldnt make their own SLI driver for OS X. on top of that, this is a nvidea chipset 'specifically' designed for mac, its possible nvidea may have left it out till the next run, one more trick in the back pocket to keep people coming next redesign...

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 15th 2008 10:51AM]

wait, wait, wait... did i hear say that people think graphic design folk loath glossy screens? malarkey, any graphic designer worth his salt and his pay knows that the matte finish acts as a filter, skewing and scattering the colors of the display slightly as it passes through, also matte finishes are just a mild form of frosted glass, images just arent as sharp or detailed with a matte finish. glossy, believe it or not, is scientifically proven to have a sharper, truer, cleaner image. they just offer a matte finish for whiners who dont know any better. kudos Jobs, you made this a professional laptop for those who make art and multimedia their profession.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 16th 2008 4:17PM]

This design had great potential, but was a total let down for me.

The lack of a Matte screen means my friends are holding off or worried about upgrading, as am I Photographers and graphic designers are not pleased.

The black bezel around the screen is distracting, and a step away from the minimalist design I have always come to expect from Apple. An aluminum "air" bezel would have been so much better.

I actually prefer black chicklet keys to the previous silver keys, silver plastic keys always felt cheap to me. And approve of the bigger trackpad wonderful.

Are creative designers going to be sidelined now as apple has gone mainstream?

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 20th 2008 10:25AM]

Notebook computers are designed for users who uses when he/she is moving around.So its not shoking that all the notebook computers are in same design.The nature of the people is to adopt to the one that makes them very comfortable!From the pictures shown its seen that there was a more comfortable LAPTOPs now.Though the pictures shows the outer parts of the LAPTOP like USB port,Card reader etc,inside parts such as processors are unknown.BUT its clear that MAC books will futher have a boom in the computer market.- Cignus Web - a Data Entry India Company

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 23rd 2008 12:56PM]

It's odd. Very odd. As a long time mac user (my first machine was a classic 2) I really don't get the level of despair I seem to read in virtually every comment on virtually every review site, a negativity which, I note, seems at odds with virtually every professional review. Maybe I am cynical, but I wonder whether the increasingly shrill reception that every new piece of Mac hardware gets is in proportion to Apple's increasingly successful marketing - back when we Maccies were a hardcore of holdouts against Windows we used to gasp at every innovation, now we seem to curse every time Steve Jobs appears in public. That is not suggest that we should be uncritical of the new machines, or that we should ignore it when Apple doesn't deliver the quality we expect for our buck (wonky keys, bad battery fitting...), but we might also remember that a vast number of mac innovations have turned out to be farsighted rather than failures - anyone still have a laptop with a floppy drive?

So basically carp all you like, but to be honest until these things have been thoroughly test driven by pros and more general users we should recognize that most of the comments on sites like this are based on prejudice and neophobia rather than knowledge or experience (no offense anyone).