MBP
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Subtle hint from MS Office website: Get a Mac
Going back to school? You'll need books, Microsoft Office... and a MacBook Pro, PowerBook G4, if the picture on Microsoft's Office back-to-school site is to be believed. Both the landing and inside pages of the site prominently feature the machines running what appears to be Office 2007 for Windows (which, of course, they can do with ease and grace). Still a bit surprising that the site doesn't feature a laptop from one of Microsoft's more traditional hardware partners.This isn't the first time that we've seen Macs appear as Windows workstations via Microsoft's sites or events -- this Norwegian TV demo of Vista raised eyebrows for the distinctively iMacian nature of the demo machine. Perhaps the message from PC Magazine about the hardware that suits Vista best is getting through.Update: As noted in the comments, the lack of an iSight clearly pegs this hardware as a G4, not a MacBook Pro -- so it can't run Office 2007 at all. Shame on me for missing it, but it's even funnier now.Thanks Perrin!Written by Michael Rose
Engadget tries to fry an egg on Penryn MacBook Pro
OK, they didn't really try to fry an egg. But for those of us using those first searing-heat MBP's, you'll be happy to know the Penryn MacBook Pro's are a little cooler (temperature-wise anyway). On average, about 10° F cooler, and the fans run slower and quieter. Sorry if this kills any MacGuyver-esque plans of using Penryn laptops as emergency griddles.For a much more detailed analysis of the Penryn advantages, check out the Engadget post, complete with Xbench tests and a flavorful grid with all the analysis.
15-inch MacBook Pro reviewed: turns Mac newbie into switcher
Here it is, the first complete review of Apple's new 15-inch MacBook Pro. You know, Santa Rosa platform, LED backlighting, and new nVidia 8600M GT graphics. Right, that one, launched just a few days ago. The kids at Notebook Review took the unit 'round the block with an emphasis on reviewing it for "people considering the MacBook Pro as an alternative option to a Windows based laptop." In fact, it's the reviewer's first Mac review. So how did it go? Well, to start with, the "screen is without a doubt the best I've ever seen on a laptop, and better than a lot of desktop monitors I use," says the reviewer. The MBP also came away with "impressive scores" whether running OS X or 32-bit Vista via Boot Camp. The new nVidia GPU smoked the old ATI X1600-based MBP by a factor of three in 3DMark06 tests -- well above the 57% increase claimed by Apple. Unfortunately, the review did not go head-to-head with same-spec'd Santa Rosa models from say IBM or Dell to see how Apple's tweaks to the gear compare. The case remained "mostly cool" throughout use although it did pickup a "good bit of warmth" while benchmarking. Still it was not enough to remove the MBP from the reviewer's lap with average temps for the CPU cores kicking right around 49-degrees centigrade. During normal usage at 50% brightness (which is not very bright as we've seen), the battery eeked-out about 4-hours which dropped to 3-hours after dialing up the brightness to 100%. The only real nit is the weight, which at 5.4-pounds (2.45-kgs) is becoming rather pathetic by modern standards yet remains the smallest offering in Apple's pro laptop lineup. Still, the reviewer now considers himself "one happy switcher" and that's about as good of a rating as you can get.
MacBook Pro takes bullet like a champ
We're not exactly sure what Apple's impact test procedures are for MacBook Pros, but a bullet in the side makes quite the statement. A mugging victim in Brazil avoided a trip to the ER thanks to his trusty bodyguard, a seemingly bulletproof MBP. According to the image holder (who isn't the victim or MBP owner), the lappy continues to function, although it isn't clear to what extent. Obviously, popping caps to to the top, bottom, or not-so-centered spot on the side might result in a less a heroic outcome, not to mention a busted machine. As far as brawn goes, MBP ain't no Toughbook, but at least it took one for the team.[Via Random Findings]
Xbox 360 HD DVD drive running on a MBP
Every now and then you see something on the Internet that makes you think, Why didn't I think of that? It isn't really that extraordinary, but one step ahead of what you might have thought of. This is one of those videos where a Engadget HD contributor not only made his Xbox 360 HD DVD drive work with his computer, but took it one step further and got it running on his Mac Book Pro, unfortunately he used Boot Camp to make it happen. It would have been cool if it would work with OS X, but it appears we will have wait till Apple supports it, with any luck we will know more at Macworld Expo.
Jobs might deliver a keynote, updated MacBook Pros on September 12th?
Egads, the rumor engine has caught on fire and September 12th is to blame: HardMac cites anonymous sources (i.e. - take it with a grain of salt) that Steve Jobs still won't be present in Paris for the upcoming Apple Expo, but that doesn't mean he can't be on a stage somewhere: the rumor is that Jobs will still give a keynote, but it will be produced in Cupertino and relayed to London, Apple Europe's headquarters (where all the journalists have actually been invited to already). Let's hear it for the powers of iChat A/V.Next on the list of September 12th rumors is that, along with 23-inch Core 2 Duo iMacs, we could also see revised MacBook Pros, possibly even with Core 2 Duo shininess. For this one, HardMac cites a French student who tried to purchase a MacBook Pro online, but was given a 3-5 week shipping window - which typically happens to products in some regions when an update is imminent.Keep in mind none of this is confirmed, so if Sept. 12th turns out to be not much more than an Aperture update (after all, it is close to Photokina), keep your chin up. Apple's fall season is just getting started.
ExpressCard Update for MacBook Pros
Apple has released a software update for at least the 15-inch MacBook Pro, and possibly the 17-inch as well (I just have a 15-inch). ExpressCard Update 1.0 "resolves an issue that prevented the system from sleeping when some cards are inserted in the ExpressCard/34 slot." Have at it boys and girls.Also, do not adjust your display - the funky color scheme you see in my screenshot is the work of ShapeShifter, Unsanity's GUI theming utility.[UPDATE: At least one commenter has confirmed that this update appears for the 17-inch MacBook Pro as well.]Thanks Guy!
Apple's 17-inch MacBook Pro reviewed
You know, for all the talk about those greasy-hot, overclockin' MacBook Pros and their mysterious firmware updates, only now has PCMag completed a full review of the 17-inch flavor MBP. Alas, you won't find any real surprises in the review of this "astounding" 6.8-pound, easy toting 17-incher. Yeah, it does indeed get "too hot" by the reviewers standards, though apparently not as hot as the 15-inch model due to larger surface area to dissipate heat. And since this is PCMag, they installed Boot Camp, as you'd expect, "without a hitch" giving them the same "impressive" (for a Mac) gaming results in XP seen on the 15-inch sib. The reviewer calls the move to the 17-inch MacBook Pro a "no brainer" if you're a creative professional working heavily in graphic design or movie editing. However, if you're just looking for a "cool multimedia laptop" with plenty of screen then there are plenty of Windows-only systems available giving more bang, for that $3,099 as-tested, buck. Yeah, Mac fanboy enthusiasts, they're calling you out with that one. Still, PCMag slaps on a 4/5 editors rating which ain't too shabby, right?
MacBook Pros now available in 20 colors - from ColorWare
It seems like the rumors of multi-colored MacBook Pros were true, though Apple wasn't the one who dipped them in paint. ColorWare, purveyors of colorized high-end electronics, has added the 15-inch MacBook Pro (sorry, no 17-inch - yet) to their array of products you can purchase new and colorized. They also offer their colorizing service for those who need to add some colorful zing to that old 'n busted product you bought mere weeks ago.Their highly-secretive colorizing process costs $449 (not including shipping) for Apple's pro notebook line, which also includes the new MacBook Pro. A base model 1.83 GHz MacBook Pro purchased from ColorWare in something other than Apple's standard titanium grey will cost $2449, while the higher-end 2.0 GHz model sells for $2949. You'll also have to wait for your brighter and shinier Intel-based pro Apple notebook: current shipping times are 2-3 weeks.I have yet to see one of these in the wild, and it's hard to say what my reaction would be. Apple has obviously done a fantastic engineering and design job on their latest PowerBook line. Notice how virtually nothing changed between PPC and Intel machines - if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Still, it's good to have choices, even if they're $449 choices.[via The Apple Blog]
