Apple is no stranger to making great portable computers. Even before they adopted Intel processors and prior still to the success of the iPod, Apple's then equivalent product, the PowerBook Pro had a dedicated following and a reputation for excellent industrial design.

While Apple's MacBook range is aimed at capturing the 'everyman' user, the 'MacBook Pro' range is aimed at its namesake, professionals. Our test model, providing only a pound change from £1,800, is a serious investment for most. Can such a significant outlay be justified?

It is clear that Apple wants users to feel they have purchased a quality product. Every element of the product, right through to the packaging is exquisitely designed. Out of the box, the unit initially appears a little strange.

The keyboard, flanked by speaker grills, seems to sit oddly balanced against empty space (save the track-pad) below. Ports punctuate either side of the inch-thick chassis, while a slot loading optical drive is positioned on the front right. The MagSafe power port is in the far left corner.

Thankfully, initial reservations are largely dispelled through use. The aforementioned space around the keyboard, for instance, serves as a great ergonomic rest for the hands while typing.

Having speaker grills either side of the keyboard, as opposed to mounted in the screen section, ensures speaker direction remains constant, regardless of screen angle. Similar foresight is evident throughout.

Apple design

The MacBook Pro is packed with design triumphs: the screen hinge that swivels effortlessly through its arc, the screen clasps that reveal themselves mere millimetres from the locators when shutting the unit and the backlit keyboard that responds to ambient lighting.

All MacBook Pro's ship with 2GB of memory; this is perfectly adequate for video work. Hard-drive size is a little miserly at 160GB. We feel, given the flagship nature of this model, it should ship with either a 7200rpm 160GB drive or a 250GB as standard, rather than charge £100 for the upgrade.

Alternatively, it may be prudent of Apple to design a modular bay for future MacBook Pro models. Users could then sacrifice the optical drive when needed for a secondary hard drive.

Our review model shipped with the standard 1680 by 1050 resolution screen but for video work we recommend paying the extra £70 for the 1920 x 1200 'high resolution' model.