Apple has never been one to miss out on a marketing opportunity - and the arrival of the MacBook Pro 15-inch and its move to the Intel Core 2 Duo processor proves this. We were hoping this would see the base unit changed, but on the surface it's little more than a chip upgrade.
We got our hands on the 15-inch model, which actually measures 15.4-inch in the diagonal, making it a widescreen display. If you need a desktop replacement, you can opt for the cumbersome 17-inch model, which starts at a less than appealing £1,999 (including VAT).
The first thing we noticed about the screen was the lack of a Super-TFT panel. This isn't an oversight on Apple's part, because the company is allowing you to specify whether you want a standard TFT or Super-TFT at the time of purchase.
This is a nice touch for buyers and one that other companies should consider following. The standard panel has a 1,440x900-pixel (WXGA ) resolution and offers pin-sharp - if not dazzlingly bright - images.
You can't fault the build quality of the MacBook. Not only is it neat and trim, but it's full of wonderful little touches. Take the magnetic power supply; should you accidentally tug at the cord, it won't rip out and cause damage, but will simply detach itself. You'll be reminded of its brilliance frequently, we assure you.
Top-of-the-line
Powered by the Intel 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo T7600, this is the top-of-the-line chip and comes with 4MB of Level 2 cache as well as a 667MHz bus. Apple is claiming a 39 per cent speed boost in the MacBook Pro over the slightly older Core Duo chip.
While our benchmark tests didn't see anything like this, the machine is quick, and runs even the most taxing of applications without any trouble at all. It shouldn't come as a surprise to you to find 2,048MB of DDR2 memory helping things along. If you're looking for a notebook that can replace your deskbound Mac, then this is it.
