Review of 15” MacBook Pro

by Bob Hodgen

I’m Robert’s dad. Robert is the owner of this website. When Robert got his Mac Pro desktop I inherited his 1st generation 15” MacBook Pro laptop. At the time it was just short of 1 year old. It’s funny, he used to inherit my old computers–now it’s the other way around! I’m not complaining, the MacBook Pro is by far the best computer I’ve ever owned.

Specs:

•  Model Name: MacBook Pro 15″
•  Model Identifier: MacBookPro2,2
•  Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
•  Processor Speed: 2.33 GHz
•  Number Of Processors: 1
•  Total Number Of Cores: 2
•  L2 Cache: 4 MB
•  Memory: 2 GB
•  Bus Speed: 667 MHz

Robert upgraded the stock hard drive to a 200 Gb 7200 rpm SATA Hitachi 2.5 inch drive. The results of the swap are available at OS X 411.

The new drive is working well. Considering my old computer was a G4 Powerbook, I’m very happy with the speed of the MacBook Pro.

The drive has 2 partitions, a large one for OS X Leopard and a smaller Vista partition. Vista runs very well via Boot Camp. Almost all of my time is spent in Leopard, I don’t do much with Vista other than demos. I run Windows XP via VM Ware Fusion, again, it’s mostly for demo purposes. How many computers can run OS X, Vista, and XP? That usually impresses Windows die-hards. I even had Linux on it for a while. 

I’ve noticed that the cooling fans run almost all of the time with Vista and the battery runs down a lot quicker. Obviously Vista is using more of the computer’s resources than Leopard. Other than the translucent “aero glass” eye candy, there’s not much to be impressed with in Vista. Scratch under the surface and it’s just a variation of XP in all of it’s wretchedness.

Being an airline pilot, I travel a lot. The MacBook Pro is my primary computer, so it has been everywhere with me. I typically fly round trips from the U. S. to Europe once a week. I sometimes get as far afield as Singapore or Kuwait. This MacBook Pro has literally been all over the planet!

I don’t baby the MacBook Pro at all, and it’s still going strong with no issues. The outside of the aluminum case is acquiring a nice collection of dents and scratches. I like to think of these as battle scars, evidence of the computer’s utility and toughness.

What I like:

• Leopard. I can’t see going back to Windows, ever.
• Toughness, it’s aluminum–not plastic.
• Design.
• Backlit keyboard.
• Large trackpad, two finger scrolling.
• The single mouse button is not an issue, tap with 2 fingers = right click.
• Glossy screen. Good resolution color, and brightness.
• Integrates well with my iPhone.
• Battery life is still over 3 hours.
• The magsafe power connector, it’s saved the computer a couple of times.

What I don’t like:

• It gets hot and the fans run more than my PowerBook.
• The screen latch is fiddly and sometimes hard to open.
• The power button has sunk below the level of the case, it still works but feels cheap.

As a primary computer for someone who is mobile the MacBook Pro is ideal. On my desk at home I have it on a raised pedestal I use along with the Apple bluetooth keyboard and mighty mouse. The 15 inch screen is just big enough to be usable for most apps. The multiple desktop feature of OS X gives me 4 desktops to spread my apps around on. Robert wrote me a neat Automator script that opens 4 of my favorite apps at once in separate desktop windows.

Of course, the MacBook Pro is a powerhouse on the road. I generally carry it in a lightweight laptop case with just the power brick. All of the foreign adapters and cables are stored away in my suitcase. That keeps the load light and manageable.

I’ve gotten online in lots of different countries. It can get expensive to use the hotel’s connection. The going rate in London is 15 Pounds per day, and in Germany it’s 20 Euros. That converts to about $30 a day, US!

To save money I use the $39 per month Boingo international plan, which works in most of the places I stay. One disadvantage to Boingo is that their automatic software doesn’t work on dual core intel Macs. I have to access their service through the hotel’s sign on screen. Roaming choices are not always available, or the hotel may not have an agreement with Boingo, so there are some places I can’t connect.

All in all, I’m very happy with the MacBook Pro. Like I said before, it’s the best computer I’ve owned–by far.

Bob