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MacBook Pro

 
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A family of laptop computers from Apple. Introduced in 2006, the MacBook Pro was the first model introduced in the line and the first Macintosh portable to use Intel CPUs (Core Duo chips running at 1.8 to 2.16 GHz).

In 2007, non-Pro MacBook models were introduced that were smaller and thinner and with less aggressive graphics than the Pro models. The MacBooks, with 13.3" screens rather than 15" or 17", weigh slightly less than the Pro.

MacBook Air

Apple introduced its thinnest MacBook in early 2008. With a full size keyboard and 13.3" wide screen, the MacBook Air weighs three pounds and is 3/4" thick. The Air's touchpad incorporates the multi-touch capability introduced on the iPhone, which enables functions such as selection, scrolling, zooming and rotating to be activated with one- and two-finger gestures on the pad. See Macintosh models, PowerBook, iBook and Core Duo.

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Wikipedia: MacBook Pro
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MacBook Pro
MacBook Pros.jpg
The current unibody 13, 15, and 17 inch MacBook Pros
Developer Apple Inc.
Type Notebook
Release date June 9, 2009 (current model)
February 14, 2006 (original release)
CPU Intel Core 2 Duo (current model)
Intel Core Duo (original release)
Website Apple – MacBook Pro

The MacBook Pro is a line of Macintosh portable computers by Apple Inc. that was first introduced in January 2006 at the Macworld Expo. The MacBook Pro replaced the PowerBook G4 and was the second model to be announced in the Apple Intel transition (after the iMac). The MacBook Pro is positioned at the high end of the MacBook family.

There have been two designs for the MacBook Pro, both using aluminium. The first design was largely a carry-over from the PowerBook G4. The second "unibody" design is a more tapered design with most of the casing made from a single block of aluminium. There are currently three MacBook Pro models, the 13", 15" and 17".[1]

Contents

Discrete MacBook Pro

The original MacBook Pro.

The original 15" MacBook Pro was announced on January 10, 2006 during Steve Jobs' keynote at the MacWorld Expo. The 17" model was later unveiled on April 24, 2006. When first introduced, the MacBook Pro was noted for lacking FireWire 800 and S-Video ports, although FireWire 800 was added to later MacBook Pro models. Other changes included a built-in iSight webcam and the introduction of MagSafe, a magnetic power connector designed to detach easily when pulled to prevent the laptop from being pulled off a surface. Both features were later brought over to the MacBook.

Models

Component Intel Core Duo Intel Core 2 Duo
Model Early 2006[2][3][4] Late 2006[5] Late 2007[6][7] Early 2008[8] Late 2008
Model Numbers MA463*/A or MA464*/A; MA600* or MA601*; MA092*/A MA609*, MA610*, or MA611*/A MA895* or MA896*; MA895*/A or MA896*/A; MA897*/A MB133*/A, MB134*/A, or MB166*/A MB766*/A
Display
(all widescreen)		 15.4", matte or glossy, LCD, 1440 x 900 15.4", matte or glossy, LCD, 1440 x 900
with LED backlight		 N/A
17", matte or glossy, LCD, 1680 x 1050 17", matte or glossy, LCD, 1680 x 1050
Optional 1920 x 1200		 17", matte or glossy, LCD, 1680 x 1050
Optional LED-backlit 1920 x 1200		 17", matte or glossy, LED-backlit, 1920 x 1200
2nd Display
max resolution		 2560 x 1600
Simultaneously supports native resolution on the internal display and a maximum of 2560x1600 on an external display.
Graphics
with dual-link DVI		 ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 128MB or 256MB of GDDR3 SDRAM nVidia Geforce 8600M GT with 128MB, 256MB, or 512MB of GDDR3 SDRAM nVidia Geforce 8600M GT with 256MB, or 512MB of GDDR3 SDRAM nVidia Geforce 8600M GT with 512MB of GDDR3 SDRAM [1]
Hard drive[a] 80GB, 100GB, or 120GB Serial ATA, 5400-rpm
Optional 100GB 7200-rpm or 120GB 5400-rpm.		 120GB, 160GB, or 200GB Serial ATA, 5400-rpm
Optional 100GB, 7200-rpm.		 120GB or 160GB Serial ATA, 5400-rpm
Optional 250GB, 4200-rpm or 160GB, 7200-rpm.
Optional 250GB, 5400-rpm or 200GB, 7200-rpm after November 1, 2007		 200GB or 250GB Serial ATA, 5400-rpm
Optional 200GB 7200-rpm or 300GB 4200-rpm.		 320GB Serial ATA, 5400-rpm
Optional 320GB, 7200-rpm or 128GB SSD.
Processor 1.83GHz (T2400), 2.0GHz (T2500) or 2.16GHz (T2600) Intel Core Duo Yonah 2.16GHz (T7400) or 2.33GHz (T7600) Intel Core 2 Duo Merom 2.2GHz (T7500) & 2.4GHz (T7700) Intel Core 2 Duo Merom
Optional 2.6GHz (T7800) after November 1, 2007		 2.4GHz (T8300) & 2.5GHz (T9300) Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn
Optional 2.6GHz (T9500)		 2.5GHz (T9400) Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn with 6MB on-chip L2 cache
Optional 2.6GHz (T9500)
Memory 512MB (two 256MB) or 1GB (two 512MB) of 667MHz PC2-5300 DDR2 SO-DIMM SDRAM
Expandable to 2GB[d]		 1GB (two 512MB) or 2GB (two 1GB) of 667MHz PC2-5300 DDR2 SO-DIMM SDRAM
Expandable[d] to 4GB, but only 3GB addressable[9]		 2GB (two 1GB) of 667MHz PC2-5300 DDR2 SO-DIMM SDRAM
Expandable[d] to 4GB		 4GB (two 2GB) of 667MHz PC2-5300 DDR2 SO-DIMM SDRAM
Expandable[d] to 8GB, only 6 addressable.
AirPort Extreme Integrated 802.11a/b/g (AR5007 chipset) Integrated 802.11a/b/g and draft-n (n disabled by default) [b] (AR5008 chipset) Integrated 802.11a/b/g and draft-n (n enabled)(AR5008 or BCM4322 chipset, depending on revision)
Internal Slot-Loading Combo drive[c] 8x DVD read, 24x CD-R and 10x CD-RW recording N/A
Internal Slot-Loading SuperDrive[c] 8x DVD-DL discs reads. 4x DVD+/-R & RW recording. 24x CD-R and 10x CD-RW recording
(Optional for 15-inch) or 4x DVD+R writes, 8x DVD+/-R read, 4x DVD+/-RW writes, 24x CD-R, and 10x CD-RW recording		 2.4x DVD+R DL writes, 6x DVD+/-R read, 4x DVD+/-RW writes, 24x CD-R, and 10x CD-RW recording or 4x DVD+R DL writes, 8x DVD+/-R read/write, 4x DVD+/-RW writes, 24x CD-R, and 10x CD-RW recording 4x DVD+R DL writes, 8x DVD+/-R read/write, 4x DVD+/-RW writes, 24x CD-R, and 10x CD-RW recording 4x DVD+R DL writes, 8x DVD+/-R read/write, 8x DVD+RW writes, 6x DVD-RW writes, 24x CD-R, and 16x CD-RW recording


a^  Hard drives listed are configurations available from Apple.
b^  Wireless-N functionality requires the AirPort Extreme Wireless-N Router, which contains wireless-N enabler software to be installed on your MacBook. Alternatively, the enabler software may be purchased from Apple separately.[10]
c^  Quoted optical drive speeds are the maximum possible for each drive.
d^  Existing memory modules may need to be replaced.
e^  Corresponding Apple model name is unknown at this time.

Unibody MacBook Pro

Development

15" MacBook Pro
On October 14, 2008, at a notebook-oriented event at Apple's headquarters, a new unibody 15" MacBook Pro was announced featuring an aluminum unibody construction and tapered sides similar to those of the MacBook Air. All of the MacBook Pro's ports were shifted to the left side of the case. The optical drive slot was moved to the right side, similar to the MacBook. The FireWire 400 port was removed but the FireWire 800 port was kept, and the DVI port was replaced with a Mini DisplayPort receptacle.


17" MacBook Pro
At the MacWorld Expo keynote on January 6, 2009, Phil Schiller announced a 17" MacBook Pro with unibody construction. This version diverged from its 15" sibling with a non user-removable lithium polymer battery that is designed to last up to eight hours on a single charge and an anti-glare "matte" screen option.


13" MacBook Pro
At Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 8, 2009, it was announced that the 13" unibody MacBook would be upgraded and rebranded as a Macbook Pro (easily identified by FireWire 800 and SD card reader ports on left side), leaving only the white polycarbonate MacBook in the MacBook line.[11] It was also announced that the entire MacBook Pro line would use the non user-removable battery inherited from the 17" MacBook Pro. The Kensington lock slot was moved to the right side of the 13" MacBook Pro. Every new Macbook Pro would also include a FireWire port and all except the 17" models would have SD card slot.[12] The 17" model would retain its ExpressCard slot.

Industrial design

The unibody-construction MacBook Pro largely follows the styling of the iMac and the MacBook Air and is slightly thinner than its predecessor, albeit wider and deeper due to the widescreen display. The screen is high-gloss, covered by a reflective glass finish, while an anti-glare matte option is available in the 15" and 17" models in which the glass panel is removed. The trackpad has also been enlarged with the entire pad being the physical button, giving more room for scrolling and multi-touch gestures. The keys, still backlit, are now that of Apple's now-standard sunken keyboard with separated black keys. The hard drive is easily replaceable in the original 15" unibody model (located in the battery compartment) and slightly less so in MacBook Pros with the non user-removable batteries (located under the bottom panel), whereas in the discrete-construction MacBook Pro replacing the hard drive requires a significant disassembly of the system.

Battery

According to a video from engineers at Apple during the new 17" MacBook Pro's introduction in January 2009, the battery is of a unique design unlike any existing notebook battery; instead of implementing traditional round cells inside the battery's casing, all available space is utilized, providing increased capacity. The batteries are made of lithium-ion polymer, which allow them to be shaped and fitted into each laptop without wasting any space. These batteries also have adaptive charging capabilities, which help further extend the battery's life. Adaptive charging is a method of battery charging that uses a chip to optimize the charge flow into the battery as so to not render excessive wear and tear to it, therefore extending its life. However, as mentioned earlier, the battery is not user-removable, and although it can be removed, doing so will void any remaining warranty. Apple has stated that the 17" MacBook Pro has a rated battery life of eight hours and can be recharged 1000 times while still holding 80% of its original charge.[13]

It was announced at WWDC 2009 that every new MacBook Pro would contain this new technology. The updated Macbook Pro 13" and the 15" would each have up to seven hours of battery, while the 17" would keep its eight hour capacity. Some sources even reported up to eight hours of battery life for the 13 and 15" MacBook Pros during casual use.[14] Like the 17" MacBook Pro, they are expected to last around 1000 charge cycles while still containing 80% of their capacity; this makes their lifespan about five years.[15]

Models

Component Intel Core 2 Duo
Model Late 2008[16] Early 2009[17] Mid 2009[18][19][20]
Model Numbers MB470*/A or MB471*/A MB470*/A, MC026*/A, or MB604*/A MB990*/A, MB991*/A, MC118*/A, MB985*/A, MB986*/A, or MC226*/A
Display
(all widescreen)		 N/A 13.3", glossy glass covered screen, 1280 x 800
with LED backlighting
15.4", glossy glass covered screen, 1440 x 900
with LED backlighting		 15.4", glossy glass covered screen, 1440 x 900
with LED backlighting
Optional matte screen available.
N/A 17", glossy glass covered screen, 1920 x 1200
with LED backlighting
Optional matte screen available.
Graphics
with mini DisplayPort		 nVidia GeForce 9400M with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory and nVidia GeForce 9600M GT with 256MB or 512MB of GDDR3 SDRAM
Can switch between one or the other (but not both)[21]		 nVidia GeForce 9400M with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory(13" and some 15" models)
nVidia GeForce 9400M with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory and nVidia GeForce 9600M GT with 256MB or 512MB of GDDR3 SDRAM (some 15" or 17" models)
Can switch between one or the other (but not both)
Hard drive[f] 250GB or 320GB Serial ATA at 5400-rpm.
Optional 250GB or 320GB at 7200-rpm, 128GB SSD		 250GB or 320GB Serial ATA at 5400-rpm.
Optional 250GB or 320GB at 7200-rpm, 128GB or 256GB SSD		 160GB, 250GB, 320GB, or 500GB Serial ATA at 5400-rpm.
Optional 320GB or 500GB at 5400-rpm or 7200-rpm (15" and 17" only) or 128GB or 256GB SSD
Processor 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn with 3MB on-chip L2 cache (P8600) or
2.53GHz with 6MB on-chip L2 cache (T9400)
Optional 2.8GHz (T9600)		 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Penryn with 3MB on-chip L2 cache (P8600) or
2.66GHz with 6MB on-chip L2 cache (T9550)
Optional 2.93GHz (T9800)		 2.26GHz (P7550 or P8400[22]), 2.53GHz (P8700), or 2.66GHz (P8800) (15" only) Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB on-chip L2 cache or 2.8GHz (T9600) (15" and 17" only) Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB on-chip L2 cache
Optional 3.06GHz (T9900) (15" and 17" only) with 6MB on-chip L2 cache
Memory 2GB (two 1GB) or 4GB (two 2GB) of 1066MHz PC3-8500 DDR3 SO-DIMM SDRAM
Expandable to 4GB[g], but 6GB addressable, 2.66GHz and 2.93GHz models expandable to 8GB[23]		 2GB (two 1GB) or 4GB (two 2GB) of 1066MHz PC3-8500 DDR3 SO-DIMM SDRAM
Expandable to 8GB
Front Side Bus 1066MHz
AirPort Extreme Integrated 802.11a/b/g and draft-n (n enabled) (BCM4322 chipset)
Internal Slot-Loading SuperDrive[h] 4x DVD+R DL writes, 8x DVD+/-R read/write, 8x DVD+RW writes, 6x DVD-RW writes, 24x CD-R, and 16x CD-RW recording
Being SATA, it can be custom-replaced with a third party SSD/HDD[24][25]

f^  Hard drives listed are configurations available from Apple.
g^  Existing memory modules may need to be replaced.
h^  Quoted optical drive speeds are the maximum possible for each drive.

Timeline of the MacBook family

See also: Timeline of Macintosh models


See also

Apple Intel transition

Architecture
Universal binary
Boot Camp
Rosetta

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References

  1. ^ Apple – MacBook Pro, Apple Inc., 2008-06-09, http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/, retrieved 2009-06-09 
  2. ^ MacBook Pro – Technical Specifications, Apple Inc., http://support.apple.com/kb/SP36, retrieved 2009-10-22 
  3. ^ MacBook Pro (17-inch) – Technical Specifications, Apple Inc., http://support.apple.com/kb/SP33, retrieved 2009-10-22 
  4. ^ MacBook Pro (15-inch Glossy) – Technical Specifications, Apple Inc., http://support.apple.com/kb/SP32, retrieved 2009-10-22 
  5. ^ MacBook Pro (Late 2006) – Technical Specifications, Apple Inc., http://support.apple.com/kb/SP24, retrieved 2009-10-22 
  6. ^ MacBook Pro (Mid 2007, 2.4/2.2GHz) – Technical Specifications, Apple Inc., http://support.apple.com/kb/SP17, retrieved 2009-10-22 
  7. ^ MacBook Pro (Late 2007, 2.4/2.2GHz) – Technical Specifications, Apple Inc., http://support.apple.com/kb/SP13, retrieved 2009-10-22 
  8. ^ MacBook Pro (Early 2008) – Technical Specifications, Apple Inc., http://support.apple.com/kb/SP4, retrieved 2009-10-22 
  9. ^ Jason D. O'Grady and David Morgenstern (2006-10-30), Inside the MacBook Pro’s 3 GB RAM limitation, ZDNet, http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=321, retrieved 2009-06-09 
  10. ^ AirPort Extreme 802.11n Enabler for Mac, Apple Inc., http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?mco=6C04E07A&nplm=D4141ZM%2FA, retrieved 2007-04-15 
  11. ^ Apple iPhone announcements: from the show floor and all around, The Guardian, 2009-06-08, http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jun/08/iphone-wwc-apple-announcements, retrieved 2009-06-10 
  12. ^ Apple WWDC Keynote Video, Apple Inc., http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/0906paowdnv/event/index.html?internal=ijalrmacu, retrieved 2009-06-10 
  13. ^ Apple Introduces 17-inch MacBook Pro With Revolutionary New Built-in Battery That Delivers Eight Hours of Use & 1,000 Recharges, Apple Inc., 2009-01-06, http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2009/01/06mbp.html, retrieved 2009-05-26 
  14. ^ AnandTech: Apple's 2009 MacBook Pro: Battery Life to Die For, AnandTech, 2009-06-12, http://anandtech.com/mac/showdoc.aspx?i=3580&p=4, retrieved 2009-06-14 
  15. ^ Apple – MacBook Pro – Features – Now there’s even more innovation., Apple Inc., http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/features.html, retrieved 2009-10-26 
  16. ^ MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008) – Technical Specifications, Apple Inc., http://support.apple.com/kb/SP499, retrieved 2009-10-22 
  17. ^ MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009) – Technical Specifications, Apple Inc., http://support.apple.com/kb/SP503, retrieved 2009-10-26 
  18. ^ MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009) – Technical Specifications, Apple Inc., http://support.apple.com/kb/SP541, retrieved 2009-10-26 
  19. ^ MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009) and (15-inch, 2.53 GHz, Mid 2009) – Technical Specifications, Apple Inc., http://support.apple.com/kb/SP544, retrieved 2009-10-26 
  20. ^ MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2009) – Technical Specifications, Apple Inc., http://support.apple.com/kb/SP546, retrieved 2009-10-26 
  21. ^ Apple – MacBook Pro – Graphics – Even faster graphics processing., Apple Inc., http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/graphics.html, retrieved 2009-10-26 
  22. ^ MacBook Pro Benchmarks (June 2009), Primate Labs, 2009-06-22, http://www.primatelabs.ca/blog/2009/06/macbook-pro-benchmarks-june-2009/, retrieved 2009-06-24 
  23. ^ Arnold Kim (2008-10-30), New MacBooks and MacBook Pros Support Up to 6GB, MacRumors, http://www.macrumors.com/2008/10/30/new-macbooks-and-macbook-pros-support-up-to-6gb/ 
  24. ^ [|Coscas, Lionel] (2008-10-15). "Immersion sensors in the new portable". Hardmac. http://www.hardmac.com/news/2008/10/15/immersion-sensors-in-the-new-portables. Retrieved 2008-10-18. "the optical disk is now with SATA format, which is a first for Apple and good news for us. It will become possible to take it out and put a second hard drive instead in this place :)" 
  25. ^ [|Sattarov, Marat] (2009-06-19). "MCE OptiBay Hard Drive". MCE. http://www.mcetech.com/optibay/. Retrieved 2009-06-19. "MCE Optibay can be used as an individual volume, as part of a RAID array, or combined with internal hard drive as one very large volume" 

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