The 17" MacBook Pro Notebook Computer from Apple is a powerful notebook computer with an innovative aluminum unibody design. It is loaded with advanced power management features and an integrated battery, which work together to provide up to 7 hours of wireless web browsing.
You may notice an unfamiliar logo next to one of the ports on the left side of the system. This is Thunderbolt, a high-speed interface that can move data at an amazing 10Gbps, which is double that of USB 3.0. The Thunderbolt port also doubles as a display output because it shares the same physical form factor as a Mini DisplayPort. You can daisy-chain up to six devices, so you'll be able to connect high-speed external storage and an external Apple LED Cinema display via the same port!
The computer's 17" display features LED backlight technology and an antiglare finish. Its 1920 x 1200 native resolution gives you ample screen space to work with. You'll be able to output to an external display at up to 2560 x 1600 via Thunderbolt. Any Mini DisplayPort-compatible display will plug in without the need of an adapter. If you have a display with DVI, VGA or HDMI input, you'll only need to purchase an adapter cable (i.e., HDMI-to-Mini DisplayPort) for connection.
You'll be able to communicate with friends and family thanks to built-in support for FaceTime chat. The computer's FaceTime HD camera supports 720p HD video chat via the included app. You can make video calls to other Mac users with FaceTime as well as to anyone with an iPhone 4, iPhone 4S or an iPod touch model with a built-in camera.
The system is powered by a quad-core 2.4GHz Intel Core i7 processor. The computer is loaded with 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a 750GB 7200rpm hard drive and a SuperDrive DVD burner. You'll be able to connect to the Internet with ease via 802.11n Wi-Fi or wired Gigabit Ethernet. The MacBook Pro also features built-in Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, which allows you to connect wireless headphones, keyboard, mice and other compatible peripherals without a hassle.
Graphics are handled by integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics, which gives you the best of both worlds in regards of battery life and performance. The MacBook Pro uses integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics for everyday use, such as web browsing and word processing. It is also capable of HD video playback.
The computer features a comfortable backlit chiclet-style keyboard, which features space between each key for improved accuracy and comfort when typing. It also sports a glass Multi-Touch trackpad with a clickable design. Rather than having a separate button for mouse clicks, the entire surface of the pad is clickable. This increases the active surface area and allows you to quickly click without having to maneuver to the bottom of the trackpad.
The trackpad also fully supports multi-touch gestures. You can tap the trackpad with one finger to click, tap with two fingers to right click, scroll through documents using two fingers, pinch to zoom, navigate through Safari or iPhoto with three-finger left and right swipes or use two fingers to rotate a photo or PDF.
iLife '11 has a complete suite of digital creativity applications. Easy enough for anyone to use, iLife '11 will help you edit your home movies, organize digital photos and compose original music. iLife '11 includes iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand.
The 64-bit Mac OS X Lion features Time Machine backup, which automatically backs up system data to an external hard drive. It also features intuitive Cover Flow navigation, the powerful Spotlight search tool and Quick Look document preview. You'll be able to use Boot Camp to run Windows on your Mac, if needed.
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Processor | 2.4GHz Intel Core i7 Quad-Core |
| Cache | L3: 6MB |
| Memory |
Slots: 2x SO-DIMM 204-Pin Type: 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM Installed: 8GB (2x4GB SO-DIMM 204-Pin) Capacity: 8GB |
| Graphics Card |
Type: Hybrid Graphics System Installed: AMD Radeon HD 6770M with 1GB GDDR5 SDRAM Dedicated; Intel Graphics System HD 3000 with up to 384MB DDR3 SDRAM Shared |
| Display | |
|---|---|
| Type | Widescreen |
| Size | 17" |
| Backlight | LED |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:10 |
| Finish | Antiglare |
| Native Resolution | 1920 x 1200 |
| Supported Resolutions |
1920 x 1200 at 16:10 Aspect Ratio 1680 x 1050 at 16:10 Aspect Ratio 1280 x 800 at 16:10 Aspect Ratio 1152 x 720 at 16:10 Aspect Ratio 1024 x 640 at 16:10 Aspect Ratio 800 x 500 at 16:10 Aspect Ratio 1280 x 1024 at 5:4 Aspect Ratio Stretched 1600 x 1200 at 4:3 Aspect Ratio Stretched 1024 x 768 at 4:3 Aspect Ratio Stretched 800 x 600 at 4:3 Aspect Ratio Stretched 640 x 480 at 4:3 Aspect Ratio Stretched 720 x 480 at 3:2 Aspect Ratio Stretched |
| External Resolution | Up to 2560 x 1600 |
| Dual Display | Yes |
| Video Mirroring | Yes |
| Storage | |
|---|---|
| Hard Drive |
Installed: 750GB 7200rpm Type: SATA |
| Optical Drive |
8x-Speed Slot-Load SuperDrive Reads DVD: 8x CD: 24x Writes DVD-R: 8x DVD-RW: 4x DVD-R DL: 4x DVD+R: 8x DVD+RW: 4x DVD+R DL: 4x CD-R: 24x CD-RW: 10x |
| Input/Output Connectors | |
|---|---|
| Ports |
3x USB 2.0 (A) 1x Thunderbolt 1x FireWire-800 (9-Pin) |
| Display |
1x Mini DisplayPort via Thunderbolt port 1x DVI via optional cable 1x Dual-Link DVI via optional cable 1x VGA via optional cable 1x HDMI via optional cable |
| Audio |
1x Integrated Stereo Speakers with subwoofer 1x Integrated Omnidirectional Microphone 1x 1/8" (3.5mm) Combo Headphone & Audio Out digital/analog 1x 1/8" (3.5mm) Combo Microphone & Line In digital/analog |
| Expansion Slots | 1x ExpressCard/34 Slot |
| Flash Media Slot | None |
| Communications | |
|---|---|
| Network | 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11a/b/g/n |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 2.1+EDR |
| Webcam | Yes |
| General | |
|---|---|
| Operating System | Mac OS X 10.7 Lion (64-bit) |
| Security | Kensington Lock Slot |
| Keyboard |
Keys: 78 Type: Full-Size Features: Backlight, Chiclet Style |
| Pointing Device | TouchPad with Double-Tap, Drag, Four-Finger Swipe, Inertial Scrolling, Multi-Touch Control, Pinch, Rotate, Tap, Three-Finger Swipe, Two-Finger Scrolling |
| Battery | Built-In Lithium-Polymer Providing up to 7 Hours per Charge (95Wh) |
| Power Requirements | Not Specified By Manufacturer |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 15.47 x 0.98 x 10.51" / 39.29 x 2.49 x 26.70 cm |
| Weight | 6.6 lb / 2.99 kg |
Reviewed by 4 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-4
Comments about Apple 17" MacBook Pro Notebook Computer:
It is a powerful Mac for a desginer like me.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Apple 17" MacBook Pro Notebook Computer:
As a photographer and businessman I have always been a MS PC person. As I reviewed options and my needs it became clear that the Macbook Pro Notebook 17" was the way to go. This is an amazing machine and software. The transition was easy and everything just works. I could not be more pleased. Yes this is an expensive alternative, but well worth it. You get what your pay for. I highly recommend this product!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Apple 17" MacBook Pro Notebook Computer:
Works so much faster than my old 15 inch 2009. Love it.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Apple 17" MacBook Pro Notebook Computer:
So far, I have very much enjoyed having this computer. I love the construction, very solid and pleasant to look at. The speakers are phenomenal, as far as I'm concerned. Head, shoulders, and more above the speakers in any other laptop I have owned. The display is fantastic, bright, sharp, and clear. The full screen task switching by gestures in Lion is probably the favorite feature of all, so far. Very powerful processor and RAM, as well as graphics. I have had no trouble running Photoshop (it was a little slow when I stacked 160 layers of hi-res JPGs), and I have played Portal 2 on high settings without trouble. Limited testing notwithstanding, this is a very powerful machine.
My main gripes are mostly small quirks, as I said, in the operating system. In almost every respect, I like it above Windows 7, which I came from; but occasionally I have trouble with simple tasks. The desktop background never wants to change when I change it. Command tabbing will only take you to the last window of a program (ex. with several Finder windows open, I can only command tab to the last one that was active). The included DVD playing software didn't want to work for me very well sometimes. I've had a few others as well, but they were very minor, so I don't really recall them.
It does cost a lot compared to similarly spec'd windows-based machines, but the beautiful layout and high quality made it worthwhile for me.
Displaying reviews 1-4