MacBook Pro Tradeoffs
by Walter S. Mossberg
Posted on October 26, 2008 at 6:37 AM PT
When Apple redesigned its laptops earlier this month, most of the attention, including mine, was focused on the entry-level MacBook. That was because of its popularity, and because Apple managed to make over the machine in a way that added some oomph and lots of style while actually making it thinner and lighter and preserving battery life. But what about the MacBook’s big brother, the 15 inch MacBook Pro, a powerful, if pricey, laptop favored by many power users? My verdict on the Pro’s makeover isn’t nearly as favorable, because there were more tradeoffs.
The new MacBook Pro costs the same, high, $1999 price as the old one, and Apple (AAPL) does give you more for your money — a faster discrete graphics processor; the same radical new button-free trackpad that’s in the MacBook; bigger hard disks. It’s also a tad thinner.
But some of the new model’s design features that were a dramatic upgrade on the entry MacBook were already present on the older Pro — an aluminum case, a bright LED screen, and the ability to perform some iPhone-like gestures on the trackpad.
And the new MacBook Pro is actually a downgrade from the old model in a few areas. For one, it has grown slightly larger and heavier, with a 4% bigger footprint and a bit more weight (5.5 pounds versus 5.4 pounds for the old one.) These aren’t huge sacrifices, but I believe that when companies strive to redesign laptops without increasing screen size, they should try for smaller and lighter, not the reverse.
Much worse is the loss of battery life. When used with its discrete graphics processor, the natural mode for the kind of audience at which the Pro is aimed, Apple claims it will get just 4 hours of battery life, versus the 5 hours it claimed for its predecessor, which also used a discrete graphics processor. That’s a whopping 20% reduction in battery life.
To compensate, Apple built in a second, alternate, graphics system, the same wimpier integrated graphics chip that’s used in the lower-end MacBook. Only when you switch to this alternate chip — a clumsy process that involves changing a preference in software — can you hope to retain the old 5-hour battery life.
Because I didn’t do a full review of the MacBook Pro for my Wall Street Journal column, I didn’t run my own battery tests on it. But MacWorld magazine did, and the magazine declared that battery life diminished to a significant degree compared with the previous model.
In addition, Apple now offers the 15 inch MacBook Pro only with a glossy screen, having removed the option for a matte screen that is often preferred by pros who work heavily with photos and videos, because of the glare and fingerprints it can attract. This glossy-only choice is also present on the MacBook, but it matters less there, because that machine isn’t usually the choice of graphics pros.
My bottom line on the new MacBook Pro is that it still provides a satisfying upgrade for power users willing to spend the money to move up from the MacBook or from a less powerful, or similarly powerful, Windows machine running the inferior Vista or XP operating systems. But, for owners of the most recent prior MacBook Pro, the new model’s tradeoffs make an upgrade an iffy choice.
Comments
Having a buyer in hand for my MBP [late 2007] I sadly left the Apple store without the new one. The uni-body construction and trackpad were pleasing, but the “shiny” display and incongruous black matte was untenable under use. [match the matte to the trackpad igit] Perhaps Apple is dumbing down the Pro designation to my bewilderment.
Posted by Jerry Freeman at October 26th, 2008 at 9:04 amThe new MacBook Pro also reduces the number of firewire ports from two to one–not a big deal for some, but potentially very inconvenient for pros who do serious work on the road as portable firewire drives sporting two ports are fairly rare.
Concerning the glossy screen: Like many other graphics pros, I strongly prefer the matte screen. However, it should also be noted that doing critical color work on any laptop is problematic because of the variable screen angle. It is almost impossible to position the screen at precisely the same viewing angle every time it is raised, which affects the apparent color and contrast of the displayed image. Personally, I would never want to turn in any job completed on a laptop until I could check it on a stationary monitor.
Posted by Alan Sanders at October 26th, 2008 at 9:51 amWalt,
You have missed two major points, which have been the reason I have upgraded from my 2007 MacBook Pro.
1) Durability
The new MacBook Pros are now the most durable notebooks in the industry thanks to the aluminum unibody enclosure.
The new MacBook Pros are far stronger than any ThinkPad!
2) Removable hard drive
Posted by Kieran Navickas at October 26th, 2008 at 12:19 pmI can now easily remove the hard drive, swap it with a SSD, or upgrade it in the future.
This gives the new MacBook Pros exceptional longevity.
I think what often frustrates potential Mac buyers is that the pricing doesn’t always seem to reflect suspected cost.
It is as if Apple says “since there are people who will pay just about anything to get the top of the line model, let’s shoot for the moon”. But then they offer a “budget” model for the rest of us.
This pays off for them because there are indeed some people for whom money is no object, and others, who finagle their company to pay for it (money no object in that sense either).
They have to be careful that a perhaps only slightly less fanatical customer base won’t at some point balk at being bilked, but also hold a grudge regarding future purchases.
At these price points, I’d only find an Apple computer compelling if they came with a no-questions-asked money back guarantee for at least 6 months.
My last Apple laptop has been stellar, but the one before that was a lemon (in many ways).
I feel like I’m rolling the dice every time I consider one.
Posted by Mac Beach at October 26th, 2008 at 12:35 pmI agree with the last comment. I have two Apple laptops. One’s great the other’s harddrive motor gave out after fifteen months.
To top it off Apple’s Customer Service sucks. Made an “appointment” at an Apple store. Told them I would be dropping off the laptop the day before and would pick it up the next day after they repaired it. When I got there, they acted like they had never heard of such a thing. Did I mention the nearest Apple store is two and half hours away. Anyway, left without a fixed computer, because I didn’t have time to “babysit” the Apple tech.
When I got back home, called Apple Support. They wanted a credit card number to bill me $800.00 flat rate without even looking at the computer. Oh, they wanted prepayment because they don’t know if they actually get the computer, nor anyway of tracking the package. So I’m supposed hand over a $1300 computer, $880.00, repair and shipping, and they can’t even guarantee I’ll see it again with the attitude of “if it gets lost not our fault.”
Wonder how they stay in business with a Preventive Maintenance program that cost 66% of the original cost every year or so to replace a $10.00 defective piece of hardware.
Posted by Nathan Overtree at October 26th, 2008 at 6:19 pmI replaced my Santa Rosa MacBook Pro with a new 2.4 GHz MacBook. I wanted a lighter machine, but the Air isn’t powerful enough. The new MacBook is ideal. It weighs about a pound less than my old MacBook Pro, and with the 320G 7200 RPM drive I added, it’s faster and has a larger hard drive. I can live without FireWire in exchange for a smaller, lighter, faster machine with a higher capacity drive.
Posted by Mike Cohen at October 27th, 2008 at 10:17 amThe 17″ MPB line didn’t get much love. yet. It did get a batter HD and graphics card, but it’s inferior to the 15″. I hear Apple will update the 17″ MBP next year. I have a late 2006 17″ now.
10 bucks says Apple will offer the matte screen with the 17″ version.
Posted by Stephen Cox at November 10th, 2008 at 3:35 amI had bought the older model of the Macbook Pro in march but I had an ongoing system preference issue with it. After 8 months of going to the apple store, calling customer service and sending in the laptop to be serviced… twice, they finally agreed to send me a new laptop. I was happy thinking that I was getting an upgrade for all my trouble. I got the new macbook pro last week and I wish I had my old one back. This new one (as others had said) feels like a downgrade bcs of the black keys, shiny screen and a quirky track pad. All that aside, the most annoying thing about this model is that the edge of the computer, where you hand rests when you are using the trackpad, is uncomfortably sharp. I had no idea what I agreed to when they said they were sending me the new model. I tried to return it bcs I would never have bought this model if I had tested it. There is nothing they can do and told me to try buying a sleeve. Other forums have said to put tape on it or to file it down. I can’t believe that after spending the amount that I did, I have to consider those options.
Posted by Rachel Pak at December 4th, 2008 at 9:31 pmWhen Apple introduced the black MacBook nearly two years ago I glanced at the spec and never looked back. Having owned every single Powerbook iteration before that I was extremely depressed that Apple hadn’t refreshed the DESIGN of the powerbook. It really has only just been changed now…but possibly too late.
The MacBook Pro is almost a redundant machine in many ways due to the MacBook being such a competant and powerful smaller unit. There used to be significant chip and screen resolution differences between Apple’s consumer iBook and ‘pro’ Powerbook. Now these divisions have all but gone – I mean my MacBook now has a backlit keyboard, a fantastically fast Intel Core Duo 2.4GHz chip, 4GB Ram, LED screen and multitouch trackpad.
I use my MacBook for Ableton LIVE Djing, all Adobe CS software, video editing. Sure the lack of Firewire is annoying as I still shoot in HDV (Requires FW) but to be honest the MacBook has come of age, it’s much cheaper and lighter and easier to lug around all day than the Pro but more importantly is almost just as powerful.
Posted by Justin Berkovi at December 6th, 2008 at 3:19 pmThe Macbook has an LCD screen, backlit with LEDs.
Posted by David Hall at December 23rd, 2008 at 3:30 amLOL! “the inferior Vista or XP operating systems.” Wow, Mossberg, does Steve Jobs come over to your house to make you a warm mug of milk and tuck you in each night?
I guess every single enterprise-wide IT solution is inferior. Boy, won’t it just be the day when you and the half-dozen art school dropouts who actually agree with that sentiment finally convince all of the Fortune 500 companies (except of course for #103) that they’ve been wrong lo these many years.
Posted by Steve Spencer at January 7th, 2009 at 1:43 pm