Apple Macbook Pro 15in

Being one of the buyers of a first revision Apple product has always been considered risky, but I was not to be put off. I waited patiently for my preordered Macbook Pro to arrive. I had orginally ordered a 1.66ghz version, which was upgraded for free by Apple! However I decided in the end to go for the 2.0ghz version as it came with a larger hard disc drive and a better graphics card.

The day the Macbook Pro arrived was a great day opening apple products is always exciting but this was extra special as I was one of the first people in the UK to get this product and I had been waiting for my Macbook Pro for sometime! Apple have always been commended for their superb packaging but this was one of their best. Every accessory has its special place in the box and the Macbook Pro is well protected. As I usually do I took pictures of it being unpacked.

Using the Macbook Pro for the first time I was impressed by the difference in speed to my old 12in Powerbook. Its much quicker when booting up that the older g4. Even programs running under Rossetta such as office load quickly without any slow down. The new features (to me anyway) of the isight and backlit keyboard are really the icing on the cake of one of the best laptops around!

Performance

MacBook Pro is built upon the revolutionary Intel Core Duo which packs the power of two processors (up to 2.16GHz) inside a single chip. It provides 2MB of Smart Cache, L2 cache that can be shared between both cores as needed. It delivers higher performance in 2D and 3D graphics, video editing and music encoding. And the new engine is only part of the story. MacBook Pro has a frontside bus and memory that, at 667MHz, runs faster than any previous Mac notebook. It's the first Mac notebook with PCI Express, a Serial ATA hard drive and the ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 for superfast graphics performance.

Promote your ideas on displays brighter than any PowerBook G4. An aggressive ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics processor coupled with up to 256MB GDDR3 SDRAM power the mobile visual studio you've been waiting for. Retouch colour, edit on location, video conference with colleagues: do it all, anywhere.

Innovative right down to the power cord

The new power adaptor with MagSafe connector is just that: a magnetic connection instead of a physical one. So, tripping over a power cord won't send MacBook Pro flying off a table or desk; the cord simply breaks cleanly away, without damage to either the plug or the system. As an added nicety, this means less wear on the connectors.

Illuminated Keyboard

Where else can you find a backlit keyboard? MacBook Pro has a built-in ambient light sensor that adjusts the keyboard and display brightness for optimal visibility.

This feature is great for late night working, you can work away without disturbing anyone by turning on the lights. You can manually adjust the brightness or let the light sensor do its thing.

iSight Camera

Artfully placed in the MacBook Pro display bezel is an iSight camera. This small camera lets you use iChat AV, iMovie HD and Photo Booth to make big statements anywhere. So shout it from the rooftops. On location. Backstage. Back home. Show your point of view. Share it with the world.

Taking pictures of yourself on the road has never been more fun. Add a special image effect Sepia, Black & White, Glow, Comic Book, X-Ray, Coloured Pencil, Thermal Camera, Spotlight, Bulge, Dent, Twirl, Squeeze, Mirror, Light Tunnel, Stretch, Fish Eye. Click. See the screen flash white (which puts you in the best light). And there you have it a high-quality photo you can save as your iChat buddy picture, email to your friends, put in your iPhoto library, or post to your iWeb photo blog.

Crumpler Cheesy Disco

For the new Macbook Pro I needed a new laptop bag to fit it in, I quickly discovered that the Macbook Pro is slightly wider that the older 15in powerbook model. This meant I would have to be very careful in selecting a new bag. After my experience with my previous Crumpler bag it was a no brainer to go get another one. Looking at the range of bags I went for the Crumpler Cheesy Disco in black, as it will fit the Macbook Pro and has an inner protector for the laptop so I wouldnt have to get a seperate one. The bag has been a great purchase, the bag is a tight fit but thats no bad thing as there is no chance of my laptop sliding around. The extra space is great for storing all my bits and bobs.