A Look At The Brand New MacBook Pro Winter 2011 Notebooks by Rich Richardson
Apple launched the MacBook Pro as being the successor for the PowerBook G4 way back in early 2006. These top quality notebook computers have been constantly improved since their launch. Apple has raised the bar once again with the release of the MacBook Pro Winter 2011 upgrade, in a number of key benchmarks.
Advantages
The newest MacBooks boast the incredibly fast, second generation Intel Core i processors, created under the code name Sandy Bridge. The 13-inch model was given a serious processor upgrade going from the old Core 2 Duo processor to a very quick Intel Core i5 2620M. The real breakthrough however, will be the quad core processor which will drive the 15-inch and 17-inch models, preferred among Final Cut Pro users. Even though 4 GB is the minimum memory shipped, you can receive up to 16 GB for a further cost. For anyone who is into gaming or other graphic intense applications, the AMD Radeon HD 6490M can fully provide what you need. For the most demanding people, the Radeon HD 6750M can be put in as an alternative. With the Intel HD Graphics 3000 your battery will still supply longevity between charges. Simply by upgrading the newest models Apple is again leading the laptop field in all the performance benchmarks worth measuring.
One other important change lies in the Mini DisplayPort that is generally used for hooking up an Apple LED Cinema Display or any other supported models. With the Apple MacBook Pro Winter 2011 notebook, a technology by Intel known as Thunderbolt has been implemented which makes the port far more flexible. Thunderbolt will be as much as 12 times faster than the previous Firewire 800, which will make file transfers a lot more efficient. A single Thunderbolt channel supports a number of devices should they be connected in a chain.
The brand new MacBook Pros also come with a new model of built in webcam, the FaceTime HD camera. This enables video phone calls to be received with those supported devices in decent 720p quality.
Disadvantages
Just one major component which has not been improved however, is the battery, meaning it’s going to now last a shorter period of time between charges. You shouldn’t be too concerned though, as it still lasts a respectable seven hours with wireless turned on. Yet another disadvantage for 13-inch purchasers, may be the slight drop in graphics performance as a result of the lack of an AMD or NVDIA counterpart to the Intel integrated graphics. Only avid gamers need to be concerned though, since the Intel HD 3000 graphics is an excellent improvement over its predecessors.
Conclusion
The standards for the high-end laptop computer category have been considerably improved with the unveiling of the MacBook Pro Winter 2011 models. Fresh MacBook Pro purchasers can be assured that they’ll be able to run the most demanding software programs for the near future.
About the Author
Rich Richardson is from the future – or the past – depending on where you are in the timeline. The important thing is that he knows the products you need to navigate the timeline carefully! Ciao!