Jul 11
3
In 2006 Apple replaced the Powerbook G4 (still offered as a Used Macbook on auction sites) with the MacBook Pro. Since then it has evolved rapidly to meet the demands of professionals who need a powerful portable computer. Apple has raised the bar again with the MacBook Pro Winter 2011 upgrade, in several key benchmarks.
What’s Good About Them
The Apple MacBook Pro Winter 2011 notebook joins the Sandy Bridge bandwagon as all of its models have Intel second generation Core i5 and Core i7 processors. The 13-inch model obtained a substantial processor upgrade going from the old Core 2 Duo processor to a quite fast Intel Core i5 2620M. The real breakthrough however, will be the quad core processor which drives the 15-inch and 17-inch models, loved by Final Cut Pro users. Even though 4 GB will be the minimum memory shipped, you can aquire up to 16 GB for a further cost. Advancements have been made in the graphics end to boot with the two larger styles sporting a fast AMD Radeon HD 6490M for respectable gaming. For the most demanding consumers, the Radeon HD 6750M may be put in as an alternative. Do not worry about missing out on life of the battery, as the Intel HD Graphics 3000 works very efficiently. By upgrading the new models Apple is again leading the laptop field in all the performance benchmarks worth measuring.
Another new technology has been introduced in the new large monitor hook-up or Display Port. Intel’s new Thunderbolt technology provides much more flexibility in how the port functions. With speeds up to 12 times faster than the old FireWare 800 interface, high capacity hard drives will finally get the performance boosts that they need for professionals to transfer large amounts of data. Thunderbolt has the added advantage of supporting multiple devices in a daisy chain while maintaining optimal performance.
The old iSight webcam has been replaced by the FaceTime HD camera, like those found in the iPhone 4 and iPad 2. Apple has set 720p as the new standard resolution for video calls with the FaceTime HD camera.
Disadvantages
All these new performance enhancements will still be powered by the same model of battery as the previous ones, meaning more frequent charges. Still, with up to 7 hours of energy while the wireless is switched on, it really is difficult for competing multimedia laptop computers to obtain that battery life. The brand new 13-inch model MacBook Pro utilizes the integrated graphics of the Intel processor, which in turn results in a minor decline in speed. 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 launch of the MacBook Pro Winter 2011 models. These brand new 2011 products are definitely ready for next generation applications in addition to next generation hardware when the new Thunderbolt interface takes off.
