Apple MacBook Pro 13″ Review
As you well know by now, I’m a fan of a variety of things: netbooks, SFF, iPhone, generally anything small and cool that’s a computer. However, being a site dedicated to all things small computing (see?), I sometimes find myself asking where the line is. To be more precise, at what size is a device no longer “small” and more “normal” in size? Is the 13″ MacBook Pro “normal” because it’s out of the typical netbook size? I don’t know and I don’t care, so here’s my review.
13 Inch MacBook Pro 1
If you’ll grant me a moment, allow me to go back to a simpler time when I owned a 12″ iBook and thought it was the greatest portable of its time, mainly because I couldn’t afford a 12″ PowerBook. Sure, you can go bigger and get a faster processor and better video card and all of that, but somewhere in the 12-13″ range is the sweet spot for a portable that can do most everything you need without being too heavy or too bulky to carry around.
The 13″ aluminum MacBook was almost what I was looking for, but the lack of FireWire 800, a crappy video card, and having to pay extra for the backlit keyboard just wasn’t what I wanted. So when Apple announced the 13″ MacBook Pro, I ordered one the moment it was available on Amazon.
It’s been a long, long road to find something to replace my iBook, but I think this may be it.
Design and features
13 Inch MacBook Pro Left Side
Apple knows cool. Simple words, but true. Ever since Apple started making laptops out of metal, damn near every manufacturer has tried to make a machine that’s just as sleek and cool. I could go on and on about how Apple pays attention to every stupid little detail (ever seen how they manufacture the body so that the battery indicator lights shine through? Or have you seen how clever their boxes are?), but one look at pictures, or even better, one look at their laptops in person really says more than words can do. However, it’s a review, so bear with me. I’ll keep this part short, I promise.
Brushed aluminum isn’t new where Apple machines are concerned, but it’s a damn sight better than plastic. It just plain feels sturdier and looks better. Every last detail on this machine, from the clever, slightly recessed power button to the hidden magnetic latch to the webcam that doesn’t scream “Look at me! I’m a camera!” to the smooth bottom to the sides and backs where nothing sticks out, it just screams quality. Close the MacBook Pro and you have a laptop less than an inch thick and weighs less than five pounds that looks like a flat piece of aluminum: there’s no odd pieces jutting out here and there, no extended battery, no stupid vents on the bottom or raised areas where other parts have been crammed into it, just a sleek piece of aluminum with an apple on it.
If you like sleek and minimalism, this is your machine. If you like a computer that looks cool, this is your machine. If you like reasonably thin and light, this is your machine.
13 Inch MacBook Pro Right Side
A lot has been said about the “unibody” construction and manufacturing and how it cuts down on excess weight and materials and that Apple has found a way to cram all sorts of things into a little space while managing to make it look like a sleek device. Well, if you read the previous part of the review, you know they managed to make it all sleek, that’s for sure. But if you want to get more information on the construction process, I am in no way an expert on the process and would suggest you check Apple’s site for a video on the process.
Aside from the groovy construction, Apple has also managed to go green with the manufacturing process (or at least more green than before) so they’ve switched to a lot friendlier components and more recyclable materials. But this isn’t why you’re reading this review.
However, one pertinent piece of information as it relates to the unibody construction is that the battery is not user replaceable. This isn’t new to those of you who’ve been following Apple’s notebooks, but if you haven’t been, it has to do with how Apple has designed their batteries.
In a nutshell, they make their own battery in non-standard shapes that allows them to maximize the space inside the laptop without having to make the usual brick you see other manufacturers use. Because they build the battery to fit the case specifically, it’s not wrapped up in a bunch of plastic that you can just yank out of the computer, so instead you have to send it to Apple or take your machine to an Apple store whenever you need a new battery. How’s performance? We’ll get to that later.
13 Inch MacBook Pro Rear
So while this is an amazing piece of manufacturing, it’s also a little limited when it comes to connections. Where some netbooks have two SD card slots, three-four USB ports and a host of other connections, you’re stuck in Apple world with far, far fewer connections.
Starting on the left side at the back of the MacBook Pro you have the Magsafe connector (for those who have never seen or used one, they’ll save your laptop a fall when your cat/dog/child runs across the room and trips over your power cord while the laptop is charging), FireWire 800 port (finally!), Mini Display Port (boo!), two USB 2.0 ports, SD slot, and lastly, a headphones (and microphone) slot; a slightly recessed button lights the battery indicator dots when pressed.
More about the headphones port: if you have an iPhone, for instance, you can plug your headphones in from your phone and they’ll work with the notebook just like they do with the phone: headphones and microphone both work off the single port. This should work similarly with any other headset designed the same way, but I only have the actual Apple headphones to test with.
Coming across the laptop, there’s a tiny hole above the escape key that is for the built-in microphone, while hidden in the middle at the top of the LCD bezel is the webcam, and then back down, above and to the right of the eject key on the keyboard is the power button.
The right side of the MacBook Pro is sparse. There’s a slot-loading DVD drive and a Kensington lock slot. That’s the right side in its entirety.
Surrounded by a black bezel and covered with glass, the display is a 13″ LED backlit glossy display that’s simply gorgeous. With a wide color gamut, everything is vibrant, sharp, and clear. While the glossy part may make it difficult to use in sunlight, it’s not because the display itself doesn’t get bright. So far as I can tell, this display does not exhibit any of the problems that the original 13″ MacBook had (massive color issues).
Lastly, at just a bit less than 13″ wide and almost 9″ deep, the damn thing isn’t even an inch thick and weighs 4.5 pounds. Upgrading to a larger hard drive might change the weight a bit, but a netbook (or MacBook Air or similar ultra-portable) aside, this about as portable as it gets. It’s easy to shove it in a sleeve and carry it around or throw it in a bag and hardly notice it.
Keyboard and trackpad
Part of the reason I loved my iBook was because it had a magnificent keyboard. I typed hundreds of thousands of words on that laptop and it never failed me and never failed to be a great device to use. It also had a “normal” keyboard that has since been abandoned by Apple.
The chiclet style keyboard is definitely catching on in the industry now as seen on machines from a variety of manufacturers (Sony and Asus come to mind), but it’s Apple who sticks to using it on everything, and uses it well.
It isn’t the shape of the keys so much as the travel of the keys and the feedback that makes it a good keyboard. Keyboards are always a subjective device, and even though I admit it does take a little while to get used to an Apple style keyboard, I find them far superior to the standard type, and also faster to type on because the travel is short and responsive. Quiet, easy to use, and of course, backlit, makes the keyboard on the MacBook Pro a definite winner. (Did I mention the backlighting is dynamic according to lighting? No? Well, it is, and it works well.)
13 Inch MacBook Pro Closeup
So while the keyboard is a winner, what about the trackpad? It’s not your a trackpad you see on laptops because there’s no button. Much ballyhoo was made of this when Apple first announced they were getting rid of the single bar button. Yes, the company that insisted on having a single button on their computers actually got rid of the one button they had (see the Magic Mouse for more on this).
You know what? After five minutes, you don’t even notice there’s no button because if you use the trackpad just like any other, it works exactly as you’d expect it to. The entire pad can be pressed down to act as the button. Need to right click? Put two fingers on the trackpad and then press it to click.
The only thing that doesn’t work well with this trackpad is when you want to drag. I’ve still not found a good way to keep the “button” depressed while trying to drag a file except to keep my thumb pressed on where the button would normally be while I scoot the file/folder/whatever with my fore finger, pausing to lift the finger and place it higher on the pad and resume scooting. It’s a little awkward, but it’s the only complaint I have about the pad.
There are also a variety of gestures one can use on the pad, such as forward, backward, open Expose, switch tasks, and so on and so forth. They’re all kindly detailed (complete with demonstration videos) if you open the System Preferences and the trackpad preferences pane.
It should also be mentioned that the trackpad has a “glass” surface that resists the usual build up of oil and gunk that normal trackpads get clogged with. Unfortunately, the keyboard does not.
Performance and battery
Seeing as this is the base model, the 13″ MacBook Pro being reviewed has a 2.26 ghz Core 2 Duo processor. It’s not the fastest processor available, and in fact you can spend a couple hundred bucks more and get up to a 2.53 ghz CPU, but 2.26 is just fine because this isn’t meant to be a video editing powerhouse.
The laptop also comes with 2gb of 1067 mhz DDR3 RAM by default, but this one has been upgraded to 4gb (always my first Apple upgrade and it should be yours, too). While the MacBook Pro does support 8gb, it’s a little cost prohibitive right now. (For the curious: upgrading ram consists of removing about 11 or 12 screws, removing the bottom cover, and then popping out the old and installing the new. It’s rather quick and painless, even for those who aren’t usually comfortable performing such operations.)
Storage isn’t exactly overwhelming with a 160gb 5400 RPM drive coming standard, but build-to-order options do exist for a larger traditional drive, or even an SSD, but of course prices go up.
Networking is a go thanks to the Apple Airport card, an 802.11n solution. Speeds and range are what you’d expect from an n card and it works just fine (I have far, far fewer issues with Airport losing my router compared to me early 2008 MacBook Pro).
The days of crappy integrated graphics are gone as an nVidia 9400M graphics card provides enough oomph to handle basic gaming and 3d tasks. Don’t get any ideas though: the 9400M is still an integrated graphics solution, only it’s a really, really good one. Though I’ve not personally tried it, I’ve seen video of one of these suckers playing Left 4 Dead at a playable frame rate and resolution, but it’s truly not a gaming video solution.
So with those components in mind, how is the actual performance?
If you’re looking for numbers and benchmarks prepare to be disappointed. I don’t work in numbers, rather I work in real-world impressions.
MacBook Pro and Samsung N120
For your average day-to-day tasks, the MacBook Pro works exactly as you’d think: flawlessly. Web browsing, video playback, Flash, word processing, email, etc. are all snappy and responsive. Since we’re not dealing with a netbook here, you can have multiple applications open at the same time and everything is still fast and responsive.
Moving up to gaming, if you keep in mind that the 9400M is the limiting factor, you can still play some games. So long as you avoid first person shooters (new/current ones, at least), it’s a capable gaming machine. Plants vs Zombies runs just fine as does Civilization 4 (my current obsession). Diablo 2, which had long had issues under OS X, runs better than it does in Windows on my 15″ MBP since OpenGL is actually usable (yes, I realize it’s an old game, but it’s still popular). There’s even enough power to run Parallels and run some older Windows-based games without problem.
I admit I haven’t tried to edit video, but I think it would be possible, but the hard drive would be a limiting factor. Similarly, 3d graphics, just like gaming, would be somewhat compromised due to the video card, but also the hard drive as a lot of drive scanning is often involved in the process.
On the whole, the laptop is simple and easy to use. I generally use it for writing or casual gaming and it has yet to let me down. Transferring files on a non-n exclusive wireless network is fast as is general wireless activity (3 MB/sec on a b/g/n saturated network). Going outside of the local network, a quick test during prime-time hours indicates the Airport card is able to get the 10mb my ISP advertises without stuttering.
So while just about every aspect of performance is good and basically what Apple promises, I find their claim of seven hours of battery life to be somewhat hopeful.
While you obviously can’t expect to get seven hours of gaming time in (Civ 4 brutalizes the battery and cuts it down to somewhere around 2-2.5 hours), they do claim seven hours of “wireless productivity” time. I’d say that five hours is much more realistic, though your experiences may differ.
If you keep the automatically adjusted backlight on, as well as the keyboard backlighting, and then add additional RAM, you can’t expect to get seven hours of life. However, I’m willing to bet that if I adjusted a few of these settings myself, battery life may just hit their claim of seven hours, but I do find those two automated options useful.
As a final note, because Apple manufactures their own batteries in a very non-standard method, they claim you can get 1000 charge cycles on your battery, which I’d wager is about 3-4x any normal one. It’s far too early for me to make any statement on this claim, but it’s something I’ll be watching in the future. Considering I kept my iBook for four years, I may go through enough cycles to evaluate the claim.
Conclusion
I like to think that when someone reads my review it’s pretty obvious what the conclusion is on a product. In this case, it should be fairly obvious that I, quite simply, really enjoy my 13″ MacBook Pro.
Apple’s attention to detail, excellent manufacturing process, and of course, amazing OS is one hell of a combination. I’ve been looking for over a year now for something that was merely as good as a five year old iBook, and this, finally, is it (it’s actually better — a hell of a lot better!).
—–
The Good: design, construction, form factor, keyboard, trackpad
The Bad: price
The Indifferent: battery (good performance, but not user replaceable)
Disclaimer: this review was supposed to be posted a good few months ago, but due to various factors has just now only made it online. It has been edited, somewhat, to reflect the additional time that has occurred, but it has not been updated to reflect Snow Leopard changes. However, considering my personal use for the 13″ MacBook Pro is primarily as a writing tool and secondarily for web browsing and gaming, the OS changes are minor. The focus of this review is on the hardware and user experience, and the user experience in Snow Leopard is essentially the same as it was in Leopard.
[..] A little unrelated, but I totally liked this webpage post [..]
it’s good to see this data in your publish, i was wanting the same but there was not any proper resource, thanx now i have the link which i was looking for my research.