Stuff reviews MacBook Pro

Stuff Magazine has reviewed Apple's new 15-inch MacBook Pro, touching on the Intel-based notebook's highs and lows. The bright LCD allows working in direct sunlight with no problem, though viewing the screen from varying angles reduces the brightness. "In standard use, the MacBook performed snappily - no spinning 'beachballs of death' to report, and the Safari web browser launched instantaneously. iTunes flies through CD rips at around 15x-20x playback speed (in high performance mode) and you can seamlessly scroll through thousands of snaps in iPhoto without the slightest glitch," the reviewer wrote. Once again, the fact that not all Mac software has been released as Universal Binaries to run natively on the new Intel-based systems has drawn some attention. Battery life during during lots of disc spinning and software installation is reported to be just over two-and-a-half hours, while a full recharge during use took roughly 90 minutes. Stuff's conclusion: "for now, all I know is that Apple's going to have to send the heavies around if it expects to get this particular MacBook back."

The review concludes: "So, should you buy one? Well, if you rely on processor-intensive third-party software - for animation, music or movie editing - then it's definitely worth checking when that software will be optimised for the Intel processor, and how much it will cost you.

"If, on the other hand, you're after a drop-dead gorgeous laptop that runs consumer applications brilliantly, that excels in entertainment and productivity software, and that's truly future-proofed, then it's worth joining the queue."

by MacNN Staff