Specifications and Performance

The 2011 Macbook Pro’s feature a whole host of performance improvements, not least of which is the inclusion of the latest Intel Core i5 processors.  The base model, priced at £999 comes with the following as standard:

  • Intel “Sandy Bridge” Core i5 processor – 2.3GHz quad core
  • 4GB DDR3 RAM
  • 320GB hard disk
  • Integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics
  • Built in Wireless N and Bluetooth connectivity
  • Gigabit Ethernet
  • Built in 7 hour battery

The Intel graphics are built into the new processor die, and use 384MB of the system memory.  The disadvantage of this is that it’s less powerful than the Nvidia 320m graphics card that was in the previous generation of Macbook Pro.

This is strange, why would Apple include a less powerful graphics card in a newer machine?  One answer could be that gaming is still not that prolific on Macs.  Steam has gone a long way to opening up the door, but most game producers still don’t take the Mac seriously as a gaming platform.  That being the case, why should Apple include a graphics card which would bump up the price and reduce the battery life of their notebooks?

That being said, the included Intel graphics card is capable of playing back some popular titles such as Portal 2 and Duke Nukem Forever on low/medium settings.  It’s not mind blowing, but it’s enough to occupy you should you want to play around on your Mac.

When it comes to processor hungry applications like iMovie, the Macbook Pro quite literally flies.  It outperforms my 2 year old iMac (which it’s replacing) when encoding HD movies, and it generally feels quicker than my old iMac or the previous generation Macbook.

 

Conclusions

The new Macbook Pro’s are a fantastic addition to Apple’s Mac lineup.  The whole package (the Macbook, OS X Lion and iLife 11) are well worth the £999 price tag.

This particular Macbook is replacing my 24″ iMac and a nearly new Windows 7 Netbook.  I honestly believe that it’s good enough and flexible enough to replace both machines and do their respective jobs well.

It’s powerful enough to be my main video and photo editing machine, has enough disk space available to hold my iTunes library and all of my photos, and is portable enough to be my day to day web browsing machine.

The “upgrade” to a less powerful graphics system is a bit of a let down, but given that most users won’t be looking at the Macbook Pro to be a serious gaming machine, it’s not too much of an issue.

Other than this the 13″ Macbook Pro is a worthwhile investment, if a little (as always with Apple) overpriced.