Apple MacBook Pro MC024LL/A 17-Inch Laptop

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6 Reviews

1. I spend almost $ 2500 in my mac book pro (17″). I also bought a time capsule.

   Now I’ve been using it for 13 months already. Before that I used to have a PC.

   Today I think some issues are good and some are not. Among the good things I can say it is light and it works fine in the way it is intended to. The mac OSX has some nice advantages over the windows, such as the time machine, the integrated address book, the light mail program, and the huge variety of custom-made softwares available for download at apple’s website. Also, spotlight allows you to quickly find your files and emails.

   Among the bad things I can say it often gets really hot. My hands gets burned when I work for to long on the computer. This computer should not be built with an aluminum body! This large piece of metal diffuses the heat directly to your hands. Also, the monitor doesn’t flip much. Sometimes you wish it could turn all the way down.
   Additionally, I found the Max OSX has some drawbacks. For instance, microsoft excel is far better than numbers (but pages is better than word); itunes is very complicated; safari is not supported by many websites; and the majority of world class softwares were designed for windows. I don’t mean the small programs designed for mac, but important softwares such as archicad, autocad, accounting programs, statistics programs (such as minitab), and so on. Of course, you can always use a virtual machine, but believe me. It is not worth. It’s complicated and has thousands of problems associated with it.

   Eleven months after I bought my brand new mac, the monitor presented some serious problems, and I had to replace it. I costed another $800.

   Today I also use a windows computer in my office. Now I think both systems has some advantages. While apple has a nice graphic appeal, windows is catching up really fast with windows 7. My next computer will probably be based on windows because it is much easier to share documents with the people you work with (don’t tell me you can export documents for windows because there are many formatting problems in this exchange).

   Additionally, if you buy this mac thinking about working with graphics, forget about it. It gets so hot when processing heavy images, you think it’s going to melt. This happens, for example, when you import images from you camera into lightroom, or when you try to run a game such as warcraft. Don’t use this mac for editing videos in premier neither.

   Today I wouldn’t recommend buying a mac book pro. I would recommend a mac book or a mac pro if you want to buy a mac. if not, i would recommend a pc for sure. it’s far cheaper and windows 7 is really nice.

   I hope these comments may be of any help for any of you

2. This is my 2nd Macbook Pro. I average a 4 year replacement cycle since features I need determine my upgrades rather than what ever latest changes may bring. I had a Powerbook g4 1gig, then the MBP C2d, and now the MBP Core i5. I should have opted for the i7, but didn’t want to push it when work was picking up the tab this time. This machine can do it all. I run bootcamp, and parallels for instructing in the use of PC and the occasional PC game that needs all the processing power/Ram it can muster.
   I teach and extensively use digital photography and videography. The machine is the brain of a floor full of f800′s LaCie externals connected via daisy chain. When I need flat out performance using external I use the express card 34 slot for eSATA (Now Bootable via express card port) lightening fast transfers and editing. The better performance comes with the upgraded internal 7200RPM 500GB, and the 8Gigs of RAM. The full HD display is very nice with the super bright LED backlight. You can push performance with an SMC fan control download to allow you to run full fan speed before it gets to the point that it needs cooling to preserve performance.
   The new trackpad gesture controls make for faster post work. The cool black keys harken back to my Powerbook days. The super fast graphics are amazing. The battery life is unbelievable when you are not tethered to drives and don’t need to be wired down, it is really nice to go all day without needing to be plugged to power.
   There isn’t much more that I can say that hasn’t already been covered by Conrad, Samer, and others. Keep it protected as there is no idiot insurance with Apple Care Protection Plan. I have been very pleased with the Pelican 1495 Air Tight/ Water Proof case at only $130.00.
   The drawbacks from the previous model as mentioned in other comments are the sharper edges of the unibody that while it looks cool, it is painful if you don’t put a cloth over it. I have lines in my arms from resting on the edges. The current lack of fully updated 64bit and quad core coded apps to take advantage of the new configuration will come in time. I love my Mac! Still not putting a sticker on my car though:-)

3. I feel a little humble writing this review. I am not an IT expert, nor do I have any expert knowledge about technology is general. In fact, I don’t even own a cell phone. Our family’s main television is analog, I don’t know how to text, and I am that person who goes to teenagers for technological advice. Not to say that I’m backwards or unaware of current high-tech trends. I just don’t feel like my life needs to be enhanced by fancy gadgets. Well, that is until I entered the World According to Apple!

   Just yesterday, I purchased my first MacBook Pro and am wondering what took me so long. About two months ago I attempted to replace my (perfectly serviceable) 2006 Dell laptop with a netbook. I reasoned that 1 GB of memory would be adequate for my needs; I have never been more wrong in my life. That ill-conceived purchase helped me decided that it was time for me to move to the forefront of computing and buy more computer than I would ever need. Right now, I feel like a little kid seeing snow for the first time or experiencing my first roller coaster ride. I have never used something so intuitive before.

   PROS:
   Some have posted that this computer is a “behemoth” or “unwieldy”. I find it to be about the same size as the laptop I’m replacing (the aforementioned Dell).

   With my Dell and netbook I used a USB mouse. With this computer, for the first time, I actually like track pads. It didn’t take me long to realize that using this trackpad is easier than a mouse. The entire pad is a button or you can set it to read a “tap” (which I like better).

   The keyboard on this computer is very comfortable. However, as an earlier poster said, the sharp edges that form the front perimeter of the case do cause some annoyance. I’ll assume that future editions of MacBook Pro will probably feature softer corners. Please don’t take this to be a deal-breaker – it is not terribly uncomfortable, just a surprise from an otherwise sleek machine.

   This is the first time that I haven’t had to worry about anti-virus software. It feels like a shackle has been removed! Also, my least favorite part of Windows was the unbelievable amount of resources devoted to security. I found it to be clunky and annoying and, in some cases, a hinderance to software performance.

   I really can’t tell you how nice it is to open a new laptop that isn’t covered with advertising stickers. It’s even better to boot the computer up for the first time without having to wade through endless ads. This is the first computer I’ve owned that my first step wasn’t finding Control Panel to immediately remove unwanted software trials.

   CONS:
   I was baffled to discover that this computer does not have a slot to read my digital camera card. It was not a huge deal as I simply used the USB cord that was supplied with my camera. But really? Doesn’t everyone have a digital camera with a memory card?

   The display cannot be maximized to fill the whole screen. With Windows, I always chose to auto hide the tool bar at the bottom of the screen.

   All in all, the pros far outweigh the cons. I will never go back to Windows. My MacBook has an i5 processor which will be more than I ever need.

4. Not for nothing though, I have good reason to break the streak. You see, if you’re even reading this review, you most likely fall into one of three categories: One, a developer. Two, a movie watcher. Or three, a gamer. Most normal computer purchasers aren’t streaking towards the 17″ MacBook Pro, the so called “Big Mac” of the line. That’s not because it’s any less of a machine than it’s younger brothers; but rather, it’s difficult to cost justify unless you are one of the aforementioned roles. To date, I have reviewed the 13″ and the 15″ (soon to do the Air). I now put pen…err…keyboard, to words and provide to you my honest impressions of this beast. But before that a little background. I am an MCTS, MCSA, work in the IT field. I use and support PCs daily, and last year I rejoined the world of Mac after a long hiatus. I now find myself unable to function without a MacBook Pro which is both entertaining and scary at the same time. The problem is that Apple is incapable of releasing the perfect machine. Each one has some issue that I dislike and I have to work around it. No problem; that’s what IT is all about.

   You might ask, “why’d you get rid of the 15″? The same reason I bought it, ironically…the extra screen real estate. After working with the base configuration of the 15″ for the longest time, I found that I really wanted to go back to the largest screen size. I could have gone for the high resolution 15″, but even that wasn’t enough. Having come from the world of 1920×1200 on the Gateway P-7805u FX Edition, it was hard for me to go to the 13″ when I did, but the 13″ was a powerhouse. It never once slouched or failed me and I felt safe with trusting it with all of my work and personal effects. Then I went to the 15″ and had a similar, though faster, experience with it…and now I’m at the 17″. And as I have noted elsewhere, the 17″ truly is bittersweet. Let me start from the top though.

   I uploaded some pictures to compare the size of the 17″ to the 13″. It’s readily apparent that this is not a tiny laptop. That said, it’s still significantly lighter than comparable 17″ PCs by a wide margin. Depending on which direction you’re coming from, the Big Mac will either feel significantly heavy or light as a feather. If you’re a developer or a gamer, you probably already had a beast of a machine and will be shocked at how much lighter this one is, yet still not sacrificing power or versatility. In fact, I would go out on a limb by saying that unless you were using netbooks or the MacBook Air, the 17″ really won’t feel that much heavier to you. If the screen real estate is that important to you, you might consider going to an Apple Store and lifting one for yourself. But be sure to buy it from here. Amazon has a KILLER price on this thing.

   I did have a few nitpicks. First and foremost is Apple’s peculiar addition of the ExpressCard slot. For those that don’t know the primary purpose of this slot, it is basically a communications port. You can add cards that add all sorts of functionality to the machine: wireless data from your cell phone company, Ethernet ports, Firewire ports, etc. That’s all well and good…but time and technology have passed ExpressCard by, in my honest opinion. Wireless data can now be achieved using mobile hotspots (Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 3G Mobile WiFi Hotspot Modem (Verizon Wireless), for example). The MacBook Pro and every laptop ever released these days (Except the MacBook Air, of course) has a built-in Ethernet port; no needs there. And the MacBook Pro sports a FireWire 800 port, more than sufficient for all. There’s just not a need that I can see for this slot vs. the Secure Digital (SD) card slot as with those found on the 13″ and 15″ MacBook Pros. In fact, even the Apple Mac mini MC408LL/A Snow Leopard Server has an SD Card slot. It just doesn’t make sense, and in some cases it’s just frustrating. You can get an adapter for the ExpressCard slot that effectively turns it into an SD Card slot, but it’s the principle of the thing.

   Another minor issue is with the trackpad. IF you’ve used the 13″ MacBook Pro, you know that it has a very soft, muted “click” sound to it. For some reason, as the MacBook Pro screen sizes get larger, so does the “click” get louder. The 17″ is the worst of them all. I actually cringe every time I have to click the trackpad, because it’s so darn loud in a quiet room. I can’t stand tapping on the track pad because of misfires that happen when browsing or navigating, and prefer the click as full confirmation that I want to do something. Having to then deal with an overly loud and cheap-sounding trackpad just isn’t fun.

   Finally, and this is likely just me, the Apple logo on the lid is now lit according to the brightness setting of the screen. I really can’t tell you how annoying that is. With the 13″ and 15″ MBPs, I distinctly recall the logo being lit full steam regardless of brightness. Maybe I’m seeing things though. IN any case it bothers me and I really can’t tell you why.

   Some bullet points to consider (PC –> Mac Converts):

   - Lighter than all but the lightest PCs, netbooks, etc.

   - The specs in the machine are pretty strong, yet it maintains a solid battery life of up to 9 hours (real world, you’ll get around 7 or so with casual use, maybe 5 with some development work, a little less for VMs and so on).

   - The screen is sharp and vibrant, but not too difficult to read. Snow Leopard includes all sorts of zooming options so you’re not constantly straining to read the text on the screen.

   - Once you’ve used a MacBook trackpad you won’t want to go back to a standard one. It is a bit of a pain to have to map a right click function instead of keeping the two buttons for converts, but you’ll get used to it once you find a option for you. The inertial scrolling is a keeper though.

   - At first, the battery life is going to take some getting used to, especially if you’re used to laptops that have up to 3 hours of battery life in ideal situations.

   - Realizing that the MacBook Pro never needs to be shut down will also be a bit of a culture shock.

   Some bullet points to consider (smaller MacBooks to the 17″):

   - You should expect comparable, but not identical, battery life out of the 17″ from what you’re used to. The only exception is the 2010 13″, which has a staggering 10 hour max battery life. For that crowd, you’ll want to adjust to a smaller battery life, definitely.

   - You can change the resolution down to something else, but know that Snow Leopard will get fuzzy. Screen resolution optimization is not a Snow Leopard strong point.

   - The difference between the high resolution 15″ and the 17″ is a matter of opinion. For me, I couldn’t justify paying the price for the HR 15″ when it was a few bucks less than the 17″ which had a better resolution to it AND a stronger processor.

   - You can see from the pictures how much bigger the 17″ is than the 13″. For purposes of carrying, the 17″ feels about as heavy as a decent sized book. It’s probably not the most practical in a school classroom; for that I would lean towards the 13″ as it’s the most space friendly. But if you’re a developer, writer, gamer, or anyone else who needs to do a lot with a little, the 17″ will blow your mind.

   - Strictly my opinion…get AppleCare if you buy this laptop. Reason being: At its current price, it’s really hard to justify, but replacing it out of warranty will be even more of a pain if something goes wrong.

   - Add a Solid State Drive or a 7200 RPM drive at least. You’ll appreciate the added performance.

   So…is it recommended? If you’re one of the roles above AND can accept that there is a premium on this laptop, absolutely. It’s overpriced. I’m not going to lie to you. The components in the laptop don’t add up to the price Apple’s asking. But it’s still a solid machine and well worth a look if you want the top of the MacBook Pro line.

5. Just kidding! Truthfully, this is a great computer to have in any household. My last computer was a VIAO which as great as it was, it ended up killing itself after 8 months. So I told myself, well self… you do have this IPAD already. You might as well stick with Apple and see what is down the rabbit hole. Little did I know a whole, new world has opened up to me! What do I think about this computer? hm… lemme see. Well, the screen size is great. The color and resolution is wonderful and the whole applications folder is a total must have. Not to forget the the touchpad is large enough that it almost feels as if you were touching the screen yourself. Also, you are giving MORE programs to play with than windows and if your use to ITunes like myself then learning the system is almost if not easier than windows (no disrespect). And whatever problems I have with my computer “The Company” tries their best to fix them. Talk about you satisfied customer, I love Mr. Jobbs (no homo)! But that’s what i think so far about my new Macbook Pro! The only downfall for me so far is the price which i must say is a little expensive but it’s worth it. Maybe…

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