Apple MacBook Pro 17 in. (APPMA092LLA) Notebook

INTRO

Recently I owned an iBook and started composing music on it with GarageBand. In order to upgrade myself to Logic and more complex compositions I had to decide about a more powerful machine for my home recording studio.

Being a composer of electronic music it was essential to have a fast and powerful computer which is suitable for using on stage as well as in my home recording studio. Therefore the new MacBook with the Intel Core Duo Processor ended up being my number one choice.

WHY THIS MACHINE

The one with the big screen I decided to have (17" TFT non-glossy - a glossy display is optional at no extra charge) is certainly helpful at home, even though the notebook is almost to big for carrying around. But after being set up on stage I am glad about having this big screen around anyway, as it allows me to open many programs at the same time and still being able to switch between them without hiding everything somewhere in the background and eventually getting lost very fast (my iBook had the 12" screen - which left me with massive chaos very often).

WHAT IS UNDER THE HOOD

Besides the big screen my notebook is equipped as follows:

2.16GHz Intel Core Duo
1GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM- 1x1GB
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600, 256 GDDR3
120GB Serial ATA Drive@5400rpm
Wide-screen display
DVD SuperDrive 8x (DVD+R DL/DVD?RW/CD-RW)

Otherwise it has the following standard features:

667MHz frontside bus and main memory
PCI Express architecture
ExpressCard/34 slot
Dual-link DVI (a VGA adapter is included)
FireWire400, FireWire800 port (one each)
USB 2.0 port (three)
Optical digital and analog audio I/O
Built-in microphone, video camera and stereo speakers
Illuminated keyboard
Scrolling TrackPad
Built-in AirPort Extreme
Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
Gigabit Ethernet
Mac OS X Tiger with iLife06
MagSafe Power Adapter

THE "SOFT" FACTS

In terms of Software I am heavily depending on Logic, even though I still like to work with GarageBand and the rest of iLife which Apple delivers free with every machine (not just Notebooks). This way you have basic programs for editing photos, movies, DVDs and your e-mails. The normal user will be pleased with this offer - if you are a professional you might upgrade to software like Photoshop, FinalCut or Logic.

So far I am pleased with the performance of this Notebook. Considering the price of it and the fact that I could run Windows XP in addition to Apple's Mac OS X it is a good bargain compared to other machines on the market right now. This advantage is already almost over with other manufacturers putting the Intel Core Duo Processor into their PC's, too.

WHAT ELSE

Another feature I do like is the way to connect the Notebook to a power source. The so called MagSafe Power Adaptor plugs to the Notebook magnetically. A nice idea in terms of safety as this way the power cord will not pull the complete Notebook away in case somebody gets stuck in the cord. Important for work on stages or big, messy office spaces (sort of standard in the creative business).

Talking about the stage reminds me of the illuminated keyboard. As most of the time I am there in the dark, the ambient light helps very much.

With 6.8 pounds it is not one of the least heaviest on the planet. But the height of it makes up for that (1.0"). Otherwise it is 15.4" wide and 10.4" deep.

Even though connecting it to the web via Ethernet is a working thing, it works fine with most of the other wireless routers, too (using it on a road trip from Chicago to L.A. and staying at different hotels I never had trouble connecting wireless so far). Otherwise the included AirPort technology is easy to handle. At home I am using the optional (i.e. not free) AirPort Express station. It makes getting wireless a plug-and-play thing and allows to connect a printer to the AirPort Express station, too. Therefore I am even able to print wireless.