Apple MacBook Pro Winter 2011 – Welcome new upgrades
Apple recently revamped their Pro line up of laptops and I got the 13 inch version in my labs for review. This is a great new laptop since it has improved specs for the same price. The new 13 inch model is as powerful as last year’s 15 inch model. One disappointment here is that Apple dropped the Nvidia 320M GPU and these laptops now have Intel graphics. But you get better battery life now.
The 13 inch model costs $1,499 and the 15 inch one costs $1,799 and if you are wondering whether to spend the extra $300 on the bigger version, I would say that it is totally worth it. But the bigger model is not recommended for frequent travelers.
In terms of design, there is not much difference about the Apple MacBook Pro Winter 2011. In fact, it is really hard to tell if the new version is indeed the ‘new’ Mac. It has the same unibody construction and iconic design. The port layout too is the same. They are located on the left side and on the right, there is the slot loading optical drive. This laptop is like a big aluminum chunk in the hand but in the hand, it feels really good. They same great keyboard has been retained and I was delighted to see such plain looks in these days where other laptop makers are over-designing their products. The multitouch pad is the largest I have ever seen in a laptop. The quality of construction is good – it is rock solid as always.
That said, I would still like to see some improvements in terms of design especially in terms of weight and thickness. The 13 inch MacBook Pro is really thin and compact but it is still heavier as compared to other Apple products like MacBook Air or the iPad. But if the thickness really bothers you, get the Air.
The new Apple MacBook Pro Winter 2011 still comes with a backlit keyboard even on the entry level model. This will come handy while typing in dim light conditions. There are ambient light sensors which automatically control the brightness of the keyboard according to the light in the environment. The ergonomics are pretty good and the palm rest zones too are deepest and largest ones that I have ever seen on 13 inch laptops.
The 13.3 inch screen of the Apple MacBook Pro Winter 2011 still has the edge to edge glass frame and the manufacturer still hasn’t given an option for matte screen but there is antiglare available on the 15 inch version.
