A review of the new Macbook Pro 2011

By Micky Monday, 7^th of March 2011

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A review of the new Macbook Pro 2011

Apple has released a more powerful Macbook Pro in early 2011. As such masses of dedicated Apple fans have stormed stores all over Australia to get their hands on the new Macbook Pros. But are they really getting their money's worth with Apple's new Macbook Pro 2011? This review will help you decide whether it's worth your time to nab one or to just wait this one out.
How about we start off with what the new Macbook Pro has to offer? Design-wise, there isn't really that much difference compared to the older generation. It still packs a seamless aluminium body and a glass monitor that spans to the edges of the screen, so not much improvement there. I was expecting a much thinner/portable and sleeker design. A bit of a letdown to see that the new Macbook Pro's body to be same ol' same ol', but nevertheless its quite elegant. It isn't fair to give a rating of 5/10 for not changing a design.
	Looking at the features, there has been some improvements. For one, there is a new processor and faster graphics, up to 2x and 3x respectively. This means running applications is more fluid and, if you're into gaming, a more seamless and vibrant experience. It also has a new inbuilt HD camera with a widescreen option, meaning that you can bring in more of your buddies into Facetime rather than have everyone jostling for space.
	And last but not least, the brand spanking new Thunderbolt input and output port. This is pretty much another USB 2.0 or HDMI port except the new Thunderbolt offers up to 20x faster data transfer than a USB 2.0 port. It is mainly used to connect up to other audio or video devices such as the Apple LED Cinema Display so no, you cannot connect a USB 2.0 as it is not compatible.
	Other than that, theres not much change in the Multitouch Trackpad for the Macbook Pro 2011, though there IS an improvement in battery life (up to 7 hours) despite having a more powerful processor and graphics card which is a definite bonus in this day and age for your average Joe, where portability is more important than having a fancier video card or a stronger processor.
In terms of software and performance, the Macbook Pro uses Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard so you still get all the software you love such as iGarage and Time Machine. Photo booth, iMovie and Expose is present as well. The more energy efficient graphics, Turbo Boost 2.0 and Hyper Threading are also new software improvements but they are a bit too technical to go into. All you need to know is that you are now able to run more processes faster, for longer periods of time.
So all this brings me back to the question, is it worth your $$? Is this 'bang for your buck'? Should I get one of these new models or the older generation? What you should be asking is, do I NEED the extra power/faster graphics card and battery life? Is my current laptop good enough, or is there are cheaper and better option available to me? If the answer is no, then by all means the new model of the Macbook Pro is a fantastic buy if you're not deterred by the price tag. However, if the answer is yes, then steer clear of this generation of Macbook Pros and wait for a slimmer and more portable design that, hopefully, the next lineup will have. I hope this short review of the Macbook Pro was easy to read and provided you with the information you needed. In case you need more detailed specs, there is more info at this link: http://www.apple.com/au/macbookpro/specs.html