In the beginning of 2006 Apple swapped out the particular Powerbook G4 with the MacBook Pro. These top of the line laptop computers have been continuously improved since their introduction. The newest release, known as the Apple MacBook Pro Winter 2011, marks a tremendous improvement in several important characteristics.
Advantages
The Apple MacBook Pro Winter 2011 notebook computer joins the Sandy Bridge bandwagon as all of its designs include Intel second generation Core i5 and Core i7 processors. The particular Intel Core i5 2620M will be the new engine under the hood of the 13-inch MacBook Pro. However, the larger models, at 15″ and 17″, now run on quad-core processors, which can power even the most strenuous video and graphics editing software with ease. While 4 GB is the minimum memory shipped, you can obtain up to 16 GB for an extra cost. If you are into gaming or other graphic intense software programs, the AMD Radeon HD 6490M can fully suit your needs. Die hard gamers may opt to use a tailor made configuration which includes the Radeon HD 6750M. Do not be concerned about losing out on battery life, since the Intel HD Graphics 3000 runs very efficiently. The new MacBook Pros virtually scream in just about every speed test.
One other important change lies in the Mini DisplayPort that is usually used for hooking up an Apple LED Cinema Display or any other supported models. With the Apple MacBook Pro Winter 2011 notebook, a fairly new type of technology by Intel known as Thunderbolt has been applied which makes the port much more flexible. Along with speeds up to 12 times faster when compared to the old FireWare 800 interface, high capacity hard drives will finally get the performance boosts that they require for professionals to transfer huge amounts of data. Additionally it is flexible making it possible for devices to daisy-chain off of a single Thunderbolt channel with no performance degradation.
The 2nd main enhancement is the built-in webcam which is no longer called the iSight camera but the FaceTime HD camera which shares its name with the iPhone 4 and iPad 2 cameras. At present video conversation can be achieved in 720p resolution amongst all Apple’s most recent devices.
Drawbacks
Along with all of these improvements, the battery life had to lessen and the Apple MacBook Pro Winter 2011 notebook still uses the same battery pack as the earlier model. You needn’t be too concerned though, because it still lasts a reputable seven hours with wireless turned on. The MacBook Pro 13-inch in addition will get a slight downgrade as it makes use of the Intel integrated graphics without an AMD or NVIDIA counterpart. Video gaming performance is a little bit slower however the Intel HD 3000 graphics is far better than previous generations plus, it is just as efficient.
Conclusion
The Apple company has again taken a commanding lead within the coveted professional notebook category along with their newest line of MacBook Pros, the Winter 2011 edition. You can be confident that your new model will have everything it needs to run next generation programs without any strain.
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