Apple MacBook Pro 17" - Expert Reviews

Award: Recommended!

Review summary: Has Apple's largest notebook got it where it counts? Wil Harris finds out.

Verdict: In conclusion, the 17in MacBook Pro is really a fantastic machine for creatives and anyone else looking for a high-powered, high-style laptop with a large screen. Sure, it does cost a little more than your average Windows laptop - around -2,100 for ...

Review summary: Apple's Intel-inside laptop is a high-speed silver dream machine.

Pros: Iconic looks; Fast processor; Great bundled apps and webcam

Cons: Price; Some pro apps run slow

Verdict: Not the machine to cause mass defections by PC users to Apple, but a great laptop for high-end users who value style

Review summary: Apple's 15-inch MacBook Pro gets a solid under-the-hood upgrade for better performance and longer battery life, allowing the MacBook Pro to put enough distance between itself and the lower-end MacBook to justify its higher price.

Pros: Updated CPU and graphics without an updated price ; LED-backlit display for better battery life ; 802.11n support

Cons: Minimal configuration options ; Only 90 days of complimentary technical support ; Still no media card reader

Verdict: By upgrading to the latest Intel platform and Nvidia graphics for better performance, adding a new screen tech for better battery life, and keeping the same great design and same starting prices, the MacBook Pro puts enough distance between itself and ...

Review summary: The Apple MacBook Pro has been refreshed and reenergised. While the looks are essentially the same as last year's model, you'll find faster processors and a new chipset, plus more memory and a larger hard drive. With more muscle under the hood, this ...

Pros: Updated CPUs and graphics without an updated price ; LED-backlit display for better battery life ; 802.11n support

Cons: Minimal configuration options ; only 90 days of complimentary technical support ; still no media card reader

Verdict: Apple's 15-inch MacBook Pro gets a solid under-the-hood upgrade for better performance and longer battery life, allowing the MacBook Pro to put enough distance between itself and the lower-end MacBook to justify its higher price

Review summary: Still one of the best examples of laptop design in the market, but there are compromises

Verdict: First is the screen, with LED backlighting. This, at least in theory, means better battery life, although there's no noticeable difference to panel quality. Whites are clean and colours vibrant. And, befitting a machine that will find its way into the ...