The 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU in our review unit is a bump up from the 2.5GHz version we saw in the last high-end 15-inch MacBook Pro. While we use SD cards, even in our dSLR camera, several pro photographers have reminded us that Compact Flash cards are their preferred format. Most people used their ExpressCard slots, if at all, for card-reading adapters or mobile broadband antennas. The cost, however, is the ExpressCard slot, which is now found only on the 17-inch Pro. After claiming for years that photographers could just use an external USB adapter to access their SD cards, the 13- and 15-inch Pros now include this very common component. The biggest news is probably that Apple has at long last embraced the simple joys of the SD card slot. Modem, Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional WWAN Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks We like the look of the edge-to-edge glass over the screen, but it's also very reflective, and we wish Apple would offer a matte screen option on all its systems, not just the 17-inch MacBook Pro.Īpple MacBook Pro (Core 2 Duo 2.5GHz, Nvidia GeForce 9600M) All of the MacBook Pro screens are backlit LEDs, which allow for thinner lids and provide some power-saving benefits. The 15.4-inch wide-screen display offers a 1,440x900 native resolution, which is standard for premium 15-inch screens (cheaper 15-inch models are often 1,280x800). Once you get used to that, going back to a regular trackpad is difficult. Of the multitouch gestures, most useful perhaps is sweeping four fingers: left or right brings up the application switcher, while up hides all your active windows. While the entire trackpad depresses like a button, simple tapping, as on a Windows laptop, will also work once you turn that option on in the settings menu. It offers a much larger surface area than most laptop trackpads, thanks to the elimination of a separate mouse button. We're especially fond of the larger trackpad that uses multitouch gestures similar to those found on the iPhone. Except for the $999 white polycarbonate MacBook, Apple's entire laptop line now uses this type of body. The result is a light and thin, yet strong, chassis that feels solid and substantial. The construction starts with a solid block of aluminum, which is carved down, rather than a thin outer shell, which has had support struts added to it. The aluminum chassis is essentially identical to the last 15-inch MacBook Pro.

2009 macbook pro user guide