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Operating Systems => macOS => Topic started by: WMD on 25 April 2006, 03:18

Title: 17" MacBook Pro
Post by: WMD on 25 April 2006, 03:18
Well, Apple brought out the 17" MacBook Pro today.  Specs:
17" 1680x1050 display
2.16GHz Intel Core Duo
1GB DDR2 RAM
120GB 5400rpm hard drive
8x DVD-RW DL
256MB ATI Mobility Radeon X1600
3 USB ports, 1 Firewire 400 port, 1 Firewire 800 port
1" thick/6.8 pounds
$2,799

This release is kinda interesting, for a few reasons:
1.  The return of FireWire 800.  Rather strange that it's not on the 15"...maybe it'll be added later.  Long live FW800!
2.  The DVD burner is back to DL, whereas the 15" was a step backwards to single-layer.  Apparently, the increase in size of the 17" allows for the 12mm thick drive to fit in (required for DL at the moment).
3.  Perhaps I missed it, but there is now battery life info on the specs page: 4.5 hours for 15", 5.5 hours for 17".  So far, these are consistent with Apple's typical overstatement of life (they usually say 1 hour more than you get).  No idea why the 17" would last longer, though.
4.  Unlike the 15" vs. 17" PowerBooks, this 17" seems to have noticably more features (FW800, one more USB, better burner, more battery) than the 15".  I wonder why the shift?
Title: Re: 17" MacBook Pro
Post by: inane on 25 April 2006, 08:38
sounds YUMMY!
Title: Re: 17" MacBook Pro
Post by: WMD on 25 April 2006, 21:44
Perhaps yummy... but I'll be interesting when the small model comes out.
Title: Re: 17" MacBook Pro
Post by: H_TeXMeX_H on 25 April 2006, 21:54
Looks great ... except for the radeon :( (maybe it's just me ... but ATI blows goats)
Title: Re: 17" MacBook Pro
Post by: WMD on 25 April 2006, 22:00
Radeon suckage is all about the drivers.  (Except for that time the iBook Radeon cards kept failing a few years back.)  The Windows drivers suck, the Linux drivers suck...but the Mac ones aren't too bad.  Not great, but I've seen them behave, at least.
Title: Re: 17" MacBook Pro
Post by: piratePenguin on 26 April 2006, 01:03
Quote from: WMD
Radeon suckage is all about the drivers.  (Except for that time the iBook Radeon cards kept failing a few years back.)  The Windows drivers suck, the Linux drivers suck...but the Mac ones aren't too bad.  Not great, but I've seen them behave, at least.
The free Xorg driver isn't bad, when you don't use DRI, lol.

Well, it can play some games good. 'Tis perfect for the games I play (bzflag, neverball, xmoto, armagetronad).