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MacBook Pro 15inch 2.66GHz (Intel Core i7, 4Gb RAM, 500Gb HDD, NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with 512 MB, SD card slot, Intel HD Graphics, up to 9 hour battery life)
 
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MacBook Pro 15inch 2.66GHz (Intel Core i7, 4Gb RAM, 500Gb HDD, NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with 512 MB, SD card slot, Intel HD Graphics, up to 9 hour battery life)

by Apple
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

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Product Specifications
General
BrandApple
Screen Size15.4 inches
Processor
Processor BrandIntel
Processor TypeIntel Core i7
Processor Speed2.7 GHz
Memory
RAM Size4 GB
Hard Drive
Hard Drive Size500 GB
Additional Specifications
Operating SystemOS X
Lithium Battery Packagingbatteries_contained_in_equipment

Technical Details

  • 15-inch 2.66GHz MacBook with Intel Core i7 processor and 4GB Memory
  • 500GB hard drive
  • One FireWire 800 port (up to 800 Mbps), two USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps), SD card slot
  • Built-in 77.5-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery (up to 8-9 hours wireless productivity)
  • NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics
  See more technical details

Product details

  • Item Weight: 2.5 Kg
  • Boxed-product Weight: 4.8 Kg
  • Item model number: MC373B/A
  • ASIN: B003H05K0U
  • Date first available at Amazon.co.uk: 12 April 2010
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 18,211 in Computers & Accessories (See Top 100 in Computers & Accessories)
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Product Description

Product Description

Introducing the new 15-inch MacBook Pro with Intel Core i7 processor

The new Intel Core i7 processors boost performance up to 50 percent over the previous generation. Based on Intel’s latest 32-nanometer process technology, these are the fastest dual-core processors available and they set an all-new benchmark for Mac notebooks.

Turbo Boost

Intel Core i7 processors also feature Turbo Boost. If you’re using processor-intensive applications like Aperture 3 or Final Cut Pro that would benefit from an extra performance kick, Turbo Boost dynamically increases the speed of one or both cores, taking (for example) a 2.66GHz MacBook Pro all the way up to 3.33GHz.

The 15-inch MacBook Pro uses the NVIDIA GeForce 330M integrated graphics processor
The NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M is the fastest ever graphics processor in a MacBook. View larger.

Next-generation graphics

Inside the 15-inch MacBook Pro models is the new NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M discrete graphics processor--the fastest graphics ever in a Mac notebook. With 48 processing cores and up to 512MB of dedicated video memory, this graphics processor delivers even more horsepower than the previous generation. And you don’t have to sacrifice efficiency for speed: The NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M is up to 30 percent more energy efficient than its predecessor. For even greater power savings, MacBook Pro also includes integrated Intel HD Graphics.

Hyper-Threading

Built-in Hyper-Threading allows two threads to run simultaneously on each core, so Mac OS X recognises four virtual cores instead of just two. When you’re running multiple applications at once, the Core i7 processor spread tasks more evenly across a greater number of cores--so you can get more done, faster.

Integrated memory controller

Unlike systems that connect memory to the processor through a separate controller, the new MacBook Pro uses an integrated memory controller to connect memory directly to the processor. In a sense, this cuts out the middleman. With faster access to memory, each core gets right to work on your data, rather than waiting for it to arrive. Together with 4MB of shared L3 cache, the integrated memory controller ensures MacBook Pro can keep up with you.

On-demand performance; Off-the-charts efficiency

The 15-inch MacBook Pro comes with automatic graphics switching as standard. It’s a breakthrough technology from Apple that switches graphics processors on the fly to give you performance when you need it (when you’re playing the latest 3D game, for example) and better battery efficiency when you don’t (such as when you’re reading email). MacBook Pro transfers the workload between the powerful discrete NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics processor and integrated Intel HD Graphics so seamlessly, you won’t even notice. Whether you’re using applications like Aperture, Motion or Final Cut Pro, or whether you're just surfing the web, your MacBook Pro always knows which processor to use. You don’t have to log out, shut down or change your preferences. Automatic graphics switching does it all for you.

The 15-inch MacBook Pro gives you up to 10 hours battery life on a full charge
The new MacBook Pro batteries last longer and perform better than ever before.

The longest-lasting Mac notebook battery ever

The new energy-efficient architecture in every MacBook Pro, along with automatic graphics switching in the 15-inch models, gives you dramatically longer battery life. On a single charge, the battery in the new 15-inch MacBook Pros lasts 8-9 hours, and you’ll get up to 1000 full charge and discharge cycles--that’s nearly three times the lifespan of typical notebook batteries. Advanced chemistry and Adaptive Charging allow the battery to maintain charging capabilities longer and determine the optimal way to charge the battery’s cells. Because the battery lasts up to five years, MacBook Pro uses just one battery in the same time a typical notebook uses three. That makes for less waste. And that, in turn, makes for one environmentally friendly battery.

A display of brilliance

Every MacBook Pro has a pristine LED-backlit display with wide-angle viewing and a colour gamut usually seen only on a desktop display. So whether you’re watching a movie or making one, you’ve got the perfect canvas. The ultrathin, seamless glass enclosure makes the display strong and durable. And because it’s power efficient and free of mercury and arsenic, this display is greener than ever. Ready for something even more brilliant?

Precision aluminium; the new gold standard

Carved from a single block of aluminium, the MacBook Pro is a true engineering achievement. Its patented unibody enclosure is the product of precise machining. From the thumbscoop to the now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t sleep indicator, no detail is unaccounted for. The end result is a notebook that’s not only breakthrough, but thin, light, polished and refined. The unibody also makes MacBook Pro more durable than ever. So you can throw it in your briefcase or messenger bag, and pull it out at an airport, at school, at the office or on location without a second thought.

Even the keyboard is advanced

The rigid aluminium keyboard webbing has been cut precisely to hold the keys. And the keys are curved to perfectly fit fingers. The result? Pure typing bliss. The keyboard is also illuminated, so when you’re in low-light settings, such as airplanes or conference rooms, you can always see what you’re typing.

The 15-inch MacBook Pro features a combined, multi-touch trackpad and operation button
Zoom, rotate, navigate and click with the MacBook multitouch trackpad. View larger.

It all just clicks

The first thing you might notice--or not notice--about the MacBook Pro trackpad is the button. The entire trackpad is the button, so you can click anywhere. Without a separate button, the spacious trackpad gives your hands plenty of room to move on the large, silky glass surface. Use two fingers to scroll smoothly up and down a page with inertial scrolling. Pinch to zoom in and out. Rotate an image with your fingertips. Swipe with three fingers to flip through your photo libraries. Swipe with four fingers to show your desktop, view all open windows or switch applications. If you’re coming from a right-click world, you can right-click with two fingers or configure a right-click area on the trackpad. The more you use the Multi-Touch trackpad, the more you’ll wonder what you ever did without it.

Be everywhere at once

Cleverly integrated--almost hidden--at the top of the MacBook Pro display is an iSight camera. Use it with iChat and you can be anywhere without actually being there. Video chat with up to three of your friends, share a video with a colleague, or present to a client. Use iSight with Photo Booth for fun photo effects. And there’s no need to waste valuable primping time installing software or configuring the camera. Like everything Mac, iSight just works.

Burn DVDs superfast

After editing and applying the finishing touches to your home movie masterpiece in iMovie and iDVD, use the ultrafast 8x SuperDrive on your MacBook Pro to burn it to DVD. And because the SuperDrive also writes to double-layer discs (DVDs with nearly 9GB of space), it’s great for backing up data.

The Greenest MacBook ever

The new MacBook Pro embodies Apple’s continuing environmental progress. It is designed with the following features to reduce environmental impact:

  • Arsenic-free display glass
  • BFR-free
  • Mercury-free LED-backlit display
  • PVC-free
  • Highly recyclable aluminium and glass enclosure
  • Reduced packaging volume
  • Meets ENERGY STAR Version 5.0 requirements
  • Rated EPEAT Gold

Your studio to go

With the latest 802.11n wireless technology built into MacBook Pro, you’re always seamlessly and effortlessly connected to the wireless world out there, at home and at work. MacBook Pro automatically finds available networks and allows you to join them with just one click. Bluetooth wireless technology is also built in, so brilliant accessories can become your wireless accomplices. With a built-in battery that lasts longer than ever before, you can do everything you need to do, where you need to do it.

The 15-inch MacBook Pro has all the ports you need including FireWire 800, USB 2.0 and SD card

Ports with possibilities

The 15-inch MacBook Pro is iPod, iPhone, digital camera and external hard drive ready. If it has a cable, there’s a place for it. You’ll find two USB 2.0 ports and a FireWire 800 port for connecting faster peripherals.

The Mini DisplayPort delivers a pure digital connection to external displays--even large 30-inch displays--quickly and easily. It gives you plug-and-play performance with the Apple LED Cinema Display and supports VGA and DVI, as well as the latest multimedia standards such as DisplayPort and HDMI.

Transfer your photos and videos to and from your MacBook Pro just as fast as you’re able to take them. Built into the 15-inch MacBook Pro is an SD card slot, so you can edit and share your photos and digital video on the spot.

Product Description

Apple MacBook Pro - Core i7 2.66 GHz - RAM 4 GB - HDD 500 GB - DVD±RW (±R DL) -


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Customer Reviews

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
33 of 34 people found the following review helpful
By keribillen TOP 500 REVIEWER
Hi,
Bought mine with a 7200rpm hard disk and 8GB of RAM.....I wanted the fastest MacBook Pro I could get.
The enhanced multi-tasking ability of the 2.66GHz Core i7 was also a big attraction for me. In my day to day job I run at least ten apps concurrently, and sometimes my previous MacBook Pro 15" (2.53GHz Core2Duo) showed the infamous 'beachball' when the going got tough.

My findings with the new laptop are as follows (in comparison to the old one I had, which I also reviewed here on Amazon):
1) Its outright performance improvements are noticeable when doing extreme tasks. For example I recently did some H264 encoding (two movies at the same time, using a different software app for each) and was able to perform other tasks easily at the same time, including the watching of another movie). Was very impressed with this.
2) It does not show the infamous beachball during my day to day job, unlike the old one.
3) It is noisier (the 7200rpm HDD and the processor fan are very audible......the old laptop was near-silent all the time), but this is not surprising.
4) It runs hotter, which is again not surprising.
5) When running wifi flat out at 802.11n speeds, bluetooth still works!! :-) On the old laptop, bluetooth failed in such conditions.
6) In normal use ( web browsing, emailing, doc writing) there is no difference whatsoever to the old laptop.

So, to summarise, am satisfied with the improvements brought by this new laptop but for most people it probably is not worth the expensive upgrade.

Update on 23rd December 2010: have been experimenting a lot with wifi speeds. I notice that the wifi sensitivity is considerably more sensitive than on my Mac Mini (2010 model) and my polycarbonate MacBook (2007 model). I suppose this is because of the extensive use of aluminium in the case. In various positions on my desk (approx 4m from my Apple Airport Extreme running in dual-band mode), the Macbook can report 2x the transmission speed. After experimenting a lot with positions and orientation on and around my desk, I now have the Macbook Pro mounted vertically and somewhat away from the (also aluminium) Cinema display. I can now achieve a reported 216Mb/s wifi speed with the Macbook Pro in a very restricted area (if I move it slightly, the speed will drop off down to 81Mb/s) whereas the Macbook will easily achieve 243Mb/s and above anywhere on my desk.

Update on 18th February 2011: have been experimenting again with wifi speeds. Simply by opening the lid until it is vertical (which greatly exposes the antenna) with the laptop flat on the desk also dramatically increases the wifi performance. This is how I now use it, and so have sold the vertical stand I was using to achieve the same thing.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By Mr. William Oxley TOP 1000 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
The new MacBook Pro laptop from Apple delivers as expected. Definitely not disappointed with this purchase. (Although I upgraded the screen spec to anti-glare for use outside in the summer sun on the patio, at the Apple store).

I looked at all the options - mini, desktop, laptop (13", 15", & 17"), i5 or i7? Which should you choose depends on what you want to use it for.

I reviewed what I do - music, surfing, photos, emails, and a few spreadsheets & letters. I already have wifi in the house.

Based on this I went for the basic Macbook Pro 15" 2.4 GHz i5 core - it is bang up to date in its operating system, graphics and hardware specs so it will last me more than the next 5 years without the need to update. Did I need the extra juice from the 2.53 or 2.66 - not for what I am doing, but you may feel differently. Did I need the 17" - just felt a bit too big. The 15" just felt a better size for carrying around from room to room and outside. I heard the i7 might give off too much heat (therefore I have marked this down by one star), so I went for the i5.

The MacBook Pro out of the box is a delight. Smooth Aluminium. Quick set up with all your software there for emails, surfing, photos, movies, music... Easily found my wifi - enter password and off you go. Although I did leave it for a few hours to get all the software updates.

I love the multi-touch glass trackpad that is new to these models, it makes the mouse unnecessary. When you go into System Preferences - Trackpad, you can edit your 1, 2, 3, 4 finger functions and see a live video demo for each. Plus the trackpad is larger than what traditional you see on a laptop from other manufacturers. The keyboard is fully lit enabling work in the pitch black if necessary.

The Mail fetched my email no problem there. Safari surfs the internet no hassle there. The firewall can be easily configured through system preferences.

iTunes is loaded on and you just need to create an account to link to the store, easy. If you need to load your CDs from scratch then select auto CD eject through iTunes - Preferences - When you insert a CD? Import CD & Eject (this saves a lot of time). The music plays surprisingly well with the speakers either side of the keyboard. The initial volume is quite low so I advice you to adjust this in System Preferences - Sound.

Battery life is really long, estimated to be 30% better than the competition when running under full harsh conditions of a battery test by the Govt Computer news in the US, at 5.25 hours the best performance out there. Impressive. You could watch 2 movies without a recharge.

Great: battery life, performance, easy-to-use interface, ergonomics, & trackpad. I love it. Buy one now if you have the money and for peace of mind Apple products hold their value.

Other options? The cheaper polycarbonate Apple at half the price MacBook Pro 13inch 2.4GHz (Intel Core 2 Duo, 4Gb RAM, 250Gb HDD, NVIDIA GeForce 320M graphics, SD card slot, up to 10 hour battery life). The Asus UL30A for lightweight long battery life but not that powerful. For Blue Ray HD you need to look at the Sony Vaio VPCF or Dell range of laptops
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
MacBook Pro 15" 10 Aug 2010
As a long time PC user, I was persuaded to think Mac by people I work with who claimed that despite the price, I wouldn't be disappointed, and switching would be easier than is touted (especially by Microsoft).

I'm pleased to say that I am more than happy. The hardware is fantastic, the battery life is superb (although the 'up to 9 hours' claim is a bit wide of the mark - I get 6 max) and having worked with Linux, I got around the Mac way of doing things pretty quickly. The bundled Mac software is great, and anyone who has scratched their heads getting rules in Outlook on Windows to behave will be amazed how straight forward it is in Mail. Time Machine creates incremental backups to my Western Digital My World NAS box, and I have pretty much found Mac equivalent to all the PC software I used to run.

Yes, it was expensive, but as I was buying £700 Windows laptops every couple of years ( I work my computers quite hard!), I think it will even itself out, as I anticipate this to be be still going strong in 4 years time.
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