- 500GB 4GB 13IN DVDRW OSX UK
Product Description
Apple MacBook Pro 13 inch Laptop (Dual-Core i5 2.4GHz, RAM 4GB, HDD 500GB Graphics SD card slot - Notebook Apple MacBook Pro MD313B / A 33.8 cm (13.3 inch) LED - Intel Core i5 2.40 GHz - 1280 x 800 WXGA Display - 4 GB RAM - 500 GB HDD - DVD-Writer - Intel HD 3000 Graphics Card - Bluetooth - Webcam - Thunderbolt - Mac OS X Lion - 7 hours - Display. in the story. And outside of history as well.
Force. Lightness. Beauty. Perfectly integrated.
Customer Reviews: Apple MacBook Pro 13 inch Laptop (Dual-Core i5 2.4GHz, RAM 4GB, HDD 500GB Graphics SD card slot
The new lion OS X has transformed the MacBook pro into an even more intuitive experience, especially if you are familiar with the iPad. I am a new mac convert and up until now have only ever used PCs and my iPad and I have to say the transition to mac has not been daunting at all, but simplicity in itself.
I didn't know whether to go for this machine or the larger 15" i7 processor, as i would be using it for design work on the go and I use a processor heavy adobe creative suite, and I have to say I made the right choice.as it performs any task I throw at it with ease. the extra cost was in the end simply not warranted, and the bonus is, this is perfectly adequate in terms of size and ultra portable.
I purchased this with parallels software and a copy of windows which allows me to work on windows for web development and design packages for mac side by side which really is the best of both worlds and this is simply astonishing as this wasn't possible only a couple of years ago.
the MacBook looks and performs the part, and I cannot recommend this highly enough.
I have owned Apple Macs since 2001. I bought a G4 PowerMac that year and it's still running well today. Since then I've owned a number of Apple products, this Macbook Pro being the latest. As much as I love the stuff from this company, I find myself slightly resenting the fact that they used to be a bit of an alternative to the mass of Windows machines out there: there was always a feeling that by going the Apple route you weren't just following the crowd. In some ways it seems unfortunate that times have changed; what was once a company selling very well built and designed computers has turned into a corporate monster with a continuous push to dominate the world of cool with their endless product placements in movies and more and more shiny but fairly useless products. OK, rant over! This is a review of the Macbook Pro and so I will ignore my gripes with the company as a whole.
Recently I decided (basically for the above reasons) to give the competition a go for the first time since 2001. I bought a Sony Vaio Z series (I posted a review here on Amazon) in an attempt to use Linux for my day to day computing. The Z series was massively expensive and although it had its plus points I very quickly realised that I wasn't happy - Linux never really worked properly and Windows is just nasty - it's so far behind Mac OS it's laughable. So eventually I bit the bullet and sold my Z series and bought what I should have chosen to begin with - the Macbook Pro.
First impressions: the packaging is typical Apple - minimalist and thoughtfully put together, once you get the machine out of its box, you immediately feel confident that this is a quality product. Make no mistake, light-weight it is not but there's no chance that this laptop is going to suffer from the plasticky breakages that plague most Windows machines. Ports are adequate - 2 USB slots, SD card reader and a Thunderbolt port. The Thunderbolt is basically useless at the moment, unless you want to buy one of Apple's outrageously expensive displays or a very pricey storage device. However, I'm sure that products will make their way to market - when they do it will be a massively fast way of transferring data. There is also a Firewire 800 port (something I was pleased to see) and one of Apple's stupid mini display ports. These things are infuriating, why could they not have just put HDMI in there - it would have taken up no more space and meant that you could just plug straight in. Well, of course it's so that they can sell you an adaptor for £25!
The backlit keyboard is a pleasure to type on - much better than the Sony's. Battery life is extremely impressive, I've had close to the claimed 7 hours with WIFI on and a number of programs running. Screen clarity is excellent, although considering the Sony's 1920x1080 display, it would have been nice to see a slightly higher resolution than 1280x800. However, it is crisp, bright and gives excellent blacks. I could go on about the quality of this computer, it's a fantastic machine that I'm sure will last me for a number of years. I have a white Macbook which I bought in 2007; it's still working perfectly despite enduring trips to various corners of the world in a backpack and being generally overworked for most of its life so I am confident that this will be even better.
I don't want to say that there aren't PC equivalents, there are a lot of great Windows machines being made today and the glowing Apple is a bit of a coffee shop cliche these days. But for me, the usability of OS X more than makes up for this. As a useful product, I can't praise it highly enough, just beware - you might look like a bit of a fashion victim if you plan to pull it out in Starbucks!
Help
The Macbook needs no introduction, and this is a fantastic incarnation. I've own them since they started and Apple computer equipment since 1978. Which makes me very sad or something I know. One thing I will say is that they are pretty reliable as hardware, (no serious issues in last fives years) and OSX totally reliable. So for me that trumps about everything.
I'm writing this review because the seller that came up claims an RRP higher than that at the Apple store. OK, there's a discount, but not as much as you think.
Also, if you want my advice, don't touch the extended warranties that flag up on the page. If you want an extended warranty, and it's worth it for the battery - Apple will replace it FOC if it's under 100 cycles - then go for Applecare. Then you can get it fixed easily at the Applestore, where especially where batteries are concerned they have a liberal exchange policy.
Was concerned 13" might be small, but because MacBook is quite heavy very happy with this size. Size is perfect since will be travelling around with MacBook. Fantastic speed, screen / graphics excellent. Can comfortably watch films on 13" screen, which I was concerned about. Not at all difficult getting used to differences vs previous laptop. Have to watch out when buying accessories that they are compatible with EU version of keyboard.
This laptop is very expensive. It's now considered a fashion item. People may stereotype you for pulling it out whilst sitting alone in your local Starbucks cafe. I knew all this before I bought it, but couldn't resist seeing what all the "Once you go Mac, you don't go back" fuss was about.
AND I COMPLETELY GET IT!!!
The second you pull out this bit of kit, you instantly understand why you forked out almost a grand on it.
Its slick, smooth, solid and really, really shiny!
Simplicity in all of its glory.
Turning on the MacBook if effortless. Your Mac will be asking you for a password to log in before your reluctant PC 's screen would even ignite into life. It is rapid.
The screen display is pristine. The keyboard is perfectly spaced. The keys make that perfect key noise... if there is such a thing.
The applications, which replace your windows programs, are simple in nature, but are grade A for functionality.
The main huge selling point for me with the MacBook is the user interface of the whole system. The way you can effortlessly just swipe a few fingers across the trackpad to flick between windows. To flick between pages on the web. That little trackpad makes this apple product so unique.
I have opened thirty plus app's at once on here, and it doesn't faultier.
Apple state a 7 hour battery life. Im just short of 8 hours right now and my battery is at 18%. If I was on my old Sony Viao right now I'd be frantically trying to search for my charger before it died and with it 2 hours work. I fully trust this Mac to plod on for at least another 45 mins.
Your mail, social network updates, Skype etc is well catered for, each with its own little tabs that alert you in the background, whether your scanning the web or not.
The iCloud feature that you may or may not have heard of works great with this product, providing you own also an iPhone or iPad.
I really could go on and on and on about this computer but Top gear is just about to start so I'm not.
Its worth the money. Its fun. It does everything that you expect it to do, better.
Any negatives...and i really am thinking...
>If your going to use it for work purposes, you will almost certainly need to by extra software.
>It doesn't have an HDMI port (instead it has a thunderbolt port, which as of yet serves no real purpose, but in the future will probably prove to be very useful. Although you can buy an adapter to allow HDMI access.
> It takes almost 2 full days to arrive!!!!!!!!!!!
SERIOUSLY, BUY IT!!!
Hel
Like a lot of reviewers on here, I have used windows for years. My brother recently was given a macbook air as his company laptop and after myself trying it out for half an hour or so I was hooked - so I decided to buy the Macbook Pro.
Whilst I think a lot of people who have used windows for a long time are reluctant to move to mac because they feel they have to relearn the operating system - it is really incredibly intuitive and would take no more that a couple of hours from scratch to get to grips with. That is the thing with apple - they design things to be intuitive. That is why my 4 year old niece can use an iPhone. There are loads of very helpful tutorial videos on the apple website, and great apple forums were I found answers to everything I needed to know.
So if you are in the market for a new laptop and hesitant about making the jump to mac then I will try to explain in simplest of terms on why you should buy a macbook.
I found the most amazing thing on the macbook is the trackpad. Its a small recessed pad in front of the keyboard. This is like your mouse. As with all laptops move your finger around the pad to move the cursor around the screen. However - this is now where things differ. There are no left and write buttons. This is because the whole trackpad is a button. Click on it normally to access apps (apps are programs) and files, use 2 fingers to click and this is like write click on windows and brings down a drop down menu. Swipe between pages on the internet using 2 fingers left and write, scroll pages up and down pages by swiping 2 fingers up and down (none of this moving the cursor to the scroll bar or having to click the back and forward button as in windows). Make things bigger by opening your thumb and first finger. Rotate pictures by moving your finger anticlockwise or clockwise on the pad. Mission control allows you to see all apps and files, documents, emails and everything that you have open. You can access this by moving 3 fingers up the trackpad, and everything open will be displayed. Click one and you instantly move to that app or document. This means you can move between apps and different windows that are open at blistering speed. Have lots of apps open and want to open a new app? Simply use 3 fingers and your thumb and pinch together on the trackpad, and it will access the launchpad - where all your apps are kept. Very cool indeed.
After using the trackpad for a day it makes using an older style pad with 2 buttons seem archaic. It really is nothing short than a complete and utter genius piece of design and I feel something that is overlooked - its one of the best selling points of a mac laptop.
The internet is ridiculously fast. I know this depends on your ISP and your router. I use Virgin Media as my ISP and have a linksys router. I am always connected via wi-fi, never direct. Whole internet pages open in seconds - even complicated ones with moving graphics and videos. I have never seen anything so fast on a laptop before. I sometimes watch films via Lovefilm or Netflix in bed and it has absolutely no problem streaming perfectly in HD.
FaceTime is like a video call. Having used Skype for years I find it dropped out, and the video was slow and clunky. My father has a house in the USA and spends 3 months of the year there. I FaceTime him when he is there and talking to him is perfect, no drop out, audio and video in perfect sync - in HD quality. It is incredible that he is 3500 miles away - its like he is in the next room.
Both iPhoto and iTunes are easy to use and I just find a lot better designed system than windows for storing and organising your media.
The Email is also very well designed. Receiving lots of Emails on various different topics from various people, both business and socially - it can be a bit of a nightmare
organising and finding things. On windows I would either search alphabetically or create sub mailboxes and drag emails into them. Apple have designed a system that does this for you automatically and they are called smart boxes. Create a smartbox - lets say you were buying a new house and every mail to do with buying that house you wanted to file in a mail box. So create smart box "New House". Then go into your address book and create a group that contained all the people you receive mail from that deals with the house sale - solicitor, estate agent, utility companies. Then you are ready to set your criteria. So you set the criteria - "any email from that particular group of people in the last month". Thats it done - all emails to do with the house in the last month go into that box. There are many parameters you can set - such as an email containing a particular word, or from a particular person, in the last week, year. The possibilities are endless, and you can make it as simple or as complex as you like to suit your filing requirements.
"Finder" is kind of like "My Computer' in windows - where you can find and see everything that is on your hard drive in your cd drive, or externally.
The screen quality is second to none, crystal clear and sharp and the audio quality is amazingly good for a laptop. Also - in the brushed aluminium it is one very sexy looking machine and feels like it still wouldn't be out of date in 5 years time.
The only software I did buy is Microsoft office for Mac, because we still live in a world where most documents are office documents and I needed it for my business when sending out and receiving documentation. Its fine - the only gripe I have is you cannot make documents bigger by using the thumb and finger on the trackpad - so still have to revert to the drop down percentage menu. Small detail.
All in all this is one amazing machine. I have owned my macbook for a month now and apart from having a small go on my brothers macbook air, had never used an apple operating system before. Whilst I'm not aged, I'm no spring chicken either - so I just wanted to make clear that I'm no young technically whizz kid when it comes to getting to grips with technology.
I cannot praise the macbook pro highly enough. Yes - they are quite expensive, but when you start using one you'll realise why. I would never ever go back to a windows based PC now. Take the plunge - its worth it!
I bought this product a couple of weeks ago when my PC crashed. I had never bought a Mac before and have always used PCs since I was young. Having the decision to switch to Macs I would never go back!
This product is so quick in its start-up and shut down. Installations are so much easier for most programs and there have been none of the software and operating system update blips which tend to plague Windows operationg systems.
The product is advertise din conjunction with Windows for Mac, but I don't think it is at all necessary to buy Windows for it. Windows products are expensive and there are plenty of Mac-specific bits of software, like Pages (word-processing) which are so cheap comparably. I first looked at getting Microsoft Word for Mac, but I saved around £60 but opting for Pages (available for download from the 'App store.' I heartily recommend throwing oneself into the whole Mac experience. It will take maybe a day or two to get used but then it will seem so easy and so logical. I have had this product for less than a month and already it feels strange using a PC again.
The aspects which have impressed me the most are the nifty key-board back lights, its portability, its compact size, its speed and its incredible graphics. I have been watching DVDs on this because the display is incredible. I bought separate speakers, but the built-in speakers are by superior to any in-built PC speakers I've used.
And finally, it looks so cool! :-D
I had 4 laptops in the past 4 years. All have been disappointing in both hardware and software. I've been impressed with my iphone and iPad so I decided to try MacBook. I'm glad I did as this is the perfect machine in all aspect. Solidly built, sturdy, beautiful design with the hugely impressive Lion OS. Highly recommended.
I am somebody who has been through a fair amount of laptops, and until 2008, I was totally a Windows person. I had lots of Windows based laptops, largely Sony ones, and these tended to fail very regularly and cost a lot to repair.
This laptop is worth every extra penny it costs.
It is stylish to look at, very well built, easy to use, fast, silky, it does everything you could want your laptop to do.
The graphics are great, it does not crash when you are doing multiple things at once, and the fact if anything goes wrong you can just pop into your local apple store makes it truely invaluable.
I use it both for work and home use, and it takes a lot of wear without any trouble.
Absolute must buy.
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