Apple MacBook Pro MB133LL/A 15.4" Laptop (2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB RAM, 200 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD SuperDrive)

I purchased this computer to upgrade an older MacBook Pro (MBP). It is indeed a very significant upgrade to my 1st Generation MBP. I won't get into nitty gritty tech specs, as most people I know buy Macs because they want to use their computer, not the other way around.

The screen is a lot crisper. My understanding is that it's an LED-based screen, which results in increased battery life. On the topic of battery life, out of the box I'm getting 4.5-5.0 hours worth of battery life--dramatically better than the 3 hours max I got out of my 1st gen MBP.

The processing power is dramatically increased, as well. I never had trouble running anything on the old MBP until I got Parallels--I had to upgrade the old machine to 2 GB of RAM to get performance to an acceptable level and even then it was sluggish. Not the case with the 2.4 Ghz MBP with 2 GB of RAM.

Boot up time is significantly increased with this machine and the wireless seems to have extended range versus the prior version. I attribute part of this to using an 802.11n base station, but I also notice that I pick up more WiFi access points near me, as well and some of them are Belkin 802.11g.

The one thing that I do find annoying is that Apple changed the assignments for the function keys. Having used Mac laptops for ~5 years, I found this to be very annoying. I was able to work around this by changing the key assignments back to what I know.

In all, a phenomenal upgrade in terms of what you get out of the box, raw processing power, boot time, and increased battery life. I recommend this laptop without hesitation.

I purchased a MacBook Pro (MBP) last year and haven't regretted one minute of it. When I replace this one I will probably go with the 15" model since the 17" has been a bit big to be hauling around all the time (my notebook and Nikon are always with me).

I've been using mine for Java Programming, Project Management, Photography, Web Site Development, Games and of course other graphics creation for miscellaneous projects. It occasionally runs a little bit hot but I expect it when I'm running Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator, Parallels with Windows XP running Projects and cruising the web all at the same time.

One of the first things I did (and do) when I get a Mac is REMOVE iTunes (Floola instead), iCal and iChat (Adium instead). I install VLC, Adobe Reader, NeoOffice, Firefox, Eclipse, HandBrake, iSquint, iAlertU, OoVoo, smcFanControl, Transmission, The GIMP, MacPorts, Fink and the Developer tools available on the OS X installation DVD. I also install a plethora of Adobe stuff (Photoshop, Flash, Dreamweaver, Illustrator & Lightroom).

I can't say a bad thing about my MBP. I also purchased the chicklets (metal) keyboard and mighty mouse. I have my own home workstations, but it is very common for me to ignore them in favor of using this MBP. I can't wait to see what next year's models are going to be like, that is when I plan on replacing this one with a shinny new one.

Bottom of the line MacBook Pro, 2.4 gHz. The trackpad features are totally cool and easy to use, the screen is bright and clear, computer is blazing fast. I'll buy more memory eventually from Crucial or OWC but it's great for now. Buy one!

I just bought a 17" Macbook Pro from a local reseller. This is my first Apple and I am replacing a Toshiba Satellite that has done me justice for these past 7 years. I guess I can say my first 1 HOUR experience with this Apple was not so cozy. The screen had troubles. The brightness basically did not come to life... it never reached a brightness that I could see the menues on the screen completely. Tried everything, brightness control, restart, everything the manual instructed. I called Apple tech support, and the lady on the phone simply was short and unhelpful to me and left me with a unpositive experience (mind you I was open for suggestions and help because I reallllly wanted to get this cool computer to work). So I took it back to the reseller and hopefully they do me justice... they need to make sure they get an "RA" number from Apple before they can do anything. Luckily, the second Apple tech support person I called from the reseller was a little more helpful but the computer still was broken out of the box. So, the ball is in Apple's court I guess. I hope that Apple will do the right thing and give an "RA" to the reseller and just replace this computer with a "new" one. So, this review will be completed at a later date, either with a Macbook Pro in hand or another brand i.e. Toshiba.

I've been a Mac user for over 7 years and am on my fourth computer, and by far, this one is my favorite!

This MacBook Pro is the most balanced one they've come out with, and it has all of the most up-to-date features including these key ones:

1. Runs cooler than my friends' previous version MBP
2. Mulit-touch is nice but I don't use it a lot
3. Upgraded iSight camera makes for great video chatting and works perfectly with many other programs. I use it almost daily for video journaling
4. LED screen isn't "new" for this model, but it is a great feature that makes the screen look wonderful
5. More storage on the entry-level model than before

All in all, I'm very satisfied with this computer and would recommend it to anyone looking for a solid laptop that has speed but isn't huge. Also, the size difference compared to the MacBook is minimal in my opinion. Sometimes this actually seems smaller given the sleeker design.

Of course, the only drawback is the price, but over the life of the computer, I think it will be well worth it. Finally, it is a Mac and it has the best operating system available (Mac OS 10.5) whether you're a newbie or computer aficionado!