Macworld ’09: 17-inch MacBook Pro With 8-Hour Battery
by John Paczkowski
Posted on January 6, 2009 at 10:14 AM PT
Next up, the new and expected 17-inch MacBook Pro. Before introducing it, Phil Schiller notes that the MacBook has been the No. 1 notebook computer in the states.
The new machine is largely as predicted. It boasts Apple’s new unibody chassis and a glass touch trackpad. At 6.6 pounds, it’s the world’s lightest notebook. It has a hi-res backlit display. “The best display we’ve ever shipped in a notebook,” says Schiller, with a 60 percent greater color gamut than other machines.
The new Pro has the same glossy screen as its brethren, but thankfully, it’s available with a $50 anti-glare option as well.
Finally, it incorporates a new battery pack that boasts an eight-hour charge life and 1000 recharges, three times the industry standard. It’s not the zinc battery that some observers were expecting, but very innovative nonetheless. There’s a chip in the battery that intelligently monitors an “adaptive charge,” whatever that means. Bottom line: three hours more battery life than previous machines. According to Apple (AAPL), the battery should last five years, which will result in fewer batteries and landfills and makes this 17-inch model a greener machine.
The new Pro 17-inch MacBook starts at $2799 and will ship at the end of the month.
