Apple MacBook Pro MC700LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop

Apple MacBook Pro MC700LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop
by Apple

Apple MacBook Pro MC700LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop

This is the latest from apple. This review will be a comparison of several different computers in the same price point to this hardware, to show you what is best for your situation. Let me start by saying this computer with a dual core i5 Sandy Bridge processor is powerful enough to handle just about anything, minus maybe running Final Cut Pro to edit and export 1080P HD video, or some other very processing intensive task. If your doing anything else (word processing, browsing, editing photos, playing games...) you will be absolutely fine. If you are a serious gamer and depend on a serious graphics card, go with the 15" 2.2Ghz with the nicer graphics card. But, the casual gamer won't need it. Now, onto the comparisons. 

Macbook - If you are considering a macbook instead of this, stop. It is worth the extra $200 for the aluminum enclosure alone. I have owned 8 macs, and the polycarbonate bodies get worn pretty easy, but the aluminum will last longer than you will want to keep it. For an extra $200, you get the aluminum body, 4GB of RAM (instead of 2GB) and and SD card reader. 

Macbook Air 13" - If you haven't compared these two computers yet, you better start. The Air costs $100 more, but it uses Solid State memory (I think its 12x faster than conventional memory - think of the instant on you get from iPad and iPhone). To upgrade the Pro to solid state will run you $300 more. The Air has the exact same screen size, but it has the same pixel count as the 15" Macbook Pro. Perfect combination. And, there is the fact it is just 2.9 pounds, and it is one of those gorgeous devices like the iPad. If you are willing to lose the CD Drive, backlit keys, a few ports like firewire, and some processing power - the Air is perfect for you. I use it as my only computer now, and don't use the Macbook Pro. If you need the extra processing power, built-in CD Drive, or firewire, then you should probably pick the Pro. The stock Air has enough processing power to handle pretty much everything, except exporting HD video. That takes a little longer. If your on the ball on this one, spend some time thinking about what you do on your computer, read more about "Macbook Pro vs Macbook Air" because its all over google and the net, and (most of all), go to an Apple Store or Best buy and see them both for yourself. 

Mac vs PC - Windows 7 is a great operating system. And you can get a comparable PC for about $700. But, there are some things PCs at this price point always miss. Firstly, you miss the wow-factor. Most PCs are simply ugly. They aren't nearly as durable as macs, because they lack a unibody construction. If you trip over the power cable, you lose your computer, because there is no mag-safe adapter (As much as you avoid this, it is bound to happen...). Speaking of battery, you'll be lucky to get 4 hours out of a PC, but macs run 7 hours. You'll need to spend money on virus protection, and time maintaining that protection too (Running scans... Updates... Errors) The resale value on macs are incredible! Two years after I bought my last macbook pro, I got 75% of what I paid on Craigslist! That means it cost me $300 upgrade TWO YEARS later. $500 savings isn't worth it in the long haul. 

In closing, the Macbook Pro 13" is a great all-in-one computer! It has a 7 hour battery, weighs 4.5 pounds, has ports for everything you need, has great resale value, lasts forever (thanks to unibody aluminum and magsafe), fast (thanks to the i5 Sandy Bridge Processor and 4Gb of RAM) and holds everything you need. If you haven't compared this to the Air, you should definitely check out the comparisons online! (Just google macbook pro vs macbook air). All in all, great computer for everyone. if you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them to the best of my knowledge, just leave a comment!

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