Apple 15-inch MacBook Pro (mid 2009) User Review Discussion

by Buddy Sun

Apple updated its line of Macbooks and Macbook Pros on the 8th of June 2009 with faster processors, SD card slots, increased battery life, and improved displays. This review looks at the standard top end 15-inch Macbook Pro purchased in the United Kingdom (model number MB986B/A), how it performs compared to other computers and Macbooks, and the advantages and disadvantages of these new changes.

Read the full content of this Article: Apple 15-inch MacBook Pro (mid 2009) User Review

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• Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro Review

 

Nice review and thanks for it!
I wonder what is the body temp when stressing the laptop...

Overall very good review!

 

Good review.

I am always amazed at the battery life differences between Mac OS and Windows.

Also am puzzled why Apple (and other companies) make it so that the laptop does not have a removable battery ... never quite made sense to me.

 

As far as my experiences go, not many ordinary computer users need or want to replace the battery during the productive lifetime of the product. Maybe Apple views the situation from this angle. Though, removing the ExpressCard/34 interface is apalling - removes too much expandability, especially considering there are only 2 USB ports on the machine.

 

I'm curious as to why you did a restart before taking temps on the benchmark tests. Have you checked to see how hot this is really getting under load?

 

^^ouch!
That hurts most Apple fanboys! ROFLOL!

 

I want the matte version of this but can't justify the price as my MBP 4.1 is plenty fast and has all the features except for the unibody design. Unibody is nice though. My MBP gets 128.11 Xbench btw.

 

I have a new 15" Macbook Pro and the sound along with the screen quality is very good. I also have a OCZ Vertex SSD installed in mine so it pretty much zips through everything but battery life and heat are a major problem on this notebook. Just try running Skype and doing a Video call or even playing a few Youtube movies and this laptop will heat up like a Ford or Chrysler

 

Really?? OUCH! Dont even want to think about when gaming! And you have a SSD which is a lot cooler! A HDD must burn in there

 

I've used a MBP unibody, and it does indeed run quite warm, especially compared to my Thinkpad. Tradeoff for using an aluminum casing.

Not all HDDs run hotter than SSDs, in fact sometimes the reverse is true.

 

How can a non mechanical SSD with no moving parts get warmer than a rotating HDD??

 

The same can be said for ram but usually ram runs hotter than a hdd.

 

Can someone please explain me how RAM and SSD gets that warm?
I had thought the the whole idea behind the SSD is to get a faster and cooler system...

 

Wrong. This is true only for 13'' macbook pro. 15'' should be the same.

Circuits heat up while conducting electrical current. This is similar to the way processor and graphic cards heat up.

 

Moving electricity generates lots of heat, which is sometime greater than the heat caused by friction of moving parts.
I don't suppose there is a fan anywhere, because there is no veins and the whole case is acting as a gigantic heat sink. I don't think it will be good for the components by any means. Especially for the battery and hard drive, heat will kill them.

 

Very nice review! Once thing I am puzzled -- recently I checked several reviews of MBP and there was latch to easily open part of the laptop and get access to battery and HDD.

So, it was previous model of unibody MBP and it is removed?

Cheers,

 

Yes, the latch has been removed on the new models with the integrated battery. You now need to remove the bottom panel entirely, but unlike the battery, the hard disk remains a user-replaceable part.

 

Thanks for the explanation. I do know that older MacBooks had the exhaust vents just under the lid. There were several small vents there. Very unnoticeable, not very efficient if you ask me.

But yeah, I think this is a no-lap laptop lol

 

very concise review. To reply the above question, this is called a notebook by apple just because it has the tendency of frying bare legs under load. I think many laptops nowadays are like this under load. But i think this can be categorised as a laptop because of the 9400m which is extremely cool running as opposed to the 9600m gt which is 'hell'. if apple unlocks the 9400m, this will be one of the best notebooks on the market as it will combine portability with battery life and stability(If apple releases better drivers in bootcamp 3)

 

they changed it on this one too...

I have tried to block those vents on my old macbook and difference was quite noticeable-CPU went pass 80C while idle!

I have read laptopmag review saying that you can change it yourself,but it won't be covered!

 

HDD replacement voids the warranty?!?!?!?!
neg rep for Apple!

 

They're wrong. Check out the MacBook Pro manual, page 37.

 

I think Xirurg is saying that you can change the non-user replaceable/serviceable battery but doing so will void the Apple warranty.

 

I had a quick look in the manual, as far as I can tell it covers replacing the hard drive, not the battery.

Actually I believe Budding is right, the new 15" MBP has a newer panel with a higher gamut. Read the review on Notebookcheck.com for more info.

 

If that's what Xirurg meant, looks like both Serg and I misunderstood then.

Of course, replacing the non user-replaceable battery will void the warranty. But it can be done; people have been doing it with the MacBook Air already. Chances are, the computer will already be out of warranty when the battery needs replacement.

 

OOOOHHH!! You were talking about battery!!! :S Sorry, I misunderstood...

 

The old Macs you can even fry egg on it

 

I think that will only void warranty for battery,not laptop itself

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA That gave me a good laugh!

 

wonder how this machine runs cool......anyway nice review though

 

or put cooked egg on it and make it look like you just cooked it

 

lol..anyways, this is a nice machine to have and has the best keyboard i have ever used on a laptop

 

well i'm happy i was wrong then

 

Well you had a point because I believe it's not 60% higher on the 15"... but I'm not sure on the exact numbers.

The 13" went from 45 to 72%, which is a 60% increase. I believe the previous 15" was 72% already.

 

I dunno, I once tried playing Far Cry 2 on the highest settings possible on my old 15" MBP, and I think it just might have been able to do it (fry an egg) for real.

Fortunately for my Apple's health and my own sanity, I got bored with the game and stopped playing.

Nice review, btw. I still like these machines, and reviews like this one make me think I may go back to a MBP on my next purchase.

 

Lol.. One should take the case apart and drill some holes in it.

 

A little OT since to cook an egg(to get it firm), you need temp of 158F(or 72C),which means that internals of notebook(CPU,GPU,etc.) are ~130C +...

 

Well the 15" MBP 'only' reaches 49 C so you'll need to bake your egg somewhere else.

http://www.notebookcheck.com/Test-Apple-MacBook-Pro-15-Mid-2009-2-8-GHz.18779.0.html

 

looks like one of the keyboard photo is stock photo .. look at the return/enter button .. it is a rectangle, as opposed to the thin one that spans two rows. ....

 

Bake your egg somewhere else is an interesting quote I will certainly love to bake my egg on a macbook pro, as thats the only laptop bottom surface thats so smooth and slot less .. its made for omlette making .. is there a way to heat the laptop further so that it can be used more (i think there should be an option for that)... its like working, breakfast everything can be done on it then .. i would certainly sell off my cooking range .. thats the usability i am looking for .. ah well i might have to look for iSpatula.

 

The world is saved, a matte screen returns to the 15" MBP

http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/11/apple-reinstates-matte-display-on-15-inch-macbook-pro-charges/

 

So........?

 

I want to see one of these with Quadro GPUs...

 

I think that would be pointless since there is no(almost) CAD software for mac...

 

Incredible battery life? The T500 has more according to the NBR reviews.

 

The T500 review here says barely 6 hours on a 9 cell battery that sticks out from the back.... Budding got 6-7 hours with the standard battery that sits flush.

 

I guess the T500 would have an even more incredible battery then. Thinkpads are very high quality laptops after all.

 

Oops, my bad. I mistook the battery life of the T500 for the T400's, which is significantly higher.

Sorry...

 

well yes, but their BQ is declining- my 6 year old x40 is much better built then x200.

 

I remember someone here at NBR compared the T400 and the Dell E6400 directly and said that the build quality was similar. I'm quite happy with my E6400 quality-wise but it is not as sturdy as some old Thinkpads here at work.