Apple MacBook Pro A1297

The Apple MacBook Pro A1297: A Cut Above

The Apple MacBook Pro A1297 is, in many ways, a definite improvement over its predecessor. In addition to a 40% increase in battery size (which in my personal experience can hold a charge for at least 4 - 5 hours watching a DVD in full screen with full-on brightness), the beautifully re-designed machine offers great value inside, too. Some of the advantages that the Apple MacBook Pro A1297 offers include:

1.) Standard memory on the machine is now DDR3 at 1066MHz instead of DDR2 at 667MHz. This will make those memory-intensive applications (like those in the Final Cut Studio suite) run much faster (which means less rendering time for all you video editing aficionados out there!).

2.) The Intel Core 2 Duo processor got a boost from 2.5GHz to 2.66 GHZ, though keep in mind that this is with the same 6MB of L2 cache. However, I have still seen a boost in how smoothly my applications run, so I wouldn't consider it negligible.

3.) A new glossy screen with 1920 by 1200 resolution that makes colors more vibrant and blacks more rich and deep. However, those who think that is a negative can opt for an anti-glare version for a mere $50.00.

4.) The laptop now has a dual graphics subsystem which includes the NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT with 512MB of dedicated GDDR3 memory, and a less powerful NVIDIA GeForce 9400M and shares RAM (256 MB to be exact) with the main processor. You have to test it to believe it, as this offers a significant performance boost over the previous version of the 17-inch MacBook Pro's single graphics engine.

With all of that said, no machine is perfect, and the Apple MacBook Pro A1297 certainly has some drawbacks associated with it. First, because of its integration with the rest of the machine, the laptop's battery is no longer user-replaceable. This means that when the battery life starts to dwindle, you must either make an appointment and take it to the Apple store (or an Apple-authorized service provider) to have a "Genius" replace it for you, or mail it in through an Apple-run service. Either way, you are looking at a small delay (one day for in-store service and three to four days for mail-in service) in getting your battery replaced. You should also note that this replacement service will cost you (up to $180.00 in the United States) and that (because of the integration) you cannot use a cheaper third-party replacement. Though none of these concerns should be considered deal breakers to the majority of those who are looking to purchase a MacBook Pro A1297, they are things that you should definitely keep in mind.

Still, the Apple MacBook Pro A1297 is pretty tough to beat; especially since the new battery can be recharged up to 1,000 times before the life begins to shorten. If you are currently in the market for a new laptop, the Macbook Pro A1297 is definitely a good choice. If you're looking for the best deal, EBay is definitely the way to go!

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