Apple’s first Intel-based Macs, iMac and MacBook Pro, were born into a position of advantage. OS X Tiger, a loyal base of
customers and developers, firm ownership of high-margin specialty markets, and high regard in the mainstream have turned everything
Apple’s touched (at least since the Titanium PowerBook G4) into gold.
These advantages did not guarantee Apple or its customers smooth sailing from PowerPC to Intel. Despite gaping holes in its
Intel rollout strategy -- holes that Apple is attempting to spackle with speed and nerve -- Apple managed to hit a home run
and a double in its first two Intel at-bats. In the Intel-based iMac, Apple’s best desktop to date has arrived. Early demanding
buyers of MacBook Pro, however, will find flaws -- some significant. Considering that Apple is an x86 PC start-up, though,
that’s a great beginning.
Much in common
I reviewed Apple’s 20-inch iMac, with a 2 GHz Core Duo CPU and 1GB of memory, and a MacBook Pro with a 2.16 GHz Core Duo and
2GB of memory. My review process was straightforward: I used these systems as my sole desktop and notebook computers from
their arrival to the filing of this review.
After more than a month of testing, I can tell you that any trepidation about the performance of Intel’s Core Duo can be set
aside. These are fast machines; not power user fast, but much faster and more responsive than their PowerPC forebears when
running native apps.
iMac and MacBook Pro are not architecturally identical, but they’re close enough to make most distinctions unimportant here.
I was pleased to find that Apple did not just punt Mac’s internal engineering to Intel. As with PowerPC Macs, iMac and MacBook
Pro are assembled from best-of-breed components selected by Apple, leaving Intel to supply primarily the CPU and chipset.
Both of the new Macs hew, more or less, to the feature set of PowerPC Macs. They have slot-loading optical drives, USB 2.0,
FireWire, Gigabit Ethernet, AirPort Extreme wireless, Bluetooth 2.0 with Enhanced Data Rate, and digital video ports. A gaming-grade
PCI Express GPU (graphics processing unit), the ATI Mobility Radeon X1600, gives Intel Macs some scary 2D and 3D graphics
potential. And Airport Extreme now supports 802.11a, a blessing in places where the 2.4 GHz spectrum is overcrowded.
The new Macs’ graphics performance lags behind PowerBook G4’s for some tasks, such as paging through large PDF files with
intricate graphics. Motion graphics, such as Apple’s Front Row media center interface, are often choppy. This strikes me as
a device driver and low-level framework issue that will yield to future software updates. Because it lacks the PowerBook’s
integrated S-Video output, MacBook Pro cannot drive an external Cinema Display or other DVI panel and a video monitor or projector
at the same time.
Cost: As reviewed, 20-inch iMac with 32-bit 2 GHz Core Duo, $1,699; 17-inch iMac with 1.83 GHz 32-bit Core Duo CPU, $1,299. Promotional
financing and mail-in rebates may be available from some resellers.
Platforms: OS X Tiger release 10.4.4 or later; Apple’s Boot Camp modifies iMac to run Windows, and a number of virtualization solutions
for Windows and other x86 OSes are available.
Bottom Line: iMac packs the computer, monitor, and speakers into one chassis in a way that consigns the box-and-monitor PC to the legacy
landfill. iMac is virtually silent and consumed less than 100 total watts of power in testing, yet its performance is excellent
for a 32-bit PC. The integrated wide-aspect display is exceptionally sharp, bright, and evenly lit. The built-in iSight Web
cam, microphone, and speakers equip iMac for A/V conferencing and presentations out of the box. And yes, Virginia, it runs
Windows.
Cost: As reviewed with 2.16 GHz Core Duo, 2GB RAM and 256MB video RAM, $3,099; 1.83 GHz Core Duo, $1,999; 2 GHz Core Duo, $2,499.
Promotional financing and mail-in rebates may be available from some resellers.
Platforms: OS X Tiger release 10.4.4 or later; Apple’s Boot Camp modifies iMac to run Windows, and a number of virtualization solutions
for Windows and other x86 OSes are available.
Bottom Line: MacBook Pro is a step up to the market-changing PowerBook in design and solidly exceeds it in performance, but this notebook
still needs to mature. I had problems with USB devices, and it runs very hot, which may have caused some stability issues.
MacBook Pro is Apple’s fastest and most expandable notebook by far, and some users may never be affected by its shortcomings.
Those who expect Apple’s trademark perfection, though, might want to wait for the next generation.
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