Apple MacBook Pro 13in (Mid 2010) review

£1,249 inc VAT

Manufacturer: Apple

Our Rating: We rate this 4 out of 5

By Andrew Harrison | PC Advisor | 26 August 10

A 15in widescreen is a good balance between portability and productivity. But sometimes you may prefer a notebook that's a bit smaller. Our first efforts to review the new 13in Apple MacBook Pro were thwarted by issues with Apple’s Boot Camp drivers, which prevented our Windows benchmarks completing.

Expert Review
User Reviews
Technical Specs
Our Verdict

A 15in widescreen is a good balance between portability and productivity. But sometimes you may prefer a notebook that's a bit smaller. Our first efforts to review the new 13in Apple MacBook Pro were thwarted by issues with Apple's Boot Camp drivers, which prevented our Windows benchmarks completing.

Related Articles

Now remedied with updated drivers, the Apple MacBook Pro produced a WorldBench 6 score of exactly 100 points, so it has comparable performance to PC World Labs' reference desktop machine, with 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E6600, nVidia 7900GS graphics and two 7200rpm disks in a striped RAID 0 array.

Unlike its 15in brothers, the 13in Apple MacBook Pro runs last year's Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Instead of auto-switching dual-graphics technology, the 13in takes a single nVidia GeForce 320M. This packs less power than the 15in's nVidia 330M, but is more useful than Intel's integrated GMA HD.

As well as helping to show a clearer upgrade in performance between 13in and 15in models, the selection of venerable Core 2 Duo chippery almost certainly has a technical basis.

Given space and thermal issues, a discrete graphics card was out. And if Apple had opted for an Intel Core i3 or i5, it would been saddled with only an Intel GMA HD controller; in effect, the Apple MacBook Pro 13in would have received a graphics downgrade.

Two versions of 13in Apple MacBook Pro are offered, with 2.4GHz (£999) or 2.66GHz (£1249) Core 2 Duo, their other differences resting in disk capacity of 250GB and 320GB.

Both arrive with 4GB of DDR3 RAM, and feature two USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 800, SD card slot and gigabit ethernet. Wireless connectivity is a dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n adaptor, along with Bluetooth 2.1.

In graphics tests, this Apple MacBook Pro averaged 27fps in FEAR at Maximum detail, and 55fps at High settings. Battery life is pegged by Apple at up to 10 hours in its native Mac OS X environment. We tested in Windows with MobileMark 2007 Productivity, where it lasted around 6 hrs 20 mins.

NEXT: our expert verdict >>

Apple MacBook Pro 13in (Mid 2010) Expert Verdict »

Post Review

2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8800
3MB L2 cache
13in (1280 x 800) LED-backlit glossy display
Mac OS X 10.6.4 Snow Leopard
320GB 2.5in 5400rpm SATA HDD
4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1066 RAM
2 x USB 2.0
FireWire 800
gigabit ethernet
SD card slot
dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
combo audio in/out jack
MagSafe power connector
63.5Wh lithium-polymer battery
227x325x24mm
2.04kg

Build Quality:
Features:
Value for Money:
Overall:

You can save half a kilo on the 15in version with the 13in Apple MacBook Pro, although last season’s CPU and integrated graphics means you lose the faster performance. Yet the baby MacBook Pro still offers build quality, attention to detail and software unmatched by comparable Windows notebooks.

There are currently no price comparisons for this product.

Apple MacBook 2.1/2.4GHz laptop

Apple's MacBook update brings an improved hardware architecture, faster system bus and more robust graphics.
Apple MacBook 2.13GHz (white)

If price plays a greater role in a shopper's buying decisions during tough economic times, Apple's recent updates to its entry-level laptop, the white, Â£749 MacBook, should help push some cost-conscious consumers over the laptop-buying fence.
Apple MacBook Pro 13in (Spring 2010)

The latest crop of MacBook Pro laptops from Apple has several new features, such as a new generation of Intel processors, improved dual graphics and increased battery life. Most of the changes, however, are relegated to the 15in and 17in models.
Apple MacBook (2.26GHz; Late 2009)

The MacBook is the best-selling Mac model in Apple's history. So it makes a lot of sense that Apple has given its entry-level white laptop a considered makeover - UPDATED 8 JAN 2010
Apple MacBook Pro 13in (Early 2011)

The Apple MacBook Pro 13in may look outwardly identical to last year's model, but it's received some substantial internal revisions - making it faster... yet also slower and shorter-lived.

Share this article

Comments

Send to a friend

Email this article to a friend or colleague:

Recipient's name *

Recipient's email *

Your name *

Captcha *

PLEASE NOTE: Your name is used only to let the recipient know who sent the story. Both your name and the recipient's name and address will not be used for any other purpose.