Comments on: MacBook Pro 15″ Core i7 Review

By: Julien

Julien — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 08:25:51 +0000

@ TomA

you might have a runaway application. Check your activity monitor, choose all processes in the bar at the top right. Sometimes an application hogs one cpu core which makes your MBP feel terribly slow if the system tries using this core. Quit the process if there is one.

By: Julien

Julien — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 21:59:41 +0000

When im in my room, and there is no other ambient noise, then i certainly notice the extra noise from the 7200rpm drive the vibrations are much higher. I can deal with, i do lots of copying from the MBP to other drives, and the other way round, the extra speed is awesome, there is around a 30mb/s difference to the 5400rpm drive . The extra noise wouldn’t make me keep the 5400 rpm. All tough at times I miss the near silent operation of macs, i don’t like hearing or feeling vibrations

—>Quoiting Teddy: I have always used windows and I am ready to make the switch to Apple. I know I want the Mac Pro 15 inch. I also understand this summer they are changing it and making it better. Should I wait? Then could you try and explain better the difference between the 512 solid state and 500 7200? I do understand it has no moving parts but that’s about all I understand. I guess think blond.<—-

Lots of differences. SSD use essentially flash memory. It is sooooooo many times quicker then tradition HDD's (7200rpm drive = max 90mb/s, good SATA II SSD = 220 – 300mb/s). you will see your system boot in like 20seconds or less compared to like 45-60 secs. Normal usage will be faster, ie. opening applications, savings things etc. No movable parts ( thus no vibrations, no noise), far less electricity consumption so a better battery life, much more durable then normal HDDs (it would fail when it gets severe bum from dropping it, SSDs also have a lot bigger life span.
SSD's are definitely worth it, but i wouldn't spend 1400 on it (512gb). get a 7200rpm drive, make sure you backup your data, and upgrade to a 512gb SSD in like a year or two.

By: Terry White

Terry White — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 01:11:13 +0000

I don’t, but you may. So you should check one out in person first.

By: Lacy

Lacy — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 01:01:16 +0000

Do you notice vibration and noise? That does concern me.

By: Terry White

Terry White — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:28:42 +0000

Get the 7200.

By: Lacy

Lacy — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:27:11 +0000

Looking to purchase the Macbook pro 15″ core i7 2.66 ghz. Not sure which option to purchase – the 500gb/5400 rmp or the 500gb/7200 rpm? Concerned about the heat, and also vibration and noise. Running the creative suite – all programs. Have you had problems with vibration and noise with your 7200?

By: Terry White

Terry White — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 16:13:08 +0000

It’s hard to say when the new ones are coming, but if you are in no hurry – wait.

By: Teddi

Teddi — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 04:25:38 +0000

I have always used windows and I am ready to make the switch to Apple. I know I want the Mac Pro 15 inch. I also understand this summer they are changing it and making it better. Should I wait? Then could you try and explain better the difference between the 512 solid state and 500 7200? I do understand it has no moving parts but that’s about all I understand. I guess think blond.

By: Terry White

Terry White — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 06:31:05 +0000

And you’ve done what to troubleshoot it?
How about a clean install of the OS and your Apps for starters?
Trash prefs, boot from a different drive, create a test user account, etc.

If it’s running that way out of the box without putting your old, migrated system on it then by all means return it as something is seriously wrong. If you’re having these problems after migrating from your previous computer then I would start to look there as the cause.

By: TomA

TomA — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 05:32:04 +0000

Man, I got a MacBook Pro i7 17″ and have had exactly the opposite thoughts. I hate it. It’s slow as a dog. The Powerbook G4 I had seven years ago was faster. I have spinning cursors on even the simplest tasks. Instant alpha on my 4 year old Core2 was just that–instant. On this piece of crap everything runs slower than the trackpad. I can do two or three instant alphas and then sit back for about ten seconds and watch them happen. It’s not just that, either. In many apps, I can OUT TYPE this dog. I couldn’t out type my SE/30!

One of these days I am going to throw this damned thing across the room. Unfortunately, my office bought it for me while I was out of the country and I got back after the 30 day return deadline.

I’d avoid the new i7/i5 machines like the plague until Apple gets the bugs worked out of them.