Lets get this straight. This is a great laptop from Apple, with only 3 minor glitches that seem to occur as a result of a “mid-life-crisis”. Usually occurring in the following order, they consist of: Battery swells and dies (remove it if it’s bulging as it’ll wreck the trackpad) Optical drive plays up (stops seeing disks intermittently) and finally, fan bearing fail and the laptop starts making a crunching whining sound). However, as with all Mac kit, it still soldiers on after some 5 years of service….
The Apple MacBook Pro “Core Duo” 2.16 15-Inch features a 2.16 GHz “Core Duo” processor (T2600), with two independent processor “cores” on a single silicon chip, a 2 MB shared “on chip” level 2 cache, a 667 MHz frontside bus, 1.0 GB of 667 MHz PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM, a 100.0 GB hard drive with “Sudden Motion Sensor” technology, and a 4X single-layer DVD±RW/CD-RW SuperDrive. It also includes an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics processor with 256 MB of GDDR3 video memory and dual-link DVI functionality, and a 15.4″ widescreen 1440×900 TFT active-matrix display (a glossy display option was available).
Like the PowerBook G4/1.67 15″ (HR) that preceded it, this model has the same fiber-optic-based “ambient light sensor” that adjusts keyboard illumination and screen brightness, the same “scrolling TrackPad”, and the same AirPort Extreme (802.11g), Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire “400″ port, two USB 2.0 ports, optical digital audio in/out, and DVI out.
However, the MacBook Pro models drop the Firewire “800″ and S-video out ports provided by the PowerBook G4/1.67 15″ (HR), substitute a new ExpressCard/34 expansion slot for the standard Type I/II PC card slot, and drop the internal modem. The MacBook Pro also includes a built-in iSight video camera, an Apple Remote for use with Apple Front Row, and a new “MagSafe” power connector that safely disconnects if someone accidentally trips over the cord.
| Introduction Date: |
February 14, 2006* |
Discontinued Date: |
October 24, 2006 |
| Processors: |
1 (2 Cores) |
Geekbench: |
2660 |
| Processor Speed: |
2.16 GHz |
Processor Type: |
Core Duo (T2600) |
| Details: |
The Intel “Core Duo” (T2600) processor includes two independent processor “cores” on a single silicon chip. |
| Custom Speeds: |
N/A |
Architecture: |
32-Bit |
| Processor Upgrade: |
Soldered |
FPU: |
Integrated |
| System Bus Speed: |
667 MHz |
Cache Bus Speed: |
2.16 GHz (Built-in) |
| Details: |
667 MHz frontside bus. |
| ROM/Firmware Type: |
EFI |
EFI Architecture: |
32-Bit |
| L1 Cache: |
32k/32k |
L2/L3 Cache: |
2 MB (on chip) |
| Details: |
Includes a 2 MB shared “on chip” level 2 cache that runs at processor speed. |
| RAM Type: |
PC2-5300 DDR2 |
Min. RAM Speed: |
667 MHz |
| Details: |
Supports 667 MHz PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM. |
| Standard RAM: |
1.0 GB |
Maximum RAM: |
2 GB |
| Details: |
1 GB installed as a single module. One slot free. |
| Motherboard RAM: |
None |
RAM Slots: |
2 |
| Video Card: |
Radeon X1600 |
VRAM Type: |
GDDR3 SDRAM |
| Details: |
The ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256 MB of GDDR3 SDRAM uses a 16 lane PCI Express bus. |
| Standard VRAM: |
256 MB |
Maximum VRAM: |
256 MB |
| Built-in Display: |
15.4″ Widescreen |
Native Resolution: |
1440×900 |
| Details: |
15.4″ color “matte” widescreen TFT active-matrix display with a 1440 by 900 native resolution. Starting May 16, 2006, a “glossy” display also was available as a custom configuration. Apple reports that either display also supports “1280 by 800, 1152 by 720, 1024 by 640, and 800 by 500 at 16:10 aspect ratio; 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 at 4:3 aspect ratio; 1024 by 768, 800 by 600, and 640 by 480 at 4:3 aspect ratio stretched; 720 by 480 at 3:2 aspect ratio, [and] 720 by 480 at 3:2 aspect ratio stretched.” |
| 2nd Display Support: |
Dual/Mirroring |
2nd Max. Resolution: |
2560×1600 |
| Details: |
Simultaneously supports native resolution on the internal display and a maximum of 2560×1600 on an external display. |
| Standard Hard Drive: |
100 GB (5400 RPM) |
Int. HD Interface: |
Serial ATA (1.5 Gb/s) |
| Details: |
Hard drive uses a Serial ATA (1.5Gb/s) bus. |
| Standard Optical: |
4X SL “SuperDrive” |
Standard Disk: |
None |
| Details: |
Apple reports that this single-layer write, double-layer read DVD/CD-RW SuperDrive has a maximum write speed of “4x DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD+RW, and DVD-RW; 24x CD-R; [and]10x CD-RW” and read speed of “8x DVD-ROM; 6x DVD-ROM (double layer DVD-9), DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW; 4x DVD+R (double layered) and DVD-R (double layered); [and] 24x CD”. |
| Standard Modem: |
None |
Standard Ethernet: |
10/100/1000Base-T |
| Details: |
An external Apple USB Modem (56.6k v.92) was offered for US$49. |
| Standard AirPort: |
802.11a/b/g |
Standard Bluetooth: |
2.0+EDR |
| Details: |
AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g) and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR standard. |
| USB Ports: |
2 (2.0) |
Firewire Ports: |
1 (400) |
| Details: |
Two 480-Mbps USB 2.0 ports. One Firewire “400″ port. |
| Expansion Slots: |
ExpressCard/34 |
Expansion Bays: |
None |
| Details: |
One ExpressCard/34 expansion slot. |
| Incl. Keyboard: |
Full-size |
Incl. Input: |
Trackpad |
| Details: |
Apple reports that the integrated keyboard has “78 (US) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys, 4 arrow keys (inverted “T” arrangement), and [an] embedded numeric keypad.” It also includes a fiber-optic-based “ambient light sensor” that automatically “measures ambient light and works with integrated software to adjust keyboard illumination and screen brightness based on user preferences”.The trackpad supports “two-finger scrolling, tap, double-tap, and drag”. |
| Case Type: |
Notebook |
Form Factor: |
MacBook Pro |
| Apple Order No: |
MA601LL |
Apple Subfamily: |
MacBook Pro |
| Details: |
The Apple order number should be unique to this system. After May 16, 2006, the subfamily formally is “15-inch Glossy”. |
| Apple Model No: |
A1150 (EMC N/A) |
Model ID: |
MacBookPro1,1 |
| Battery Type: |
60 W h Li-Poly |
Battery Life: |
3.5-4.5 Hours |
| Details: |
Apple originally stated that battery life “depends on configuration and use”. On April 24, 2006, Apple changed this to “4.5 hours” formally confirming that battery life was less than the PowerBook that it replaced. |
| Pre-Installed MacOS: |
X 10.4.5 (8G1453) |
Maximum MacOS: |
X 10.6.8* |
| Details: |
*This system can run the last version of Mac OS X 10.6 “Snow Leopard”. However, it cannot boot in 64-bit mode nor does it support “OpenCL”. It cannot run versions of Mac OS X more recent than 10.6.8. |
| Minimum Windows: |
XP SP2 (32-Bit)* |
Maximum Windows: |
Vista, 7 (32-Bit)** |
| Details: |
*Apple’s Boot Camp only supports the 32-Bit version of Windows XP SP2 or higher. |
| MacOS 9 Support: |
None |
Windows Support: |
Boot/Virtualization |
| Dimensions: |
1.0 x 14.1 x 9.6 |
Avg. Weight: |
5.6 lbs. (2.54 kg) |
| Details: |
In inches while closed – height by width by depth, (2.59 cm, 35.7 cm, 24.3 cm). |