1) First steps (a) Unpacking

Remove your Mac Book Pro from the box and place it on a firm surface near an electric socket. In the box, you should also have

an 85W MagSafe Power Adaptor
a power cord
a DVI to VGA adaptor

(b) Charging

Strip the plastic film from the 85W MagSafe Power Adaptor. Ensure the plug sits properly in the Power Adaptor and place it in the electric socket. Take the other end of the Power Adaptor lead and connect it to the magnetic MagSafe power port on the left-hand side of your MacBook Pro.

If the Power Adaptor lead won’t stretch to your nearest electric socket, remove the plug from the adaptor by pulling it up. Beneath the plug is a socket. Insert one end of the power cord into the adaptor socket and the other into the electric socket.

Please note: always disconnect your MacBook Pro from the electricity by pulling the plugs and not the leads.

An amber light on the MagSafe connector at the power port tells you the MacBook Pro battery is charging. When a green light appears, the battery is fully charged. If no light appears, check the connections and make sure you’ve switched on the electric socket.

(c) Basic features

When you open your MacBook Pro, you’ll find

an iSight camera and camera indicator light at the top of the screen
stereo speakers either side of the keyboard
a power button on the right of the keyboard
a microphone to the left of the keyboard
a trackpad and a trackpad button

From left to right along the front edge of the MacBook Pro are

an infrared (IR) receiver
a sleep mode indicator light
a display release button
a slot-loading SuperDrive

From left to right on the left-hand side of your MacBook Pro are

a MagSafe power port
one USB 2.0 port (15 inch model); two USB 2.0 ports (17 inch model)
an audio line in/optical digital audio in port
a headphone out/optical digital audio out port
an ExpressCard/34 slot

From left to right on the right-hand side of your MacBook Pro are

a security slot for a cable and lock
a USB 2.0 port
a FireWire 400 port
a FireWire 800 port
a Gigabit Ethernet port (10/100/1000Base-T)
a DVI port

Underneath your MacBook Pro is the battery. The battery has a row of indicator lights and a button.

2) Initial set-up (a) Setup Assistant

Switch on your MacBook Pro by pressing the power button. Setup Assistant will come up on the screen.

Setup Assistant takes you through the process of establishing your user account and your email and Internet details. If you have another Mac and want to carry files and applications from it to your MacBook Pro, Setup Assistant will show you how. If you want to transfer such information at a later date, use Migration Assistant instead.

Select the Applications folder
Open Utilities
Double-click Migration Assistant

If you have another Mac you don’t intend to use in the future, and you’ve bought music, audiobooks, films or TV shows with iTunes, de-authorise the computer. For more details, go to the iTunes Help menu and select iTunes Help.

(b) Internet connection

You can connect wirelessly to the Internet using your MacBook Pro’s built-in AirPort Extreme facility. For more information

go to the Menu Bar
select Help>Mac Help
search for “AirPort”

Alternatively, connect an Ethernet cable to the port on the right-hand side of your MacBook Pro. Place the other end in a cable modem, DSL modem or network.

For a dial-up Internet connection

buy an external Apple USB Modem
place it in one of your MacBook Pro’s USB ports
connect a phone lead from a phone jack to the modem

(c) Sleep mode

Use the sleep mode on your MacBook Pro if you stop work for a short period. To start the sleep mode, you have the following choices:

select Apple>Sleep on the Menu Bar
close the screen
press the power button and select sleep in the dialogue box
select Apple>System Preferences; choose Energy Saver; set the timer

Please note: don’t move your MacBook Pro until the sleep indicator light on the front edge comes on. This tells you the hard disc has stopped. If you move the MacBook Pro with the disc still spinning, you can damage the disc and lose data.

To wake your MacBook Pro from sleep mode:

open the screen if you closed it, or
if the screen is open, press any key or the power button

(d) Shut down

If you’ve finished work on your MacBook Pro for the day, shut it down by either

selecting Apple>Shut Down on the Menu Bar, or
pressing the power button and selecting Shut Down in the dialogue box

3) Using the trackpad

With the trackpad, you can:

scroll
Click
double-click
drag
move the pointer

To control the distance you send the pointer across the screen, adjust the speed of your finger on the trackpad:

Move your finger slowly to send the pointer a short distance
Move your finger fast to send the pointer further

Other features of the trackpad include the following:

Two finger scrolling. Scroll in any direction by making the same movements with two fingers on the trackpad.
Secondary or right clicking. Use shortcut menu commands by placing two fingers on the trackpad and clicking the trackpad button.

Some trackpad features apply to certain applications:

Two finger rotating. By rotating two fingers on the trackpad, you can turn images and text.
Two finger pinching. By pinching together and pushing apart two fingers on the trackpad, you can zoom in or out.
Three finger swiping. Flick through a series of images or the pages of a document by swiping three fingers on the trackpad.

If you want to fine-tune and set trackpad options

select Apple>System Preferences
click Keyboard & Mouse
click Trackpad

For more information

select Help>Mac Help
click Trackpad

4) Quick Mac OS X guide (a) Introduction

Your MacBook Pro has the Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard operating system. This controls your applications, files and peripheral devices, and works in a similar fashion to Windows.

(b) The basics

Your basic controls are the keyboard and trackpad. Windows users find they have to use the keyboard and trackpad fewer times on the MacBook Pro to achieve comparable results.

(c) Main features

To help you manage and navigate everything successfully on your MacBook Pro, there are four main features:

Desktop
Dock
Finder
Menu bar

Desktop

Desktop is your starting point each time you use your MacBook Pro. It stores items such as files and images.

The first icon you’ll come across on Desktop is the Macintosh HD (hard drive). Other icons appear when you use the various functions of your MacBook Pro. To view an icon’s files and applications, double-click it.

Also note that

if you connect a device to your MacBook Pro, an icon appears on the Desktop
if you allow other users on your MacBook Pro, each one can have a Desktop
when you run applications, Desktop always lies behind them

Dock

The Dock is a row of icons lying at the bottom of your MacBook Pro screen. Click on an icon to reach the files and applications it contains.

When a window appears on the screen, it has three buttons in the top left corner.

The red button closes the window
The yellow button minimises the window to the Dock
The green button maximises and minimises the window’s size

Finder

The icon on the far left of the Dock is the Finder. Use the Finder to navigate and manage your MacBook Pro’s files and applications.

Menu Bar

The Menu Bar is a line at the top of the MacBook Pro’s screen.

With the Menu Bar, you can

see recent work
view and adjust settings and applications
end applications
interact with a programme
log in and out
put the MacBook Pro into sleep mode
begin restart
switch off your MacBook Pro

Customising desktop

To customise Desktop, select the System Preferences icon in the Dock or Apple>System Preferences on the Menu Bar. For more details of what you can do, select Mac Help and search for System Preferences or for the item you want to change.

5) Connectivity

Your MacBook Pro has a comprehensive range of ports for printers, phones, iPods, cameras, joysticks, hard drives and so on. As well as USB 2.0 ports, you have a FireWire 400 and a FireWire 800. These are ideal for connecting high speed devices such as video cameras.

The DVI port allows you to connect a monitor, TV or projector. If you have a VGA device, then simply use the supplied DVI/VGA adaptor.

Use the audio line in/optical digital audio in port to connect digital audio equipment or a microphone. Use the headphone out/optical digital audio out port for audio equipment, headphones or speakers.

The ExpressCard/34 slot accepts all standard 34mm ExpressCards. Please note that when you want to remove a card, push it gently first.

6) Battery

When you use the MacBook Pro without the MagSafe Power Adaptor, the time you can run the computer depends on your applications and the peripheral devices that are draining the battery’s power. You can save battery energy by removing unnecessary devices and by switching off your AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth® features when you’re not using them.

Press the button on the battery to check the energy level. The lights at the side of the button tell you how much charge you have left, if any. You can also inspect the battery level by simply checking the battery status icon in the Menu Bar.

The battery can be charged at any time. You’ll find you can charge it more quickly, however, when your MacBook Pro is in sleep mode or switched off.

If you want to replace a failing battery with a full charged one, always shut down your MacBook Pro first.

At first sight

Computer manufacturers have responded positively to our demands for laptops that are as functional as possible. Too often, however, the results are machines that are space savers on desks but are not as convenient to carry around or prop on your knees as their name suggests. Apple has therefore gone back to the basic purpose of a laptop – portability – and introduced its light and thin MacBook Air.

When describing Mac Computers, there’s always a possibility that words such as "stylish" and "elegant" will appear too frequently; but when you first come across a MacBook Air, no one can blame you if these words spring to mind. "I want people to see me with this," is the sort of comment that may run through your head. The MacBook Air is sleek: it’s just 4mm (1/6 inch) at the front, tapering out to a mere 19mm (3/4 inch) at its deepest point. It’s also robust: the aluminium casing ensures that thinness doesn’t mean fragility.

Pick up the Macbook Air and you further appreciate what Apple has achieved. At 1.36kg (3 pounds), the MacBook Air easily beats Apple’s previous lightweight, the 2.26kg (5 pounds) MacBook.

With such a drop in weight, you cannot help but wonder if you’re going to open up the MacBook Air to find a tiny screen that causes you to squint and a keyboard that bunches up your fingers. The reality is a 13.3 inch widescreen display and a full size keyboard. What’s more, a large trackpad complements these to give an overall impression that this is a laptop that’s both practical and a pleasure to use.

The technology of the MacBook Air

It stands to reason that Apple has had to surrender some technological capability to make a laptop that’s so thin and that has shed so much weight. Or has it? You still get an Intel Core 2 Duo processor of either 1.6GHz or 1.8GHz with 2GB of memory for both. You also have an 80GB 4,200 rpm hard drive for the 1.6GHz model, a 64GB solid-state drive for the 1.8GHz, and built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR. These specs are easily good enough for most everyday laptop uses.

Hardware

The hardware of the MacBook Air includes

an iSight camera and microphone a mono speaker an infrared receiver a built-in battery an ambient light sensor that adjusts the brightness of the backlit LED screen and brightens the keyboard as necessary

Tucked neatly away in a hatch on the right-hand side of the MacBook Air are also three ports:

a headphone/speaker jack a USB 2.0 port a micro DVI port

A possible hardware concern is the one USB port. By itself such a port is rarely enough, so if you plan to connect a series of peripheral devices at the same time, you’ll need a USB hub. As for the micro DVI port, the MacBook Air comes with useful VGA and DVI adaptors to improve your connectivity options.

You may have noticed by now a hardware omission: the MacBook Air doesn’t have an optical drive. Instead, Apple offers an external 8x SuperDrive. Whether you need this depends on your use of CDs and DVDs. Another choice is to employ Apple’s Remote Disc application so that your MacBook Air connects to a network and links with the optical drive of another Mac or PC.

Remote Disc is very handy because it installs software and gives you access to files. Unfortunately, though, it doesn’t allow you to play or burn CDs and DVDs remotely. When you want to listen to music, or watch a film or TV programme, you must turn to iTunes. If you already own an iPod, this isn’t exactly a hardship.

Software

Apple includes Remote Disc with the usual bundle of MacBook Air software. This software comes with the excellent Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard operating system and offers you everything you’d expect from all other Macs. What’s more, you can swiftly navigate and manage the software with the responsive features of the MacBook Air trackpad.

Battery

The MacBook Air’s battery can give you up to five hours continuous service. Once it dies, however, you may have a problem. The MacBook Air has the battery built in, so you can’t replace it with one that’s fully charged. Your only alternative is to find an electric socket for the MagSafe Power Adaptor, an option that’s not always available if you’re on the move.

MacBook Air performance

For standard tasks such as keeping up with your email, writing, and browsing the Internet, you won’t find a significant speed difference between a MacBook Air and the more powerful MacBook. Some people may still worry about the smaller processor sizes and the relatively slower speeds of the hard drives on both MacBook Air models compared to other Apple laptops. What you have to do, however, is ask yourself why you want the MacBook Air. Complex graphics applications, for example, will certainly strain the processor’s capacity, but then again, if you have this sort of use in mind, you probably need a MacBook Pro anyway.

The fact remains that the MacBook Air is a truly portable all-purpose laptop that performs daily computing jobs extremely well. For most of us, this is precisely what we want.

Conclusion Pros

The MacBook Air is light, thin and unquestionably stylish The casing is robust The 13.3 inch screen automatically adjusts its brightness, thanks to a light sensor The keyboard is full size and lights up in dim conditions There are technology compromises, but most users will notice little difference in speed and responsiveness to a MacBook

Cons

The lower processor and hard drive specs (compared to the MacBook and MacBook Pro) may disappoint some people Inability to swap a dead battery for a fresh one may cause difficulties in some circumstances

First impressions

The previous MacBook Pros were very good indeed. They delivered consistently professional quality and great features. Reviewing next generation MacBook Pros is therefore something of a treat.

An initial glance at the latest models shows nothing new. This isn’t disappointing: the sturdy casings and the smart design are exactly what you want from a superior laptop. The keyboard appears tidier – the result of some minor changes – but apart from that, everything looks as impressive as it always has.

This might suggest that any internal changes are also minor. Not so. When you fire up the MacBook Pros and start putting each model through its paces, you soon realise you’re working with machines that excel expectations.

Technology

To begin with, the processors are Intel 45 nanometer Penryns. These are noticeably faster than the 65 nanometer Meroms installed in the older MacBook Pros, and easily beat the Meroms in all benchmark tests.

The standard processors for the two 15 inch MacBook Pros are 2.4GHz and 2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duos. The 17 inch has the 2.5GHz. Allied to these are enhanced hard drives of 200GB for the 15 inch 2.4GHz, and 250GB for the 15 inch and 17 inch 2.5 GHz.

Of particular interest to the multimedia user is the doubling of the video memory on all three MacBook Pros. The 15 inch 2.4GHz has a NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT with 256MB, and the 15 inch 2.5GHz and 17 inch 2.5GHz have the same graphics processor but with 512MB.

2GB of RAM supports the above technology across the range. The overall results are laptops that cope easily with advanced graphics and audio applications.

Hardware

Each of the three MacBook Pros comes with standard hardware, such as:

slot-loading 8x double-layer SuperDrive

iSight camera

AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth® wireless connections

stereo speakers

FireWire 400 and 800 ports

USB 2.0 ports (two on the 15 inch models; three on the 17 inch)

DVI port

Audio ports

Gigabit Ethernet port

ExpressCard/34 slot

There are also hardware “extras” that help the MacBook Pro stand out from the crowd. These include a powerful lithium-polymer battery; an ambient light sensor that illuminates the keyboard in dark conditions; and an energy-saving LED backlit screen.

These screens are mercury-free and anti-glare, and have resolutions of 1,440 x 900 pixels for the 15 inch models and 1,680 x 1,050 pixels for the 17 inch. With both you have bright, natural and pin sharp images.

Perhaps the best hardware extra of all, though, is the new MacBook Pro trackpad. This now has the multi-touch functions that have proved so popular on the iPhone. By pinching, swiping and rotating your fingers on the trackpad, you have remarkably fast and positive control over the features of the MacBook Pro’s creative software.

Multi-touch does give rise to a slight problem: the size of the trackpad may feel a little small for someone learning the appropriate gestures. That said, once you’re familiar with multi-touch, it’s not difficult to work within the trackpad’s boundaries.

Software

As with all new Macs, the MacBook Pro comes with the best operating system around, the Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard. If you’ve never used Leopard before, its proficiency will delight you. If you’re already a Mac user, you still have something to please you because the new MacBook Pros boost the speed of Leopard and the applications that run off it.

Among these applications is Apple’s latest version of the world’s fastest browser, Safari. This comes with the usual batch of updated Apple software such as Boot Camp, Mail, iChat, iTunes, DVD Player, iPhoto and iLife ’08.

Performance

Experienced MacBook Pro users can load their preferred applications on these latest models and immediately notice the improvements in speed. For example, you can set up Photoshop CS3 in approximately eight seconds on the 15 inch 2.5GHz. You’ll then go on to discover Photoshop runs 20 – 25% faster than a 2007 2.6 GHz MacBook Pro.

Compared to a 2006 MacBook Pro, the differences are even greater. Overall, you can experience speed increases of around 50% across a range of applications. This is good news for all those who want maximum performance from a laptop.

Options

With any laptops designed for professional use, it’s always worth looking at the manufacturer’s options because some people will need a buffer zone of extra speed and power for specific applications.

The configuration options of the MacBook Pro are unlikely to let you down. To give you extra power, you can request a 2.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor upgrade for either the 2.5 GHz 15 inch or 17 inch models. As for RAM, you can upgrade any of the three MacBook Pros to 4GB.

On the 17 inch MacBook Pro, you might want to increase the hard drive to 300GB to provide additional room for space-stealing graphics applications. Similarly, you can ensure the perfect clarity of your images by asking for a 1,920 x 1,200 pixel screen for the same model.

Finally, if you prefer a glossy rather than anti-glare matt screen, you can request this when you place your order, as is possible with most Mac Computers.

Value

With all these upgrades packed into the same shells as the previous MacBook Pro models, you might anticipate a rise in prices. If you do, you’d be wrong. The new MacBook Pros are unquestionably better machines but the prices across the range haven’t changed. The old MacBook Pros were good value, but the latest incarnations are simply excellent for the price.

Conclusion

Want the best laptops from a great manufacturer? Look no further.

Pros

Speedier than the previous generation of MacBook Pros

Double the video memory

Smooth, multi-touch features on the trackpad

Improved battery life

Excellent configuration options

More for your money: no price increase compared to the older MacBook Pro equivalents

Cons

Trackpad may be a little small for novice users

Recent Macbook searches: macbookmart com complaints

Unibody

The MacBook Pro boasts Apple’s new Mac computer design concept: the unibody. The unibody is a laptop casing manufactured with incredible precision from a block of aluminium. The result is not only a laptop that looks fantastic with its brushed finish and smooth edges; it’s also more than capable of absorbing the rough and tumble of life on the move.

Furthermore, the unibody has enabled Apple to make the MacBook Prolighter and thinner. This powerful, feature-packed laptop now weighs just 2.49 kg (5.5 pounds), and at its thickest point is 2.41 cm (0.95 inch).

The monitor

The MacBook Pro’s 15.4 inch monitor is still an LED backlit glossy widescreen with 1,440 x 900 pixel resolution. The fact that these specs haven’t changed is certainly no cause for concern because the quality is first-rate. Apple has managed to enhance it, however, with a glass front that stretches across the whole of the interior surface and does away with a metal frame. The glass looks better, is tougher and lasts longer. It’s also free from arsenic, a toxin released when glass is recycled.

Multi-Touch trackpad

Another striking feature of the MacBook Pro is the larger, more versatile trackpad. The smooth etched glass of the trackpad now has a surface area 39% greater than before. This gives you plenty of room for your fingers to make every trackpad signal.

These signals have also developed, and now incorporate some useful extras. Apple has introduced a four finger swipe, for example, that takes full advantage of the trackpad’s size increase. Swipe four fingers to the right or left, and you trigger Application Switcher. This allows you to view all your open applications. Swipe four fingers up or down, and you prompt Exposé to show desktop or all your open windows.

If you’re more used to right-hand clicking, the trackpad gives you the chance to do this by tapping with two fingers. It’s also possible to arrange for the trackpad to give you a specific right-hand click zone.

Current Mac owners will spot the lack of a button lying along the bottom of the trackpad. Apple has replaced this by simply turning the whole trackpad into a button. In other words, you can click the trackpad anywhere on its surface.

Mini DisplayPort

The new Mini DisplayPort connector on the MacBook Pro is a tenth of the size of a normal DVI port. It provides a fast, no-nonsense method of connecting the 24 inch Apple Cinema Display, or peripherals such as projection systems. Various Mini DisplayPort adaptors also enable you to connect VGA, DVI, and dual-link DVI monitors.

Cinema Display

Apple’s 24 inch LED backlit Cinema Display is the perfect complement to the new MacBook Pro. It’s just what you need if you’re making a presentation, or you just want the advantages conferred by a larger screen. Apple has also designed the Cinema Display so that you can connect and use the MacBook Pro as simply as possible. Similarly, you can disconnect with ease and walk away with the MacBook Pro at short notice.

The Cinema Display’s cable, for instance, branches into three connectors. One of these goes into the new MacBook Pro’s Mini DisplayPort; another plugs into a USB port; and the third is a MagSafe that you connect to the MacBook Pro’s Power Port. In other words, you can display your images on both the MacBook Pro and the Cinema Display; use the Cinema Display’s iSight camera, microphone, and speakers; and charge the MacBook Pro via an adaptor built into the Cinema Display.

NVIDIA graphics

Apple has teamed up with NVIDIA to produce an integrated graphics processor that’s ideal for professional applications and advanced games. The NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT graphics processor comes with dual-link DVI support and, for the 2.4GHz 15 inch MacBook Pro, has 256MB of GDDR3 memory. The memory capacity doubles to 512MB on the 2.53GHz and 2.8GHz MacBook Pro models.

This isn’t the only graphics processor in the new MacBook Pro, however. Recognising that users will sometimes require less intensive power, Apple also installs the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with the main memory. This means you can save battery power by opting for the 9400M whenever you’re working on your day-to-day applications.

Storage

Storage on the new MacBook Pro has increased to 250GB on the 2.4GHz model, and 320GB on the 2.53GHz. Both of these hard drives run at 5,400 rpm, but you can opt to increase the speed to 7,200 rpm if you choose. There’s also a 128GB solid-state drive available.

The environment

Apple’s innovations continue with the MacBook Pro’s environmental credentials. Traditionally, laptop manufacturers have used brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in logic boards; PVC in cables; arsenic in glass components; and mercury in the CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent lamp) backlights of LCD monitors. Apple has successfully eliminated these toxins from the new MacBook Pro.

Apple has also worked hard to ensure every aspect of the design and manufacturing process considers environmental impact. As a result, the new MacBook Pro reaches the gold standard of EPEAT (electronic product environmental assessment tool). EPEAT measures the way in which a product affects the environment; the amount of energy it consumes; and the ability to recycle its parts. A gold rating is proof of Apple’s ecological commitment.

The new MacBook Pro also meets the exacting standards required to give it Energy Star status. In fact, the MacBook Pro uses just 33% of the electricity needed for one light bulb.

A high calibre product

The new 15 inch MacBook Pro has a range of exceptional features as well as industry-leading improvements in technology and green standards. With the unibody, it also has a remarkable design concept. Put all these innovations together, and you have a truly superior laptop.

Bluetooth is one of the features to be found on all Apple MacBooks. Like wifi, it allows the MacBook to communicate wirelessly with a variety of Bluetooth devices like mouses, mikes, headsets and other electronic devices. It's perhaps not so well-known as other MacBook connectivity modes so this article by Andrew Clarke is a good source of useful Bluetooth information:

Understanding the Apple MacBook and Bluetooth Connectivity

You should know whether your MacBook supports Bluetooth connections. However, latest Apple laptops have internal Bluetooth component. If you're using an earlier Mac laptop without built in Bluetooth, though, you're certainly out of the Bluetooth loop. Even so, you don't have to pitch your faithful Mac if it doesn't yet communicate to other Bluetooth-enabled devices! You can add Bluetooth feature to your Macbook with a widely available USB Bluetooth adapter. A regular Bluetooth adapter sells online for approximately $30.

Your external Bluetooth adapter should have automatic data encryption capability, which can protect your Macbook if there's a Bluetooth cracker within about thirty to sixty feet of your Macbook. The adaptor may link with up to eight other Bluetooth devices as the same time. (Come to think of it, if there are a lot of people within 60 feet of your MacBook Pro during a LAN party bash, you'll guess this feature really is important!) You'd expect any modern and high-tech operating systems like Mac OS X should come with basic Bluetooth supports. You'd be right; however Apple goes one step further.

Your Macbook comes with System Preferences and utility software to help you get your Macbook connected with nearby Bluetooth devices.

Choose the System Preferences icon located in the Dock. With the Bluetooth pane, you can

* Create new Bluetooth devices. Just click the 'Set Up New Device' to open the Bluetooth Setup Assistant utility, which sets up other Bluetooth devices for connection with Leopard. Read the onscreen instructions to configure a number of common Bluetooth gadgets (including mice, cellphones, keyboards, and printers), or you can also choose Other, Setup Assistant will looks for other Bluetooth devices and adjust the settings so that those devices are ready to party with your MacBook. Be sure that Bluetooth devices are discoverable and in range (available for connection with your Macbook) before you open the Bluetooth Setup Assistant utility. Read your user manual to understand how to set a Bluetooth device as "discoverable", the device should be about twenty feet away (or less) from your laptop.

* Set up Bluetooth connections. Choose the Advanced button to establish, remove, enable, or disable a Bluetooth connection, using a Bluetooth connection as virtual serial port (for the simple file transfer) or as virtual modem (for bidirectional transfer, including using Internet connection through a Bluetooth cellphone).

You may also specify if a Bluetooth port should be encrypted.

It is recommended that you activate the Show Bluetooth Status located in the Menu Bar check box. Luckily, the Bluetooth menu allows you to conserve power by disabling your Bluetooth feature until you need it. It is quite convenient to toggle your Macbook's discovery status and also configure a device or send a file. It's also easy to know which devices are connected to your Macbook.

If you won't be connected with Bluetooth devices while you are on the road, disactivating a Bluetooth service on a Macbook will help save battery power. There is another handy Bluetooth resource, the Bluetooth File Exchange. You have to launch Bluetooth File Exchange the old-fashioned way; just go to your Utilities folder, inside the Applications folder. It's quite similar to a traditional file transfer protocol (FTP) application, choose the Bluetooth File Exchange icon to go to the file selection dialog; then browse the file you want to send to a connected Bluetooth device. You can also choose to browse the file in other networked Bluetooth device so that you know what the user of that device is offering.

You may also configure your default settings for file exchange in the Sharing pane, which is located in the System Preferences. Just click the Sharing icon and then choose the Bluetooth Sharing check-box to display the setting parameters. Here you can manage what Leopard does when you get files or PIM (Personal Information Manager) data with Bluetooth File Exchange. For example, with this setting, Leopard can

Ask you for permission to receive a file or Personal Information Manager item

* Accept any files and PIM items without any prompting or restriction

* Keep all incoming items and files to a specified folder

* Restrict file-sharing only for the items and files in the specified folder when other Bluetooth devices browse your MacBook.

It is recommended that you use these default setting in Leopard for file exchange:

* You know when someone's sending you something.

* Anything you receive will be saved in your Downloads folder.

* If you turn on the File Transfer, you can allow others to see the content of your Public folder.

Even so, feel free to enable, disable, and adjust the setting to your heart's content.

Buy Used Macbooks online from the Used Macbook Store.

Find Macbook Bluetooth Devices at the Used MacBook store.

Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Clarke

Everyone likes a fast computer and MacBook owners are no exception. We've all found that, over time, our MacBooks tend to slow down somewhat. It's often something we don't notice on a daily basis but when we take the trouble to optimize our MacBook the effects can be very rewarding. In this article Larry Camacho gives 15 terrific tips on how to speed up your MacBook:

Why is My MacBook Running Slow?

There are many reasons why your MacBook might be slow. Many of them have to do with how your computer's being used. One good way is upgrade your RAM. OSX uses up a 512 RAM nicely; if you're running several other tools, you might need a 1 or 2 GB RAM, perhaps more. However, before you invest in a RAM upgrade, read the following best practices to increase your MacBook's speed:

Close unused applications: MacBooks need nearly 512 MB of RAM for the smooth operation of OSX alone. Additional applications running simultaneously will bring the performance down, even if you have a 2 GB RAM.

Restart your computer at regular intervals: Sometimes a simple restart will solve most performance issues.

Clean out Startup Items: Navigate to Apple Menu - System Preferences - Accounts - Login Items and remove any applications that you don't need at startup. Note: Make sure you do not delete anything that is critical to your MacBook's performance.

Update your System Preferences setup: If you don't use tools such as Universal Access, Bluetooth, Speech Recognition, and Internet Sharing regularly, keep them turned off until you need them again. You can do this from your System Preferences window. Turning off unused applications saves a lot of RAM.

Update your Other System Preferences: In the bottom pane of your System Preferences window, you will see some general preferences that are labeled Other. If you notice any preferences that you don't care for, or that you use occasionally, disable it, or remove the preference from the /Library/PreferencePanes folder.

Evaluate if you have the latest software: You might be using an Intel Mac, but some of your software may be running under the Rosetta translator. Rosetta allows applications that were originally built for a PowerPC processor to run on an Intel chip. If you must use Rosetta, make sure that the applications that are running under this platform are upgraded to the latest available patch. Try App Update widget will help with this.

Clean out irrelevant code: Most softwares are both PowerPC and Intel friendly. To optimize your MacBook to utilize the processor speed efficiently, use a utility like XSlimmer or Monolingual strip out unnecessary code in your software. This action gains you double benefits; applications run faster, and disk space is saved.

Note: If you're currently using a PowerPC Mac and you anticipate a possible migration to Intel, you might want to defer running XSlimmer until you've made the transition. If not, all the programs that you slimmed for PowerPC will be running under Rosetta on your Intel Mac, unless install the applications again.

Remove unused languages and translations: Your MacBook comes with multi-lingo localization options. However, you might not be using all of them. Use Monolingual to remove the language option for the languages you will not need. Important note: Monolingual will also remove any unnecessary architecture from your system, while keeping your applications safe.

Keep your MacBook cool: Make sure your MacBook's fan does not very hot. Your MacBook will slow down when the processor heats up. The Fan Control utility allows you to change the threshold for turning the MacBook's fan on and off. With a cool processor, you can maximize performance, though this might shorten your battery's life a bit.

Do you need all those Widgets? Evaluate the widgets on your Mac OS X 10.4.x Dashboard and disable the ones that you do not need; you will save both your RAM and your processor energy by doing this.

Use Apple's Activity Monitor to optimize processor power: By using this tool, you can monitor CPU usage, RAM requirements, virtual memory usage, and see if an application is a PowerPC or Intel (Universal) build.

Clean your hard disk: Doing this will enhance your MacBook's performance greatly.

Run repair tools on your hard disk: OnyX, Cocktail and TinkerTool are good options for this task. Run both the maintenance and the cleaning options in OnyX and also set up scheduled routines

Buying a new machine will cost a lot of money and will take time and more money to set up. Perform the optimization tasks outlined in this article and your MacBook might just perform like a brand new machine.

Larry Camacho is an article author for various resources such as Mac-How.Net. Larry Camacho knows how to deal with the "MacBook running slow" issues!

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The MacBook Pro 17" is the largest of the Apple notebook range and offers fast computing with a huge display. Although not as portable as the smaller MacBooks, the MacBook Pro 17" has its own niche of happy users. In this review Nadav Snir goes into a lot more detail:

Apple MacBook Pro 17 Review - Super Speed, Lower Price

Are you a video editor, graphic designer or one of the high end users? What do you seek in a high end notebook? You cannot afford to miss this one - the Apple MacBook Pro 17 with great processing power and larger screen. This is the cream of the Apple MacBook Pro range of laptops. Some of the immediate advantages of the notebook include large screen, inertia scrolling, extended battery life, audio output through the MiniDisplay Port connection and ability to switch between the graphics chips.

The laptop includes a 2.53GHz Intel Core i5 instead of the 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo in previous generation. Thus the notebook has improved speed of at least 10 percent faster than the earlier model. The higher powered Nvidia GeForce GT 330M graphics processor replaces the Nvidia GeForce GT 9600M processor while the energy efficient Intel HD Graphics replaces the Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics processor. Apple has introduced an automatic switching mode between the two graphics processors which seamless switch between themselves automatically.

The Turbo Boost function of the Intel Core i5 processor enables the processor to increase the speed of active cores dynamically while other cores are not in use. This is done on demand and automatically runs down when the increased power is not in use. As a result, the hyper-threading of the processor contributes immensely to energy saving. When using just one core, the processor can run up to 3.06Hz. The higher energy efficiency of the processors hands the battery of the Apple MacBook Pro 17 an extend life of up to nine hours.

For users whose applications include such programs as Photoshop and Cinebench (they use multiple threads), they will benefit from a larger screen size and an extra 256MB graphics memory. Save for the faster graphics processing power and larger screen, the Apple MacBook 17 shares similar specifications as the Apple MacBook 15.

Apple have scored on two fronts with their latest release; faster processing power and reduced price for the new entrants. Perhaps this is in order to encourage their customers to embrace the latest generation MacBook Pros while discouraging them to use the older versions. Whatever the reason, the new generation notebooks are better, cheaper and more appealing than the previous ones.

If you have discount coupons from Apple, you stand to save on this and other Apple products. In case you do not have them, please apply for some online.

Kindly read many other Apple MacBook Pro 17 review s to get blue skies on the Apple products before you purchase.

About the author:

Nadav Snir operates a website which includes coupons and discounts to the best electronics stores on the web. To get those discounts, visit: http://Great-Info-Products.com/Electronics/index.html

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The popular MacBook Pro 15" notebook by Apple recently underwent another upgrade, with improved features and specifications. The MacBook Pro 15" is one of Apple's more popular machines, favored by graphics professional as it combines a bigger screen with more powerful processors, yet remains quite portable. In this article Robin Chung offers a detailed review of its newest iteration:

Macbook Pro 2011 15 Inch Review

The rumor mill ran wild following the highly anticipated Macbook pro refresh. Liquid metal, standard SSDs, higher-res, updated design were among the false reports. What has changed however are the internals. Questions like: is this model worth upgrading to, or should I wait for the new model, will be answered in this article. Let's start with the changes.

Hardware

The model under the microscope is the high-end 15" model, which contains a 2.2ghz Sandy Bride quad core i7 processor, 4gb ram and a 6750m from AMD. That's a big upgrade from the previous generation. I've also opted for the high-res screen, which is a given in my (mac!)book. *pun intended*

Apart from the high-end 15" Macbook pro, Apple also offers two 13" models and a single 17" machine. Across the board each model enjoys a faster processor, faster ram and thunderbolt.

The latter is very interesting and a first for any laptop on the market! I'm actually not going into too much detail about it but basically it's Intel's answer to USB. The connection is capable of transferring video, audio and data, all simultaneously at very high speeds. That means that a DVD movie will transfer to external storage in about 6 seconds once supported hardware comes out.

When deciding between models realize that the 13" models all share an Intel HD 3000 graphics as sole provider. This is a source of frustration for gamers out there because the chip is pretty weak for modern games. The smaller models also use the gaps between the keys as speaker holes and lack a subwoofer; expect a slightly more tin sound.

The 17" model has a 1920×1200 display and similar specs to the 15" Macbook pro. This is both a good and bad thing. The good thing is that you'll have slightly more screen real estate but gaming on native resolution will definitely struggle.

Body

As noted Apple has retained its famous unibody design for this generation of Macbooks. I don't consider this a bad thing. Built from a single piece of aluminum, this laptop is very scratch resistant and clean looking. My previous Macbook Pro (same design) definitely withstood the test of time. (not a single scratch!)

In my view this is the best looking laptop apart from the Macbook Air. Its design is very symmetrical. Everything is exactly where you'd expect it to be. Like how the speaker holes match the vertical space used by the keyboard keys. The width of the hinge also perfectly matches the horizontal keyboard space. Using a combination of black and silver, Apple managed to create something very aesthetically pleasing. However I'd have loved to see some Macbook Air elements take over. The battery indicator for one seems unnecessary to me and the DVD super drive is bound to disappear. Guess we can expect those changes in a redesign later on.

Still the Macbook Pro 2011 is among the sturdiest and best looking laptops out there, a real winner!

Display

The 15" model comes standard with a resolution of 1440×900. This can be upgraded to 1680×1050, something everyone should do. Apple uses a high-end TN display, so still no IPS unfortunately.

The viewing angles are decent. It's possible to read text and distinguish details at any angle. However, inevitably, the screen washes out from the sides, especially grays become yellowish; notice the app store panel lines. I also noticed that the screen has a weak-spot for lower and upper angles. Even at a small degree colors started to fade. This is why we want IPS panels, they're just noticeably better at this. Still the Macbook Pro has one of the better screens out there. Colors really pop and the pixel density feels just right. People looking for ultra-realistic color reproductions will have to look at production screens, what else is new?

For the first time ever Apple managed to jam a HD facetime camera into the glossy display. This is a logical step in the evolution of video calling between Apple devices. To test this I called my laptop using the iPhone 4 and configured the facetime app.

Calling is easy and direct. Simply click a phone number or e-mail in your contacts and the system will attempt to set up a facetime call. This process can sometimes take a little longer depending on the network, but after the initial process it's usually a smooth ride. The image is crisp and pleasing; but without being overwhelming. The image is still soft, and comparable to Logitech solutions at best. Still for such a small camera that's a solid achievement.

Benchmarks

Now it's time to put the internals to the test. This is Apple's fastest notebook offering so my expectations were sky high. First thing I wanted to have a look at is the battery. Apple advertises 7 hours of battery for every Macbook Pro model it offers. That's down from 8-10 hours for the previous generation. Most of this is probably due to the faster processor and a new way of testing that supposedly better represents real world results.

I fully charged the laptop and left the settings at default. The brightness sensor was turned on for more realistic results. During the test I used everyday apps like Microsoft words and Safari. To mix things up some light 3D work was thrown into the mix.

6 hours battery recorded

Very decent results. It's still not at the point of an entire workday but does very well especially considering it has a thirsty quad-core working at all time. Macbook Air is king in the battery department.

Geekbench

This popular mac-benchmarking tool is often used as standard to calculate hardware speed. Unfortunately the free version only runs in 32bit, so the ultimate speed should be a bit faster even. Mind you: the other macs also ran in 32bit mode.

2010 model: 5395

2011 model: 9981

So for the people still in doubt whether this speed bump is considerable; here's your answer. It's almost twice as fast!

Xbench

This free benchmarking tool is a great way to get a clear picture of the machine. Not only does it give a score, it also compares the strength and weaknesses of each mac. To prevent incidental scores, this test was run three times and averaged out the following score.

2010 model: 228 - 218 - 486

2011 model: 387 - 248 - 758

The Macbook Pro outperformed its predecessor easily. The cpu score increase may not look like much, but the i7 was already a screamer and to make a 30 point jump over that is a lot. Also considering that the dual core → i7 gap is equally large.

Application test

The time it takes to launch an app is essential for a proper user experience. The Air does really well at this so I used it as the benchmark. The Macbook Pro comes with a new generation of 750gb 5400rpm drives. The extra data density and latest Seagate technologies should give it the edge over previous Pro-models. But how close can it get to its SSD speedy thinner sister?

Both machines woke from a cold boot when they put down these scores. It looks like the Macbook Air is 2-3x faster. Now some smaller applications:

Macbook Air:

iTunes: 2 sec

iPhoto '11: 4 sec

Words '11: 4 sec (8 sec incl template)

Macbook pro:

iTunes: 4 sec

iPhoto '11: 9 sec

Words '11: 7 sec (17 sec incl template)

Quite a difference and it's noticeable. Having used both machines sometimes the Pro feels slower. I should note that once applications have been opened, speeds do improve a lot. Opening up Photoshop for a second time only takes 4 seconds. But from a cold boot the Air conquers all. Luckily users are free to upgrade the RAM and Storage later on as SSD prices continue to drop. I can't wait!

700mb video conversion

Now this one is a biggie. Let's see how Intel's Sandy Bridge fairs in a pure processor intensive task; converting a movie to the iPhone format. To test this I installed a video converter from iSkysoft and loaded up a 700mb.avi movie. Settings were left at default and the target file was set to "iPhone 4, mp4", with 640×480 pixels.

Macbook Air: 50 minutes (time to complete)

Macbook Pro: 10 minutes

Now mind you the Macbook Air has a 1.86ghz dual core processor compared to the Sandy Bridge quad core i7 2.2ghz from the Pro model. That's two generations behind and lacking two extra cores; it shows. This is the strength of the current Macbook Pro generation; it really is a portable workhorse. It should also be shared that the Macbook Pro's processor kept a 20 ~ 25% margin at all time, whereas the Air kept pushing its limits.

Gaming

This particular model comes equipped with a Radeon 6750m 1gb GPU. That's up from the Nvidia 330m 512mb present in previous Macbooks. Now it's time to see how much difference a year makes. Games were either tested in Mac natively or under Bootcamp (windows 7, 64bit).

Crysis

Released in 2007, Crytek had set the bar for hardware for many years now. And still new products struggle to run the game at anything beyond 1920×1080 res. I first attempted a run at 1024x 768 pixels, comparing it to last year's outing.

Macbook Pro 2010: 41fps (medium)

Macbook pro 2011: 57fps (medium)

That's pretty good and I actually got a little daring. So I upped the resolution to 1670×1050 (native, BTO), and ran the same tests.

Macbook Pro 2011 (native resolution, high): 23

Using the native resolution some gamers may want to divert to medium settings. Still for a laptop these are really decent scores!

Company of heroes

Games like COH have turned out to be real classics. Playing skirmish is still a blast and because the game is from 2007, high settings should be on the cards. I turned every dial to maximum and held my breath.

Minimum: 1.8fps

Average: 65fps

Maximum: 132

For no apparent reason, Company of Heroes can be run at full and the game still looks terrific. The minimum was 1.8fps, but upon further investigation this only happened once for a split second. So seemingly the system was doing something in the background which caused some momentarily instability.

F1 2010

Codemasters' latest racer. I used the latest 1.01 patch (DX11) and the internal benchmarking tool, which includes a full grid lap around the Silverstone circuit. Remember that DX11 settings are only used in the ultra range.

1680x1050 2xAA

high: 42fps average

ultra: 20fps average

The game performance is really good for a midsized laptop. It should be said though that the fan speed went pretty wild during some of the peak moments. In fact sometimes they sometimes hit 2500+rpm for seemingly no reason. Here are the temp and decibels produced, according to internal readings and an iPhone decibel app.

Temps, fans, noise

To get a good reading I played Civilization 5 (mac native, though lazy port) for a few hours and kept steady track of the db throughout. The ambient was dead silent apart from some occasional cars/talks etc. I cut those out and calculated the average.

38db - 46.3db. With an average of 42.6db. This may or may not ring any bells, but in human language; the fans were audible but stayed in check. They would be too loud for a dramatic scene in a movie, but gameplay wise it's fine.

The fans didn't start kicking in until about 20 minutes into the game, after which they remained steady at about 2700rpm each. Temps clocked at the following:

Intel CPU: 67 degrees Celsius (idle: 46) | or 153 Fahrenheit (idle: 115)

AMD GPU: 65 degrees Celsius (idle: 45) | or 149 Fahrenheit (idle: 113)

This again may or may not tell a lot but in any case the Macbook wasn't complaining and the case felt warm at best. Note though that it's early spring now and things could be different mid-June. But from experience I think everything's just fine.

Conclusions

The Macbook Pro 2011 is a great upgrade over the previous models. Most changes are internal and it shows. The speed increase is pretty dramatic, making this the first real portable "Mac pro". It comes at a price though. The fantastic unibody design sometimes struggles to keep the hardware at bay. It should also be noted that they're still very expensive and that users with shallow pockets could be forced into using Intel graphics. Not a great thing for a $1200+ laptop. This particular model however is as good as it gets; despite, in Apple world, now looking like the run of the mill.

Now to answer your questions. For me 2010 Macbook pro owners shouldn't feel rushed to upgrade, in fact 13-inch gamers shouldn't at all. And yeah you could wait for a redesign, it's always possible. But deciding to wait at the beginning of a product cycle seems like a silly thing to me. It's like saying: yeah I'll wait for the next model 'cuz it will have everything I could wish for. The thing is; that may or may not be the case but consider this: the model after that will be even better. So buy it now (just launched) if you want/need it.

score 4.5/5

Macbook Pro review

I'm Robin Chung. In my spare time I like to write articles and stories. My ultimate dream is to write a life altering story for a lot of readers. Feel free to visit my website and learn more!

Robin Chung

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The MacBook Pro 13" is the workhorse of the MacBook range, more durable than the classic white polycarbonate MacBook, more robust than the skinny MacBook Air and less expensive (and easier to carry) than the MacBook Pro 15" or MacBook 17". It's a favorite with students, small businesses and people who want a good basic Apple notebook computer. The MacBook 13" has recently been upgraded and here, Stephanie Coolbaugh offers a great review:

MacBook Pro 13 Review - Apple Makes a Mark Again With Its 2011 Notebook's Launch

Apple launched the new 13-inch MacBook Pro in February this year. Because of its enhanced processing speed and affordable price tag; it is becoming very popular among the MacBook fans. It has received a major technology upgrade & boasts of integrating an Intel Core i5 processor & a webcam claiming to support FaceTime HD, all in one notebook barely an inch thick. It is also one of the earliest devices to have the Thunderbolt high-speed connectivity. The old features that Apple has retained include the uni-body aluminum chassis, the glass touchpad and also the endearing backlit keyboard.

Most customers returned a positive MacBook Pro 13 review. The 4.6 pounds machine has the dimensions, 12.8 x 8.9 x 1 inches, the same as its predecessor, but is a little heavier. It can slip into your handbag very easily and can be easily carried around. The notebook is very sturdy, but the cover, carved from a single piece of metal, can get scratched very easily. We recommend investing in a custom-fit cover to protect your machine.

The ports are all lined up neatly on the left side; including a gigabit Ethernet jack, MagSafe power port, two USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port (backward compatible), Intel's new Thunderbolt connector, a SDXC card slot and an audio in/out port for your headphones. The biggest change is the memory card reader/writer option, which is extremely in transferring multimedia files. The indicating lights on the front left side, tells you about the remaining battery life. A security-lock slot and a slot-loading optical drive are located on the right side of the chassis. It features a Dual-layer DVD burner; but a glaring omission is Blu-ray support.

Our MacBook Pro 13 review reveals many reasons why you should buy the machine if you are looking for a new notebook this season, some of these reasons are:

• Excellent battery life; claiming to run for more than 7 hours
• Robust yet a luxurious body design
• Excellent software package
• Fast overall performance; it can easily handle even your multimedia projects
• The glass touchpad and the back-lit keyboard with well-spaced keys are two of the most attractive feature of this sleek device

We admit that this notebook is not perfect & still has room for improvement. Listed below are some of the reasons for our disappointment:

• No Blu-ray drive is present
• The battery is non-user replaceable; Apple tech support required for replacement
• The graphic performance is less than in the last version
• The screen resolution is lower than that of the 13-inch MacBook Air
• The glossy screen is not a good idea as it produces glare
• The rear bottom gets quite heated up on prolonged operation