Champion performance, very long battery life, full and powerful sound, ultra-thin screen and border, MagSafe charging cable. These are some of the main features of the new MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and Max processor, the latest version of Apple’s most powerful laptop just presented together with the new Mac Mini. We had the opportunity to try the 14-inch model with M2 Pro processor for a few days, here’s how it went.
The main features
The new MacBook Pro has an aluminum shell and a not very light weight (about 1.6 kg). When open, we immediately notice a comfortable backlit mechanical keyboard with a top row of function keys that allow quick access to brightness, microphone, search functions, volume control. Also present is the Touch ID fingerprint reader on the power button while the comfortable interactive Touch Bar on the 13-inch models is missing. Located on the two side edges we find three USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 ports for ultra-fast connections, an SDXC card slot for reading memory cards, an HDMI output for connecting the monitor to external sources and the always useful 3.5mm jack for headphones. Present the always very convenient MagSafe charging connector that attaches magnetically to the MacBook and prevents accidental falls of the laptop if someone inadvertently trips over the cable. The laptop is very stable thanks to four supports on the underside that make typing comfortable both on a table and in less comfortable situations (plane, train, sofa). Battery life is excellent: in our tests we were able to work by opening and closing the Mac several times a day for over three days with a single battery charge and for a day and a half continuously performing complex operations such as photo processing and video editing. The screen, a 14 or 16-inch Liquid Retina XDR, is non-touch but can be seen very well even in direct sunlight or under the spotlights of our television studios, it is bright and returns brilliant and faithful colours. Present a 1080p FaceTime HD camera and three professional microphones that offer excellent quality for video calls and are able to eliminate background noise when we talk (tested in a bar – they work very well). The audio is really excellent thanks to six speakers that also support Spatial Audio.
The new chips
They explain from Apple that thanks to the new M2 Pro and Max processors, the new MacBook Pros are able to speed up, enhance and therefore “transform” workflows in many areas, from art to science to app development. Wide choice of models, you can range from the one with 10-core M2 Pro chip with 16-core GPU up to the top model with M2 Max processor with 12-core CPU and 38-core GPU. Depending on the model, a unified RAM memory of 16 or 32 gigabytes and a 512GB or 1TB SSD storage system are available. Speeds and power management remain impressive whether the MacBook Pro is plugged in or running on battery power. The fans are very silent and are activated only when the processing becomes really complex. The new MacBook Pros also support the new ultra-fast Wi-Fi 6E protocol and an advanced HDMI interface that allows the notebook to connect to 8K monitors up to 60Hz and 4K monitors up to 240Hz.
Our test and our impressions
We were very satisfied with our tests. The MacBook Pro is very reliable, it turns on instantly, one gets the impression that it “doesn’t miss a beat”: never a slowdown, excellent management of many open applications. We’ve tried to “challenge” the MacBook Pro by overloading it with dozens of browser windows open at the same time, video rendering, Photoshop open with an illustration with dozens of layers, emulation of another operating system in the background, and everything always worked fine. hyper-fluid way. The long charging cable is excellent, incredibly powerful sound (it already amazes when we turn on the PC for the first time) and, as we wrote above, a very long-lasting battery that we practically “forgot” to recharge for several days. We found this laptop great for everyday work and versatile, we recommend it to those who need a Mac for work and content creation that is hyper-snappy and immediately operational. During our tests we started working, closed the lid, restarted some time later in another location and then again in a taxi and all the apps performed excellently and it was a great workmate in our hectic days. Another small positive point that we want to underline is Apple’s Migration Assistant: the Mac in just under an hour “cloned” our previous MacBook making us find on the new laptop everything we had on the other, including logins to websites or personal settings: certainly a plus for Apple which can help those who need to change laptops but are afraid of data migration.
MacBook Pro: availability and prices
MacBook Pro – explain from Apple – “was designed to minimize the impact on the environment” and uses 100% recycled materials as regards aluminum (in the shell), rare earths (in the magnets) , tin (in logic board solders) and gold (in printed circuit plating); it also contains 35 percent recycled plastic in various components. According to the prices: they are certainly not low compared to a more traditional laptop but they are certainly in line with the excellent performance that the new MacBook Pros offer. Sold in space gray and silver and with 14 and 16-inch screens, it starts from 2,499 up to 3,799 for the most expensive model.
MacBook Pro with M2 Pro processor: Pros and Cons
PRO
- Performance
- Incredible battery life
VERSUS
- High price (but in line with the services offered)
The new Mac Minis
Along with the new MacBook Pro, Apple also introduced the new Mac mini. The M2 and M2 Pro chips are capable – they explain to us – of bringing professional performance to Mac minis as well, a system that we believe is very useful for creating agile and space-saving workstations. The new Mac minis support up to two monitors on the model with the M2 chip and up to three on the model with the M2 Pro. Thunderbolt 4 connections, traditional USB ports, HDMI, gigabit Ethernet, headphone jack and WI-Fi 6E connection are some of the features of the new models. Prices starting from 729 euros.
Source-tg24.sky.it