Pro photographer Gary Baildon slips a new MacBook into his workflow

Apple Mac is the computer brand of choice for many photographers. In my own studio I use a 13-inch MacBook, chosen for its light, compact and travel-friendly yet powerful attributes. However, the new 15-inch MacBook Pro has a little more screen real estate, and the advantage of a faster processor and a FireWire 800 port (13-inch MacBooks are USB 2.0 only). It was going to be an interesting test, and a great opportunity to compare two of the best portable computers available, particularly when tethered to my recently purchased 24-inch LED display.

My workflow is already 100 per cent Apple-based, so the MacBook Pro slotted in quickly and easily. A simple transfer of my vital settings and applications from the 13-inch machine (wirelessly via OSX’s built in utilities) and we were ready to go.

STABILITY

OSX Leopard is the onboard operating system and it’s solid, stable and intuitive; and, in true Apple fashion, you needn’t spend any time messing with the software.

From the moment you fire up the Mac it does what it’s supposed to do and keeps on doing it without fuss, crashes or hard-to-find device drivers. The bundled software is excellent, too. With iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iTunes, Garage Band, Photo Booth, iWeb, iSync and much more on the hard drive, you already have a very capable machine without spending an extra cent.

Those who need or wish to use Windows can load Microsoft’s operating system to this Intel-based Mac and run it either in dual boot format or inside OSX as a virtual machine.

PROGRAMS

Of course, the cornerstone of any pro photographer’s workflow is a program from neither Microsoft nor Apple, but Adobe’s Photoshop, and more and more photographers are now partnering it with Adobe’s Lightroom. It’s the subject of another review altogether (see the final instalment of Hans Weichselbaum’s in-depth series from p58) but I can put my hand on my heart and say I now couldn’t live without Lightroom.

But while these applications are powerful, they also require lots of processing grunt and memory. Many a computer has suffered under the strain of these mega-apps that increase demands on resources with every subsequent release. The fact that cameras are upping the megapixel count with almost every new model just adds to the pressure.

The MacBook Pro, which in the base configuration supplied for review had a 2.53GHz processor and 4GB RAM, didn’t flinch at running several Adobe CS4 apps at the same time, and did everything it was asked of without complaint. Whether capturing live from the camera, editing in Lightroom or processing in Photoshop, it never missed a beat.

MIX ’N’ MATCH

I also use a 2.8GHz 24-inch iMac in the studio, and I’d have to say that the combination of the MacBook Pro and the Apple display offer virtually the same performance while giving you the flexibility to disengage the two and take the MacBook out on the road at a moment’s notice. In daily use the 15-inch machine didn’t feel much bigger or heavier in my bag than the 13, but the extra screen size, FW800 port and the significantly improved speakers were most welcome. The 15-inch screen made life easier on location, too, without the need to lug another monitor along.

CONCLUSION

Would I consider changing my 13-inch MacBook for a 15, despite the new range starting at $3499 and going all the way up to $4998? Yes. For all the reasons above — and also the less tangible ones such as pride of ownership, aesthetics and a cool factor of 11 (on a scale of 10).

APPLE MACBOOK PRO – SPECS AS TESTED

Manufacturer: Apple
Model: MacBook Pro 15-inch
Processor: 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Storage: 320GB HDD
RAM: 4GB
Disc Drive: DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, 256MB DDR3 SRAM
Connectivity: Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire, USB2.0 x 2, SD card slot, audio in/out
Dimensions: 364 x 24.1 x 249mm (W/H/D)
Weight: 2.49kg

CONTACT

www.apple.co.nz

Pros

• Stylish
• Durable
• Sizzling performance
• Excellent battery life
• Relatively cool running

Cons

• Cons? What cons? This thing rocks!

Design                      18
Performance             18
Features                   19
Image Quality           18
Value for money       17

TOTAL     90/100

This article if from D-Photo issue 31.

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