Over the past 3 years on these pages we have successfully challenged the myth that the Apple G4/G5 platform was the best and most powerful platform for music production. We have shown that, feature for feature, pound for pound and dollar for dollar, the MusicXPC is a much better value than any comparable Apple computer. Apple have now seen the light themselves and abandoned the noisy, impotent G5 platform in favor of the Intel platform. This is the same platform Apple has lampooned for years. Well the truth was that the Intel platform had left the G5 in the dust and had moved so far in front that the proud folks at Apple had no choice but to buckle. If you can't beat them join them. So we can say that we no longer have processor wars with Apple, because they have adopted our platform. We will continue our focus on making the best computers for the musicians and producers who are our customers on the Intel platform. Still the best platform.
| MacBook Pro 15" [MA609LL] | Professional M4 | |||
| PROCESSOR & RAM | ||||
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo | Intel® Core 2 Duo | ||
| Speed | • |
2.16 GHz | 1.83 GHz | |
| Cache | • |
4MB | 2MB | |
| Front Side Bus | 667 MHz | 667 MHz | ||
| RAM Speed | DDR2 667 | DDR2 667 | ||
| RAM Size | 1 GB | 1 GB | ||
| RAM Maximum | • |
3 GB | 2 GB | |
| Chassis | Aluminum | Alloy | ||
| STORAGE | ||||
| Optical Drive | DVD+/-RW/CD-RW | DVD+/-RW/CD-RW | ||
| Write Speed | 24x16x8x6 | • |
24x24x8x8 | |
| Hard Drive | Serial ATA | Serial ATA | ||
| Hard Drive Speed | 5400 rpm | 5400 rpm | ||
| Hard Drive Size | • |
120 GB | 100 GB | |
| Total Drive Bays | 1 | 1 | ||
| DISPLAY | ||||
| Screen Size | 15.4" | 15.4" | ||
| Screen Type | TFT display | TFT Display | ||
| Max Analog resolution | • |
1440 x 900 | 1280 x 800 | |
| Max Digital resolution | • |
2560 x1600 | 1600 x 1200 | |
| VIDEO & GRAPHICS | ||||
| Video RAM | 128MB | DVMT, up to 224 MB | ||
| Built-in Camera | Yes | Yes | ||
| Video In | none | • |
Composite | |
| S-Video out | Yes | Yes | ||
| TV out | Yes | Yes | ||
| Monitor output | Yes | Yes | ||
| COMMUNICATIONS | ||||
| Wireless Networking | 802.11g | • |
802.11 a/b/g | |
| Bluetooth | • |
2.0+EDR | None | |
| Ethernet/LAN | Gigabit 10/100/1000 BASE-T | Gigabit 10/100/1000 BASE-T | ||
| EXPANSION | ||||
| PC Card slot Type II | none | • |
1 | |
| Media Card Reader | none | • |
4-in-1 (SD/MMC/MS/MS PRO) | |
| ExpressCard/54 slot | none | • |
Yes | |
| ExpressCard/34 slot | Yes | Yes | ||
| PCI Express | 16X | 16X | ||
| USB 2.0 | 2 | • |
3 | |
| FireWire 800 | • |
1 | none | |
| FireWire 400 | 1 | • |
1 + 3 on PC Card Bus | |
| AUDIO | ||||
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes | ||
| Built-in Speaker | Yes | Yes | ||
| Audio Resolution | 16-bit/48kHz | • |
20-bit/96kHz | |
| Headphone Out | Yes | Yes | ||
| Stereo Line In/Out | Yes | Yes | ||
| INPUT | ||||
| Built-in Keyboard | 78 keys |12 function keys | • |
85 keys |12 function keys | |
| User Customizable Keys | none | • |
2 | |
| Numeric Keys | blended | blended | ||
| Touch Pad Buttons | 1 | • |
2 | |
| Touch Pad Scroll | Yes | Yes | ||
| External Optical Mouse | none | • |
Yes (optical) | |
| Kensington Lock | Yes | Yes | ||
| Control Switches | Apple Remote | Wireless, Media panel | ||
| BATTERY & POWER | ||||
| Battery | 60-watt-hour [Sony] | 53-watt-hour | ||
| Power Adapter | • |
85W | 75W | |
| DC Input | 18.5V DC | • |
19.0V DC | |
| ENVIRONMENTAL | ||||
| Operating Temperature | 10° - 32°C [50° - 90°F] | • |
5° - 35°C [41° - 95°F] | |
| Max Operating Altitude | 3,000m [10,000 ft] | 3,000m [10,000 ft] | ||
| Relative Humidity | 10 - 90% non-condensing | 10 - 90% non-condensing | ||
| Frequency | 50 - 60Hz | • |
47 - 63Hz | |
| Line Voltage | 100 - 240V AC | • |
90 - 264V AC | |
| RoHS Compliant | Yes | Yes | ||
| SIZE & WEIGHT | ||||
| Length | 243 mm [9.6"] | 262 mm [10.3"] | ||
| Width | 357 mm [14.1"] | 360 mm [14.2"] | ||
| Height | 25 mm [1.0"] | 29 mm [1.1"] | ||
| Net Weight | 2.54 Kg [5.6 lbs] | 2.9 Kg [6.0 lbs] | ||
| PRICE & WARRANTY | ||||
| Operating System | Mac OS X Tiger | Microsoft Windows XP® | ||
| Retail price | $1,999.00 USD | $1,999.00 USD | ||
| HPA Recovery System | none | • |
Yes | |
| Free Telephone Support | 90 days | • |
2 years | |
| Standard Warranty | 1 year | • |
3 years | |
| 3-year warranty cost | $349.00 | • |
FREE | |
| Carrying Case | none | • |
Yes |
• means better