The 17" MacBook Pro Notebook Computer from Apple is a powerful notebook computer with an innovative aluminum unibody design. It is loaded with advanced power management features and an integrated battery, which work together to provide up to 7 hours of wireless web browsing.

You may notice an unfamiliar logo next to one of the ports on the left side of the system. This is Thunderbolt, a high-speed interface that can move data at an amazing 10Gbps, which is double that of USB 3.0. The Thunderbolt port also doubles as a display output because it shares the same physical form factor as a Mini DisplayPort. You can daisy-chain up to six devices, so you'll be able to connect high-speed external storage and an external Apple LED Cinema display via the same port!

The computer's 17" display features LED backlight technology and a glossy finish. Its 1920 x 1200 native resolution gives you ample screen space to work with. You'll be able to output to an external display at up to 2560 x 1600 via Thunderbolt. Any Mini DisplayPort-compatible display will plug in without the need of an adapter. If you have a display with DVI, VGA or HDMI input, you'll only need to purchase an adapter cable (i.e., HDMI-to-Mini DisplayPort) for connection.

You'll be able to communicate with friends and family thanks to built-in support for FaceTime chat. The computer's FaceTime HD camera supports 720p HD video chat via the included app. You can make video calls to other Mac users with FaceTime as well as to anyone with an iPhone 4, iPhone 4S or an iPod touch model with a built-in camera.

The system is powered by a quad-core 2.4GHz Intel Core i7 processor. The computer is loaded with 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 750GB 5400rpm hard drive and a SuperDrive DVD burner. You'll be able to connect to the Internet with ease via 802.11n Wi-Fi or wired Gigabit Ethernet. The MacBook Pro also features built-in Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, which allows you to connect wireless headphones, keyboard, mice and other compatible peripherals without a hassle.

Graphics are handled by integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics, which gives you the best of both worlds in regards of battery life and performance. The MacBook Pro uses integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics for everyday use, such as web browsing and word processing. It is also capable of HD video playback.

The computer features a comfortable backlit chiclet-style keyboard, which features space between each key for improved accuracy and comfort when typing. It also sports a glass Multi-Touch trackpad with a clickable design. Rather than having a separate button for mouse clicks, the entire surface of the pad is clickable. This increases the active surface area and allows you to quickly click without having to maneuver to the bottom of the trackpad.

The trackpad also fully supports Multi-touch gestures. You can tap the trackpad with one finger to click, tap with two fingers to right click, scroll through documents using two fingers, pinch to zoom, navigate through Safari or iPhoto with three-finger left and right swipes or use two fingers to rotate a photo or PDF.

iLife '11 has a complete suite of digital creativity applications. Easy enough for anyone to use, iLife '11 will help you edit your home movies, organize digital photos and compose original music. iLife '11 includes iPhoto, iMovie and GarageBand.

The 64-bit Mac OS X Lion features Time Machine backup, which automatically backs up system data to an external hard drive. It also features intuitive Cover Flow navigation, the powerful Spotlight search tool and Quick Look document preview. You'll be able to use Boot Camp to run Windows on your Mac, if needed.

Key Features

Revolutionary Thunderbolt Technology

Developed by Intel with collaboration from Apple, high-speed Thunderbolt I/O (input/output) technology delivers an amazing 10 gigabits per second of transfer speeds in both directions. Built into the MacBook Pro, the Thunderbolt port allows you to connect to new Thunderbolt-compatible peripherals as well as existing USB and FireWire peripherals using simple adapters. You'll be able to move data up to 20 times faster than with USB 2.0 and more than 12 times faster than with FireWire 800, and you can daisy-chain multiple high-speed devices without using a hub.

And because Thunderbolt is based on DisplayPort technology, you'll be able to connect to a high-resolution display from the same port. Any Mini DisplayPort display plugs right into the Thunderbolt port, and you can also connect displays that use DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, or VGA connections with an existing adapter. You'll also be able to include your display into a daisy-chained set of peripherals.

Next-Generation Quad-Core Intel Processor

This MacBook Pro is powered by a second-generation Intel Core i7 quad-core processor, which provides breakthrough digital media management, content creation, and 3D gaming capabilities. With updated Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0, the latest Core i7 increases speed automatically for whatever you're doing, dynamically accelerating performance to match your workload.

Intel's Hyper-Threading Technology enables each core of your processor to work on two tasks at the same time, delivering the performance you need for smart multitasking. And you'll enjoy a rich set of new features for a stunning and seamless visual experience with no additional hardware. The Core i7 processor also provides faster access to the installed RAM, with an integrated memory controller to connect fast 1333 MHz memory directly to the processor.

With new microarchitecture, the graphics processor resides on the same chip as the central processor and has direct access to the 6 MB of shared L3 cache--helping your applications run at peak performance. And an integrated video encoder enables HD video calls with FaceTime, while an efficient decoder gives you long battery life when you're watching DVDs or iTunes movies.

Automatic Graphics Switching

The MacBook Pro offers excellent graphics flexibility with two video processors--the discrete AMD Radeon HD 6770M processor (with 1 GB of GDDR5 video memory) for heavier workloads and an integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor for better battery life on the go. When gaming or using processor-intensive applications like Aperture or Final Cut Pro, you'll appreciate the power of the AMD Radeon HD 6770M, which lets you see more frames per second and experience better responsiveness. And the automatic graphics switching feature determines which graphics processor an application needs and switches instantly between the processors.

Buttonless Multi-Touch Trackpad

With no button on the glass trackpad, there's more room to track and click--left, right, center, and everywhere in between. Without a separate button, the trackpad gives your hands plenty of room to move on the large, silky glass surface. It also incorporates Multi-Touch gestures--including swipe, pinch, rotate, and four-finger swipe. And it also now supports inertial scrolling, an intuitive way to scroll through large photo libraries, lengthy documents and long web sites.