Macworld ’09: 17-inch MacBook Pro With 8-Hour Battery

January 6, 2009 at 10:14 am PT

Next up, the new and expected 17-inch MacBook Pro. Before introducing it, Phil Schiller notes that the MacBook has been the No. 1 notebook computer in the states.

The new machine is largely as predicted. It boasts Apple’s new unibody chassis and a glass touch trackpad. At 6.6 pounds, it’s the world’s lightest notebook. It has a hi-res backlit display. “The best display we’ve ever shipped in a notebook,” says Schiller, with a 60 percent greater color gamut than other machines.

17-inch MacBook Pro

The new Pro has the same glossy screen as its brethren, but thankfully, it’s available with a $50 anti-glare option as well.

Finally, it incorporates a new battery pack that boasts an eight-hour charge life and 1000 recharges, three times the industry standard. It’s not the zinc battery that some observers were expecting, but very innovative nonetheless. There’s a chip in the battery that intelligently monitors an “adaptive charge,” whatever that means. Bottom line: three hours more battery life than previous machines. According to Apple (AAPL), the battery should last five years, which will result in fewer batteries and landfills and makes this 17-inch model a greener machine.

The new Pro 17-inch MacBook starts at $2799 and will ship at the end of the month.

MacWorld 2009 Keynote Photos: 17-inch MacBook Pro

View photos at SmugMug

Tagged with: 17-inch, adaptive charge, anti-glare, battery life, battery pack, charge life, chassis, chip, glass, glossy, John Paczkowski, MacBook Pro, notebook computer, Phil Schiller, recharges, screen, touch trackpad, unibody, world’s lightest, zinc battery

comments so far. Add yours.

Phil Baker

All notebook batteries now have built in chips to monitor and control charging. Without more specifics, this announcement can either be something new or something old.

But up to 8 hours in marketing speak usually means 5 hours. 2 to 3 charges per day for heavy users means the battery lasts about a year and a half. A non-removable battery really seems like a poor tradeoff for longer battery life and a slightly thinner case.