While the top end of Apple’s current line-up of laptop models uses Intel’s latest Core i5 and i7 processors, the two 13 inch models instead use the older, less powerful Core 2 Duo chip. In practice, for a lot of users this won’t make a big difference. We tested the more expensive 13inch model against a 15inch Macbook on one of our standard tests, which is how long the computer takes to convert a DVD for playback on an iPhone. The 13inch model was able to process the disc at around 40 frames per second (fps), whereas the 15inch computer ran at 60-80fps, the 15inch model is significantly quicker, but the 13inch is no slouch.

That gives a good guide to the computer performance when it comes to intensive tasks such as video editing or processing a large collection of photos. As a 13inch computer the Macbook Pro is reasonably portable. It’s relatively heavy, partly due to its metal body construction, but it’s still easy to carry around.

There is a CD/DVD drive on one side and two USB ports, the SD memory card reader, Firewire, network sockets and a power connector on the other. Like all Macbooks this one doesn’t have the DVI or VGA socket that a PC has: instead it uses the relatively rare Mini Display port, which is an annoyance as most users will need to buy an adapter. It also connects to wireless networks and Bluetooth devices and comes with 4GB of memory and a 320GB hard disk.

The Macbook Pro is a very satisfying computer to use. The bright and clear screen looked superb in our tests and although it’s glossy it didn’t suffer too much from reflections under bright light. As with all current Macbooks, the keyboard is quite shallow, something we found irritating for long periods of typing.

The glass touchpad was good, though, and supports multi-touch so you can, say, pinch with two fingers to zoom out on the screen. The keyboard is backlit (a soft light shines out from behind the keys), so you can use it relatively easily in the dark. As with all Macs, this one comes with the superb iLife software installed for editing photos, videos and music, as well as the Mac OS X operating system.

Other than our intensive performance test detailed above, the Macbook Pro performed well for general, office and internet tasks. In fact, there’s a model with a 2.4GHz processor instead of the 2.66GHz one, which is £250 cheaper than this. On that basis, we would prefer the cheaper model, which will be equally good for almost all computing tasks. Alternatively, if you want a real performance boost, the bigger screen 15in model is probably a better investment for £250 more.

Good Points : Superb touchpad, good connections
Bad Points : Annoying shallow keyboard, not cheap enough for its power or powerful enough for its price
Price : £1,249
Rating : 3/5