Macworld have finally put the MacBook Pro through its paces and done a lab test. The results? The PowerBook G4 significantly beat the MacBook Pro and iMac Core Duo on Photoshop CS2, but nothing else. The iMac Core Duo is generally faster than the MacBook Pro, but barely (except on disk intensive applications). This is leading me to think that a MacBook Pro in about 9-12 months' time won't be a bad investment, but my PowerBook G4 17" is perfect for now.

If complilation or intensive code testing is your thing, though, David Heinemeier "Rails" Hansson has found certain tests to run 3.3 times faster on his new MacBook Pro. He also reports the whole system feeling snappier, and that multitasking is much improved (naturally, due to the dual cores).

In the battery life stakes, Macworld kept both a 15" PowerBook and a 15" MacBook Pro playing a DVD constantly. The MacBook Pro conked out at two hours and three minutes, with the PowerBook following four minutes later. It's nothing conclusive, but it appears the MacBook Pro isn't significantly worse when it comes to battery life at least.

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