MacBook Pro Late 2008

The MacBook Pro "Core i7" 2.8 15-Inch (Unibody/Late 2008) is a build-to-order configuration of the 2.5 17-Inch (Early 2008/Penryn) model, documented separately for clarity. Other than the processor, these two models are identical.

With a black and silver design reminiscent of the Aluminum iMacs, the "Unibody" MacBook Pro "Core 2 Duo" (Late 2008) models feature an all-new case milled from a single block of aluminum for enhanced strength and a superior finish.

This Apple MacBook Pro is powered by a 45 nm "Penryn" 2.8 GHz Intel "Core 2 Duo" processor (T9600) with two independent cores, a 6 MB shared L2 cache, and a 1066 MHz frontside bus. It includes 4 GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (PC3-8500) in pairs, a 320 GB Serial ATA (5400 RPM) hard drive, and an 8X DL "SuperDrive." It boasts dual graphics processors: a NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT with 512 MB of dedicated GDDR3 SDRAM and a NVIDIA GeForce 9400M with 256 MB of shared DDR3 SDRAM. The display is a 15.4-inch LED-backlit widescreen TFT active-matrix "glossy" screen with a 1440x900 resolution.

Connectivity includes an ExpressCard/34 slot, AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 2.0 ports, one Firewire "800" port, optical digital/analog audio in/out, and a "Mini DisplayPort" for external displays up to 2560x1600.

In addition to the new case, the "Unibody" line offers a new "no button" glass "multi-touch" trackpad with four-finger gesture support, a faster architecture with an improved system bus and memory, and significantly faster dual graphics processors compared to the "Early 2008/Penryn" models it replaced.

As the top-tier custom configuration of the late 2008 Unibody MacBook Pro, this 2.8 GHz model boasted exceptional performance for a notebook of its time. In CPU-intensive tasks, it outperformed the standard model by about 11%, comfortably meeting professional demands. The combination of its beautiful design, solid unibody construction, and the flexible performance management of its dual graphics system were defining characteristics of this generation. The buttonless glass multi-touch trackpad was also praised as an innovation in usability. Despite its high price, its performance and quality were recognized by many power users as a worthwhile investment.