The latest laptop from Apple, the 17-inch MacBook Pro, is a leap
forward in laptop performance, especially for video. That it blows away
previous Apple laptops is not much of a surprise, given the Intel Core
Duo processor and high-bandwidth architecture. But that it outperforms
most desktops is impressive. It has the kind of power that makes it the laptop for video professionals, hands down.

The new processor and architecture provide slightly more performance
than they did in the recently released MacBook Pro 15-inch model. Both
Intel-based models far exceed the previous G4 laptops. However, the
performance gains may not be fully realized by all third-party software
until native Intel versions of the software are released. As of this
writing, the native Intel-based versions of the major Adode/Macromedia
programs have not been released. Where you see obvious and immediate
performance boosts is in the Apple OS itself, as well as in Apple’s
professional programs, including Final Cut Studio.

There are loads of features that are worth noting and talking about,
and much has been said already in the general press, so I won’t go into
all that here. My comments will focus on its use and value as a
production machine for video power users.

The 17-inch screen is bright and clear. You can put two script or
budget pages side by side, without overlapping. The 1680 x 1050 screen
resolution provides a nice environment for graphics programs and Final
Cut Pro. I performed HD editing in both HDV and DVCPRO HD without
problems. (An option for a 1920 x 1200 display would be even more
interesting.) When you use the Desktop Cinema Display option in FCP, it
delivers a full screen HD image that’s really good- no wait, make that
great- for a laptop.

The 100 GB 7200-rpm hard drive is adequate for editing small amounts of
25 Mbs HDV or 100 Mbs DVCPRO HD. I was able to get two streams of
DVCPRO HD with a long real-time dissolve between them to flow smoothly
in FCP HD using Smart RT. It started to choke when a third stream was
added- a limitation of the drive, more than the bandwidth, of the
machine. By accessing the third stream from an external FireWire hard
drive, it worked fine. Obviously, any serious volume of HD material
will require some kind of external storage. But for shorter-form work,
there are about 50 usable Gigs on the main drive after accounting for
the OS and application software. All that being said, it’s very cool to
be able to edit this quality of material on a laptop without resing
down or dealing with unwanted motion artifacts.

For those who need a lot of fast external storage, the solution may lie
in the Sonnet Technologies Tempo Sata Express 34, a newly announced
ExpressCard/34 interface that contains two external 300Mb/s Serial ATA
(SATA) ports and fits into the expansion slot on 15- and 17-inch
MacBook Pro laptops. It supports up to 10 drives when used with a port
multiplier drive enclosure.

At 6.8 pounds, it’s the lightest laptop available for its size and is
easily portable. (Some PC-based laptops weigh over three pounds more.)
This made it easy for me to test it in the field with a Panasonic
AG-HVX200 (DVCPRO HD on P2 cards) and the AJ-PCS060G P2 Store Drive.
All the devices ran on battery, and were relatively small and
lightweight.

I shot 24 frame 100 Mbs DVCPRO HD for 20 minutes per 8 GB P2 card. Then
I put the P2 card in the P2 Store, which transferred the data to the P2
Store’s internal hard drive and reformatted the card while I shot on a
second P2 card. I then transferred the data into FCP from the P2 Store
via USB. Another option is to use the camera’s FireWire port to
transfer the data directly from the camera to FCP in the computer,
though this ties up both units until the process is done. But this lets
you view and edit HD while you’re still on the set or location- a big
plus. And, you’re doing it all on lightweight, battery-powered
equipment. (The laptop battery can last over four hours.)

There are a couple of desirable video-friendly features, however, that
existed in the previous G4, 17-inch laptop, that were eliminated on
this model. Strangely enough, this model eliminated the Media Card
Reader slot, which would accept the P2 cards directly. (It’s been
replaced by the EV-DO Express card slot, a faster, more modern slot,
but not compatible with media cards, such as the P2.) Also eliminated
is the S-video port. However, there’s a DVI output and a powerful video
card that will drive a 30-inch external Apple display or VGA, S-Video
or composite video via adapters.

This machine is big enough and powerful enough to satisfy most
demanding applications. A serious piece of gear, it will be the subject
of much techno-lust on the set, in the field, on the plane or anywhere
production gets done.