MacBook Pro (15-inch, Unibody, Late 2008)
Carved from one piece of aluminum, with a glass trackpad and dual GPUs.
Overview
Apple built this MacBook Pro from a single milled block of aluminum, making the case stiffer and thinner than the older parts-assembled design. The 15.4-inch LED-backlit display kept 1440 by 900 pixels, with a glossy finish by default and an anti-glare option.
Inside were 2.4 or 2.53 GHz Core 2 Duo processors, DDR3 memory and two graphics chips: an integrated NVIDIA GeForce 9400M for battery life and a 9600M GT for performance. A large glass trackpad with no separate button supported multi-finger gestures, and Mini DisplayPort replaced DVI.
FireWire 800 and an ExpressCard slot remained, and the design stayed with only small changes for the next four years.
Why it mattered
Set the unibody aluminum design that defined the Mac laptop for about a decade.
At a glance
- Announced
- October 14, 2008
- Released
- October 14, 2008
- Discontinued
- June 8, 2009
- Launch price
- $1,999
- Chip / processor
- Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.4 or 2.53 GHz
- Display
- 15.4"
- Storage
- 250 GB, 320 GB
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- Aluminum unibody construction
- Glass multi-touch trackpad
- Dual NVIDIA graphics with switching
- Mini DisplayPort
- Backlit keyboard
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Display
- Size
- 15.4-inch
- Type
- LED-backlit glossy widescreen
- Resolution
- 1440 x 900
Chip
- Chip
- Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.4 or 2.53 GHz
Memory
- RAM
- 2 GB DDR3, expandable to 8 GB
- Storage options
- 250 GB or 320 GB hard drive
Ports
- Ports
- 2 USB 2.0, FireWire 800, Mini DisplayPort, ExpressCard/34, Gigabit Ethernet
Connectivity
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11n
Camera
- Camera
- Built-in iSight
Design
- Weight
- 2.5 kg (5.5 lb)
Software
- Launch OS
- Mac OS X 10.5.5
How it compares
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