Apple MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2006) vs Apple MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2012)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleMacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2006) | AppleMacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2012) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | February 2006 | June 2012 |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 15.4″ | 15.4″ |
| Resolution | 1440 × 900 | 1440 × 900 or 1680 × 1050 (better) |
| Panel | – | TN LCD |
| Brightness | 300 nits | – |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| Display type | Widescreen TFT display with millions of colours. Exact panel technology and refresh rate unpublished in the maker sources read. | 15.4-inch LED-backlit widescreen display, millions of colours; TN technology identified in Macworld's comparison test of its Mid-2012 non-Retina unit. Refresh rate and brightness unpublished by Apple. |
| Screen finish | – | Standard glossy screen; configurable to a 1680 × 1050 higher-resolution glossy or antiglare screen |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | Intel Core Duo 1.83 GHz (MacBook Pro Early 2006), Intel Core Duo 2 GHz (MacBook Pro Early 2006) or Intel Core Duo 2.16 GHz (MacBook Pro Early 2006) | Intel Core i7-3615QM, Intel Core i7-3720QM or Intel Core i7-3820QM |
| CPU cores | 2 | 4 |
| CPU threads | – | 8 |
| Graphics | ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (128 MB GDDR3) or ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (256 MB GDDR3) | NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M (512 MB GDDR5) or NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M (1 GB GDDR5) |
| Memory | 512 MB, 1 GB or 2 GB | 4 GB or 8 GB (better) |
| Storage | 80 GB to 120 GB | 128 GB to 1 TB (better) |
| CPU | Dual-core Intel Core Duo at 1.83 GHz or 2.0 GHz, with a 2.16 GHz build-to-order option restricted to the 2.0 GHz base. Each has 2 MB shared L2 cache and a 667 MHz frontside bus. The January-announced 1.67 GHz configuration was replaced before shipping and is excluded. | Quad-core Intel Core i7-3615QM at 2.3 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.3 GHz and 6 MB L3 cache, or Core i7-3720QM at 2.6 GHz with up to 3.6 GHz and 6 MB cache; the higher base is configurable to Core i7-3820QM at 2.7 GHz with up to 3.7 GHz and 8 MB cache. Exact identities documented by EveryMac. |
| GPU | ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (128 MB GDDR3); ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (256 MB GDDR3). GPU memory varies with processor configuration. | Intel HD Graphics 4000 plus NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with automatic graphics switching; 512 MB GDDR5 on the 2.3 GHz base or 1 GB GDDR5 on the 2.6 GHz base and its 2.7 GHz upgrade |
| Memory type | 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM in two SO-DIMM slots, up to 2 GB. Lower base has 512 MB; higher base has 1 GB. | 1600 MHz DDR3 memory; 4 GB on the 2.3 GHz base, configurable to 8 GB as two 4 GB modules; 8 GB on the 2.6 GHz base. Configurations retain the maker-supported 8 GB ceiling, excluding larger aftermarket upgrades. |
| Storage type | Lower base has an 80 GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA drive, configurable to 100 GB or 120 GB. Higher base has 100 GB and supports 120 GB; 100 GB was available at 5400 or 7200 rpm. Slot-loading 4× SuperDrive writes DVDs but does not write double-layer DVDs. | 2.3 GHz base has a 500 GB 5400 rpm hard drive; 2.6 GHz base has 750 GB at 5400 rpm. Either offers 750 GB at 7200 rpm, 1 TB at 5400 rpm or 128/256/512 GB SSD; the lower base also offers 750 GB at 5400 rpm. Configurations list the distinct capacities; the two 750 GB rotational-speed options remain explicit here. Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive. |
| Battery and size | ||
| Battery life (maker's claim) | Up to 4.5 hours | Up to 7 hours |
| Battery capacity | 60 Wh | 77.5 Wh (better) |
| Weight | 2.54 kg (better) | 2.56 kg |
| Thickness | 25.9 mm | 24.1 mm (better) |
| Width × depth | 357 × 243 mm | 364 × 249 mm |
| Battery life detail | Removable 60 Wh lithium-polymer battery; up to 4.5 hours in Apple’s test. Maker reference weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. | Built-in 77.5 Wh lithium-polymer battery; up to 7 hours wireless web under Apple's test conditions. Reference weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. |
| Charger | 85 W MagSafe Power Adapter | 85 W MagSafe Power Adapter with cable management |
| Materials | Aluminium enclosure | Aluminium unibody enclosure |
| Colours | Silver | Silver |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | 2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack, MagSafe | 2 × USB-A, Thunderbolt, MagSafe, Ethernet, headphone jack, SD card slot |
| Wi-Fi | AirPort Extreme 802.11g | 802.11n; compatible with 802.11a/b/g |
| Bluetooth | 2.0 + EDR | 4.0 |
| Webcam | Built-in iSight camera | 720p FaceTime HD |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Port detail | 2 USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400, Gigabit Ethernet, MagSafe, dual-link DVI, ExpressCard/34, separate combined optical digital audio input/line input and combined optical digital audio output/headphone output, and Kensington lock slot. VGA adapter included; composite/S-video adapter optional. | Two USB 3 ports up to 5 Gb/s, Thunderbolt up to 10 Gb/s with native Mini DisplayPort output, Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire 800 up to 800 Mb/s, SDXC, MagSafe and separate digital/analogue audio line input and output; Apple iPhone headset remote and microphone supported. Kensington lock slot and built-in SuperDrive; no HDMI port. |
| External displays | One external display up to 2560 × 1600 alongside the built-in screen through dual-link DVI; included VGA adapter, optional composite/S-video adapter. | Built-in screen plus one external display up to 2560 × 1600, with millions of colours; DVI, VGA, dual-link DVI or HDMI audio/video through separate Mini DisplayPort adapters |
| Keyboard | Full-size backlit keyboard with ambient light sensors, 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys and four arrow keys; embedded numeric keypad | Full-size backlit keyboard with 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys, four arrow keys and ambient light sensor |
| Trackpad | Scrolling trackpad with a separate button; two-finger scrolling, tap, double-tap and drag. | Glass Multi-Touch trackpad with inertial scrolling, pinch, rotate, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap and drag |
| Speakers | Built-in stereo speakers | Stereo speakers with subwoofer |
| Microphones | Built-in omnidirectional microphone under the left speaker grille | Omnidirectional microphone |
| In the box | MacBook Pro, removable battery, 85 W MagSafe Power Adapter with AC wall plug and power cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation. Apple Remote and DVI-to-VGA adapter included. Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and iLife ’06. Higher base began shipping during the week of 14 February 2006 and lower base the following week; exact first-sale day is unestablished. | MacBook Pro, display cleaning cloth, 85 W MagSafe Power Adapter, AC wall plug, power cord and documentation; OS X Lion and iLife, with a free Mountain Lion upgrade offered to eligible launch buyers |
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