Apple MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2008) vs Apple MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleMacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2008) | AppleMacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | February 2008 | July 2014 |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 15.4″ | 15.4″ |
| Resolution | 1440 × 900 | 2880 × 1800 (better) |
| Panel | – | IPS LCD |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| Display type | LED-backlit widescreen TFT display, matte with optional glossy finish with millions of colours. Exact panel technology and refresh rate unpublished in the maker sources read. | Retina LED-backlit IPS display, millions of colours; native 2880 × 1800, with scaled modes of 1920 × 1200, 1680 × 1050, 1280 × 800 and 1024 × 640. Refresh rate and brightness unpublished by Apple. |
| Pixel density | – | 220 ppi |
| Performance | ||
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz (MacBook Pro Early 2008), Intel Core 2 Duo 2.5 GHz (MacBook Pro Early 2008) or Intel Core 2 Duo 2.6 GHz (MacBook Pro Early 2008) | Intel Core i7-4770HQ, Intel Core i7-4870HQ or Intel Core i7-4980HQ |
| CPU cores | 2 | 4 |
| CPU threads | – | 8 |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT (256 MB GDDR3) or NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT (512 MB GDDR3) | Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 or NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M (2 GB GDDR5) |
| Memory | 2 GB or 4 GB | 16 GB (better) |
| Storage | 200 GB to 300 GB | 256 GB to 1 TB (better) |
| CPU | Dual-core Intel Core 2 Duo at 2.4 GHz with 3 MB shared L2 cache, or 2.5 GHz with 6 MB; 2.6 GHz with 6 MB is configurable from the 2.5 GHz base, as confirmed by Macworld. All use an 800 MHz frontside bus. Maker-described clock records avoid unverified Intel SKU assumptions. | Quad-core Intel Core i7-4770HQ at 2.2 GHz (Turbo Boost up to 3.4 GHz), i7-4870HQ at 2.5 GHz (up to 3.7 GHz), or i7-4980HQ at 2.8 GHz (up to 4.0 GHz); all with 6 MB shared L3 cache. Exact identities documented by Primate Labs. Lower base offers either faster processor; higher base offers the 2.8 GHz upgrade. |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT (256 MB GDDR3); NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT (512 MB GDDR3). GPU memory varies with processor configuration. | Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200 on all configurations; the higher base adds NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M with 2 GB GDDR5 and automatic graphics switching. Upgrading the lower base processor does not add the NVIDIA GPU, as distinguished in Macworld's exact-model review. |
| Memory type | 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM in two SO-DIMM slots; 2 GB standard, configurable to 4 GB. | 16 GB of 1600 MHz DDR3L onboard memory |
| Storage type | 200 GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA drive at 2.4 GHz or 250 GB 5400-rpm at 2.5 GHz. Maker build-to-order options are 200 GB at 7200 rpm, 250 GB at 5400 rpm or 300 GB at 4200 rpm; 200 GB rows on higher CPUs represent the optional faster drive. 8× SuperDrive with double-layer DVD writing. | PCIe-based flash storage; Iris Pro-only base has 256 GB, configurable to 512 GB or 1 TB, with any of its three processor choices. NVIDIA-equipped base has 512 GB, configurable to 1 TB, with the 2.5 GHz or 2.8 GHz processor. |
| Battery and size | ||
| Battery life (maker's claim) | – | Up to 8 hours |
| Battery capacity | – | 95 Wh |
| Weight | – | 2.02 kg |
| Thickness | 26 mm | 18 mm (better) |
| Width × depth | 357 × 243 mm | 358.9 × 247.1 mm |
| Battery life detail | Removable lithium-polymer battery; capacity and battery-life hours omitted because the surviving maker sources read do not publish them. Macworld lists 5.4 lb; metric weight omitted. Dimensions 357 × 243 × 26 mm are published by Notebookcheck’s exact-model review. | Built-in 95 Wh lithium-polymer battery; up to 8 hours wireless web, 8 hours iTunes movie playback or 30 days standby under Apple's test conditions. Reference weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process. |
| Charger | 85 W MagSafe Power Adapter | 85 W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter with cable management |
| Materials | Aluminium enclosure | Aluminium enclosure |
| Colours | Silver | Silver |
| Connections | ||
| Ports | 2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack, MagSafe | 2 × USB-A, 2 × Thunderbolt 2, MagSafe 2, headphone jack, SD card slot, HDMI |
| Wi-Fi | AirPort Extreme 802.11n; compatible with 802.11a/b/g | 802.11ac (draft specification); compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n |
| Bluetooth | 2.1 + EDR | 4.0 |
| Webcam | Built-in iSight camera | 720p FaceTime HD |
| Operating system | macOS | macOS |
| Port detail | 2 USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and FireWire 800, 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, two Thunderbolt 2 ports up to 20 Gb/s with native Mini DisplayPort output, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 2 and headphone jack; support for digital/analogue audio line output and Apple iPhone headset remote and microphone. Ethernet and FireWire require separate Thunderbolt adapters. |
| 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 up to two external displays at 2560 × 1600, with millions of colours; HDMI supports 1080p at up to 60 Hz, 3840 × 2160 at 30 Hz or 4096 × 2160 at 24 Hz. DVI, VGA and dual-link DVI adapters sold separately. |
| Keyboard | Full-size backlit keyboard with ambient light sensors, 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys and four arrow keys | Full-size backlit keyboard with 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys, four arrow keys and ambient light sensor |
| Trackpad | Multi-Touch trackpad with separate button; scrolling, pinch, rotate and three-finger swipe. | 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 |
| Microphones | Built-in omnidirectional microphone under the left speaker grille | Dual microphones |
| In the box | MacBook Pro, removable battery, 85 W MagSafe Power Adapter with AC wall plug and power cord, install/restore DVDs and documentation. Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and iLife ’08. Apple Remote sold separately. The former SP4 specification URL is no longer available; surviving maker launch notice and exact user guide provide core specifications. | MacBook Pro with Retina display, MagSafe 2 Power Adapter, AC wall plug and power cord; OS X Mavericks, iLife apps and qualifying free iWork apps |
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