Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009) vs Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006)

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009) compared with MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006)
AppleMacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009)AppleMacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006)
Overview
ReleasedFebruary 2009November 2006
Display
Screen size17″17″
Resolution1920 × 1200 (better)1680 × 1050
Brightness–300 nits
TouchscreenNoNo
Display type17-inch LED-backlit widescreen display at 1920 × 1200, glossy or optional antiglare. Exact panel technology, brightness and refresh rate are unpublished in the maker sources read.Widescreen TFT display; optional glossy finish with millions of colours. Exact panel technology and refresh rate unpublished in the maker sources read.
Performance
ProcessorIntel Core 2 Duo 2.66 GHz (MacBook Pro Mid 2009) or Intel Core 2 Duo 2.93 GHz (MacBook Pro Early 2009)Intel Core 2 Duo 2.33 GHz (MacBook Pro Late 2006)
CPU cores22
GraphicsNVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT (512 MB GDDR3) + GeForce 9400MATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (256 MB GDDR3)
Memory4 GB or 8 GB (better)2 GB or 3 GB
Storage128 GB to 320 GB (better)100 GB to 200 GB
CPUIntel Core 2 Duo at 2.66 GHz or optional 2.93 GHz, with 6 MB shared L2 cache and a 1066 MHz frontside bus. Maker-clock records avoid unverified Intel SKU assumptions.Dual-core Intel Core 2 Duo at 2.33 GHz, with 4 MB shared L2 cache and 667 MHz frontside bus. The record retains the maker’s clock and model without an unverified Intel SKU.
GPUNVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT with 512 MB GDDR3 plus GeForce 9400M with 256 MB shared system memory. Switching between the discrete and integrated graphics requires logout, as reported by LaptopMag.ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (256 MB GDDR3)
Memory type4 GB or 8 GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM in two SO-DIMM slots.667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM in two SO-DIMM slots; 2 GB standard, configurable to 3 GB.
Storage type320 GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive; optional 320 GB 7200-rpm hard drive or 128 GB or 256 GB SSD with either processor. 8× SuperDrive with double-layer DVD writing.160 GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive, configurable to 100 GB at 7200 rpm or 200 GB at 4200 rpm. 8× SuperDrive with 4× double-layer DVD+R writing.
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 8 hoursUp to 5.5 hours
Battery capacity95 Wh (better)68 Wh
Weight2.99 kg–
Thickness25 mm–
Width × depth393 × 267 mm–
Battery life detailBuilt-in lithium-polymer battery. Apple reference weight varies by configuration and manufacturing process.Removable 68 Wh lithium-polymer battery; up to 5.5 hours in Apple’s test. Apple publishes 6.8 lb and a 15.4 × 10.4 × 1.0-inch enclosure; weight varies by configuration. Unpublished metric fields omitted.
Charger85 W MagSafe Power Adapter85 W MagSafe Power Adapter
MaterialsAluminium unibody enclosure and glass trackpadAluminium enclosure
ColoursSilverSilver
Connections
Ports3 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack, MagSafe3 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack, MagSafe
Wi-FiAirPort Extreme 802.11n; compatible with 802.11a/b/gAirPort Extreme 802.11g; 802.11n requires the optional software enabler
Bluetooth2.1 + EDR2.0 + EDR
WebcamBuilt-in iSight cameraBuilt-in iSight camera
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Port detailThree USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet, MagSafe, Mini DisplayPort, ExpressCard/34, separate combined optical digital audio input/line input and optical digital audio output/headphone output. No SD card slot.3 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.
External displaysSupports an external display up to 2560 × 1600 pixels alongside the built-in display. Mini DisplayPort to DVI, dual-link DVI or VGA adapters are sold separately.One external display up to 2560 × 1600 alongside the built-in screen through dual-link DVI; included VGA adapter, optional composite/S-video adapter.
KeyboardBacklit keyboard with 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys and four arrow keys.Full-size backlit keyboard with ambient light sensors, 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys and four arrow keys; embedded numeric keypad
TrackpadGlass Multi-Touch trackpad supporting two-finger scrolling, pinch, rotate and three/four-finger gestures.Scrolling trackpad with a separate button; two-finger scrolling, tap, double-tap and drag.
SpeakersBuilt-in stereo speakersBuilt-in stereo speakers
MicrophonesOmnidirectional microphone beneath the left speaker grille; supports an Apple Stereo Headset with microphone.Built-in omnidirectional microphone under the left speaker grille
In the boxMacBook Pro, 85 W MagSafe Power Adapter with AC wall plug and power cord, display cleaning cloth, install/restore DVDs and documentation. Mac OS X Leopard and iLife ’09; Apple Remote and display adapters sold separately.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 10.4.8 Tiger and iLife ’06. Apple’s 24 October announcement says this model would ship the following week, crossing the month boundary; Macworld’s contemporary laboratory report confirms that actual shipping began in November. An exact first-sale day is unestablished.

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