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Apple MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011) 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

AppleMacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011)AppleMacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2006)
Overview
ReleasedFebruary 2011November 2006
Display
Screen size17″17″
Resolution1920 × 12001680 × 1050
Brightness–300 nits
TouchscreenNoNo
Display type17-inch LED-backlit glossy or optional antiglare display at 1920 × 1200. Exact panel technology, brightness and refresh rate are unpublished in the maker sources read.Widescreen TFT display; optional glossy finish with millions of colours. Exact panel technology and refresh rate unpublished in the maker sources read.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 i7 2.2 GHz (MacBook Pro Early 2011) or Intel Core i7 2.3 GHz (MacBook Pro Early 2011)Intel Core 2 Duo 2.33 GHz (MacBook Pro Late 2006)
CPU cores42
GraphicsAMD Radeon HD 6750M (1 GB GDDR5) + Intel HD Graphics 3000ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (256 MB GDDR3)
Memory4 GB or 8 GB2 GB or 3 GB
Storage128 GB to 750 GB100 GB to 200 GB
CPUQuad-core Intel Core i7 at 2.2 GHz with 6 MB shared L3 cache or optional 2.3 GHz with 8 MB. Generic maker-clock records avoid an unverified Intel SKU assumption. TechRadar identifies Turbo Boost up to 3.3 GHz for the tested 2.2 GHz model; unpublished optional-processor peak clocks are omitted.Dual-core Intel Core 2 Duo at 2.33 GHz, with 4 MB shared L2 cache and 667 MHz frontside bus.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.
GPUAMD Radeon HD 6750M with 1 GB GDDR5 plus Intel HD Graphics 3000 using at least 384 MB shared DDR3 memory; automatic graphics switching.ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 (256 MB GDDR3)
Memory type4 GB or 8 GB of 1333 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 type750 GB 5400-rpm Serial ATA hard drive; optional 500 GB 7200-rpm hard drive or 128 GB, 256 GB or 512 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 7 hoursUp to 5.5 hours
Battery capacity95 Wh68 Wh
Weight2.99 kg–
Thickness25 mm–
Width × depth393 × 267 mm–
Battery life detailBuilt-in lithium-polymer battery; up to seven hours in Apple wireless-web testing. 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, Thunderbolt, 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
WebcamFaceTime HD camera (720p, Macworld)Built-in iSight camera
Operating systemmacOSmacOS
Port detailOne Thunderbolt port up to 10 Gbps, three USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet, MagSafe, 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 alongside the built-in screen. Thunderbolt provides native Mini DisplayPort output; optional DVI, VGA or dual-link DVI adapters and third-party HDMI adapters provide other connections.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 with inertial 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 speakers with subwoofersBuilt-in stereo speakers
MicrophonesOmnidirectional microphone under the left speaker grille; supports an iPhone headset 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, software DVDs and documentation. Mac OS X Snow Leopard, iLife ’11 and FaceTime; 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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