New 17-inch MacBook Pro: ExpressCard/34 but no ExpressCard/54

At first glance, you could easily mistake the new 17-inch MacBook Pro (Best Current Price: $2675.00) for its predecessor, the legendary 17-inch PowerBook G4 (; January 2006). The new model has roughly the same dimensions—at 15.4-by-10.4-by-1.0 inches and 6.8 pounds, it’s a shade wider, but a tenth of a pound lighter—and it retains the familiar aluminum enclosure and sleek design.

Inside, however, the new top-of-the-line Apple laptop incorporates not only a completely different processor, but a slew of other changes you should consider before deciding whether—or when—this is a machine for you.

Pros: Big, bright, beautiful widescreen display; excellent performance with Universal software; virtually silent operation; 1GB of RAM now standard; much improved AirPort reception; 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support; includes FireWire 800; adds a third USB 2.0 port; built-in iSight; MagSafe power connector.

Cons: Mediocre performance with non-native applications; no internal modem option; no PCMCIA or ExpressCard/54 slots; disappointing battery life.

 "I’m also sorry that an ExpressCard/34 slot is the only expansion option for the new model; leaving a PCMCIA/CardBus slot and/or adding a larger ExpressCard/54 slot would have given customers access to some interesting options, including new wide-area wireless technologies that aren’t yet available in the tiny ExpressCard/34. Besides, many digital photographers, especially professionals, still rely on CompactFlash memory cards, and there’s no way to fit a CF reader into a 34mm slot (something you could do with a larger slot and an adapter)."

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