Apple MC665LL/A 17-Inch MacBook Pro i7 4GB 500GB

The Apple MacBook Pro MC665LL/A is a 17-inch professional laptop from the last era of Apple's largest portable form factor. Its LED-backlit antiglare display runs at 1920 by 1200 pixels, delivering a spacious and glare-resistant workspace that was — and in some ways still is — unmatched in Apple's current lineup, which maxes out at 16 inches. Under the hood, the 2.66GHz Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GT330M with 512MB of dedicated memory provided strong performance for creative and professional work when released, and the combination remains functional for lighter tasks today.

The MC665LL/A stands out for its connectivity options, many of which have since been eliminated from Apple's designs. A FireWire 800 port, ExpressCard/34 slot, Mini DisplayPort, built-in Ethernet, optical audio output, and a slot-loading 8x SuperDrive give it a versatility that required no dongles or adapters in its time. The backlit keyboard, built-in iSight camera, and ambient light sensor add to the user experience. At 6.6 pounds and 0.98 inches thick, it is substantially heavier and thicker than current MacBook Pros, but this chassis accommodated a user-accessible battery, more thermal headroom, and the 17-inch panel that many professionals still miss. Buyers should note the 4GB of RAM and 500GB 5400rpm hard drive are significant bottlenecks for modern use, though both are upgradeable in this model.