What are the "pros and cons" of the "Early 2011" and "Late 2011" MacBook Pro models? Is one right for my needs?

Please note that the "Late 2011" MacBook Pro models currently are shipping and earlier models have been discontinued. However, these models are similar enough that they can be used interchangably for the purpose of "pros and cons."

Like any other purchase, only you can make the decision whether or not the one of the 13-Inch, 15-Inch, or 17-Inch "Early 2011" or "Late 2011" MacBook Pro models is the right notebook for you, but you can evaluate the pros and cons of each to see if your needs are met.

This "run down" may be helpful in making a decision:

Pros (All Models):

• Sleek, durable industrial design.
• Quality, widescreen LED-backlit displays.
• Impressive performance, overall significantly faster than the models replaced.
• Excellent battery life in "real-world" use.
• Reasonably quick and easy to upgrade the RAM and hard drive.
• Backlit keyboard and innovative multi-touch trackpad.
• All new "Thunderbolt" port is backwards compatible with Mini DisplayPort and will be more useful in the future.

Cons (All Models):

• Glossy display casts a glare in direct lighting (matte option on 15-Inch and 17-Inch models).
• Non-swappable battery, not designed for user replacement.
• Thunderbolt port has limited immediate utility.

Additional Pros (13-Inch):

• Comparatively compact and lightweight.
• SDXC Card slot standard.
• Yes, it has a Firewire "800" port (like all other models in the series).

Additional Cons (13-Inch):

• Comparatively small display, lower resolution than the 13-Inch MacBook Air (Late 2010).
• Weaker overall performance compared to 15-Inch and 17-Inch models, graphics performance roughly equivalent to the "Mid-2010" model replaced.
• No optical audio in, and instead has a combined audio in/out port.
• No ExpressCard/34 expansion slot.

Additional Pros (15-Inch):

• Autoswitching graphics technology typically conserves battery life.
• SDXC Card slot standard.

Additional Cons (15-Inch):

• Cannot use both graphics processors simultaneously, poor OS control over graphics card choice.
• No ExpressCard/34 expansion slot.

Additional Pros (17-Inch):

• Autoswitching graphics technology typically conserves battery life.
• ExpressCard/34 expansion slot standard.

Additional Cons (17-Inch):

• Comparatively large and heavy.
• Cannot use both graphics processors simultaneously, poor OS control over graphics card choice.
• No SDXC Card slot.

Basically, if you are looking for a sleek and powerful 13-Inch, 15-Inch, or 17-Inch notebook Mac -- and the connectivity and graphics options meet your needs -- one of these MacBook Pro systems would be an excellent choice.

If weight or size is a high priority -- and expansion and upgrades are not -- a MacBook Air could be perfect. Depending on your particular needs, a used MacBook or MacBook Pro, at a discount price, could be a good choice as well.

Site sponsor PowerMax sells all of these systems free of sales tax.

Also see:

• What are all the differences between the "Late 2011" 13-Inch, 15-Inch, and 17-Inch MacBook Pro models? Which is best for my needs?
• How fast are the "Late 2011" 13-Inch, 15-Inch, and 17-Inch MacBook Pro models compared to one another? How fast are they compared to the models each replaced?
• What is the "real-world" battery life of the "Late 2011" 13-Inch, 15-Inch, and 17-Inch MacBook Pro models? How does the battery life of each compare to the model each replaced?