Upon release, reviewers noted the speed increase of the MacBook Pro when compared to the PowerBook G4 as well as the improved wireless performance.[3]Reviewers were impressed with the performance increase offered by the 15-inch MacBook Pro over the PowerBook G4. At times, two- or threefold improvements in performance were seen;[3] for example, the 3D rendering program Cinema 4D XL was 3.3 times faster[3] and the boot-up time was more than halved.[4] The MacBook Pro generally performs better on performance analyzer utility tests, XBench and Cinebench, over the PowerBook G4.[4] Although a few vertical pixels were lost (1,440 × 900 in the MacBook Pro instead of 1,440 × 960 in the PowerBook), the screen quality was noted as "nothing less than stellar" by one reviewer, with bright, crisp, and true colors.[4] The maximum screen brightness was increased by 67 percent over the PowerBook G4, something that reviewers lauded along with the excellent horizontal viewing angles and the matte options.[5] The battery was found to last around 3.5 hours per charge, similar to the PowerBook it replaced, and reviewers praised the functionality of the MagSafe power adapter introduced along with the MacBook Pro.[3] The backlit keyboard and large trackpad received positive reviews as well, as was the virtually silent operation of the machine.[3][5]

Reviewers commented on the notebook's overall performance but were critical of the decision to underclock the ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics card by about 30 percent its original speed.[5] The notebook was also noted for producing significant heat.[3][5] Complaints included the increasing difficulty of upgrading system memory as compared to older Apple notebooks.[4] Since the dimensions for the 15-inch MacBook Pro were tweaked slightly from the 15-inch PowerBook G4, accessories such as notebook sleeves were not interchangeable between the two models.[4] Also, a slight flickering was also mentioned when the screen was on lower brightness settings.[4] Furthermore, despite the addition of ten watt-hours (from 50 in the PowerBook G4 to 60), the battery life averaged at slightly over three hours, about the same as the PowerBook G4.[4] This was attributed to the more powerful Core Duo CPU.[4] Reviewers were hoping for around an hour more of battery life, but noted that battery life was already about on par or better than competition.[4] Although the addition of the MagSafe charging port was praised for saving notebooks from falling to the floor when the power cord is tripped over, it was found to disconnect too easily in some instances, leading to irritation for one reviewer.[4]