I upgraded my MacBook Pro to the third-generation model so I can bump up my RAM to 4GB. Aperture and CS3 are very resource-intensive, and the 2GB upper limit of my first-generation MBP was somewhat constraining.

I just transferred my files over using Apple’s migration utility and target firewire mode. The process, while not 100% automated (it did not transfer X11, for instance, or some of the preferences), is far smoother than any Windows equivalent. Here are my first impressions on the new model:

• The new, environmentally friendly mercury-free LED backlight is definitely more blue in tone than the pinkish cold-cathode fluorescent backlight on the old model. The default ColorSync monitor profile does a good job of compensating for this, however. There is some vignetting on the 15″ screen (darkening in the corners). I wonder how the 17″ model fares, and whether they had to add additional LEDs for a more even backlight illumination.
• This machine is fast. It blows my dual-2GHz G5 PowerMac out of the water in all benchmarks other than disk I/O. Unsurprisingly, it is also much faster than the first-generation machine, specially on graphics but also on disk I/O.
• It does not heat up quite as much as the older Core Duo model, the heat level, while high, never reaches a potentially dangerous temperature. This is probably due to improved power management, as running two Parallels virtual machine will bring it up to the same pant-scorching levels as the Core Duo.