Apple MA464LL User Guide - Page 26

Technology Overview 26 MacBook Pro Your own portable network Carry an AirPort Express Base Station when you travel and you can access the Internet from anywhere in your hotel room. Just plug the base station into a convenient power outlet and connect it to the Ethernet jack using an Ethernet cable. Start up your MacBook Pro and you're ready to surf. Illuminated Keyboard People use notebook computers everywhere these days, often in low-light situations where it's di∑cult to see the keyboard. To compensate for these environments, Apple equips MacBook Pro with a backlit keyboard. Unlike other keyboard lighting solutions, which shine a light down onto the keys (so the light ends up on the user's hands), the illuminated keyboard on MacBook Pro is lit from the bottom. This is particularly useful on nighttime airplane trips or in a studio where the lighting is dim. In these and other low-light situations, you can activate and adjust the illumination yourself or let the computer control it with the integrated ambient light sensor. Ambient Light Sensor Continuing the tradition of innovations that make Apple products easy to use and optimized for mobility, the illuminated keyboard includes a built-in ambient light sensor. This sensor monitors ambient light levels and adjusts the brightness of the screen backlight and keyboard illumination. When light levels drop, the computer lowers the brightness of the display and the illuminated keyboard comes on, so you can see the keys clearly and continue to work. Conversely, when light levels increase, MacBook Pro increases the display brightness and turns o∂ the keyboard backlight. Scrolling Trackpad When you're browsing web pages or working with large documents, images, or spreadsheets, you are constantly moving around in the application window. The innovative scrolling trackpad capability on MacBook Pro systems makes navigation and scrolling in a window fast and convenient. MacBook Pro ships with this ease-ofuse feature activated. By dragging two fingers anywhere across the trackpad, you can quickly pan up, down, or across the active window. You can customize the settings of this feature-or, if you prefer, turn it o∂ completely-through System Preferences. AirPort Extreme AirPort Extreme wireless technology is built into every MacBook Pro, giving you instant access to wireless networks and the freedom to connect wherever you are. Based on the IEEE 802.11g standard, AirPort Extreme supports data rates of up to 54 Mbps.4 That means you can exchange data on an 802.11g network almost five times as fast as on an 802.11b network. AirPort Extreme is also compatible with Windows PCs and with the millions of Wi-Fi Certified 802.11b devices in use around the world. So even if your environment includes Windows PCs, you'll be able to access your company's wireless network, check email at your favorite co∂ee house, and do research around your school campus. Beyond providing wireless Internet access, Apple's AirPort Extreme Base Station-for use with AirPort Extreme and 802.11b and 802.11g devices-is loaded with advanced features, like wireless sharing of a USB printer, wireless bridging of AirPort Extreme or AirPort Express Base Stations, and other options to increase the range of your network. It supports up to 50 simultaneous users, Mac and PC, all sharing a single Internet connection. Apple's AirPort Express Base Station allows up to 10 Mac and Windows users to wirelessly share an Internet connection, stream their iTunes music library to a stereo or set of powered speakers, print to a USB printer, or extend the wireless range of an existing AirPort Extreme Base Station.9