FaceTime, , works exceedingly well: I've chatted with friends in Brazil, as well as with co-workers and friends here in the States. The move to high-resolution, wide-screen video -- it displays at 1280 x 720 pixels, or 720p -- makes the experience even more lifelike. The only hitch is that for both sides of the chat to see high-def, both have to be using one of the new MacBook Pros. While those you're chatting with can see you in crystal clear HD -- you have the new camera, remember -- they won't look as good to you.

As you'd expect, FaceTime on the Mac integrates with FaceTime on the iPad 2, iPhone 4 and iPod Touch, allowing you to do video chats with users of those devices -- as long as everyone is on a Wi-Fi connection. (You don't have to be on the same Wi-Fi network, of course, but FaceTime chat over 3G networks hasn't been rolled out, and may never be given the bandwidth requirements needed for it to work well.)

The FaceTime app is for 99 cents. It's worth it if you do a lot of video chatting.

When it announced the new MacBook Pros, Apple noted that the batteries deliver "up to 7 hours" of use on a charge. That's less than the battery life estimates Apple used to tout -- not because the length of time they last has dropped, but because Apple has changed the way it calculates battery drain. I've always found Apple's estimates to be on the optimistic side, and this change brings those numbers closer to what I found with the new 15-in. model.