14 DAY TRIAL // People familiar with Apple's plans claim to have spotted the 17-inch next-gen MacBook Pro “undergoing tests in Apple's labs.” The notebook is, of course, a larger version of the 15-inch MacBook Pro, AppleInsider reveals. Currently, the 17-inch MacBook Pro costs $2,799.00. The upgraded model is expected to ship next year bearing the same price tag.
According to the aforementioned source, there has been "some form of delay affecting the new 17-inch models.” Issues with the optical drive and display seem to be the cause. Folks with access in Apple's labs have reportedly sighted them during tests. The new models “resemble a slightly larger version of the new 15-inch MacBook Pro," reads the report.
As Apple fans should know by now, “Apple has invented a whole new way of building notebooks from a single block of aluminum.” This is an actual statement coming from Apple's chief executive, Steve Jobs. “...just as important,” Jobs said, “they are the industry’s greenest notebooks.” Speaking of the redesigned, 13-inch and 15-inch MacBooks, Apple's CEO revealed that they delivered “incredible features [the] users will love - like their stunning all-metal design, great 3D graphics and LED backlit displays - at prices up to $700 less than before.”
The new 15-inch MacBook Pro, only 0.95-inches thin and weighing just 5.5 pounds, packs the same Intel Core 2 Duo processor as its predecessor, running up to 2.8 GHz. However, it adds a new graphics architecture that allows users to switch from the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics processor (for better battery life) to the powerful GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics processor for higher performance. NVIDIA's GeForce 9400M is a revolutionary, new 3D integrated graphics processor that features 16 parallel processing cores, and delivers up to five times the 3D graphics performance of previous MacBook and MacBook Air. Most likely, the same graphics solution is being integrated into the 17-Inch MacBook Pros as well.
The new MacBook models also ship with a new glass Multi-Touch trackpad. According to Apple, the new trackpad gives users almost 40 percent more tracking area, since now it is itself a button. New Pros boast LED-backlit displays that turn on to full brightness instantly. The new display also uses up to 30 percent less energy than its predecessor, while the image is said to be even crisper now. These features too are expected to make it into the 17-inch MacBook Pro launching next year.