Apple Gives MacBook Pro Buyers A Free Upgrade

In a surprise Valentine's Day move, Apple has announced that the new MacBook Pro laptops, which will begin shipping this week, will get a free speed bump.

The new MacBook Pro powered by Intel's Core Duo processors already had built-in iSight, Front Row and came with an Apple Remote, and while the machine might not be four times faster at everything, it is sure to be a lot faster than the previous PowerBook, especially now. All models of the new MacBook Pro will be shipping with faster processors than previously announced, offering even more performance at no extra cost. The $2,499 model, which was initially announced to have a 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo processor will now ship with a 2.0 GHz version, and is scheduled to begin shipping this week. The other model, which will start shipping next week, will have the 1.67 GHz Intel Core Duo processor replaced with a 1.83 GHz version. Furthermore, customers can now upgrade the MacBook Pro to a 2.16 GHz Intel Core Duo processor as a build-to-order option on the Apple Online Store.

"We are incredibly excited to start shipping the MacBook Pro, a groundbreaking new notebook with dual-processor desktop performance in a thin, sleek design," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing in the press release. "The new MacBook Pro includes even faster Intel Core Duo processors than originally announced, up to 2.16 GHz, and we think customers are going to love them."