14 DAY TRIAL // The new MacBook Pro, as you've probably heard, has a precision unibody enclosure made from a single block of aluminum. This results in a thinner, more durable and better looking design (and also puts an end to all the “brick” rumors). But wait 'till you see what's under the hood for the 15 and 17-inch models.
First off, Apple wanted everyone to know that it had made even more efforts to meet environmental standards imposed by stringent Energy Star 4.0, EPEAT Gold and the EU's RoHS. This is mostly where the aluminum design comes from. Also, the new MacBook Pro's display uses completely arsenic-free glass.
With that out of the way, the powerful new 15-inch MacBook Pro, at only 0.95-inches thin and weighing just 5.5 pounds, packs the same Intel Core 2 Duo processor, running up to 2.8 GHz, but 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 NVIDIA 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.
Another high point of the MacBook Pro is the new, smooth glass Multi-Touch trackpad, which gives users almost 40 percent more tracking area than before. The trackpad itself is now a button, making it even easier to use Multi-Touch gestures like pinch, rotate and swipe. New gestures have also been added. Naturally, Apple's new Pro allows users to easily customize the way their trackpad works.
An LED-backlit display has also been slapped on the new 15-inch Pro for brilliant instant-on performance, using up to 30 percent less energy than its predecessor and eliminating the mercury found in industry standard fluorescent tube backlights. The image is crisper and more vivid than ever before, Apple says.
The high-end, 2.53 GHz aluminum MacBook Pro packs some serious specs. Those include:
- 15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 glossy display;
- 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;
- 1066 MHz front-side bus;
- 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM;
- NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
- NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics with 512MB GDDR3 video memory;
- 320GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
- a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
- Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
- built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
- Gigabit Ethernet port;
- built-in iSight video camera;
- two USB 2.0 ports;
- one FireWire 800 port;
- ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
- one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
- glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard;
- 85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
The 2.4 GHz 15-inch aluminum MacBook Pro is immediately available for US$1,999, as is the 2.53 GHz 15-inch aluminum MacBook Pro, priced at US$2,499. The 2.5GHz 17-inch MacBook Pro boasts a 2.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive, a 128GB solid state drive, anti-glare display, Apple USB Modem, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan, all this for US$2,799.