14 DAY TRIAL // After the MacBook update, the MacBook Pro update became imminent, and sure enough, here it is. Apple has updated its entire pro portable line, both with the changes that we knew were coming and with some surprise ones.
The New MacBook Pros feature the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors, memory up to 4GB, and high-speed graphics. The new MacBook Pro is available in 15-inch models with a new mercury-free, power-efficient LED-backlit display and a 17-inch model with an optional high-resolution display. All models include a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing on-the-go, Apple's MagSafe Power Adapter that safely disconnects when under strain, and built-in 802.11n wireless networking for up to five times the performance and twice the range of 802.11g
"With Intel Core 2 Duo performance, more memory and state-of-the-art graphics, this MacBook Pro is a portable powerhouse for creative and professional users," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, in the press release. "Apple's notebooks have always led the industry in innovation with features like built-in 802.11 and the MagSafe Power Adapter, and now the industry's first 15-inch LED-backlit display is another step toward completely eliminating mercury from our displays."
While the LED backlit display was known to be coming, the available upgrade to the 17-inch model was rather a surprise. The 17-inch model now offers a new optional 1920-by-1200 high-resolution display, providing over 30 percent more screen real estate than the standard 1680-by-1050 display. As the technology progresses, all of Apple displays will be LED backlit, but until that happens, Apple seems to be offering consolation prizes for those displays that cannot make use of the technology yet.
With MacBooks and MacBook Pros out of the way, as well as the Octo-core Mac Pro, that only leaves the iMac and the mini for WWDC. No doubt, Apple will want to make a bigger show of the more significant changes coming to these products.