Air's trackpad and Intel's Penryn-based Core 2 Duo may be hopping onto new MB Pros as we speak

Feb 18, 2008 11:38 GMT  ·  By

Best Buy currently lists 15-inch MacBook Pro models as we-ran-out, with a mentioning of two-weeks waiting time for a new batch, possibly indicating the arrival of the new (rumored), fully loaded MacBook Pros.

Penryn" Core 2 Duo processors and multi-touch tech is what the new Pros are rumored to get, and by the looks of things, they're coming. Following reports that three new MacBook Pro models had been spotted in Best Buy's inventory, backed up by screenshots, it was revealed that the new MacBook Pro price points started at $1,999.

In fact, all SKUs featured the exact same price points as current MacBook Pros - $1,999, $2,499 and $2,799 for the high-end model, bumped to 2.6ghz (Intel Core 2 Duo) on November 1, 2007 (for $250 more). The leaked screens show no change in pricing for the MacBook Pro, while updates and improvements were most likely in order. All three models showed an in-stock date of February 10th, 2008.

It is known for a fact, however, that the Cupertino-based consumer electronics manufacturer will be scaling its gesture-based input technology across notebook lines during 2008.

Now, Apple's retail partner has recently run out of 15-inchers, listing on its online store wait times of one to two weeks for availability, according to appleinsider.com.

"With each passing week, [MacBook Pros] are becoming harder and harder to come by," say sources, who wish to remain anonymous. "Orders are still trickling in, but in quantities half those of December."

Reportedly, Apple had previously confirmed that the first two models to be implemented with the oversized trackpads were the 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro models, set for display within the following weeks, as sources familiar with the company's product roadmap revealed a while ago.

Also, the newly-updated notebooks will be the first to employ Penryn-based Core 2 Duo mobile process from Intel Corp. at a clock frequency of up to 2.6GHz.

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