14 DAY TRIAL // A reputable source of rumors has gone on record to cite a person with knowledge of Apple’s near-term plans regarding the MacBook Pro refresh, noting that said systems will be quite different from an architectural point of view.
BGR’s 'Apple source' is said to have learned that “the new MacBook Pro laptops will be available for sale in the next two weeks, and Apple stores are set to start receiving the shipments in ‘the coming days’,” which corroborates reports that Apple is preparing to ship sealed pallets containing the new systems to dealers.
The pallets reportedly bear warnings that under no circumstances should they be opened before Apple gives the green light.
According to the BGR’s source, there are a few interesting features to mention, such as the fact that “the new laptops will contain glass trackpads that are even larger than the pads found on current-generation MacBook Pro models.”
Another enhancement is present under the hood, where Apple is said to have included a separate 8-16GB SSD (solid state drive) which houses the OS, while everything else (the user’s personal files) will be stored on a regular, hard disk drive.
Having the OS boot from the SSD will significantly reduce loading times, which includes launching apps.
According to the source, customers will be able to opt for an SSD-only version, but base models will feature the aforementioned combo as standard.
Finally, a design change is also mentioned. The source reportedly learned that Apple’s new MacBook Pro models are “about a half-pound lighter on average than each of their relative current models.”
As previously reported, there will be five different SKUs shipping to warehouses. It is believed that these include two 13-inch models, two 15-inch models, and one 17-inch iteration.
Apple is said to be launching them on Steve Jobs’ birthday - February 24th. The strongest indication comes from depleted MacBook stock.