Apple’s MacBook Pro has also received an update, refreshed with three new models that include 13-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inchers that feature a new built-in battery that’s rated to last up to 4 hours longer (up to 7 hours, or up to 8 hours on the 17-inch MacBook Pro). All the new models are still built with the MacBook Pro’s unibody design that includes a LED backlit display that’s more power efficient, a backlit keyboard, an SD card or ExpressCard slot, a faster FireWire 800 port, and Apple’s smooth glass multi-touch trackpad.
The trackpad has been reworked to integrate the buttons into the touch-sensitive surface, giving the user a larger area to work with. Two fingers scrolls up and down the page, three fingers flip through photo libraries, and a four-fingered swipe shows the desktop or windows. A click can be done from anywhere within the pad, while a right-click can be done using two fingers or on a configured area.
The MacBook Pro family comes with standard Intel Core 2 Duo processors that range from 2.53GHz to 2.8GHz, while a more powerful 3.06GHz C2D (with a 6MB cache) is optional. Standard packages also come with 4GB of DDR3 memory, with enough space to accommodate up to 8GBs. Performance graphics are available through Nvidia’s power-efficient GeForce 9400M GPU available across all models. For those who need more graphics processing power, select models are also available with a discrete GeForce 9600M GT graphics processor.
On a brighter note for potential buyers, the new MacBook Pro line also dropped their prices, with models that come in up to $300 less than the previous MBPs. The announcement also saw an update to the MacBook Air line, $300 price drop on the MacBook Air’s base model that now comes with a 1.86GHz processor and a 120MB hard drive for $1,499. An upgraded version sells for $1,799, with a 2.13GHz processor and a 128 solid state drive.
The new 13-inch MacBook Pro comes in two models: a $1,199 base model that comes with a 2.26GHz processor, 2GBs of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive, and an upgraded $1,499 model with a faster 2.53GHz processor, 4GBs of memory and a 250GB hard drive. Both models ship with Nvidia GeForce 9400M integrated graphics with 256MB of memory.
The 15-inch MacBook Pro is available in a $1,699 base model with a 2.53GHz processor, 4GBs of memory, a 250GB hard drive, and Nvidia GeForce 9400M integrated graphics. The $1,999 upgraded version ships with a 2.66GHz processor, 4GBs of memory, a 320GB hard drive, and dual graphics that adds a discrete 9600M GT graphics processor with 356MB of memory. A $2,299 top-end model is also offered with a 2.8GHz processor, a 500GB hard drive, and a 9600M GT GPU with 512MB of dedicated memory.
The 17-inch MacBook Pro comes in one model that pcks in a 2.8GHz processor, 4GBs of memory, a 500GB hard drive, and GeForce 9600M GT graphics with 512MBs of memory.
The three new MacBook Pro models are now available through the Apple Store. For those concerned about the built-in battery, Apple also offers replacement packs for $129 to $179.
