New MacBook Pros Strike with Thunderbolt and Sandy Bridge
Making official one of the worst kept secrets in tech, Apple today lifted the nearly see-through curtain from its retooled MacBook Pro line with so many upgrades we don't know where to start. Let's begin with a little thing called Thunderbolt, which is a high-speed I/O technology better known as Light Peak that was developed by Intel in collaboration with Apple.
"Thunderbolt is a revolutionary new I/O technology that delivers an amazing 10 gigabits per second and can support every important I/O standard which is ideal for the new MacBook Pro," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of WorldWide Product Marketing.
The entire 13-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inch lineup has also been updated with Intel's Sandy Bridge architecture. The 13-inch MacBook Pro is available in two configurations, one with a 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 320GB hard drive, and Intel HD 3000 graphics starting at $1,199, and one with a 2.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor and 500GB hard drive starting at $1,499.
The updated 15-inch MacBook Pro also comes in two configurations, one with a 2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, AMD Radeon HD 6490M graphics, and 500GB hard drive starting at $1,799, and one with a 2.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, AMD Radeon HD 6750 graphics, and same size hard drive starting at $2,199.
Finally, the flagship 17-inch MacBook Pro now features an Intel Core i7 quad-core 2.2GHz processor, AMD Radeon HD 6750 graphics, and a 750GB hard drive starting out at $2,499.
These is a pretty impressive overhaul compared to when Apple disappointed a good number of folks by sticking with Intel's Core 2 Duo architecture for its MacBook Air refresh not long ago. And it doesn't stop with the above upgrades. All three models sport a FaceTime HD camera with triple the resolution of the previous generation.
The Apple Store is being updated as of this writing but should be up and running before long.
"Thunderbolt is a revolutionary new I/O technology that delivers an amazing 10 gigabits per second and can support every important I/O standard which is ideal for the new MacBook Pro," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of WorldWide Product Marketing.
The entire 13-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inch lineup has also been updated with Intel's Sandy Bridge architecture. The 13-inch MacBook Pro is available in two configurations, one with a 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 320GB hard drive, and Intel HD 3000 graphics starting at $1,199, and one with a 2.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor and 500GB hard drive starting at $1,499.
The updated 15-inch MacBook Pro also comes in two configurations, one with a 2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, AMD Radeon HD 6490M graphics, and 500GB hard drive starting at $1,799, and one with a 2.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, AMD Radeon HD 6750 graphics, and same size hard drive starting at $2,199.
Finally, the flagship 17-inch MacBook Pro now features an Intel Core i7 quad-core 2.2GHz processor, AMD Radeon HD 6750 graphics, and a 750GB hard drive starting out at $2,499.
These is a pretty impressive overhaul compared to when Apple disappointed a good number of folks by sticking with Intel's Core 2 Duo architecture for its MacBook Air refresh not long ago. And it doesn't stop with the above upgrades. All three models sport a FaceTime HD camera with triple the resolution of the previous generation.
The Apple Store is being updated as of this writing but should be up and running before long.
