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Apple updates MacBook Pro with new CPU, graphics and I/O technology

Press release, February 25; Joseph Tsai, DIGITIMES Asia 0

Apple has updated its MacBook Pro family with next generation processors and graphics, high-speed Thunderbolt I/O technology and a new FaceTime HD camera. Featuring the latest dual-core and quad-core Intel Core processors, the entire MacBook Pro line is up to twice as fast as the previous generation, the company claimed.

Starting at US$1,199, the new 13-inch MacBook Pro offers value and performance in a compact design. The highly portable 13-inch MacBook Pro features Intel Core i5 and Core i7 dual-core processors up to 2.7GHz and Intel HD Graphics 3000. The 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro models feature quad-core Core i7 processors up to 2.3GHz and AMD Radeon HD graphics processors with up to 1GB of video memory for high performance gaming, pro video editing and graphics intensive applications.

MacBook Pro is the first computer on the market to include Thunderbolt I/O technology. Developed by Intel with collaboration from Apple, Thunderbolt enables expandability never before possible on a notebook computer. Featuring two bi-directional channels with transfer speeds up to 10Gbps each, Thunderbolt delivers PCI Express directly to external high performance peripherals such as RAID arrays, and can support FireWire and USB consumer devices and Gigabit Ethernet networks via adapters. Thunderbolt also supports DisplayPort for high resolution displays and works with existing adapters for HDMI, DVI and VGA displays.

The MacBook Pro now includes a built-in FaceTime HD camera with triple the resolution of the previous generation for crisp, widescreen video calls. With Apple's innovative FaceTime video calling software, the new camera allows high definition video calls between all new MacBook Pro models and supports standard resolution calls with other Intel-based Macs, iPhone 4 and the current generation iPod touch. FaceTime is included with all new MacBook Pro models and is available for other Intel-based Macs from the Mac App Store for US$0.99.

Every Mac comes with Mac OS X Snow Leopard and iLife.

Apple new MacBook Pro notebooks specifications

Model

CPU

HDD

VGA

Price (US$)

13-inch

2.3GHz Intel dual-core Core i5 processor

320GB

Intel HD 3000 (IGP)

1,199

13-inch

2.7GHz Intel dual-core Core i7 processor

500GB

Intel HD 3000 (HD)

1,499

15-inch

2.0GHz Intel quad-core Core i7 processor

500GB

AMD Radeon HD 6490M

1,799

15-inch

2.2GHz Intel quad-core Core i7 processor

750GB

AMD Radeon HD 6750M

2,199

17-inch

2.2GHz Intel quad-core Core i7 processor

750GB

AMD Radeon HD 6750M

2,499

Source: Company, compiled by Digitimes, February 2011

Apple new Sandy Bridge-based MacBook Pro notebooks

Apple new Sandy Bridge-based MacBook Pro notebooks
Photo: Company