Note: this is a developing story. More links, photos, and details as they are released!
With machine gun delivery, Phil Schiller today unveiled a whole new paradigm for Apple’s notebooks. All unibody aluminum Apple notebooks have been substantially upgraded AND are being offered at lower prices—up to $300 less than before.
13” MacBook Pro (formerly MacBook)
The biggest news is that the 13” unibody MacBook will now be known as the MacBook Pro.
Upgrades to the 13-inch MacBook Pro include the return of the FireWire to the smaller notebook size. This will be a FireWire 800 port, which can easily be adapted for FireWire 400 devices, including cameras and hard drives. Other upgrades include the inclusion of an SD card slot (first time ever for Apple, and a boon to photographers everywhere), a seven hour built-in battery, illuminated keyboards across the board, and an improved LED-backlit display with 60 percent greater color gamut.
The new 13” MacBook Pro can take up to 8GB RAM and has the option to factory install a 7200 RPM 500GB hard drive. Prices range from $1,199 to $1,499 in standard configurations. The 13” MacBook Pro still uses the 256MB Intel 9400M graphics card.
15” MacBook Pro
The new 15-inch MacBook Pro now features a seven hour built-in battery, an SD card slot, an improved LED-backlit display with 60 percent greater color gamut and 4GB of RAM across the line at an entry price $300 less than before.
The new 15-inch MacBook Pro is available in three models: a 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo system with a 250GB hard drive and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics for a new entry price of $1,699; a 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo system with a 320GB hard drive, and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M and 9600M GT graphics for $1,999; and a 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo system with a 500GB hard drive, and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M and 9600M GT graphics for $2,299.
17” MacBook Pro
Meanwhile the, 17-inch MacBook Pro, which includes an eight hour built-in battery, an ExpressCard slot, LED-backlit display, 4GB of RAM and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M and 9600M GT graphics, has been updated to include a faster 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and a larger 500GB hard drive for $2,499, which is $300 less than before.
Directly from Apple: Starting at just $1,199, the MacBook Pro line is more affordable than ever, with some models up to $300 less than the previous generation. The industry’s greenest notebook lineup, every Mac notebook achieves EPEAT* Gold status and meets Energy Star 5.0 requirements, setting a new standard for environmentally friendly notebook design.
UPDATE:
See the 13in MacBook Pro here.
See the 15in MacBook Pro here.
See the 17in MacBook Pro here.