Apple on Thursdayreleased the latest update to its MacBook Proportable computer blood line , more than 10 months after the laptop ’ last revise . The new versions sport a new series of Intel processor , update graphics cards , and a new connectivity monetary standard dubbed Thunderbolt .
The new MacBook Pros sport Intel ’s latest dual - core and quadrangle - core Intel Core processors from the Core i5 and Core i7 lines , which Apple says will make the entire line of portables up to doubly as fast at their predecessors when performing CPU - intensive activities . The low - oddment 13 - inch model has a 2.3GHz burden i5 C.P.U. and its big crony practice a 2.7GHz Core i7 that ’s the fastest dual - centre processor Intel make . Meanwhile , the 15 - inch and 17 - inch mannequin are frolic an all quad - heart and soul stock up , with Core i7 CPU that move at up to 2.3 gigahertz .
Intel refer to the processors used in the new MacBook Pros as its “ second - generation of Core i processors ” ; during developing , they were codenamed “ Sandy Bridge . ” Earlier this year , Intel discoveredproblems in the chipsetof Sandy Bridge processor that were shipping , but Apple vice president of world-wide Mac hardware marketing David Moody toldMacworldthat the company was using the latest updated versions , which corrected the flaw .
nontextual matter also got a revamp in this adaptation , with the 13 - column inch models sporting an integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 chip that ’s part of the Core computer architecture ; the 15 - inch and 17 - inch interpretation sport both the Intel integrated micro chip and a distinct AMD Radeon HD processor with up to 1 GB of memory . As with former models , the system will automatically change to the higher - power chip when using more graphics - intensive applications . Apple is among the first vendors to be using the AMD Radeon HD 6750 M , which it says can birth up to three times upright carrying into action than previous technology .
But the newest feature on the MacBook Pros is a new connectivity technology called Thunderbolt . Co - developed with Intel , Thunderbolt has two bi - guiding channels that can shift data at up to 10Gbps each , a speed that ’s 12 times faster than the theoretical maximum of FireWire 800 . The engineering science is base on the PCI Express protocol that most Macs use for intimate I / O , but via adaptor it can support jolly much any other type of connectivity protocol , including FireWire , USB , and Gigabit Ethernet . It also allows substance abuser to daisy chain up to six devices together . “ It ’s fast , it ’s simple , and it ’s pliant , ” said Apple ’s Moody .
On the young MacBook Pros , Thunderbolt uses the same plug that current Macs use to connect to DisplayPort - compatible display ; it can still connect to those devices , and Apple ’s adapters for hooking up to HDMI , DVI , and VGA video will continue to work . Apple expects Thunderbolt to be embrace widely as a new criterion for remark and yield .
While Apple enounce it had nothing to announce on Thursday in terminal figure of Thunderbolt adapters for be connectivity protocols , the company pointed out that the engineering is not an Apple - exclusive and that via Intel , Thunderbolt would be useable to third - party machine and cablegram maker .
In accession , the MacBook Pros now have built - in FaceTime HD cameras , which are capable of 720p widescreen in high spirits - definition picture . At 1280 by 720 , the cameras have three times the solving of previous tv camera and permit for expert video call using Apple ’s FaceTime software , which is included on all young Macs ( it ’s usable to existing Mac owners for 99 cents on the Mac App Store ) .
The new models feature the same aluminium unibody enclosures as the older line , with the methamphetamine Multi - Touch trackpad , LED - backlit displays , and backlit full - size keyboard . And the South Dakota posting slot has been advance to accept quicker , gamy - capacity SDXC card .
Apple also toldMacworldthat the battery testing subprogram on the newfangled MacBook Pros was the same that it used when introducing the revamped MacBook Air last nightfall . It call the test “ more stringent ” and says that even using that mental test , the new MacBook Pros achieved 7 - minute stamp battery life story across the line .
The 13 - inch modelling starts at $ 1,199 for a 2.3GHz with 320 GB difficult drive and $ 1,499 for a 2.7GHz with 500 GB voiceless drive . For the 15 - inch model , there are two form : one with a 2.0GHz Quad - Core Intel Core i7 , AMD Radeon HD 6490 M , and 500 GB hard crusade set about at $ 1,799 , and one with a 2.2GHz Quad - Core Intel Core i7 , AMD Radeon HD 6750 M and 750 GB hard drive starting at $ 2,199 . The top of the line 17 - column inch MacBook Pro comes with a 2.2GHz Quad - Core Intel Core i7 , AMD Radeon HD 6750 M , and 750 GB backbreaking drive — it ’s priced at $ 2,499 .
Updated at 5:58 PT with more data on configurations and price . Updated at 6:39PT with details from Apple . update at 9:06PT with note on SDXC scorecard slot .
