macbook

Update: You can find the full review of the 15-inch MacBook Pro here.

Breakout stories on key topics are below:

After weeks of a growing chorus of rumors, leaks, and anecdotal evidence, Apple today announced a series of updates to its popular MacBook Pro line of laptops.

The biggest changes are all under the hood, as first reported on CNET. The entire updated line now offers Intel's latest Sandy Bridge CPUs, which debuted last month.

Just as significantly, the new MacBook Pros are also the first products to feature Intel's new Thunderbolt technology (formerly known as Light Peak). The Thunderbolt tech is envisioned as a sort of unified successor to USB, FireWire, and DisplayPort, allowing peripherals to hypothetically carry data and video at 10Gbps. The Thunderbolt port on the MacBook Pros looks identical to (and is backwards-compatible with) existing DisplayPort connections, and--with the proper adapter cable--should also be able to interface with HDMI connections as well. (Also, note that Intel will be hosting a press event at 10 a.m. PT today at which it is widely expected to highlight its Thunderbolt/Light Peak technology in more detail. Join CNET for live coverage at that time.)

The third big change is in the laptops' internal graphics processor. Instead of the Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics previously found in these systems, the default graphics come from Intel's HD 3000 GPU, which is the improved, integrated graphics that come bundled with the current Sandy Bridge generation of Intel's Core i-series processors. For the larger 15- and 17-inch models that include discrete graphics, the GPUs now come from AMD instead of longtime rival Nvidia. … Read more

Apple's new MacBook Pros, expected to be announced tomorrow, use a copious helping of Intel technology--and even throw in a measure of silicon from Advanced Micro Devices, CNET has learned.

Thunderbolt: First things first. Intel's Light Peak technology (which Apple had a hand in implementing) has been renamed Thunderbolt, according to an industry source familiar with Apple's MacBook Pro rollout. In short, Thunderbolt is the official brand for the technology that had been codenamed Light Peak. This manifests itself in the form of a Thunderbolt connector on the new MacBooks.

Thunderbolt is a new interface that will … Read more

We've wondered when the 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro would finally get a CPU upgrade. Based on leaks, it seems like that time will come soon.

The above image comes from a report from German Web site fscklog.com. It was translated and reposted at MacRumors.com.

Are these the specs for a new 13-inch MacBook Pro? We have no idea, but we hope so. A next-generation Intel Core i5 CPU, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, Sandy Bridge integrated graphics, and even a new high-speed data transfer port (called Thunderbolt, according to this post, most likely a renamed … Read more

Intel on Thursday plans to roll out Light Peak, a high-speed connection technology that Apple is also likely to adopt, according to an industry source familiar with the details of the event.

Intel released a statement to the media today saying that on Thursday in San Francisco it will "host a...press briefing to discuss a new technology that is about to appear on the market."

There will also be a media event held the same day at the Intel campus in Santa Clara, Calif., where the chipmaker will conduct technology and product demonstrations.

Maybe not coincidentally, Apple … Read more

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded:

Windows Phone 7 is scheduled for its first update since the mobile operating system launched last fall

The iPad 2 may not launch until June and may have some kind of smart bezel

The next generation of MacBook Pros may have a new wireless connection technology

Apple may be working on a television product other than the Apple TV

Toyota is going to start selling hybrid car chargers in 2012

Former Senator Chris Dodd may soon be named chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America

Twitter shut down third-party Twitter clients for … Read more

New MacBook Pro laptops will arrive from Apple this week, just in time for Steve Jobs' birthday, according to several recent reports.

The AppleInsider, an enthusiast site, reported yesterday that new MacBook Pros will be released Thursday, the same day that Apple CEO Steve Jobs turns 56.

The updated line of Apple laptops is expected to use Intel's new dual-core Sandy Bridge mobile chips, which have faced a chipset flaw and some delays. Last night, Intel released an updated price list that contained new dual-core chips.

The fastest of the Sandy Bridge chips run at 2.7GHz, according to … Read more

Intel has updated its price list with new dual-core Sandy Bridge chips--some likely bound for Apple MacBooks and for just about every PC vendor on the planet.

The chipmaker yesterday added i3, mobile i5, and mobile Core i7 dual-core chips to the list of Sandy Bridge processors for sale. Many of the initial Sandy Bridge processors listed--and shipped--back in January were quad-core only.

A low-power i5-2537M (1.4GHz) and standard-power i5-2540M and i5-2520M mobile chips have been added to the list. They are priced at $250, $266, and $225, respectively, in thousand unit quantities.

A sizable cluster of new dual-core … Read more

An announcement from Apple is expected soon about a new high-speed connection technology, a source told CNET.

Whether the new connector tech will be part of the upcoming MacBook Pro update (rumored to happen February 24) or announced in another context is not clear. Intel has been working on a technology called Light Peak for years and recently said the initial version would be based on copper, as practical realities dictate more conventional technology.

Apple is expected to adopt this technology in the near future--but likely use a name other than Light Peak, a source familiar with this aspect of … Read more

So, here's the question: In the wake of Intel's disclosure that it will resume regular shipments of its "Sandy Bridge" silicon, how fast will Apple move the MacBook to the latest Intel chips?

MacBook Pros: It's a pretty safe bet that Apple will upgrade 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros to Sandy Bridge--announced in January--sooner rather than later. Last year, Apple adopted the Core i5 and i7 processors for the 15-inch and 17-inch Pros in April: amounting to little more than a three month wait after the chips were introduced in early 2010. The Sandy Bridge … Read more