Apple bumps MacBook Pro specs, adds SD card slot, new battery
(Credit:
James Martin/CNET)
Not the biggest news from today's Apple WWDC keynote, but the MacBook laptop line has gotten a few noteworthy spec bumps. We've already seen recent tweaks to the popular (and relatively budget-priced) $999 white MacBook, so now it's time for the aluminum 13, 15, and 17-inch models to follow suit.
First up is a revamped 15-inch MacBook Pro. Built into the same unibody construction as the current model, this new Pro promises improved battery life with a new "revolutionary" li-polymer battery that offers up to seven hours of life. These new batteries, according to Apple, will last for 1,000 recharge cycles, up from about 300 on the current models.
Even more exciting, the Express Card slot is being replaced with a standard SD card slot -- something we've held Apple's feet to the fire about for years.
The CPU is being bumped to a 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (and it can handle up to 8GB of RAM), making this Apple's fastest laptop to date. Even better, the starting price for a Pro is down to $1,699, from $1,999. The $2,499 17-inch MacBook Pro is also getting bumped, with a 2.8GHz CPU and 500GB HDD, but it's keeping the ExpressCard slot instead of the new SD card slot.
Also worth noting, Apple says all the MacBook systems meet EPEAT Gold standards, as well as the new Energy Star 5.0 specs for power efficiency.
These new updates are available starting today, and Scott Stein has the updates to Apple's 13-inch laptop lineup, including the standard aluminum unibody 13-inch MacBook joining the "Pro" family.
(Credit:
James Martin/CNET)
New York native Dan Ackerman, a former radio DJ turned journalist, has written about technology and music for publications including Spin, Blender, The Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. He hosts the weekly Digital City podcast and the New York edition of Editors' Office Hours. Dan's new album, Tales Out of Night School, is available now. E-mail Dan. 
I wish some of the outlandish rumors had been true like OLED displays even tho it was quite obvious they were gonna be a strech at the price points they currently are, but after price cuts to hear someone mention greed now thats somethin. I love my macs much more then any of the PC's ive ever owned or built and yea they were priced a lil more then competition but OSX was worth it to me. Now They are in line with competition maybe even less in some cases + they have OSX which is superior in usability and lack of problems (Ive used both windows and mac since i was very young and have helped people deal with problems on both platforms, and windows has been more problamatic). Oh and one more thing Snow Leopard is $29 a copy and $49 for a 5 person license while the last edition of windows vista ultimate (snow leopard is always the full version will all features ....) is selling for a retail price over 300? And somehow to you "donsms" that signifies greed. Please look up the definition of which u speak in the dictionary. "Greed is the excessive or rapacious desire and pursuit of money, wealth, power. It is generally considered a vice, and is one of the seven deadly sins in Catholicism." nothing in what apple did today showed that. Anyway congrats apple I will be replacing my 3 year old 17 in macbook pro around christmas with another 17 inch :D. and I am sure many of my friends will be more likely to try to get a macbook pro now that the price is a lil better and they can always add student discounts to them.
Go Apple Job Well Done Time to compete Windows at the same price point. (for the record ive built 4 windows systems and owned 5 others from windows 95 to vista and ive owned macs from tiger - leopard (and used macs back in Elementary school as well as high school))
Now all we need next time is a truely revolutionary iPhone (some features i desire would need the networks to improve first)
it can't be that hard considering how many notebooks have an SD card reader and an express card slot
thats why Hackintosh exists
SD cards ! seriously for how many years have they denied there existence
wat changed now ?
MacBook Touch/Tablet
Updated MacBook, maybe with 13 and 14 sizes
New iPod connector, mainly with the shuffle though (I saw one at Fry's Electronics that was simply a USB thing with a headphone jack on the other side, I think by the company that makes iClear or Griffin)
I have only one backup drive and it seems that Apple decides that your investment is not good enough for them to be consistent.
so you can use both now !
and the white macbook still has that ever loved Fw400 port !
Are people really so blinded by Apple's Advertising of "cool" ??
Sorry guys, but I get the same specs at Dell with the by Apple fans so dreaded Windows for below $ 1,000 and have a better service in case anything would ever go wrong... however to be honest I have had Dell laptops for the last 10 years and had not a single problem... maybe that's why I am not as hyped about an overprized Laptop...
7 HOUR BATTERY LIFE that is unheard of dont care if its not removable, send it for a new one in 5 YEARS. track pad! its big, glass and multi touch with gestures, the case is VERY durable. never had a mac before but i plan on buying one for school now that i realized with the price cut, student discount and the upgrades(especially 2gb of DDR2 to 4gb of DDR3) it is WELL worth that price, and i look foward to getting one
- by samsmall August 6, 2009 1:21 AM PDT
- So by replacing the express card slot with the SD card slot how do I get additional Firewire peripherals connected to my 15" macbookpro? I need a port for a video camera and a port for a hard drive, can't daisy chain them that doesn't work. I need ports, not card readers!
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