One More Thing: Apple's New MacBook Pro
Posted by Danny Allen | Tuesday, January 10, 2006 10:58 AM PT
As has become customary, Steve had one more trick up his sleeve: the MacBook Pro. The new notebooks will feature an Intel Core Duo (dual-core) processor that he claimed will enable MacBook Pros to be up to four times faster than current PowerBooks.
The new notebooks will also sport an integrated iSight camera above the display and ship with Apple's Front Row software and remote control. Other features include a backlit keyboard, scrolling trackpad, DVI-video output, digital audio-ins and -outs and sudden motion detector.
Apple has included its new MagSafe power connection designed to magnetically guide the power cord into place and easily disconnect should someone trip over it. This should be welcome news if, like me, you've had a friend walk past, trip on your cord and watched your notebook slide off onto the floor right in front of your eyes.
The MacBook pro will be available from $1999 starting in February. Full specifications and options can be found at
Apple's Website.
For more details on other MacWorld announcements, see PC World's Editor in Chief, Harry McCracken's
Techlog Blog
Good days are ahead with Intels in the Macs! I must admit i'm disappointed they aren't using AMDs. Either way, i'm am going to wait til 2008 to buy my mac. I have played around on the cutting edge too much and for once I want something that has been around awhile. By '08 all macs will be Intel, all the software will be compatible, and OSX 10.5 (maybe 10.6) will be out.
What about cost ?
Will it be reduced
All Macs will be intel by the end of 2006, it was in the MWSF presentation.
The Apple computer has now emerged as offering the best value computers of any PC company. iLife '06 and OS X Tiger standard. The best deal out there. Now they all have built in cameras, microphones, speakers. How could you say no?
Consumer Reports has consistently rated Macs as having the best customer satisfaction and performance. You pay a little more, but the quality and reliability of a Mac is unmatched.
For your answer on cost, I doubt it will be cheaper. Read this article below:
http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/001307.html
We now understand why Apple chose Intel over AMD.
IMHO, AMD had been spanking Intel in 2003-2005--but it seems the new Intel dual-core processors using 65nm is ideal for notebooks.
With mobile devices, it is still important to be fast but sometimes more important to run cooler and use less power.
I'm looking forward to seeing what AMD will launch using 65nm and low-watt dual-core. Until then, it looks like Apple will benefit from choosing Intel.
I'll probably buy my first Apple in Winter 2006--maybe even sooner if VMWare Workstation is released to run on Mac OSX.
If VMWare Workstation becomes available for Mac OS X, I will replace my current Dell Laptop with one of these.
no firewire 800??? :rolleyes: how can they call this a macbook PRO? in my profession to be "pro" you need FW800... IMO powerbook>macbook>ibook
Agreed. I have a bunch of firewire 800 external disk drives. I will be less inclined to "hardware lock-in" if I find myself jurry rigging a network connection to an old Mac to use these.
This thing is the REAL Powerbook Duo.
The biggest thing that I am glad about is that they are using EFi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensible_Firmware_Interface
This is a new BIOS replacement developed by Intel and is a lot more like OpenFirmware that Macs have used in the past.
Now I just can't wait for the $499 Mac Mini Duo!
They should fly off the shelves.
Should also make nice light duty servers.
I'm having a dilema though, I have to get a laptop for college in fall 06, and I have my eye on a 12 inch powerbook, but now that apple came out with the intel chips, when do you think that they will come out with a 12 inch macbook pro? because if it's sometime after sept. I will be forced to get the 12 inch power book. Any suggestions?
i think it'll be really soon that apple begin shipping 12inch macbook pros. like you, i'm waiting for 12inch macbook. and i think it'll come out in the summer definitely before sept. the reason is that steve said in 2006 mac world SF that updated powerbooks will be made soon. here by updated powerbook, he means macbook pro and because he has 15in now, 12in and 17in will consequently come. it'll be before the summer ends because he also said that he expects intel macs will be shipping fully by june. so there are all the reasons to believe that 12in macbook pro will be released before the summer ends.