We know you gobble up details on Mac news as fast as we can lay them down—sometimes, distressingly faster—so we’ve got some more details from you on those shiny new MacBook Pros from this morning.
For instance, under the hood, the MacBook Pros use Intel’s new “Santa Rosa” platform. Beside being named after any one of three different saints, this primarily has to do with wireless networking. Santa Rosa is the fourth iteration of Intel’s Centrino chipset, but uses an only slightly updated version of the same Core 2 Duo “Merom” processor that we saw in earlier MBPs. It also folds in support for 802.11a/b/g/n, with no need for the 802.11n Enabler patch, or your precious $2. There are a few other additions to the chipset, but we don’t know what else Apple might be taking advantage of (since, for example, the new notebooks use nVidia’s GeForce 8600M GT graphics chip, they don’t need Santa Rosa’s GMA X3100 integrated graphics).
The new models also extend battery life between 30 minutes to an hour, and slimmed down by 0.2lbs, possibly both the result of the LED backlighting, though Santa Rosa’s power management could have something to do with the former.
Onward: the shmancy new LED-backlit display is on the 15” and only the 15”. When pressed, Apple said “The 15-inch is the first one [in industry]. All screens will transition when it’s technically and economically feasible.” 17” owners should not feel left out—unlike their 15” brethren, they have a $100 build-to-order option to upgrade to a High-Resolution 1900 x 1200 display (in either glossy or matte). Apple marketing VP David Moody pointed out that this allows video professionals to work with HD video and see all 1080 vertical lines of resolution. Thank heavens for the resolution independence coming in Leopard; that way you’ll actually be able to see those teeny-weeny little icons.
That’s what we know right now. Of course, the biggest question on everybody’s minds now is: if Apple announced new MacBook Pros today, what’s coming next week?
[via Macworld; Gizmodo; Engadget]
Hasn't anybody noticed they now recognize 4gig of memory?
OK, before this meme propogates... resolution independence in the OS does not mean what this author thinks it does because it has NOTHING to do with how many lines of a movie are visible.
But, it will be handy on that 1900 screen when you want to see an icon or make out a menu item.
Hopefully touchscreen iMacs coming next week! I told my mom to wait to buy one so they better at least update them!
@John: Sorry, that was an error of composition rather than an error of knowledge. It's just as you say and I've updated the language to clarify.
"17” owners should feel left out"
Really, we should feel sorry for those poor, poor people?
@John, I think that's what he meant. You can see 1080 lines of a movie and still read your email thanks to resolution independence.
It should also be mentioned that if you want to upgrade to the 160GB 7200RPM Hard Drive, the wait is changed from 1-3 days to 4-6 weeks presumably because those drives are not available until next month.
Whats coming next week?
WWDC 07
Feature complete Leopard Preview
Really Simple Life with Paris week 2
You talked me into it -- I've ordered one from Macstation.
Wait a sec. Where's my 12"??? Still waiting for it.