Apple Announces New Notebooks and Displays

JR — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:07:39 +0000

After months of rumors and speculation, Apple has finally announced its new line of notebooks. The new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook — along with a brand new 24-inch cinema display — were all revealed at the company’s mystery-shrouded event in Cupertino, Calif. today.

The New MacBook Pro

The new MacBook Pro has an unibody enclosure made from a single sheet of aluminum — the much discussed “brick” build — and is once again the thinnest ever model, coming in at only 0.95 inches. All connectors are on one side, including the speculated mini-DisplayPort for home theater connection. As expected, the back side of the casing can be removed to access the battery and hard drive.

When it comes to graphics, the MacBook Pro features a brand new graphics processor from Nvidia that incorporates both the chipset and GPU into a single die. The Nvidia GeForce 9400M performs five times faster than the current MacBook Pro systems, Steve Jobs said. The notebook also comes with the Nvidia 9600M GT, described as a “state-of-the-art graphics” system. It offers 512MB of video memory and can be activated by switching to “turbo mode” within the settings. The 9400 provides five hours of battery life, while the 9600 drops down to about four.

The new MacBook Pro also boasts a large multi-touch glass trackpad. It’s 39 percent larger than its predecessor, and the entire thing functions as the button. It recognizes several gestures that perform functions such as zooming, panning, and app switching.

The cheapest model, at $1999, includes a 15.4-inch LED backlit display. 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB L2 Cache, 2GB 1066MHz DDR3 Memory, the two GeForces, and a 250GB hard drive and SuperDrive. The top-of-the-line model, at $2499, gets you up to 2.53GHz, 6MB L2 Cache, 4GB memory, 512MB video memory, and a 320GB hard drive. Both will be shipping today.

The New MacBook

Not to be left behind, the MacBook is getting a makeover as well. There will be three versions, all available starting tomorrow:

A $999 “Next Generation” model, featuring the same aluminum unibody enclosure as the Pro, a corner-to-corner glass LED-backlit display, the new multi-touch glass trackpad, an added mini-DisplayPort connector, and the Nvidia 9400M graphics system
A $1299 model with a 13.3-inch LED-backlit display, 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 3MB L2 Cache, 2GB 1066MHz DDR3 memory, the Nvidia 9400M graphics system, a 160GB hard drive and SuperDrive
A $1599 model that adds a 2.4GHz processor, 250GB hard drive, and backlit keyboard

The New MacBook Air

A souped-up MacBook Air is on the way in November. It will get the 9400M graphics system, along with a 120GB hard drive or 128GB SSD and an added mini-DisplayPort. The notebook will be offered in a 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo version for $1799 and a 1.86GHz CPU version (with the 128GB SSD) for $2499.

The New Cinema Display

Finally, Jobs and his team announced a new 24-inch LED-backlit Cinema Display. It offers 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution and features three connectors: MagSafe, USB, and mini-DisplayPort. The display also has built-in iSight, microphone, and stereo speakers. It’ll be available in November for $899 — presumably making it the rumored $800-range product first reported here last week.

More Recent Coverage

The Cult of Mac Still Safe From The Unwashed Masses
Apple Tells Silverlight to Step Away From the iPhone
Apple Announces iPhone Tech Talk Tour
Is Apple Finally Gunning for Microsoft?
Why Apple selling HD Televisions makes sense
Apple patents OS X dock, imitators may be targeted
Apple Everywhere: New Brick Images, New iPhone Rumors
Apple to launch $800 laptop

Countdown to Macbook: New Photos, New Frenzy

JR — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:46:33 +0000

We’re down to the final few hours before the heavily hyped Apple notebook announcement, and the frenzy is in full-swing. The latest photo, posted to Engadget, shows a full frontal shot of the supposed new MacBook Pro believed to be on the way. (I take no credit for the “heart JR” burned onto the image, though I will go ahead and assume that it was meant as a sign of admiration for me from an attractive female follower.)

Some are speculating that the blurry image was snapped during a briefing at Apple’s campus this week. It does seem to match previous leaked images as well as early descriptions of the device.

There’s also this shot, posted on the Chinese forum MacHome and said to show the bottom of the new MacBook. It suggests the whole back side may just lift off to support the presence of a removable battery and hard drive.

Other rumors about the laptop include the idea that it’ll offer two NVIDIA graphics cards and boosted battery power compared to past models. Some sites are also reporting it’ll have a DisplayPort for home theater connection. Speed-wise, the word now is that the system will be able to hit 2.8GHz and will carry a 128GB hard drive.

As for the rumored notebook in the $800 range, the latest speculation is that it may end up being an LED Apple Cinema Display instead of a MacBook.

Fact and fiction will be separated soon enough. Stay tuned for a wrap of it all here at The Inquisitr this afternoon.