Thursday, February 24, 2011

MacBook Pro updated: Faster CPUs, Radeon HD, Thunderbolt, and more

MacBook Pro updated: Faster CPUs, Radeon HD, Thunderbolt, and more: "




As expected, Apple has updated the MacBook Pro and given the lineup some significant upgrades. In brief, the lineup has seen significant processor updates, with Intel's new 'Sandy Bridge' processors standard throughout the lineup, including 13.3 model. AMD's Radeon HD GPU has replaced the NVIDIA GeForce GT GPUs that powered the last-gen MacBook Pros; it will be interesting to see how this affects graphics performance once benchmarks come out.



The MacBook Pro does not have the rumored 16 GB SSD 'boot drive' as a standard option. All models come with a traditional HDD in 320 or 500 GB size for the 13.3-inch model, 500 or 750 GB for the 15.4-inch and 750 GB for the 17-inch model. All HDDs are 5400 RPM drives. SSD drives are available as an option.



Thunderbolt, a new connection technology based on Intel's 'Light Peak,' has debuted in the MacBook Pro, the first notebook to feature this next-generation technology. Thunderbolt is a multi-purpose connector designed to produce transfer speeds well in excess of those offered by either FireWire or USB; Thunderbolt will transfer data at up to 10 Gbps, more than 12 times faster than FireWire 800.



In addition to these major updates, the MacBook Pro has seen some minor enhancements, too: the entire lineup has dropped in weight, and all models feature a slightly larger trackpad than before, and they include a 'FaceTime HD' camera versus the iSight of previous models. In all, the MacBook Pro's updates have turned it into even more of a powerhouse than it was before. If you've been waiting for an update before pulling the trigger on your credit card, wait no longer. Pricing and tech specs are in the second half of this post.



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MacBook Pro updated: Faster CPUs, Radeon HD, Thunderbolt, and more originally appeared on TUAW on Thu, 24 Feb 2011 08:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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