Skip to main content

Apple unveils new Macbook Pro lineup with new high-speed Thunderbolt port

As expected, Apple today updated its 13-, 15- and 17-inch Macbook Pro models with dual-core and quad core processors, making the new lineup up to twice as fast as the previous generation.

Perhaps the most important change is the debut of the Thunderbolt I/O standard. With two bi-direction channels — both capable of speeds of 10GBS — Apple claims that Thunderbolt is more than 12 times faster than FireWire and 20 times faster than USB 2.0. Thunderbolt also offers native support for Mini DisplayPort and support by way of adapters for DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, and VGA displays. Thunderbolt is also compatible with FireWire and USB devices.

Recommended Videos

Apple has also included a built-in FaceTime camera in all of the new models to support the video calling service that was introduced last year with the iPhone 4. FaceTime is included in the new generation of Macbook Pros. Users of other Intel-based Macs can now purchase the program through the App Store for $0.99.

The 13-inch Macbook Pro features Intel Core i5 and Core i7 dual-core processors up to 2.7 GHz and Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 384MB of DDR3 SDRAM. The 15- and 17-inch models feature quad-core Core i7 processors up to 2.3 GHz and AMD Radeon HD graphics processors with up to 1GB of video memory.

Don’t look for a complete re-design in the new lineup: the aluminum unibody and its associated components appear to remain unchanged from the previous generation.

The 13-inch Macbook Pro starts at $1,199, the 15-inch at $1,799 and the 17-inch at $2,499. All models include the Snow Leopard OS X and iLife.

Aemon Malone
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Samsung Galaxy Book5 360 Pro vs. MacBook Air 15: a narrower gap
samsung galaxy book5 pro 360 review featured 9267d9

There are some great 15-inch laptops, as well as similar-sized 16-inch machines, that have started to take over the large laptop space. The Apple MacBook Air 15 is a great laptop that's a leader here thanks to a solid build, great performance, and even better battery life.

But Windows laptops have a new weapon in the efficiency wars with Intel's new Lunar Lake chipsets. The Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 2-in-1 uses Lunar Lake for better efficiency, but is it enough to take over the crown from the MacBook Air 15? Unfortunately not.
Specs and configurations

Read more
The 13-inch Apple MacBook Air M3 is below $1,000 for Cyber Monday
The M3 MacBook Air in front of a window.

This year's Cyber Monday deals have dropped. For Apple fans who want to take advantage of the shopping event to buy a MacBook, there's an offer from Best Buy that you shouldn't miss. The 256GB model of the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air M3 is on sale with a $200 discount that slashes its price from $1,099 to $899, but probably not for long, as Cyber Monday MacBook deals will be gone soon. You're going to have to be quick to add it to your cart, though, because this 18% discount won't last long.

Why you should buy the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air M3
Our team is a big fan of the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air M3. It currently holds the title as the very best MacBook you can buy in our rankings of the best MacBooks, and it all starts with the performance of Apple's M3 chip. Combined with an eight-core CPU, an eight-core GPU, and 16GB of RAM, the Apple MacBook Air M3 will barely break a sweat when handling your daily activities -- even when you're multitasking between several apps.

Read more
MacBook Pro M4 teardown shows a repairability rut for Apple laptops
The MacBook Pro 16-inch on a table.

The updated slate of MacBook Pros, powered by the M4 series silicon, has once again established Apple’s performance dominance in the segment. However, a teardown courtesy of the folks over at iFixit has confirmed that not much has changed internally, which means the usual repairability snags are still here.

Starting with the new elements this time around, Apple engineers seem to have redesigned the logic board, increasing the heatsink size and shifting a few component locations. The ports are easy to replace on the new laptop, and the battery is repair-friendly as well.

Read more