MacBook Pro update could include larger trackpad, solid-state drive for OS

By Adam Rosenberg February 22, 2011

The evidence is quite strong that we’ll be seeing an update to Apple’s line of MacBook Pro laptops this week. Proof has been piling up for more than a week now, with the most telling bit being that certain European have reportedly begun receiving sealed pallets of an unrevealed product that come with a note saying they are not to be opened until an announcement is made.

Even if it isn’t Thursday, a MacBook Pro update is coming soon regardless. There won’t be any confirmation of the new notebook’s features until Apple’s formal announcement, but a few rumors are flying around from an unnamed “Apple source” who spoke to Boy Genius Report. In addition to reaffirming that the official announcement will be here in “the coming days,” the insider also revealed that the new MacBooks will feature a glass trackpad that edges out even the current generation model’s trackpad size.

Interestingly, the source also reveals that all new MacBook Pro laptops will come packing a solid-state drive, or SSD, with 8-16GB of storage space. These SSDs would house the notebook’s operating system and nothing more while a second hard drive using more typical magnetic recording techniques would be included to store user data. SSDs offer greater reliability since all information is stored on microchips and there are no moving parts. An SSD is great for a notebook since it can stand up to more jostling than a more traditional hard drive, which can be damaged if its magnetic strips come into contact with one another. The lack of moving parts also means better performance for SSDs.

Buyers will have the option of purchasing a model that only packs SSD storage, but expect those to be more expensive due to the higher price of that technology. Apple is expected to roll out five different SKUs when the MacBook Pro is announced later this week.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…

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