This is nothing specific to Apple but rather a benefit of buying in an industry driven by Moore's Law. Per usual, this refresh sees Apple offering customers more computer for the same money, rather than giving out any substantial price cuts. I wouldn’t read too much into this – Apple is always going back and forth between NVIDIA and AMD graphics, usually based on whoever happens to be offering the best or most efficient chip at the time of refresh.
The 15-inch model and 17-inch model add switchable dedicated graphics from AMD, ousting the NVIDIA chips that powered the previous lineup. Sandy Bridge obviously integrates Intel’s HD 3000 graphics on die, which is used by all of the new MBPs by default. This makes these two MacBook Pros ripe for a desktop replacement usage model, particularly if paired with an SSD. Both the 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pros now feature quad-core CPUs. Sandy Bridge is used across the board and interestingly enough only the 13-inch model uses a dual-core CPU. The move to Sandy Bridge is different - all models got an upgrade. When Apple moved its MacBook Pro lineup to Arrandale, the poor 13-inch model lost out - it remained with an older Core 2 Duo CPU. Gigabit LAN, Firewire 800, Thunderbolt, 3x USB 2.0, separate audio in/out jacks, ExpressCard 34 slot Gigabit LAN, Firewire 800, Thunderbolt, 2x USB 2.0, SDHC slot, separate audio in/out jacks Gigabit LAN, Firewire 800, Thunderbolt, 2x USB 2.0, SDHC slot, combined audio in/out jack Intel HD 3000 + AMD Radeon HD 6750M (1GB)
The big new feature (outside of Sandy Bridge) is support for the first incarnation of Intel’s Light Peak interface technology, now called Thunderbolt. No mere speed bump, these new MacBooks bring Intel’s new Sandy Bridge processors chipsets to the entire line, replacing the previous Arrandale processors and finally retiring the aging Core 2 Duo from service in the 13-inch model.Ĭontrary to earlier reports, there are no default SSD configurations although the solid state offerings are still optional. The Apple online store also has immediate availability.
Apple retail stores received stock prior to today and began selling product immediately. There was no scheduled press event and nothing more than a press release announcing the specs and availability. The update was unusually quiet for Apple. As expected, Apple today unveiled a range of speed and functionality improvements for its MacBook Pro lineup.
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