Apple has unveiled its much anticipated updates to the MacBook Pro line of laptops, with the highlight being its new connection technology called Thunderbolt. Not to be confused with a new smartphone coming from a rival, STEVEN AMBROSE explains what we can expect from Thunderbolt and what the new MacBook Pro range has to offer.
Apple has unveiled much anticipated updates to its MacBook Pro line of laptops. Early leaks accurately revealed many of the specs of the new models just a day ahead of launch. Three key new technologies stand out: Thunderbolt connection technology from Intel, known as Light Peak until now; the latest Intel Core processors; and new AMD Radeon graphics.
The highlight of the new MacBook Pro line (especially for professional users) is the introduction of the new Thunderbolt I/O standard. The promise of Thunderbolt technology is to move media faster and simplify connections between devices. It combines high-speed data and HD video connections together onto a single cable.
Thunderbolt technology is compatible with existing DisplayPort displays and adapters. All Thunderbolt technology devices share a common connector, and you can simply daisy-chain devices one after another, connected by electrical or optical cables.
Unlike what some early rumours predicted, the new MacBook Pros have essentially the same basic design as their predecessor, and a very similar looking aluminium and glass enclosure with a black bezel around the screen. All the new MacBooks also include the new integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 GPU, although the 15” and 17” models also offer high-end AMD discrete graphics, which will please the creative set.
Another smart move is a new FaceTime HD Camera, which replaces the built-in iSight camera and offers 720p quality video for FaceTime calls between the new Macs.
The battery life is quoted at around seven hours, which is very good for a laptop, and a range of SSD hard drives and memory upgrades will also be made available – at a price, of course.
The latest update brings the MacBooks right up to date with the latest Intel technology, and the new core processors are much faster than the previous generation. When used for video transcoding and other video tasks, they are significantly faster. In demonstrations at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the new entry level Core i5 outperformed the previous generation top end Core i7.
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