The new MacBook and 15-inch MacBook Pro both have a precision unibody enclosure crafted from a single block of aluminum (the much-rumored "brick" process), resulting in thinner and more durable designs. In addition, every member of the new MacBook and MacBook Pro family includes Nvidia graphics, instant-on LED-backlit displays and new, large glass Multi-Touch trackpads that offer almost 40 percent more tracking area and support more Multi-Touch gestures.
The new family meets Energy Star 4.0, EPEAT Gold and RoHS environmental standards, and leads the industry in the elimination of toxic chemicals by containing no brominated flame retardants, using only PVC-free internal cables and components, and using energy efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury- free and made with arsenic-free glass, according to Apple CEO Steve Jobs.
"Traditionally notebooks are made from multiple parts. With the new MacBook, we've replaced all of those parts with just one part -- the unibody," says Jonathan Ive, Apple's senior vice president of Industrial Design. "The MacBook's unibody enclosure is made from a single block of aluminum, making the new MacBook fundamentally thinner, stronger and more robust with a fit and finish that we've never even dreamed of before."
The new MacBook line features the NVidia GeForce 9400M, a new 3D integrated graphics processor that features 16 parallel processing cores and purportedly delivers up to five times the 3D graphics performance as previous MacBook and MacBook Air designs. Apple has worked together with Nvidia on this groundbreaking graphics processor and is the first to bring it to market in the new MacBook family, Jobs says.
The new smooth glass Multi-Touch trackpad on the MacBook and 15-inch MacBook Pro gives users almost 40 percent more tracking area than before, making it even easier to use Multi-Touch gestures like pinch, rotate and swipe, he adds. New gestures allow users to activate Expose or switch between applications at the touch of a fingertip. The entire trackpad surface is also a button, allowing users to both track and click just about anywhere on the trackpad. Users can easily enable multiple virtual buttons in software, such as right-clicking.
Every member of the new MacBook family features an LED-backlit display for brilliant instant-on performance that uses up to 30 percent less energy than its predecessor and eliminates the mercury found in industry standard fluorescent tube backlights. What's more, every display
in the new MacBook line uses completely arsenic-free glass.
Jobs says that the new MacBook delivers the top three features that MacBook customers have told us they want in a new MacBook -- an all metal enclosure, high performance 3D graphics and LED-backlit displays -- at an entry price that is $700 less than the US$1,999 price of the MacBook Pro. At only 0.95-inches thin and weighing just 4.5 pounds, the new 13-inch full featured aluminum MacBook starts at US$1,299. Jobs says that, since it features the new Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics processor, the MacBook delivers outstanding 3D game play on a consumer notebook, with up to five times faster graphics performance than the previous generation.
The new MacBook is available in two models: the 2.0 GHz MacBook with a 160GB 5400 rpm hard drive, and the 2.4 GHz MacBook with a 250GB 5400 rpm hard drive and a backlit keyboard for US$1,599.
The new 15-inch MacBook Pro is 0.95-inches thin and weighs 5.5 pounds. Starting at $1,999, the MacBook Pro uses the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors available, running up to 2.8 GHz, and a new graphics architecture that allows users to switch between the Nvidia GeForce 9400M integrated graphics processor for better battery life and the Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics processor for higher performance. The new MacBook Pro is available in two models: a 2.4 GHz model with a 250GB, 5400 rpm hard drive ($2,499) and a 2.53 GHz model with a 320GB 5400 rpm hard drive ($1,999).
What's more, Apple has also updated the MacBook Air and the 17-inch MacBook Pro. The MacBook Air, measuring only 0.16-inches at its thinnest point, 0.76-inches at its maximum height and weighing just three pounds, now includes a new Nvidia GeForce 9400M integrated graphics and a faster architecture to provide robust support for 3D games and enhanced performance.
Starting at $1,799, MacBook Air is available with a 120GB 4200 rpm hard drive, a 50 percent increase from the previous generation, or a new 128GB solid state drive. The updated 17-inch MacBook Pro ($2,799) keeps its original aluminum design, and now comes standard with a high resolution 1920 x 1200 LED-backlit display and a larger 320GB hard drive or an optional 128GB solid state drive.
The new MacBook, 15-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air include a next generation, industry-standard Mini DisplayPort to connect with the new Apple LED Cinema Display featuring a 24-inch LED-backlit widescreen display with a built-in iSight video camera, mic and speakers in an aluminum and glass enclosure.
Part of the next-generation DisplayPort industry standard, the new Mini DisplayPort delivers a pure digital signal that can drive up to a 30-inch widescreen display. The Mini DisplayPort is 10 percent the size of a full DVI connector. Adapters are available for using the MacBook's Mini DisplayPort with older generation VGA, DVI/HDMI and Dual-Link DVI displays.
"Macsimum News" is a proud supporter of Planet Gumbo, which feeds the hungry. We urge you to help them in their efforts.
