Thursday, November 1,2007 @ 7:45am
Apple intros faster MacBooks, MacBook Pros
Operating outside of its normal upgrade schedule, Apple today quietly upgraded the performance of its MacBooks and added new performance options for its MacBook Pro models. The former, 13-inch systems are now based on the Intel Santa Rosa platform used by the recent MacBook Pro and run on a faster 800MHz system bus in addition to using faster GMA X3100 integrated graphics, which add improved hardware 3D acceleration compared to the GMA 950 used in previous models. The improved bus speed has led to a slight increase in processor speed from 2.16GHz to 2.2GHz for the mid-range $1,299 and high-end $1,499 models.
Stock configurations otherwise remain the same, including the 2GHz speed of the base $1,099 model; Apple has added a build-to-order option of a 250GB, 5400RPM hard disk. All new configurations are listed as shipping within 24 hours and are available today from the online
In return, the MacBook Pro now takes advantage of improvements in Intel's processor design and includes a $250 option for a 2.6GHz Core 2 Duo on all 2.4GHz models. The faster 250GB hard disk is also an option for all 15-inch and 17-inch systems, the update notes. No other changes appear to have been made to the systems, all of which ship within 24 hours.