Apple announces redesigned MacBook Pro

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Design, PC / Laptop

It took them about eight months since the last spec bump in the line, but we are still stoked that Apple today announced that their newly redesigned MacBook Pro is here, and available immediately. The notebooks are still sporting their aluminum exterior, but now they are built using a new process that involves carving a solid piece of aluminum rather than the old school welding technique. That means one part rather than many, which Apple is calling the “Unibody.” You’ll also notice, fairly quickly, that the MacBook Pro now sports an iMac-ish black bezel around the screen, along with a glass covering. Back to that whole aluminum and glass thing.

The display will now only be available in a glossy finish, gone are the days of matte Apple notebooks. The trackpad has also been re-imagined as well. It’s made entirely from glass, and no longer has a separate button. Instead, the entire trackpaad is the button. The glass trackpad is multi-touch compatible, and Apple has introduced new gestures in the product to boot.

Looking at the underside of the device, you’ll find that Apple took great care in giving access to the important parts internally as well. You remove a covering, and have access to the battery, hard drive, and RAM.

The new MacBook Pros will be available in two models, both at 15”. The lower-end version features a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 3MB L2 cache, 2GB 1066MHz DDR3 RAM, and a 250GB 5400RPM hard drive. If you need more power, you can pick up the higher end model, which sports a 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo, 6MB L@ cache, 4GB RAM, and a 320GB 5400RPM hard drive. You can get a 2.8GHz processor instead if that’s your thing, for $300 more. Both models can be upgraded to a 7200RPM 320GB hard drive for $150, or you can go with a 128GB SSD for $600.

The new MacBook Pro is available now, with the lower-end model starting at $1,999 and the stock high-end version going for $2,499.