Apple’s new MacBook Pro laptops
This morning, Apple released a new line of MacBook Pro laptops that are ABOUT TWICE AS FAST as the older generation.
Of course, the coverages on CNN and on CNET were very different! 
Very similar to the older generation of MacBook Pros on the outside, what’s “UNDER THE HOOD” sets these notebooks apart and shows Apple’s leadership in hardware, as well as industrial design. Some of the whining in blogs that was quoted in the CNN article seems to reflect the “knee-jerk” reaction of some personality types who become fixated on certain products or features. I heard a lot of whining when I worked in high tech, too! I agree that the iPad is, and the iPad 2 likely will be, a revolutionary device… but I would hate to try to do my photography post-processing on one! The MacBook Air, which I always said was a “little too light” for my needs, is, IMHO, designed for business types in sales and management who like a little less weight because their roles in companies involve less “heavy lifting,” tech-and-engineering-wise.
OK, since the machines came out today, what are the obvious things that make them special? For the better answer to that, we’ll go to the CNET article.
- The entire updated line now offers the latest Intel Sandy Bridge CPUs.
- The MacBook Pros are THE FIRST PRODUCTS that feature Intel’s Thunderbolt data-transfer technology (formerly known as Light Peak). Thunderbolt is said to be “more than 12 times faster than FireWire800 and up to 20 times faster than USB 2.0.” The laptops also have FireWire and USB connections.
- The graphics processing has been changed. The default graphics come from Intel’s HD 3000 GPU, which is the integrated graphics bundled with the current Sandy Bridge generation of Intel Core i-series processors. The larger 15- and 17-inch models that include discrete graphics now use GPUs from AMD rather than its rival Nvidia.
- A new, higher-resolution FaceTime HD camera is included, and FaceTime is out of beta.
As always, if you would like to see what kind of a system you can build (and how much it will cost!), go to the Apple online store and build the laptop of your dreams!
And don’t forget to read the “Tech Specs” on the Apple pages, if you are at all like me and want to delve more deeply into that stuff….
Look for reviews in the usual places in days and weeks to come!
-Bill at
Cheshire Cat Photo™ – “Your Guide to California’s Wonderland™”
You can view higher-resolution photos (*generally* 7-30 megabytes, compressed) at the Cheshire Cat Photo™ Pro Gallery on Shutterfly™, where you can also order prints and gifts decorated with the photos of your choice from the gallery. The Cheshire Cat Photo Store on Zazzle contains a wide variety of apparel and gifts decorated with our images of California. Framed prints and prints on canvas can be ordered from our galleries on redbubble®. All locations are accessible from here. Be a “Facebook Fan” of Cheshire Cat Photo here! If you don’t see what you want or would be on our email list for updates, send us an email at info@cheshirecatphoto.com.
