Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference kicked off with the introduction of a number of device introductions, including updates to its MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lineups, as well as an iPad-like, next-generation laptop that Apple–in a move as awkward as deciding to called the third-generation iPad “the Pad,” instead of the iPad 3–is calling the the next-generation MacBook.
The latter–the most fun of these notebook announcements–is as thin as the MacBook Air, at 0.71 inches. In building it, Apple executives said they figured out how to eliminate the need for a separate glass cover. It weighs 4.46 pounds and features a 15.4-inch display that, like that newest iPad, is a Retina display with a resolution of 2880 by 1800 pixels. It s the world s highest-resolution notebook, according to Apple.
“The pixels are so small that your retina cannot discern them,” Apple’s Phil Schiller told the WWDC crowd, according the live blog from The Verge.
It gets 7 hours of battery life and boasts a 2.3GHz quad-core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, a Nvidia GeForce GT650M 1GB graphics chip and 256GB of flash storage.
A very excited Nvidia blogged: “Based on the next-generation Nvidia Kepler graphics architecture, the GeForce GT 650M offers unprecedented performance and extreme energy efficiency, giving it the muscle to process the 5,184,000 pixels in the next-gen MacBook Pro’s ultra high-resolution display. The GeForce GT 650M is not only up to the task, it maximizes power efficiency along the way.”
The next-gen MacBook Pro also features an HD Facetime, dual microphones and what Apple says are the best stereo speakers it has ever put into a notebook. It ‘ also highly recyclable, is PBC free, BFR free, arsenic free, has mercury-free glass and an Energy Star 5.2 rating.
The above is priced at $2,199, while a version featuring a 2.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor and 512GB of flash memory is priced at $2,799. Both begin shipping today, June 11.
The updated MacBook Air lineup–like so many Ultrabooks–now have Intel third-generation Core processors, known as Ivy Bridge. These have been paired with up to 8GB of RAM and up to 512GB of flash storage. The Facetime camera has been upgraded to a 720p model, and the Airs now have ports on either side that support both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 technology.
The 11-inch MacBook Air features a 1366 by 768 display, a 1.75GHz dual-core i5, 4GB of RAM, an Intel HD Graphics 4000 chip and five hours of battery life. A version with 64GB of flash storage has been priced at $999, while a version with 128GB of storage is $1099. Both measure 0.11-inch thin, weigh 2.38 pounds and are now available.
The 13-inch Airs, with 128GB or 256GB of flash storage, are priced at $1,199 and $1,499, respectively. Also now available, they measure 0.11 inch thin, weigh 2.96 pounds and deliver seven hours of battery life.
To read the original eWeek article, click here: Apple Updates MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Introduces iPad-Like MacBook
