After weeks of rumour and counter rumour Apple has finally lifted the lid on the all-new MacBook range – we’ve got everything you need to know.
Its new MacBook Pro range all come with new super-snappy quad-core processors for the 15 and 17-inch models, new graphics cards, a high-speed Thunderbolt I/O port and rather unexpectedly a FaceTime-enabled HD camera.
The biggest news is definitely the inclusion of Thunderbolt (Light Peak) technology, developed by Intel in collaboration with Apple. In practice, it's a dual Thunderbolt/DisplayPort I/O port that provides two bi-directional channels with data transfer speeds up to 10 Gbps.
Also interesting is the new FaceTime HD camera, which triples the resolution of the previous generation of cameras used in MacBook Pros.
Apple seems intent on pushing 'Facetime' a lot at the moment - they are obviously eyeing up the runaway success of Skype and it's video calling. Skype seems to be flavour of the month with many news organisations using it as an easy way for reporters to broadcast from countries without the need of expensive equipment. Expect broadcaster reporting via 'Facetime' in the near future.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro starts at £999, with a 1280×900 screen, a 2.3 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 CPU, Intel's HD graphics 3000, and a 320 GB hard drive, which can be upgraded to a 2.7 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 CPU and a 500 GB hard drive.
The 15-inch MacBook Pro is also available as two models: both have a resoluton of 1440×900 native. The entry level one starts at £1549 with a 2.0 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 CPU, AMD Radeon HD 6490M and a 500GB hard drive, and the other with a 2.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 CPU, AMD Radeon HD 6750M and 750GB hard drive.
Finally, the daddy of the range the 17-inch model starts at an eye-watering £2049. It features a 1920×1200 resolution screen, a 2.2 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 CPU, AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics and a 750GB hard drive.