Following on the heels of last month's update to the lower-end MacBook line, Apple freshened up its MacBook Pro series with faster Intel Core 2 Duo processors, a faster 800MHz front-side bus courtesy of Intel's latest Centrino (aka Santa Rosa) chipset, and a switch from ATI to Nvidia graphics. The lineup still comprises two 15.4-inch models, priced at $1,999 and $2,499, and a 17-inch model, priced at $2,799, which may be somewhat of a disappointment to those hoping this update would mark the return of a 12-inch Apple laptop.
The 15-inch models also introduce an LED-backlit display that Apple claims results in a brighter image and longer battery life (we found this LED-backlit Sony VAIO TXN17P/B to be bright and long-running). The larger, 17-inch MacBook Pro doesn't include LED backlighting, but it now offers you a choice of a higher-resolution display with a native resolution of 1,920x1,200 (up from the standard 1,680x1,050 display). Powering the screen is Nvidia's GeForce 8600M GT graphics chip; the low-end MacBook Pro features the 128MB version while the two higher-end models use the 256MB version.
