Two months ago, Apple unveiled a new lineup of MacBooks featuring a new type of touchpad called Force Touch, which provides tactile feedback to the user and allows them to click anywhere on the keyboard. Apple announced that it brought the new touchpad to its updated 15-inch MacBook Pro, along with other features including the R9 M370X, which is the next generation of GPUs from AMD that were vaguely announced at team red's financial meeting a few weeks ago.
Prior to the 15-inch MacBook Pro, the Force Touch trackpad was also added to the 13-inch model. With Force Touch now on both models, the entire line of MacBooks and MacBook Pros (with Retina Display) all have the new trackpad technology. The new generation of the 15-inch MacBook was also upgraded internally with flash storage that Apple claimed is 2.5 times faster than the previous generation.
The new MacBook Pro also has a battery that Apple claims will last for a total of nine hours during Web browsing or watching a movie on iTunes. The 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display starts at $1,999. There's also another version that starts at $2,499, but the price can go higher depending on your configurations.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display (starting at $1999) | 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display (starting at $2499) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i7 2.2 GHz (3.4 GHz Turbo)Can be upgraded to Intel Core i7 2.5 GHz (3.7 GHz Turbo) or 2.8 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo) | Intel Core i7 (2.5 GHz, 3.7 GHz Turbo)Can be upgraded to Intel Core i7 2.8 GHz (4.0 GHz Turbo) |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Pro Graphics and AMD R9 M370X (2 GB GDDR5) | Intel Iris Pro Graphics and AMD R9 M370X (2 GB GDDR5) |
| RAM | 16 GB LPDDR3 (1600 MHz) | 16 GB LPDDR3 (1600 MHz) |
| Storage | 256 GB PCIe flash (SSD)Can be upgraded to 512 GB or 1 TB PCIe flash | 512 GB PCIe flash (SSD)Can be upgraded to 1 TB PCIe flash |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/c, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatibleBluetooth 4.0 | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/c, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatibleBluetooth 4.0 |
| I/O | 2x Thunderbolt ports, 2x USB 3.0 ports, 1x HDMI port, headphone jack, SDXC slot | 2x Thunderbolt ports, 2x USB 3.0 ports, 1x HDMI port, headphone jack, SDXC slot |
| Camera | 720p HD FaceTime camera (front) | 720p HD FaceTime camera (front) |
On the desktop side, Apple also released its new iMac with a 27-inch IPS 5K (5120 x 2880) display. The new iMac starts at $1,999, and depending on your preferences such as processor, storage and graphics, can run you up to $2,299 versions or even higher.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | iMac with Retina 5K Display (starting at $1999) | iMac with Retina 5K Display (starting at $2299) |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i5 3.3 GHz (3.7 GHz Turbo) | Intel Core i5 3.5 GHz (3.9 GHz Turbo)Can be upgraded to Intel Core i7 4.0 GHz (4.4 GHz Turbo) |
| Graphics | AMD R9 M290 (2 GB GDDR5) | AMD R9 M290X (2 GB GDDR5)Can be upgraded to AMD R9 M295X (4 GB GDDR5) |
| RAM | 8 GB (2 x 4 GB DDR3, 1600 MHz)Can be upgraded to 16 GB or 32 GB | 8 GB (2 x 4 GB DDR3, 1600 MHz)Can be upgraded to 16 GB or 32 GB |
| Storage | 1 TB HDD (7200 RPM)Can be upgraded to 3 TB HDD; 1 TB or 3 TB Fusion Drive; or 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB flash (SSD) | 1 TB Fusion DriveCan be upgraded to 3 TB Fusion Drive or 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB flash (SSD) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/c, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatibleBluetooth 4.0 | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/c, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatibleBluetooth 4.0 |
| I/O | 2x Thunderbolt ports, 4x USB 3.0 ports, headphone jack, SDXC slot, Gigabit Ethernet port | 2x Thunderbolt ports, 4x USB 3.0 ports, headphone jack, SDXC slot, Gigabit Ethernet port |
| Camera | FaceTime HD camera (front) | FaceTime HD camera (front) |
Loading up the iMac with a 5K display is an interesting move by Apple. The wave of 4K content is slowly rising, but 5K content is still a long way down the road. Still, for those few people who want to stay ahead of the curve, the 5K iMac might be the way to go.
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