Today is Apple’s big day with its Worldwide Developer Conference and it’s newness for the entire unibody MacBook line.
The 15-inch MacBook Pro now starts at $1699 as opposed to the $1999 it was previously. The entry-level model has a 2.53 GHz Core 2 Duo with 4 GB of DDR3.
The 17-inch now starts at $2499, down from $2799, with a 2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo and 4 GB of DDR3.
The top model MacBook Air gets a massive price cut of $700 down to $1,799. It comes with a 2.13 GHz Core 2 Duo, 2 GB of DDR3 and a 128 GB SSD.
Curiously, Apple has decided to include the 13-inch MacBook now as part of its MacBook Pro line, as it’s sharing so many of the same characteristics. The 13-inch MacBook Pro now starts at $1199 and comes standard with a backlit keyboard, Firewire 800 and a 2.26 GHz Core 2 Duo and 2 GB of DDR3. This will place the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro now ahead of the recently refreshed polycarbonate white MacBook.
All of the unibody MacBooks inherit the ‘built-in’ battery design that was introduced earlier this year in the 17-inch model. Apple boasts that the new design lasts three-times longer than removable batteries with its 1,000 recharges. Battery life also jumps by two hours for a total of seven hours across the board.
While PC notebook and even netbook users have enjoyed this feature for years, the new MacBook Pros will finally get a flash memory card slot. The 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros will get an SD card slot while the 17-inch will get an ExpressCard slot.
So in summary:
- All unibody MacBooks are now Pros, including the 13-inch model (except the Air)
- All MacBook Pros have flash card readers
- All MacBook Pros have the built-in seven-hour battery
Also, Apple really needs to do something about that glossy glass screen. Hopefully the 17-inch’s option of a matte display will also trickle down, even though Apple didn’t make any mention regarding the screen.
While MacBook Pros are more affordable and attractive than ever, it’s still a premium product that won’t shake the image that Macs are expensive.
