I saw a couple of articles yesterday announcing the Apple Press Event scheduled for 02-Mar-11 where it is assumed that Apple will announce not only the latest incarnations of their MacBook Pro line but iPad 2 as well. The one on ComputerWorld was the most succinct.
The simple fact that Apple scheduled an event and sent out invitations yesterday has the entire tech sector speculating on iPad 2, iPhone 5 as well as the MacBook Pro refreshes that are likely a lock. If there’s one thing that I know about Apple, trying to guess what they are going to do isn’t always easy… Trying to crack that nut can be an exercise in futility.
Apple’s going to do what Apple’s going to do; and while its fun to play “what-if,” they’ve thrown too many curve balls for even the Wall Street Analysts to get it consistently right. Steve/Tim (cuz, they really ARE the same person now, right..?) play their cards close to their chests and they don’t let anything out until THEY are ready for it to be out/known.
Case in point – Many, myself included thought that Apple would hold off on the details of the new MacBook Pro line until next week. I noted that above, and a number of different Wall Street analysts said much the same thing. While writing this up, I got a press release announcing the availability and shipping those new MacBook Pros. So much for waiting 6 days.
New features of the new MacBook Pro line include:
- Dual-core and quad-core processors—The latest Intel Core i5 and i7 dual-core and quad-core processors provide up to twice the performance compared to previous generations.
- High-performance graphics—Integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000 are part of every MacBook Pro model. 15- and 17-inch models also include AMD Radeon HD graphics and up to 1GB of video memory, delivering up to three times the performance over previous MacBook Pro models.
- Thunderbolt port—This groundbreaking I/O technology allows you to connect up to six high-speed peripherals, including a high-resolution display.
- FaceTime HD camera—Make widescreen video calls with three times the resolution of the previous MacBook Pro camera. The FaceTime for Mac App comes on all new MacBook Pro models and is also available for Intel-based Macs from the Mac App Store.
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| New MacBook Pros are now available and are shipping! |
I took a look at the offerings and they look, as usual, really sweet. So sweet, in fact, that I had to wipe a layer of drool off of my Late 2008 13″ Aluminum, Unibody MacBook. At 2 years old it is holding up really well, and the 8GB RAM upgrade and 750GB hard drive aren’t shabby, either…but the Core i5 and i7 processors as well as the Thunderbolt ports are really talking to me.
You can ask Santa Jobs for stuff for Christmas all you want. You won’t know if you’ve been good or bad until you open your gifts on Christmas Day, which apparently, is today as well as next week..
