Apple Unveils New MacBook Pros

I am not what you would consider an “Apple” guy. I don’t have the same vitriolic hatred for the company that some of my fellow PC owners do, but I’ve never been anything remotely close to a “Machead.” But the new MacBook Pro family of computers that Apple announced today is certainly tempting.

Yes, Apple has announced a new line of MacBook Pros that include a fair number of upgrades over previous models. For starters, the new MacBook Pro computers are utilizing Intel’s new Sandy Bridge line of i5 and i7 CPUs. The new computers also come equipped with FaceTime HD cameras and the new Thunderbolt I/O port, which is said to get transfer speeds upwards of 10GB per second both to and from the machine. This is in addition to the standard fare of USB and Firewire ports.

The new MacBook Pro comes in a variety of flavors designed to cater to just about anybody looking for a new computer (who has $1,200 minimum to blow):

• 13-Inch: There are two models of the 13-inch MacBook Pro. The lesser of the two models features a 2.40 GHz Core i5 CPU, 4GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive. This model retails for $1,199. The second 13-inch model upgrades the CPU to a 2.70 GHz i7 and bumps up the HDD to 500GB while retailing for $1,499.Both of these models are designed with integrated GPUs.
• 15-Inch: Apple is offering two versions of their 15-inch MacBook pro, as well. The lower-end model comes with a 2.0 GHz quad-core i7, 500GB HDD and includes the AMD Radeon HD 6490M GPU with 1GB VRAM. The high-end model upgrades the CPU to an i7 2.20 GHz quad-core while offering AMD HD 6750M graphics. The second model also comes with a 750GB hard drive that can be swapped out in favor of a 128GB, 256GB or 512GB solid state drive. This model retails for $2,199.
• 17-Inch: There is only one 17-inch model. $2,499 will buy you a 2.20GHz Core i7, AMD Radeon 6750M graphics and a 750GB hard drive with the same SSD options of the 15-inch model.

I said before that I wasn’t an Apple guy — the prices are the major reason why. Their most affordable MacBook Pro, which has a screen four inches smaller than my own with a slower CPU, less RAM and smaller hard drive, is somehow $400 more than my HP. I’ll never understand why people insist on spending that kind of money, but you know what? If you have the dough to spend, more power to you.

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