Apple Announces Revamped MacBook Family

As was expected, Apple today unveiled their brand-new MacBook’s, which include the MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, and I have to say, even as a non-Mac guy, they look quite sharp. There is no $799 model available that some were hoping to see, but the original 13-inch model has been dropped to $999, which features a 2.1GHz processor and a 120GB hard drive.

The new models all feature an aluminum body, and according to Engadget, it feels “ridiculously solid”. To help increase vibrancy, Apple opted to use a glass display, although according to the same article linked to above, it creates a lot of glare… something that will cause difficulties outside or even in a really bright room.

As a recent rumor suggested, the new MacBook’s include NVIDIA GPUs, which is something definitely to be excited over. The smallest model, at $1,299, includes an NVIDIA 9400M GPU, while the MacBook Pro’s feature the same, but also an additional 9600M GT discrete card… also known as Hybrid SLI.

Unlike most other notebooks available, the new MacBook’s include a Mini DisplayPort port, which will work nicely with the new (and extremely expensive, at $899) 24″ Cinema LED display. Besides the fact that it offers amazing crispness and great color, the display also features exhaustive environmental improvements that meet Energy Star 4.0 requirements. The downside is the price, and the fact that it appears to only work with the new MacBook’s.

Overall, a good showing from Apple. Good luck making a purchase today, though. The overwhelming demand has taken the store down, although it should be back up later.

Every member of the new MacBook family features an LED-backlit display for brilliant instant-on performance that uses up to 30 percent less energy than its predecessor and eliminates the mercury found in industry standard fluorescent tube backlights. The ultra-thin displays provide crisp images and vivid colors which are ideal for viewing photos and movies, and the edge-to-edge cover glass creates a smooth, seamless surface. Every display in the new MacBook line uses completely arsenic-free glass.