The One Paragraph MacBook Introduction Report
May 16th, 2006They say if you repeat a logical rumor long enough, it’ll come true. So many of you awoke to learn that the iBook is history, replaced by a 13.3 widescreen MacBook. Starting at $1,099, $100 more than its predecessor, it sports a 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo Processor, 60GB drive, gigabit Ethernet, iSight camera, Front Row remote and a combo drive. Graphics, however, are delivered by an integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics processor with 64MB of DDR2 SDRAM shared with main memory, which is 512MB in the standard configurations. This is the same graphics chip used on the Intel-based Mac mini, which means you can expect decent performance from digital video sources, and mediocre frame rates for computer games. A $1,299 model upgrades you to a 2GHz Intel Core Duo and a SuperDrive. For an additional $200, you can get a fashionable black version and an upgrade to an 80GB drive. Click here if you want the rest of the specs. The new 5.2-pound Apple note-book is apparently also meant to replace the 12-inch PowerBook too, and the entire product line is apparently shipping this week, with wait times of just a few days if you place your order now. Apple also made a quiet change to the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro. The $1,999 model now sports a 2GHz Intel Core Duo and the $2,499 version has the same 2.16GHz processor now incorporated in the 17-inch MacBook Pro. There’s also a free upgrade option for a version of the MacBook Pro with a so-called “glossy” display, which is said to “make your graphics, photos, and videos appear with richer color and deeper blacks.” These developments put Apple one giant step closer to completion of its Intel transition. Next up is the Power Mac replacement, which will most likely be called Mac Pro, and that is expected to happen by late summer or early fall, followed by an Intel-based Xserve. No, I’m not reading tea leaves or consulting rumor sites. Intel’s processor roadmap makes it abundantly clear what’s coming next.
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