Apple event unveils new aluminum MacBooks (photos)

Everybody was waiting for a new laptop model to be unveiled at the Apple October 14 event, but none was introduced. In fact, the predictions were wrong this time. There was no new MacBook with Blu-Ray, no big price drop, no new small laptop like what everybody else is coming out with, and no Snow Leopard OS. Only Boing Boing came close with his prediction of a new 13.3
inch laptop. Aside from this, everybody got it wrong (even Kevin Rose). Apple didn't come up with new laptop products this time but announced upgrades for its MacBook line, and a new monitor.

The MacBook line introduced a new design for its line-up - an aluminum unibody, and upgraded its features with the following: black, backlit keys (on the Pro and higher-end MacBook only); a new, buttonless multi-touch glass keypad that supports up to four finger gestures; and a faster video chip from Nvidia.

While the new specs may be exciting for some, what's most interesting to me is the all-metal aluminum unibody. This is something unique and certainly a welcome change from all the plastic laptop bodies we're used to. Apple, however, announced that this doesn't mean a phase out of the plastic Mac. It will continue to be on sale at a slightly reduced price of $999. But if you can get aluminum, why settle for plastic?

Power and features are not the only places where Apple has made improvements. The new MacBooks are specifically designed to be greener, with a highly recyclable aluminum and glass enclosure. According to its press release, Apple’s also removed "a number of potentially harmful materials from the laptops, including mercury, arsenic, brominated flame retardants, and polyvinyl chloride". Steve Jobs also pointed out that the packaging is 42 percent smaller than before, and that, like the MacBook Pro, the MacBook had garnered "an EPEAT Gold certification for its environmental friendliness".

new MacBook photo & key features

* 13.3-inch LED-backlit display
* 2.0GHz or 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
* 4.5 pounds; 0.95 inch thin
* NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics

(Just click on the photo to enlarge)

new MacBook Pro photo & key features

* 15.4-inch LED-backlit display
* 2.4GHz, 2.53GHz, or 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
* 5.5 pounds; 0.95 inch thin
* NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics
* NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics
* FireWire 800 port
* ExpressCard/34 slot

new MacBook Air photo & key features

* 13.3-inch LED-backlit display
* 1.6GHz or 1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
* 3.0 pounds; 0.16–0.76 inch thin
* NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics

If you want to find out more about these products, just visit the Apple website. However, if you want to watch the actual Steve Jobs presentation on video, you can do so HERE.


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