From pixel to markup.
Apple finally released the long awaited refresh to the Macbook Pro line. The i7 2.66Ghz is available only for the high-end 15″ and 17″ models, according to Apple marketing for this configuration battery power should be around 8-9hrs (wow!). The rest of the 15″ got the i5 series ranging from 2.4 to 2.53Ghz, also it is interesting that the 13″ still feature a slightly bumped Core2Duos from 2.4 to 2.66Ghz and feature a 10hrs batter life.
This is the official statement given by Apple. Last week, the update on the iMac sparked a lot of speculation that more product updates could be coming later this year, just in time for the holiday season. Read the article here on AppleInsider
Also with the recent seed of Snow Leopard 10.6.2, there are indications of two new models for the MacBook Pro lineup, further speculation says that it could include mobile quad-core i5/i7 chips from Intel and AMD Radeon HD4500 mobile GPU. You can view the article here
Would it be OK to shop for this coming holiday? I think it depends, If you really need the unit and can’t wait for around 4-8 months then go for it, the Core2Duo lineup is still OK in terms of performance, but If you want a future proof rig, then wait. The next product update could be in Jan or in June, just in time for WWDC.
I find the MacRumors Buyer’s Guide useful, note the trend of each product release.
