Apple gives MacBook Pro Santa Rosa and LED displays

Apple has updated the MacBook Pro with the latest Intel Santa Rosa chipset. It was as inevitable as hair-loss, yes, but at least now the Mac fraternity can say their laptops are as up-to-date as their Windows counterparts.

There are three new MacBook Pros shipping now, all with some loin-stirring specs. For £1,299 you can get one with a 2.2GHz CPU, 2GB RAM, a 120GB hard drive and an Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT (128MB) graphics card.

For £1,599, you can nab a 2.4GHz CPU, 2G of RAM, a 160GB hard drive and a 256MB Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT graphics card. Another £200 on top gets you the top-spec 17-inch model, which has the same specs but for a higher-resolution 1,680x1,050-pixel display.

Importantly, the 15-inch models use LED-backlit screens, which Apple reckons will increase battery life by around 30 minutes. The 17-inch model uses ordinary cold cathode fluorescent lamp technology, but has the advantage of a higher resolution. If you edit movies in HD, you can opt for a 1,900x1,200-pixel screen for an extra £60.

Apple fantatics are probably firing up a second browser window to buy one now, but even sceptics should be tempted. Apple says the Intel Santa Rosa chipset in the new MacBook Pros boosts performance by up to 50 per cent over previous MacBook Pros.

If you're too poor, you can always opt for the non-Santa Rosa MacBooks, which now ship with 1GB of RAM as standard, and start from £699. Watch for a full review soon. -Rory Reid