Apple Quietly Unleashes 17″ MacBook Pro
Apple closed their online store this morning sometime around 8am and when it was back up less than an hour later the 17″ PowerBook G4 had vanished, with a shiny new 17″ MacBook Pro in its place. This new MBP is a comparative deal considering the 15incher. It features an astounding 1680×1050 resolution (the same as found on my 20″ Cinema Display), a 2.16GHz Core Duo processor, a 120GB 5400RPM hard drive (a faster 7200RPM 100GB model is an option), 1GB of DDR2-667 RAM, an 8X DL DVD burner and a FireWire 800 port all as standard, for $2799. This is actually the exact same price point as a 15″ MacBook Pro with the 2.16GHz CPU upgrade.
The 15″ MBP lacks a FireWire 800 port and only has a 4x DL DVD burner, so the 17″ model is now the benchmark. It is a tenth of a pound lighter at 6.8 pounds and is 1inch thin all the way around. It has also inherited such features as the integrated iSight, Front Row and MagSafe from its 15″ brother. The 12″ PowerBook is now the only PPC-based PowerBook still being sold on the Apple online store.
Nice. I hope this means that a 12″ Intel MacBook is coming, eventually… that’s what I’m waiting for. If they wait too long, I may settle for the 15″, but I hope I don’t have to.
I want a small notebook, darn it! Not an apple-branded snowboard. … ;-) (I know, the link will cause this to be moderated, but, what the heck… I love Macs, but I’ve still always thought that cartoon was great).
Excuse me while I change my pants.
The 15″ MBP SuperDrive reads DL but does not burn DL, just so that it’s clear.
Living in Australia, but spending a lot of time in the US, I am furious at Apple’s disregard for Australian customers: there is no rational explanation for this in the form of taxes, import duty, subsidies, or even shipping from factory, but this model retails in the US store for US$2799. In the AU store? A$4599. Or, for comparison: US$3430. I’m curious to how Apple AU can justify a premium of US$630 for the same product?
@Robert:
It’s American companies, the same happens to us here in the UK along with the rest of Europe. America is always going to be a computer company’s largest market so they care about it more and so can get away with overcharging us by obscene amounts.
@Tommy:
True. It’s gotten so bad in some markets (particularly semi pro DV cam) that you can actually buy a return ticket to NY, buy the product at BH Photo and Video, including adapters for local use cheaper than you can buy it locally.
keep it up…. hey the 12 incher wont get realeased it going to be a 13 and just so you know its got ebeded video and also moves in at 1.6Ghz
The MBP for the 13 in made by ASUS.
Got any more questions let me know ask them.
@Robert
We live in Australia, and as a result pay a premium on anything that comes over here. It is *not* just Apple, or even computers (where again we pay a large premium).
There exist two main reasons and are as follows:
* Small market (smaller population, lower buying power, higher costs)
* Isolated market (ditto to above, but amplifies the problem)
* Lack of large, nearby markets (amplifies again the issue)
If you are operating a business and importing goods, then there exist overheads larger than what you ilke to believe. Additionally, the support that you don’t get when purchasing an item overseas and importing is something that is real.