Apple unveils 17-inch MacBook Pro with 8-hour battery

[AppleInsider]

Presenting at the Macworld Expo on Tuesday, Apple unveiled the new 17-inch MacBook Pro featuring a durable and precision aluminum unibody enclosure, and a revolutionary new built-in battery that delivers up to eight hours of use and up to 1,000 recharges for more than three times the lifespan of conventional notebook batteries.

"We've developed new battery technology that is better for the user and better for the environment," said Apple chief executive Steve Jobs. "Apple's advanced chemistry and innovative technology deliver up to eight hours of use on a full charge cycle and up to 1,000 recharges."

Apple said it uses advanced chemistry, intelligent monitoring of the system and battery, and Adaptive Charging technology to create a revolutionary new notebook battery that delivers up to eight hours of wireless productivity on a single charge and up to 1,000 recharges without adding thickness, weight or cost to the MacBook Pro's design. The longer battery lifespan equals fewer depleted batteries and less waste, which is better for the environment, the company said.

The new 17-inch MacBook Pro includes an ultra-thin, widescreen glossy 1920 x 1200 display with 78 percent more pixels than the 15-inch MacBook Pro and a 60 percent greater color gamut that delivers desktop-quality color in a notebook. The LED-backlit display has instant-on performance, uses up to 30 percent less energy and eliminates the mercury found in industry standard fluorescent tube backlights.

Measuring just 0.98-inches thin and weighing 6.6 pounds, Apple says the 17-inch MacBook Pro is the world's thinnest and lightest 17-inch notebook. It's also the most powerful Mac notebook yet with the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors available up to 2.93 GHz, up to 8GB DDR3 main memory and a graphics architecture that allows users to switch between the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics processor for better battery life and the powerful NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics processor for higher performance.



The new 17-inch MacBook Pro also includes a 320GB 5400 rpm hard drive standard with a 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive and 128GB and 256GB solid state drives as options. As with the rest of the new MacBook family, the 17-inch MacBook Pro includes a next generation, industry-standard Mini DisplayPort to connect with the new Apple LED Cinema Display featuring a 24-inch LED-backlit widescreen display with a built-in iSight video camera, mic and speakers.



Apple also noted that the new 17-inch MacBook Pro joins the aluminum unibody MacBook family in setting new standards for environmentally friendly notebooks with every model achieving EPEAT Gold status.



Each MacBook unibody enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and comes standard with energy efficient LED- backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. The new MacBook family meets stringent Energy Star 4.0 requirements, contains no brominated flame retardants and uses internal cables and components that are PVC-free. The battery in the new 17-inch MacBook Pro provides additional environmental benefit because its extended lifespan means fewer depleted batteries resulting in less waste. Depleted batteries can be replaced for $179 which includes installation and disposal of your old battery in an environmentally responsible manner.



Pricing & Availability

The new 17-inch MacBook Pro will be shipping at the end of January and will be available through the Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $2,799 (US), and includes:
17-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1920 x 1200, glossy display;
2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics with 512MB GDDR3 video*memory;
320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
three USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire 800 port (FireWire 400 compatible);
ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard;
built-in, 95WHr lithium polymer battery; and
85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
Build-to-order options for the 17-inch MacBook Pro include a 2.93 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 8GB 1066 MHz DDR 3 memory, 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive, a 128GB or 256GB solid state drive, anti-glare display for $50 (US), Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[bdkennedy1]

I just realized that I can't remember the last keynote that did anything for me.

Oh, wait. The iPhone.

[dougc]

Anyone notice that the Anti-Glare 17'' MBP doesn't have the black border?

http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/features-17inch.html
Click the enlarged image under graphics in full force

Awesome!

[saarek]

What a crap keynote, no new iMacs, WTF is up with that, no new mini's no new Apple TV.

This MBP was the highlight to say the least, amazing design, I want one.

[minderbinder]

So much for all the rumors convinced of a mini update.

What a crapfest of a keynote, has any other one introduced so little?

[teckstud]

WTF?? A frk'n Battery was the best thing in the keynote?
Did Apple invent the battery now too?

[GQB]

Originally Posted by saarek

What a crap keynote, no new iMacs, WTF is up with that, no new mini's no new Apple TV.

Now you know why Jobs didn't give it... nothing to show.
Decoupling from MW is a great idea.

[Messiah]

Anti-glare! FINALLY a MacBook Pro worthy of the name.

8GB RAM - beautiful!

What's the skinny on the colour gamut of the panel?

It says 'desktop-quality', but in the Tech Specs it says 'millions' rather than 16.7 million which is the giveaway that it's still relying on visual trickery.

Is 'desktop-quality' just another Appleism like 'server-grade' hard disks?

[TenoBell]

I agree it was the worst MacWorld ever. But that may have been the point.

Apple definitely needs a refresh of these other machines and that will likely be a different launch.

Originally Posted by italiankid

Horrible show...
Just a MacBook Pro?
What happened to all these new hardware coming out???

I hope these new softwares can run on our aging fleet of Mac's!

Mac mini - VERY OLD
iMac - OLD
Mac Pro - VERY OLD

They didn't even bring the prices down on these old products... Apple will give sales to PCs if they don't bring out new hardware ASAP! And if they do... THE WORLD WAS WATCHING TODAY AT MACWORLD EXPO! They should have done it with a BANG! I guess Steve (God Bless him) but his health has put a damper on Apple... That means without him Apple is in deep trouble... It's no wonder Phil did the show... All about software and one hardware - YAH!

[Denton]

Originally Posted by minderbinder

So much for all the rumors convinced of a mini update.

What a crapfest of a keynote, has any other one introduced so little?

No; and now we know why Jobs skipped the keynote...

[Flounder]

Originally Posted by italiankid

Horrible show...
Just a MacBook Pro?
What happened to all these new hardware coming out???

I hope these new softwares can run on our aging fleet of Mac's!

Mac mini - VERY OLD
iMac - OLD
Mac Pro - VERY OLD

They didn't even bring the prices down on these old products... Apple will give sales to PCs if they don't bring out new hardware ASAP! And if they do... THE WORLD WAS WATCHING TODAY AT MACWORLD EXPO! They should have done it with a BANG! I guess Steve (God Bless him) but his health has put a damper on Apple... That means without him Apple is in deep trouble... It's no wonder Phil did the show... All about software and one hardware - YAH!

They hardly ever do more than 2 hardware updates in one show, and nevertheless, people somehow expect 4 or 5 updates.

Wacky expectations are part of the reason apple isn't doing MacWorld anymore.

Just as they do every year, the products in need of an update that didn't see them today will most likely happen between the last half of January and the first half of March.

I don't really understand why people are so disappointed. I think the iWork and iLife updates look very nice indeed. I've never owned iWork and I may finally be convinced to plunk down the cash for it.

[SpamSandwich]

Oh, you hapless whiners! I got exactly what I was expecting... nada!

[Booga]

While I agree little was introduced, I find myself wanting to buy all of it. So I'm not sure this was unsuccessful for Apple.

And I was in the "no removable battery? wtf?" camp until I really thought about it and decided I'd MUCH rather have 60% more capacity and that I'd never actually hot-swapped the battery in any of my PowerBooks ever. So that 17" MBP is drool-worthy to me.

My guess about the iMac and Pro (and mini) are that the chipsets aren't quite ready yet and we'll have a March event for them. Intel and nVidia have some nifty stuff in the pipeline according to the usual sites, and with Apple's infrequent refreshes they should probably wait a couple months and get it right. Still, I agree the prices need to change to reflect the comparable value of the systems without an upgrade (in general Apple should adjust prices over time more often to stay competitive).

[Booga]

While I agree little was introduced, I find myself wanting to buy all of it. So I'm not sure this was unsuccessful for Apple.

And I was in the "no removable battery? wtf?" camp until I really thought about it and decided I'd MUCH rather have 60% more capacity and that I'd never actually hot-swapped the battery in any of my PowerBooks ever. So that 17" MBP is drool-worthy to me.

My guess about the iMac and Pro (and mini) are that the chipsets aren't quite ready yet and we'll have a March event for them. Intel and nVidia have some nifty stuff in the pipeline according to the usual sites, and with Apple's infrequent refreshes they should probably wait a couple months and get it right. Still, I agree the prices need to change to reflect the comparable value of the systems without an upgrade (in general Apple should adjust prices over time more often to stay competitive).

[dreamraj]

Nice find! Love it.

Originally Posted by dougc

Anyone notice that the Anti-Glare 17'' MBP doesn't have the black border?

http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/features-17inch.html
Click the enlarged image under graphics in full force

Awesome!

[CU10]

DROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

[NasserAE]

Thank god the 17 inch MacBook Pro have anti-glare display. This will save us the whining (at least today).

I still can't believe that Apple is not offering a 500GB HDD for MacBook Pro line. When I bought my MBP I decided to go for 250GB since the 70GB increase doesn't make much difference and it is cheaper to buy 500GB HDD and install it myself.

The battery life on that 17" is insane!!!!

[minderbinder]

Originally Posted by Flounder

They hardly ever do more than 2 hardware updates in one show, and nevertheless, people somehow expect 4 or 5 updates.

That's an odd thing to say after they just did one hardware update, and not even a full product line.

I expected two hardware updates and got barely one. That's not overly high expectations, that's just lame.

[heaven or las vegas]

Is the hard drive user upgradeable?

[Flounder]

Originally Posted by teckstud

WTF- a frk'n battery was the best thing in the keynote?
Did Apple invent the battery now too?

You have to admit, it's one impressive sounding battery

[TenoBell]

I agree on both accounts.

I see no reason why Apple doesn't offer the 7200 RPM 500 HDD.

Originally Posted by NasserAE

Thank god the 17 inch MacBook Pro have anti-glare display. This will save us the whining (at least today).

I still can't believe that Apple is not offering a 500GB HDD for MacBook Pro line.

[Denton]

Originally Posted by Messiah

Anti-glare! FINALLY a MacBook Pro worthy of the name.

8GB RAM - beautiful!

What's the skinny on the colour gamut of the panel?

It says 'desktop-quality', but in the Tech Specs it says 'millions' rather than 16.7 million which is the giveaway that it's still relying on visual trickery.

Is 'desktop-quality' just another Appleism like 'server-grade' hard disks?

2.3 million pixels of perfection, according to Apple's website.

[Flounder]

Originally Posted by minderbinder

That's an odd thing to say after they just did one hardware update, and not even a full product line.

I expected two hardware updates and got barely one. That's not overly high expectations, that's just lame.

A little lame, probably so, but hardly worst ever.

The Macmini's, MacPro's, and iMacs will probably all be here within 12 weeks.

[photoeditor]

What it appears to indicate to me is that the antiglare display is not the glass in other Macs but the same old same old when it comes to plastic "glass" that requires arsenic as an additive. What I'm seeing in that picture is not the single sheet of glass covering the whole thing but rather the traditional bezel with the display retracted slightly.

I'll be looking out to see if I'm wrong. I hope I am, because if I'm not it means the long-term future of antiglare in LCD flat panels still has a question mark on it.

[ncbill]

A nearly $3,000 computer in the midst of the worst recession since WWII.

Whither the $600 Mac mini?

[PB]

Originally Posted by TenoBell

I agree it was the worst MacWorld ever.

I missed it but I believe you. Was not this MWSF announced as being the last one? So no surprise it was the worst too.

[monstrosity]

oh well, I am looking forward to the quarterly results more than I was this keynote anyway. It should be quite an intense show.

[photoeditor]

The 17 is a knockout. Stellar battery life. An approach to the battery that makes the permanent built-in aspect totally worth it. I hope they do the same thing to the 15 in the next update.

Because a large part of the boost in battery life is to do with more sophisticated technology in the controller in the battery itself, I wonder if Apple can get on it with providing better batteries for both the current 15 and 13 inch unibody models and previous generation MacBooks and MacBook Pros.

The desktops are MIA. Hopefully Apple will quickly do a refresh of all of them.

The thing I'm really surprised by is no mention of Snow Leopard. Maybe they're looking at scheduling a special event here in a month or two, maybe a SteveNote once they have him all fattened up again for the cameras.

[wizard69]

Not for what was not released at the show as I'm expecting Apple to milk the next couple of months with spaced out releases. No what I'm disappointed with is the continued use of Lithium batteries and the issues with them. I was really hoping Apple would have moved beyond this tech to something safer.

We will see how this pans out, but it would be very bad if these batteries exhibit the same issues that Lithium batteries have had for ages.

Dave

[minderbinder]

Originally Posted by Flounder

A little lame, probably so, but hardly worst ever.

If not, then which year rolled out less?

[mdriftmeyer]

Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter


Use the Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI to connect to a 30-inch display, such as a 30-inch Apple Cinema Display HD, and enjoy the ultimate widescreen canvas with a resolution of 2560 by 1600 pixels.

Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter [Add $99.00]

Give me a f'n break!

[webweasel]

Originally Posted by dougc

Anyone notice that the Anti-Glare 17'' MBP doesn't have the black border?

http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/features-17inch.html
Click the enlarged image under graphics in full force

Awesome!

Or to put it another way:

http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/imag...2-20090106.jpg

Glad they listened about the matte screens. Can we have that as a BTO option for iMacs too please?

[gugy]

Lame MWSF.

Steve passed the torch to Phil to avoid the embarrassment of announcing no big deal products.

I guess Apple indeed did not like MWSF anymore. What a horrible way to end the keynotes experience there.

Hopefully soon a special event will bring what we are really looking for.

[NasserAE]

Originally Posted by italiankid

Horrible show...
Just a MacBook Pro?
What happened to all these new hardware coming out???

I hope these new softwares can run on our aging fleet of Mac's!

Mac mini - VERY OLD
iMac - OLD
Mac Pro - VERY OLD

They didn't even bring the prices down on these old products... Apple will give sales to PCs if they don't bring out new hardware ASAP! And if they do... THE WORLD WAS WATCHING TODAY AT MACWORLD EXPO! They should have done it with a BANG! I guess Steve (God Bless him) but his health has put a damper on Apple... That means without him Apple is in deep trouble... It's no wonder Phil did the show... All about software and one hardware - YAH!

We still have 5 months to WWDC 09 and 12 months until next year

I don't think they need to mention every single hardware update. The iMac is behind mainly in the graphic card configuration. My guess is that Apple will hold a special event for the Mini, Mac Pro, and iMac upgrades sometime in the next 2 to 3 months.

[jbella]

This is exactly why Apple is no longer going to do MacWorld. Some third party company decides that early in January Apple has to have to have some killer products ready to wow everyone with. If they don't absolutely blow the socks off everyone, it will be deemed a failure and a bad omen for the company's fiscal year.

Who needs that?

Another point I'd like to make is that while Apple's hardware has always been pretty sexy.. I get just as excited over their software. Having a young daughter the new iLife updates are exactly what I was looking for. Especially the iMovie and face recognition feature of iPhoto.

[Flounder]

Originally Posted by minderbinder

If not, then which year rolled out less?

idk. Certainly several before the second steve jobs era were worse, and in recent history, off the top of my head I'd say the keynote that featured iCards, and they keynote with the flower power / blue dalmation iMacs.

[bloggerblog]

This is probably Apple's best product.
Me likes the Anti-Glare

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by ncbill

A nearly $3,000 computer in the midst of the worst recession since WWII.

I was thinking the exact same thing- could they be any more off their rockers?

[backtomac]

Originally Posted by Flounder

I don't really understand why people are so disappointed. .

Oh I don't know. Maybe its the Mac mini which hasn't been updated since... I'm not even sure. It's been maybe two years?

What about no quad core machines unless you get a Mac Pro? And no Nehalem machines?

I'm sure that Apple will have some 'special' event in 60-90 days. But really, the wait is getting ridiculous for next generation (quad core cpus, Nehalem, cutting edge graphics chips) hardware in Macs.

Its legendary how SJ felt frustrated by the lack of progress in PPC chips (3.0 ghz G5 anyone?) yet even now when on the Intel platform they drag their feet in updating machines to the latest and greatest.

Who's to blame now? IBM?

[ltcommander.data]

Originally Posted by NasserAE

My guess is that Apple will hold a special event for the Mini, Mac Pro, and iMac upgrades sometime in the next 2 to 3 months.

That's my thought as well. Intel isn't ready yet with Xeon Nehalems so new Mac Pros aren't ready. It just makes more sense to do a dedicated Desktop Special Event for the Mac Mini, iMac, and Mac Pro than to break them up separately. This is especially true if they plan to physically redesign the Mac Mini and Mac Pro to bring them in line with the iMac/notebook unibody design to present a unified product line. They are also probably waiting for the rest of the LED Cinema Displays for the Mac Mini and Mac Pro. They may also be waiting for the 55nm shrinks of the GT200 for the Mac Pro. There's probably going to be an event late January or early February for desktops.