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-------------------------------------------------------------- This story was printed from CNET Asia. --------------------------------------------------------------
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Apple's latest 2008 MacBooks
By Darius Chang
15/10/2008 URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/notebooks/0,39050495,62047152,00.htm
 Jobs takes the stage. (Credit: James Martin/CNET News) Molded from a single block of aluminum, the new MacBook Pro is distinct from its predecessors with a black bezel and glass LED-backlit display. However, the biggest change is definitely in the trackpad. 39 percent larger than the original, the entire surface is made from glass. But the real surprise is that there are no buttons to be found. Turns out that the touchpad has virtual buttons mapped via software. In addition, the multitouch feature has been updated to detect four digits simultaneously, allowing for greater control and functionality over the previous two-finger trackpad. Unlike most laptops, where ports are located on both flanks, the new MacBook Pro's connectors are all found on the left, with only the slot-in Super Drive gracing the starboard side. However, one particular port caught our attention. Instead of offering the standard VGA or HDMI outputs, a mini DisplayPort was found instead. Since almost no display has native mini DisplayPort ports, you'll need to fork out extra for adapters if you wish to hook up to a larger screen. But the new machines are not just about looks. Under the hood, Apple is putting in an integrated graphics processor based on the Nvidia GeForce 9400M chipset. This provides five times more graphics performance compared with Intel's integrated solution, while still offering significant power savings and a claimed 5-hour battery life. But what if you need more rendering oomph? No worries as the MacBook Pro can also switch to the discrete Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT chip with its own video memory, sacrificing only an hour of uptime. At this point, we are not sure if the new laptops use these GPUs in a hybrid fashion (which is switched automatically without requiring a reboot) or manually selected with a restart. However, our bets are on it using hybrid graphics. Also for the first time, solid-state drives are an option for MacBook Pros. The MacBook Air has also been given a refresh. It now sports the new Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics engine as well as a mini DisplayPort. The higher-end model is equipped with a generous 128GB SSD as well. But what about the entry-level MacBook range? Well, the starting price of the low-end model has been dropped from US$1,099 to US$999. Not too exciting until Steve Jobs unveiled the new look for the mid and high-end range. Resembling a smaller 13.3-inch version of the MacBook Pro, they have the same design and features as the larger sibling. The only caveat is that the new MacBooks sport only the Nvidia GeForce 9400M integrated chipset without the GeForce 9600M GT video card. The high-end version also comes with a backlit keyboard.
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