Apple 17-inch MacBook Pro launched

Apple today unveiled its new 17-inch MacBook Pro notebook computer featuring the Intel Core Duo processor and an all new system architecture that delivers up to five times the performance of the PowerBook G4. The new 17-inch MacBook Pro features a stunning aluminum enclosure just one inch thin, weighs only 6.8 pounds, includes a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing on-the-go, and the breakthrough Front Row media experience with Apple Remote. The new 17-inch MacBook Pro also features a MagSafe Power Adapter, invented by Apple especially for mobile users.

Designed for business and creative professionals, the new 17-inch MacBook Pro includes a 36 percent brighter display to make reading text and viewing images even easier and an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 PCI Express graphics with 256MB of dedicated GDDR3 graphics memory for demanding professional applications, and a Scrolling TrackPad to easily scroll through long web pages or pan across large photographs. Providing industry-leading connectivity and high-performance I/O, every new 17-inch MacBook Pro also includes a FireWire 800 port, a FireWire 400 port, three USB 2.0 ports, optical and digital audio input and output, built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), and integrated AirPort Extreme 54 Mbps 802.11g WiFi wireless networking.

The 2.16 GHz, 17-inch MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,799 (US), features:

17-inch widescreen 1680 x 1050 LCD display with 300 cd/m2 brightness;

2.16 GHz Intel Core Duo processor;

1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, expandable to 2GB;

120GB 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;

PCI Express-based ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB GDDR3 memory;

DVI-out port for external display (VGA-out adapter included, Composite/S-Video out adapter sold separately);

built-in Dual Link support for driving Apple 30-inch Cinema HD Display;

built-in iSight video camera;

Gigabit Ethernet port;

built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;

ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;

three USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port, and one FireWire 400 port;

one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;

Scrolling TrackPad and illuminated keyboard with ambient light sensor;

the infrared Apple Remote;

68 watt hour lithium polymer battery; and

85 watt Apple MagSafe Power Adapter.