![]() ![]() Walk up to the 2011 version and you'd have no idea that you were looking at a "new" Mac. ![]() There's nothing different design-wise about the new MacBook Pro. ![]() To be honest, we'd rather have a longer-lasting battery. And though its integrated Intel graphics are a bit less capable than the previous model's Nvidia 320M GPU, the payoff comes with a sizeable jump in battery life. To put it in perspective, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is about as powerful CPU-wise as last year's $2,199 15-inch Core i7 model. In the end, the 2011 13-inch Pro is a big step up in processing performance for the same price as its predecessor. For now, it's a wait-and-see gamble on a future technology, but at least the port is backward-compatible with Mini DisplayPort, and a FireWire 800 port remains for legacy hardware. We don't know when Thunderbolt-compatible peripherals will be available (although Apple says the first ones should show up in the spring of 2011), how much they'll cost, or if Apple will be adding the technology to future displays or iOS devices. ![]() Thunderbolt is envisioned as a sort of future unified successor to USB, FireWire, and DisplayPort, allowing peripherals to carry data and video at 10Gbps. The entry-level 13-inch Pro also still comes with the much-talked-about high-speed data/video port, Thunderbolt. Though it's a bit of a backslide, however, it still amounts to better graphics than low-end Nvidia GeForce GPUs, and it's leaps and bounds above Intel integrated graphics in 2010 Windows laptops. One small drawback: the integrated (and nonupgradable) Intel HD 3000 graphics in both 13-inch models are a step backward from the integrated Nvidia graphics found in the 2010 13-inch Pro. ![]()
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