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Well, the event has come and gone, and let me say… I’m quite pleased. The new MacBooks and MacBook Pros look great, and they pack-in a lot of new features. On top of that, Apple announced a new 24″ cinema display that I’ll touch on in the post… As a graphics guy I’m pleased about that. I’m looking at my 23″ cinema display a little differently now…

The New MacBook Pro

• Features a full-glass screen
• All connectors are on one side of the laptop
• Slot-load superdrive on other side
• Aluminum unibody enclosure (made from 1 piece of aluminum)
• LED Backlit display
• NVIDIA GeForce 9400M and GeForce 9600M GT
• Multitouch glass trackpad
• Mini display port connector
• Full access to battery and drives via lid on bottom

Is now available in 2 models…

• $1999 gets you the 15.4″ LED-backlit display, 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo/3MB L2, 2GB 1066MHz DDR3 memory, both NVIDIA chips, 250GB hard drive, and slot-loading superdrive.
• $2499 will get you the 15.4″ with 2.53GHz, 6MB L2… and you can upgrade any model to the 2.8GHz processor.

17″ MacBook Pro?

Someone asked a question at the event about the 17″ MBP. The answer given was that this model is still currently being ‘refreshed’… So if you’re waiting for the 17″ model you’ll have to wait a bit longer!

MacBook Air Updates

• A second model at $2499 gets you a faster processor and solid state drive. Should be available by early November.
• For $1799 a 128GB solid state drive now available in the MBA, and a mini display port is available too.

New 24″ Cinema Display

• Ultra-thin design. Corner to corner glass.
• 1920×1200 resolution, with built-in iSight camera, speakers, MagSafe, Mini display Port, three-port USB 2.0 hub.
• Get it for $899 in early November.

The New MacBook

• Entry level MacBook price-reduced to $999.
• 5 hours of battery life
• Environmentally friendly
• Slot-loading superdrive
• Glass multitouch trackpad
• Unibody construction
• 5x the graphics performance
• A second model adds faster processor, larger hard drive, backlit keyboard for $1599

One of the things I’m most pleased about actually is the attention to environmental concerns, not only in the new products themselves, but in the packaging. Apple have done themselves proud here. Eliminating toxic and harmful chemicals and toxins from the products, and even reducing the size of their packaging all goes towards limiting their carbon footprint… Which, in the end is better for all of us and our environment. I sincerely hope they continue to work to this end on all future product launches, and I’m sure they will. Looks to be a mandate by the looks of things.

So, with that roundup off my chest, what do you folks think? Are you going to run out and buy a new MacBook or MacBook Pro? For me… I think I’m more likely to pick up one of the new 24″ displays more than anything else. Great price point, great new design and features… and it looks so nice. I’m a sucker for simple design.

What do you think of the new products? Winners or losers?

One more day till the Apple MacBook Event. I’m stoked. I’m excited… but I’m trying my best to be cautiously optimistic. Why? My MacBook Pro still works great!

The truth is the majority of us already running on a Mac do not need a new MacBook or MacBook Pro, but we all get those knee-jerk reactions to drop the cash and buy the latest and greatest model. I have to admit, there’s a chance I may cave and buy one depending on the outcome of the event… But it’s probably not the smartest move.

My MacBook Pro is a few years old now but is still performing as solid as ever. I haven’t had any issues with the unit other than a freak battery issue that actually turned out to be a chronic problem for a lot of MacBook Pro users. Apple replaced my battery for me at no charge and I was on my merry way.

For those of you considering ‘making the switch’, this event could usher in a great opportunity to try out a Mac for the first time. Rumors have been lurking that the new line to be announced tomorrow will feature some MacBook’s at a very reasonable price-point. Try $800 or $900 for the base model. That brings the MacBook into competition with the Dell’s of the world. A great laptop at a very low price. Should be VERY interesting to watch sales of the new MacBooks and MacBook Pros, especially if there is a cheaper option.

So, I suppose the question of the day is this. If your MacBook or MacBook Pro is doing you just fine, how likely are you to drop more cash on a new one if the specs and pricing blow you away?

New MacBook Pro on the left, MacBook on the right.

More ‘leaked’ images of the new MacBook and MacBook Pro have surfaced yet again. This time around I have to say they look pretty darn real. Take a look and decide for yourself, after the jump >

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Remember that leaked image of the new Macbook Pro? (pictured above) BGR is reporting that the image was likely not much more than a typical photoshop job. Not a great one at that either. According to ZDNet, the next gen MBP will not have the rounded edges depicted in the leaked image. The new version will most probably have the straighter, more angular lines of the current model.

ZDNet also claims that the new MBP will be about half an inch narrower than the current MBP. They might feature all glossy screens, a black keyboard as on the MacBook Air, and a built-in glass trackpad with full multi-touch capabilities. The trackpad could very well also have a split to it, that would act as dual buttons.

Also of note is that Apple may be doing away with the dedicated Firewire 400 ports, insetad opting for a new backwards-compatible Firewire 800 jack. The current 28-pin DVI port may also be done away with and could be replaced with the Mini-DVI jacks found currently on the MacBook.

Boy, it’s fun to speculate isn’t it? If anyone out there has any inside info or ’shots’ of a new MBP, send them over. Can’t wait to see the new model.

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The curse of the “blurry pic” has struck again!  Engadget.com is reporting a picture sent in from a tipster showing the supposed re-design of the Macbook Pro line.  The features in the picture show a glass touchscreen trackpad with the dock on the actual trackpad, the black and aluminiun look that is seen on the iMac, and the curved design seen on the Macbook Air.  As you read through the comments from the readers some interesting points are brought up about the ‘fake-ness’ of the picture.  One user pointed out that the angle of the picture of the iphone and the reflection of the iSight do not match.  Above is the picture thanks to Engadget.com.

Post your thoughts on the matter in the forums.  Do you think it is real?  What makes it look like the real deal, or what makes it look so bad.  All I can say is that I hope this is true because I plan on purchasing one of these soon and can’t wait for the re-design!

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What do you think? Is this real or fake? Leave a comment or discuss in the forums. Word is the September 9th Apple Event will be geared around the iPod… But I wonder if there will be any MBP announcements?