Specifications
Processor:
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.6GHz Processor 4 MB L2 Cache 800 Frontside Bus
RAM:2048MB DDR2 (PC2-5300) (can be upgraded to 4GB)
Video:17″ Matte WXGA Display (max 1920 x 1200 pixels), NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT Graphics with dual-link DVI support and 256 MB, Dedicated Video Memory, Built-in iSight Camera and internal Omnidirectional microphone

Storage:
200GB ATA Drive @ 7200 RPM

Media:
8x Slot-loading SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
Networking/Connectivity:
Built-in AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi wireless Networking (802.11a/b/g/n)
Built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet
Ports/Expansion:
1 ExpressCard (34 slot)
3 USB 2.0,
1 Headphone out,
1 Microphone-in,
DVI Output port,
1 FireWire 400,
1 FireWire 800,
1 RJ-45 LAN

Dimensions:
Approximate Unit Dimensions: 15.4″ (W) x 1″ (H) x 10.4″ (D)
Approximate Unit Weight: 6.8 lbs

Box Contents:
MacBook Pro, Lithium-polymer battery, 85w MagSafe Power adapter, AC wall plug, Power cord, Apple Remote, DVI to VGA adapter, Install/restore DVDs, Software Bundle: Mac OS X Leopard, iLife ’08, Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Test Drive, iWork ’08 (30-day trial), Photo Booth, Front Row, 1-Year Limited Warranty

Shipping:
Flat rate shipping, just $20 for UPS ground shipping in Continental US

For more information and to order one

[Thanks for the tip, Jeff!]

Make sure you order the right size for your MacBook (13″) and for your MacBook Pro (15.4″ or 17″).

[via]

Premier Event: Saturday, March 22, 2008.

Mac Day L.A.
CBS Studio Center — “Radford Studios”
4024 Radford Avenue, Studio City CA 91604
Website: Macdayla (for details and required RSVP)

MacBook Pro – The latest Intel processor, a bigger hard drive, plenty of memory, and even more new features all fit inside just one liberating inch. The new MacBook Pro has the performance, power, and connectivity of a desktop computer. Without the desk part.

MacBook – Faster is just the beginning. The new MacBook features the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors, larger hard drives, and up to 2GB of memory standard. Best of all, MacBook still starts at $1099. It’s the same does-everything-you-want notebook but better.

Click here to watch the vid

This is just wishful thinking but wouldn’t it be totally awesome if Apple reduced the amount of plastic on their MacBooks and replaced it with materials that are more sustainable? And pretty to boot. Wouldn’t you just LOVE Apple even more if they were more ecofriendly? I would. For example, these PC (*cough* *hack* *gag*) laptops have bamboo exteriors. Apple could surely make a version perhaps with lighter color bamboo. It would be totally sleek and wonderful. I would get one immediately!

Don’t miss the special one-day shopping event on Friday, November 30th.*

Come to the Apple Online Store this Friday for a special one-day-only holiday shopping event. You’ll find dozens of great iPod, iPhone, and Mac gift ideas.

Mark your calendars now. And until then, start your research by visiting our Holiday Gift Guide to find iPod, iPhone, and Mac gifts for everyone on your list.

Check it out

*Shopping event is available only at the Apple Online Store on Friday, November 30, 2007, from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. GMT and at Apple Retail Stores. Check your local Apple Retail Store for special hours. Sale prices are available while supplies last.

“Apple Inc. is acknowledging that some of its MacBook notebooks shipped with hard disk drives plagued by a manufacturing flaw that can result in permanent data loss even when used under routine operating conditions.

The issue, reported earlier this month by U.K.-based data-recovery firm Retrodata and subsequently covered by AppleInsider, is confined to Seagate 2.5-inch SATA drives that are manufactured in China and loaded with firmware Version 7.01.

The affected drives — model numbers ST96812AS and ST98823AS — are commonly found in notebooks such as Apple’s MacBook or MacBook Pro, the firm says. To determine whether a MacBook has one of the affected drives, it’s suggested that owners go to their Mac’s System Profiler application and check the revision number under the Serial ATA listing.

If the System Profiler indicates that the computer is using a Seagate hard drive with firmware Version 7.01, Retrodata recommends backing up all data and then having the drive replaced.

The firm had previously criticized Apple as being “utterly irresponsible” for its silent stance on the matter and not immediately commissioning a recall of all systems that included the Seagate manufactured part.

While Apple has still not issued a recall or warning to customers, spokesman Cameron Craig said this week…”

Read the full article

Leopard will go on sale Friday, October 26 at 6:00 p.m. at Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers, and that Apple’s online store is now accepting pre-orders. Leopard is packed with more than 300 new features and introduces a brand new desktop with Stacks, a new way to easily access files from the Dock; a redesigned Finder that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs; Quick Look, a new way to instantly see files without opening an application; Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them; and Time Machine, an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac®. “Leopard, the sixth major release of Mac OS X, is the best upgrade we’ve ever released,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “And everyone gets the ‘Ultimate’ version, packed with all the new innovative features, for just $129.”

Leopard’s new desktop includes the redesigned 3D Dock with Stacks, a new way to organize files for quick and easy access with just one click. Leopard automatically places web, email and other downloads in a Downloads stack to maintain a clutter-free desktop, and users can instantly fan the contents of this and other Stacks into an elegant arc right from the Dock. Users can also create their own Stacks for quick access to folders, documents or applications. Leopard’s gorgeous new look extends to all applications, with every window on the desktop offering a consistent design theme and active windows outlined by deeper shadows that make them stand out.

The updated Finder includes Cover Flow® and a new sidebar with a dramatically simplified way to search for, browse and copy content from any PC or Mac on a local network. Content on any computer on a local network can now be searched using Spotlight™, browsed using Cover Flow or copied across the network with a simple drag and drop. .Mac members can use the new Back to My Mac feature to browse and access files on their remote Macs over the Internet.

Quick Look is the fastest and easiest way for users to look inside files without launching them or even having the application that created them. With Quick Look, users can instantly view full-screen, high-resolution files of virtually anything, even media files, from any view in the Finder.

Spaces gives users a powerful new way to organize their work by creating customized desktops which can contain only those applications or documents needed for each project, with the ability to quickly switch between Spaces with the mouse or keyboard.

Time Machine lets users easily back up all of the data on their Mac, find lost files and even restore all of the software on their Mac. With just a one-click setup, Time Machine automatically keeps an up-to-date copy of everything on the Mac.* In the event a file is lost, users can search back through time to find deleted files, applications, photos and other digital media and then instantly restore the file. If it’s ever necessary, Leopard can also easily restore an entire system from the Time Machine data on an external drive.

Mail has been updated in Leopard and features more than 30 stationery designs and layouts that look great on a Windows PC or Mac so users can easily send stylish, personalized emails with beautiful graphics and photos. Notes and To Dos help users stay organized by acting just like emails that can be easily created, saved as drafts, synced across multiple Macs and stored in Smart Mailboxes. Data detectors automatically sense phone numbers, addresses and events so they can be added to Address Book or iCal® with just a few clicks, and users can keep up-to-date by getting the latest news and blog feeds delivered directly to their mailboxes with a built-in RSS reader.

iChat®, the easiest-to-use video conferencing application on any personal computer, offers even richer video chats in Leopard with iChat Theater, which makes it easy to show photos, presentations, videos or files in a video conference; screen sharing which lets users remotely view and operate another Mac; and Photo Booth® effects for fun distortions and video backdrops that can instantly make users appear to be anywhere they choose.

Other new features in Leopard include:

• improved Parental Controls, aiding parents in managing their kids’ online activities with automatic identification of unsuitable content before allowing website access, plus time limits and activity logs that can be accessed from any Mac on a home network;
• the complete Boot Camp® release, previously available only as a beta, making it possible to run Windows natively on Intel-based Macs;**
• Web Clip, bringing anything that a user wants from a web page to Dashboard as a live widget;
• new Photo Booth features, helping users create animated iChat buddy icons or fun effects and backdrops with still or video images;
• an enhanced Dictionary with Wikipedia built in, allowing users to access up to date information on virtually any subject in a snap;
• a newly updated iCal with multi-user calendaring based on the new CalDAV standard; and
• an updated version of Front Row, making it even easier to play music or watch movies, TV shows and photos on a Mac using the ultra-simple Apple Remote.

Pricing & Availability
Mac OS X version 10.5 Leopard will be available on October 26 at Apple’s retail stores and through Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $129 (US) for a single user license, and online pre-orders can be made through Apple’s online store (www.apple.com) starting today. The Mac OS X Leopard Family Pack is a single-household, five-user license that will be available for a suggested retail price of $199 (US). Volume and maintenance pricing is available from Apple. The standard Mac OS Up-To-Date upgrade package is available to all customers who purchased a qualifying new Mac system from Apple or an Apple Authorized Reseller on or after October 1, 2007 for a shipping and handling fee of $9.95 (US). Leopard requires a minimum of 512MB of RAM and is designed to run on any Macintosh® computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5 or G4 (867 Mhz or faster) processor. Full system requirements can be found at www.apple.com/macosx/techspecs.

* Requires an additional hard drive sold separately.
** Copy of Windows XP or Vista required.

From Apple Press Release