Reposted from Cultofmac.com:
http://www.cultofmac.com/confirmed-new-macbook-pros-next-thursday-macrumors-says/82765
It’s new MacBook Pros next Thursday February 24, according to MacRumors, citing a “reliable” source.
We’ve since heard reliable confirmation that this information is accurate and that the expected release date is next Thursday, February 24th. The move would be a bit unusual for Apple to launch new machines on a Thursday. So, if you are about to buy a new MacBook Pro, wait until next week.
MacBooks were last updated a year ago with Intel Core i5 and i7 chips. The new machines are likely to get Intel’s latest Sandy Bridge processors, which are faster and a lot less power hungry. Rumors that the machines will have cases made of Liquidmetal are unlikely, but they will probably will be lighter, thinner and have higher-resolution screens. A big price drop is predicted too.
Apple’s said to be releasing five new models, which will include two new 13-inch versions, two new 15-inch versions and one new 17-inch version.
Continued from separate article:
http://www.cultofmac.com/report-lighter-cheaper-longer-lasting-liquidmetal-macbook-pros-incoming/82367
Since Liquidmetal is both stronger and lighter than aluminum, a Liquidmetal MacBook Pro could be up to 20% lighter than current models. That means the 13-inch Pro will weigh only 3.7 pounds (down from 4.5),while the 15-inch will slim down to 4.6 pounds (from 5.8) and the 17-inch to 5.3 pounds (from 6.6).
Additionally, the report says that Apple has managed to improve battery life by up to 20% over current models, while simultaneously lowering power consumption thanks to a new type of display. Combined, this might drastically increase the already impressive battery life of the MacBook Pro line.
Hardware-wise, all MacBook Pros will be updated to Intel’s Sandy Bridge architecture, which we’ve heard before. All around, the new Pros will receive the higher-res, build-to-order displays of the current models as stock, bumping the 13-inch Pro to a base res of 1440 x 900 in both glossy and matte finish.
Intriguingly, though, the 15- and 17-inch models are said to be gaining a modular bay for the optical drive, which will allow it to be easily swapped with a secondary hard drive or other SATA device. Although MacTrast doesn’t specifically say so, this strongly implies ubiquitous SSDs to me, with users allowed to swap out an optical drive or larger external hard drive as needed.
Finally, MacTrast’s sources say the prices of the new MacBook Pros will be more aggressive than ever, with the 13-inch MacBook Pro starting at $1099, the 15-inch costing $1549 and the 17-inch starting at $2099.
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MacBook Pro mockup by designer Dario Crisafulli:
