Apple MacBook Pro 13in

          The MacBook Pro 13in is as tiny as it ever was, weighing 2.04kg and measuring 24.1mm thick, 277mm deep and 325mm wide. Storage has increased as well, as it’s now 320GB. Wrapping up the specs there’s a respectable 4GB of RAM and a 13.3in (1,280x800 resolution) screen.

         One of the most major features of the update is the Sandy Bridge Intel Core i5-2410M (2.3GHz) processor, which ensures liquid smooth operation of all of Apple’s unique range of software. There’s also the new Thunderbolt Input/Output port that’s faster even than speedy USB 3.0 ports featuring in more and more notebooks. Also, the onboard Intel HD Graphics 3000 graphics is about equal to the NVIDIA GeForce 310M that used to be inside. This will lead to less heat and longer battery life with no loss in performance.

       There is another variant of the Apple MacBook Pro 13in that has two major improvements; a Sandy Bridge Intel Core i7-2620M (2.7GHz) and a 500GB hard drive. It isn’t quite as good value compared to the cheaper variant, but it’s still the fastest ultraportable notebook currently available. 

       However, the brand new Core i5 and i7 chips aren't the only big news in the MacBook Pro of 2011. There are always plenty of Mac rumours just before a new release, and it was all about Intel's Light Peak tech this time round.

         The leaks turned out to be accurate this time, and Apple confirmed the new high-speed I/O port (now renamed Thunderbolt). In the new MacBook Pro range, it's been merged with the mini-DisplayPort connection, creating a multipurpose I/O port capable of 10Gbps both ways.

There are a few other updates of note around the MacBook Pro 13-inch. Though its big brothers got shiny new AMD graphics cards, this model makes do with Intel's latest integrated graphics.

Consistently the subject of derisive snorts in the past, Intel's really upped its game in this area. The Intel HD 3000 graphics chip is now built into the processor, and should offer strong performance as well as solid battery life.

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