While UBS told us in a research note that the plant closing could affect supplies of MacBook Air and other notebook computers, DigiTimes is confident that the temporary suspension of operations won’t cause Apple or others to switch to other suppliers, since Catcher has such strong production capacity and the best manufacturing technology. Apple uses Catcher for up to 60 percent of its unibody enclosures for its MacBook and iMac computers.

Catcher, for its part, is considering investing more money in additional production facilities to ensure any similar problems in the future won’t completely shut them down. Another plant located in Tainan, Taiwan recently ramped up production, and Catcher has another massive lot located there for planned future expansion.

The planned re-opening is promising news for the possibility of an imminent MacBook Pro refresh, so hopefully Catcher’s investment is enough to satisfy local Chinese authorities.

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But what can we expect from those new computers? Let’s take a look at what updates we’re most likely to see at the “Back to the Mac” event.

MacBook Air

Ah, the MacBook Air. Does anyone remember how amazing it was when Steve Jobs first took this thing out of one of those yellow envelopes with the string fastener? I wanted one very badly. Luckily, reason won out and I didn’t get one, opting instead for a MacBook Pro later. I say luckily, because the Air is very expensive for what it offers, and because it seems to have been plagued by problems.

A new Air should, at the very minimum, get updated to current components, including an Intel i-series chip, like an i3 or i5. It’ll probably get a case redesign, too, if for no other reason than to make room for a bigger battery and the new-style push-button glass trackpads that are found in all other models of MacBook and MacBook Pro.

Rumors suggest there’ll also be a brand new 11.6-inch display to go along with beefier internals and other cosmetic changes. Since the MacBook Air, in a lot of ways, is as much of a hobby for Apple as the Apple TV, I do foresee them playing around with the form factor. It’s a risk they can afford to take, since it can’t really hurt sales of the ultra-portable. Even if they’re concerned about that, they could keep both a 13-inch and 11.6-inch model on offer.

MacBook

This time last year, the entry-level MacBook got a unibody design. But it wasn’t an aluminum one, like its Pro cousins. Instead it got a polycarbonate unibody shell, in classic Mac white. In May of 2010, it got a spec bump that included Mini DisplayPort A/V output.

My money’s on a new look for the MacBook. This is the last machine among all of Apple’s offerings that still boasts the white plastic look (Apple TV recently did get a black plastic makeover, though). I think by now, Apple’s process has been around long enough and it’s done enough volume with suppliers that we’ll see it finally get an aluminum shell. Don’t expect the same lines as the Pro, though. There still has to be some way for consumers to tell the machines apart at a glance.

We’ll also see internals get a boost, with maybe a chip upgrade to the Core i3 from Intel. An SD card reader slot is also a good bet for Apple’s standby notebook.

MacBook Pro

A cosmetic update every two years is apparently just about the norm for the MacBook Pro. The unibody aluminum and glass look borrowed at least in part from its iMac predecessor has been around for just about that long now. Case updates aren’t that far-fetched an expectation, and a new look across the line would definitely go a long way toward saying “We haven’t forgotten about Mac.”

We’ll probably also see the i3 make its way into the 13-inch MacBook Pro. That’ll help capitalize on the integrated batteries, boosting life further still. We could see the introduction of HDMI, since Apple’s finally relented and put that into its Mac mini desktop, but I wouldn’t hold my breath for that one. Better graphics are probable, too.

In short, Apple wants this event to remind people that despite the success of iOS, it hasn’t forgotten about the other side of its business. I’m willing to bet that Jobs is going to go out of his way to make a splash with new hardware next week, and show us a difference we can see. That, combined with a new version of OS X, is bound to convince the doubters.

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Apple spends a lot of time on industrial design and usability, so it amazes me that the process to hook up a Mac to an external keyboard, monitor, and mouse consists of five to seven steps, depending on if you’re using a Bluetooth keyboard or not. As I look at the mess of wires coming out of the side of my MacBook, I’ve got to wonder why there isn’t an official Apple-branded docking station.

Docking stations seem like an idea that should have come out of Cupertino, because they reduce clutter and encourage simplicity. All the cables that would normally plug into the side or back of the computer go into the docking station instead, and there’s a single slot that the computer plugs into. Plug it in, and the notebook is now a desktop.

Apple has a patent for an interesting iMac-like dock for a MacBook, which would be amazing if the price was right. However, actually producing docks has been left to third-party manufacturers. Some have avoided the docking station idea by designing holders for the MacBook, and some have designed docking stations that look absolutely ridiculous.

The best bet for a real docking station so far seems to be Henge Docks, which mount the MacBook vertically.  They look gorgeous, but are only available in a 13-inch size as of this writing, with 15- and 17-inch versions in the pipeline. I’ve signed up to pre-order the 15-inch.

I’ve tried just about every combination of desk layout I can think of. I’ve tried MacBook in front, monitor on the side, no keyboard; MacBook on the left, monitor on the right, keyboard and mouse in front (and vice-versa); MacBook in clamshell mode on the side of my desk where the Dell’s docking station used to be, monitor, keyboard, and mouse in front (what I presently use), and a few other setups that just didn’t seem right.

From Apple’s point of view, the solution is to drop a grand on one of their gorgeous LED Cinema Displays. The display doubles as a docking station, providing power, monitor, and USB ports for the MacBook. It’s beautiful, and certainly reduces the cable clutter, but at a cost that’s hard to justify for consumer-grade use.

Browsing through Shawn Blanc’s “Sweet Mac Setups” I find that most of the setups featured go for the “MacBook on one side, monitor on the other, keyboard and mouse in front” rig. For some, this seems to work, for many others the cabling and accessories start to clutter the desktop. This is the point where I become distracted and want to start moving things around.

One of my favorite “setups” remains none at all. I simply open my MacBook wherever I want to work and start doing what needs to be done. But I’m still left wanting a more complete solution. How do you use your MacBook? If you’ve got a setup that works for you, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

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If the reports are reliable, then it would mean that the MacBook lineup will be using Intel’s line of i3, i5 and i7 chips, as some earlier rumors speculated. The reason we haven’t seen them yet, according to the Taiwanese publication Apple Daily, is that supply has been short thanks to a large order including all three of the models from computer maker Acer.

The report claims that all of Apple’s MacBook computers, from the MacBook itself through the Pro line and to the Air, could see updates in April, with the Intel processor change the most significant alteration. That’s not all, though. New MacBook Pro systems will reportedly have 640GB drives installed by default, with the option to upgrade to a 248GB solid-state drive. If pricing remains reasonable, it could mark the first time SSDs represent a viable alternative to standard HDDs for the average consumer.

All-day computing is another detail the report claims for the upcoming computers, with a reported eight hours of battery life. Better power management might be due only to the increased energy efficiency offered by the i3, i5 and i7 chips, rather than through any major advancements in battery technology by Apple.

Apple’s MacBook line is definitely in need of an update. The last time any of the computers was updated was in October 2009, and that was a fairly minor update to the base model MacBook. MacBook Pros haven’t seen any changes since June of last year, when I purchased mine. The MacBook Air was updated at the same time.

Since then, the iPad has essentially hogged the entire Apple product spotlight. Rumors of its impending arrival fomented for months and months, and its official announcement and release schedule has all but occluded Apple’s other offerings. I’m glad Apple’s doing well in the mobile market, since it means my iPhone’s software will not fall into neglect anytime soon, but I fear there’s too much at risk if Cupertino continues to stake its future on mobile tunnel vision.

Some of us were Mac users before the iPod, and will continue to be even if Google wins the battle for mobile market supremacy. Let’s hope Apple remembers that and rewards us with its next salvo of MacBook updates.

Apple has released what it calls “Performance Update 1.0,” an update to its Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) and 10.6 (Snow Leopard) operating systems for selected iMacs and MacBooks.

As Apple describes it — in typically brief fashion — in its Support pages, ”This update addresses intermittent hard drive related pauses reported by a small number of customers.”

Gotta love those detailed descriptions!

The update may be related to an EFI Firmware Update in June that some MacBook owners suspect was the cause of intermittent crashes and system freezes. This latest update may well put these problems to rest once and for all, except there’s something interesting about the name…that 1.0 suffix hints at the possibility of further revisions to come. A “Performance Update, Update” perhaps?

The update isn’t for everyone, however. It applies only to the following Mac models.

MacBook
MacBook (13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008)
MacBook (13-inch, Early 2009)
MacBook (13-inch, Mid 2009)

MacBook Pro
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008)
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009)
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2009)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.53GHz, Mid 2009)

MacBook Air
MacBook Air (Late 2008)
MacBook Air (Mid 2009)

Mac Mini
Mac Mini (Early 2009)

iMac
iMac (24-inch, Early 2009)
iMac (20-inch, Early 2009)
iMac (20-inch, Mid 2009)

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Don’t get me wrong, I love my new 13-inch MacBook Pro. In many, many ways, it is far superior to any older computer I have lying around. I can’t get over how far Apple design and function has come. But I do have to admit to shifting and tilting the device around when I’m sitting on the couch with my window in the background. I suppose I could close the window, or rearrange my living room furniture, but I’d have much preferred just clicking a matte display option when buying my notebook. That option may reappear soon.

Or, I could’ve opted for the 17-inch MacBook Pro, which I’m sure is what Apple was hoping for, considering the $2,500 price tag. Sadly, I am not independently wealthy, nor do I have a job that justifies that kind of computer muscle. I just don’t like glare with my computing. Unlike some, I don’t find the MBP’s screen intolerable, just mildly annoying in certain lighting situations, but choice is still nice.

According to reports by AppleInsider, Apple is considering a reintroduction of matte screen options on machines other than the 17-inch MacBook Pro. This is according to “people who have proven familiar with the company’s plans.” Perhaps not the most reassuring of sources, but there is a lot of vocal support of such a move, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple was at least entertaining the thought. The company did, after all, reintroduce Firewire on the 13-inch MacBook (Pro) after much protest about its demise.

Professional users have even more reason to complain than I do, since the glossy screens and glare pose a serious problem when color and image accuracy are of paramount importance. I expect that any screen options Apple does introduce will also carry the $50 charge that currently attaches to the upgrade on the 17-inch model, but that’s nothing compared to the price of upgrading to the pricier model and still paying an extra $50.

I’m not saying the current screen is that big of a problem, but I can’t help but notice the difference between it and the screen on the 12-inch PowerBook I recently picked up as a hobby machine. Yes, everything appears more vivid, more rich, and just generally more impressive, but only in low-light situations. My home workstation is right next to a window, which is necessary to prevent me going completely stir-crazy, and the PowerBook looks a lot more at home there than the MBP does. Would I swap the screens if I could? I’d be mighty tempted, that’s for sure.

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If you bought a MacBook Pro between May 2007 and September 2008, you might be painfully aware of NVIDIA’s major screw-up in providing fundamentally faulty 8600M GT graphics processors for Apple computers, as well as others. Apple no doubt still remembers that, too, since the warranty extension and repair refund policy is undoubtedly costing it large sums of money. That unpleasant memory may have partially led to a falling out between the two, according to recent reports.

SemiAccurate is reporting that, according to multiple sources, at recent negotiations between the two companies, discussions became rather heated, in part due to NVIDIA’s apparently arrogant stance concerning its supplier relationship with Apple. Evidently, Apple was expecting more modesty from a company that has cost it so much cash, thanks to a problem it didn’t even acknowledge existed.

The end result of the rift will basically see NVIDIA locked out of Apple for at least three to four years, according to SemiAccurate’s sources. Which means the sweetheart deal that saw the advent of the now ubiquitous 9400M graphics processor and NVIDIA chipset may be at an end. According to the same report that announced the split, Apple will be going back to Intel for its chipset needs in the immediate future.

But why now? Apple has known about NVIDIA’s somewhat questionable dealings with it for a while now, and hasn’t yet stopped rolling out computers boasting graphics processors from the chipmaker. Part of the reason might be that NVIDIA has only now started to become unbearably arrogant in its dealings with Apple, following the success of the 9400M.

A more likely reason we’ve yet to see the effect of the fallout on actual Apple products is that the company’s design cycle is so long that the current models were already irrevocably in the queue when news of the faulty 8600M GT processors broke. Apple’s own investigation only wrapped up in mid-2008, at which point its product plans for at least the next year are no doubt pretty much set in stone, especially regarding major internal components. Other companies affected by the NVIDIA screw-up are likewise only just beginning to show signs of the fallout, lending credence to this idea.

While NVIDIA screwed up huge when it supplied Apple with a large number of faulty graphics cards and then refused to own up and take responsibility, does a lock-out really benefit current Apple customers? I spent most of last weekend playing Spore on my brand new 13-inch MacBook Pro, something which I never would’ve been able to do enjoyably (or at all) using a model sporting an integrated Intel chipset. To me, going back that way would feel like backsliding.

Maybe Apple’s own chip design machinations will pan out when it comes time to show NVIDIA the door, in which case it could shock us all with a completely revamped platform. Let’s hope so, because I’m not so sure I want my next computer to bring back the Intel GMA headache I only just managed to get rid of.

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One of the best reasons to get a new MacBook Pro, aside from the dazzling new screen on the 13-inch, and in spite of the SATA capping that’s apparently in place, is the extended battery life courtesy of the new built-in lithium polymer batteries. And by all accounts, even if you won’t necessarily reach Apple’s estimates, you will get more usage out of your notebook without having to connect to a power source. Or you’ll get more usage as long as you’re not running in Windows under Boot Camp, that is.

AnandTech’s Anand Shimpi has been running a MacBook Pro 15-inch through its paces over at his site, and while he was very impressed with the machine’s new battery overall, he noticed a considerable disparity between apparent power consumption under OS X, and under Vista. Nor was the difference marginal. Running OS X while only web browsing, Shimpi was able to coax a little over eight hours out of the notebook under OS X, and only six using Vista. That’s a two hour, or 25 percent difference.

Windows 7, which is supposed to make up for a lot of the mistakes Microsoft made with Vista, fared no better. The RC 1 version of the upcoming OS lasted only 5.48 hours using the same test conditions. Some of that can be ascribed to there not being final, optimized drivers for Windows 7 yet, but I doubt that accounts for the more than two-hour deficit it has compared with OS X running on the same hardware.

Windows supporters will no doubt chime in with claims that the Apple hardware is to blame, but Shimpi found some reason to believe that may not be the case. He spoke to a number of PC OEM manufacturers to see if they’d found a difference in battery life between OS X and Vista, and though none would officially go on record, some at least admitted to seeing a similar difference to the one Shimpi had found.

Since Apple doesn’t officially support any third-party hardware, it’ll be hard or even impossible to prove that OS X is, in fact, a more battery-efficient operating system, completely independent of any hardware considerations. Still, that’s one less reason to ever commit sacrilege by dual-booting your Apple notebook, which is bad news for Windows sales, no matter what the cause.

All you hackintosh experts out there, feel free to chime in with your own battery life tales, since your experience running OS X on non-standard hardware might be the closest thing we can get to a fair standard for comparison.

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Apple announced a slew of hardware updates today, including a number of upgrades to its notebook lineup.

For me, the most notable among these was the upwards shift of the 13-inch aluminum MacBook into the MacBook Pro category, alongside the 15- and 17-inch models, both of which also got their own feature and hardware improvements. The white, plastic polycarbonate MacBook is looking mighty lonely down at the low end of the scale.

Alongside the name change, the 13-inch MacBook Pro (I’m glad I no longer have to specify “unibody” or anything else to distinguish it from the regular white MacBook anymore) gets an SD card slot, up to 8GB (if you’re partial to a $1,000 upgrade) of memory, a max hard drive size of 500GB (or 256GB SSD), and a backlit keyboard, standard.

Also, making a triumphant return, is FireWire thanks to an FW800 port, as is standard for the Pro line of computers. All this at a new entry-level price point of $1,199, which comes standard with a 2.26GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 160GB HDD. Another higher-priced option with a 2.53GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 250GB HDD goes for $1,499.

The price drop, combined with the spec upgrade, makes this one of Apple’s most appealing machines to those of us who are cost-conscious Mac addicts. Add in the inclusion of the same battery tech that was first introduced in the 17-inch MacBook Pro, with a reported battery life of seven hours (likely exaggerated), and I’m sold. If you’re an education customer, you get another $100 off, bringing the total price of the laptop to $1,099 before taxes. Someone’s going shopping later today, and I’ll let you in on a little secret: It’s me.

I’d wait for Snow Leopard to come out in September, but with $29 upgrade pricing, and a $49 family pack (I have three Macs), there’s not really any cause to wait. One might argue that not enough has changed with this upgrade to justify slapping the “Pro” moniker onto the end of the name, but honestly, the company cut the price along with the title rather than raising it, so I’m not complaining. I seriously believe that this is the best value proposition in Apple’s lineup as it stands, especially given that it’s still relatively easy to upgrade RAM and hard disk (compared with the Mac mini) on your own — much cheaper than it would cost to do so with Apple-installed components.

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In the 13-inch category, Apple took all of the top three spots, with the Unibody aluminum model in first, the MacBook Air in second, and the white plastic MacBook capping the trifecta in third. The 15-inch MacBook Pro won the top spot in the 14- to 16-inch notebook class, and the 17-inch MacBook Pro beat out all comers in the 17- to 18-inch category. As mentioned, they had no competition on the podium in the 13-inch category, while Toshiba, Asus, Dell and Lenovo all offered second- and third-place machines for the other two categories.

Apple wasn’t quite so lucky in desktop categories. The Mac mini and the iMac both took second place in their respective categories, which still isn’t bad. Apple Support won out in all categories, notebook and desktop alike, and I think most who’ve dealt with their customer service department will agree that they generally don’t disappoint.

As to Consumer Reports’ scoring criteria, they rank the machines based on performance, ergonomics, features, display quality and other factors related to computing ability. Personally, I think it’s odd that given their criteria, the desktops didn’t perform as well as their notebook counterparts, but maybe they just felt bad about giving all the awards to one company and wanted to spread the love around a little.

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Far from being a netbook, the rumored device will sport a 15-inch screen, and will appear within months, if the source is to be believed. A 15-inch OLED screen is an expensive piece of equipment, as you know if you’ve been following the emerging tech’s development. For reference, consider that Sony’s 11-inch XEL-1 OLED TV is a staggering $2,499, and it doesn’t have a computer built-in to it. No doubt manufacturing costs have come down since the XEL-1 was created in 2007, but prices still haven’t come down to the point where Apple would be able to offer a 15-inch OLED notebook for anything less than $2,000.

I understand not compromising your high standards of quality just because the economy’s not doing so hot, but introducing a premium notebook amid financial uncertainty? Probably not the best move, unless you’re counting on the few remaining wealthy souls wanting to show off even more now that their prosperity is so very conspicuous.

No other details about the notebook were forthcoming from the source, which actually makes sense if he’s just seen what’s being made on LG’s side of things and for who. Who knows, maybe it has the sort of specs a Macbook Air Pro would have. For now though, file this as either unlikely or a misunderstanding of the ultimate destination of LG’s screens. Considering Apple’s current lineup and cost structure, I just don’t see a device like this attracting that many additional consumers without stealing from the crowd of potential Macbook Pro or Air buyers.

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Apple has announced a number of updates today, including a considerable refresh to their professional desktop line, the Mac Pro. Utilizing the Intel “Nehalem” Xeon processors and a next-generation system architecture, the new machines deliver up to twice the performance of the previous generation system.

Philip Schiller, Apple’s ( aapl) senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, noted that:

The new Mac Pro is a significant upgrade and starts at $300 less than before. It features an advanced system architecture, new faster processors and our best-ever graphics options to deliver a faster, more powerful system that our professional customers are going to love.

Confident words from the man behind Apple’s product lineup, and seemingly justified with the new specifications on offer.

Improved Performance

When compared to the previous generation Mac Pro, performance is up to 1.7x faster:

The speed increases are due to the introduction of a new processor and graphics card. Two models offer a choice of either one 2.66 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 3500 processor, or two 2.26 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5500 processors. The new cores offer up to 2.4x greater memory bandwidth, in addition to a new “Turbo Boost technology” which claims to speed up the processor when all cores aren’t in use. A range of architecture changes assist with improved performance, full details of which can be found at the features page.

Following on from recent graphics updates in their notebook line, the new Mac Pros include a NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 with 512MB of GDDR3 memory — supposedly up to 2.9x faster than the previous model. For even greater performance you can opt to pay more for an upgrade to the ATI Radeon HD 4870.

As with many speed claims, it’s always interesting to see how they translate to day-to-day use. In this case they seem justified, and I’m looking forward to seeing various application benchmarks.

Graphics Options

The new machines feature both a dual-link DVI port (as supported previously) and a Mini DisplayPort, with room internally for up to four individual graphics cards. There’s no shortage of display options! It will be interesting to see whether both of these can function at the same time, supporting two monitors from a single graphics card.

Updated Interior

The interior design of the Mac Pro has long been a source of pride for Apple, showcasing their excessive attention to detail in hardware design. The new alterations are no exception:

An updated interior provides easy access to all components within the Mac Pro for easy expansion, and the case includes four direct-attach cable-free hard drive carriers for installing up to 4TB of internal storage. An optional RAID card delivers enhanced performance and allows the four internal drive bays to be set up in various RAID arrays for additional data protection or speed.

Environmentally Friendly

Continuing their focus on developing environmentally friendly machines, Apple note that the Mac Pro has a number of “green” features:

The new Mac Pro exceeds Energy Star 4.0 requirements and is leading the industry as an early adopter of the more stringent Energy Star 5.0 requirements which will become effective later this year. The Mac Pro enclosure is made of highly recyclable aluminum and the interior is designed to be more material-efficient. The Mac Pro uses PVC-free internal cables and components and contains no brominated flame retardants. The new Mac Pro achieves EPEAT Gold status.

Available Models

The new Mac Pros are available in two base models, configurable to your required standard:

The base model costs $2,499 and includes:

• One 2.66 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 3500 series processor with 8MB of L3 cache;
• 3GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory, expandable up to 8GB;
• NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 graphics with 512MB of GDDR3 memory;
• 640GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
• 18x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
• Mini DisplayPort and DVI (dual-link) for video output (adapters sold separately);
• Four PCI Express 2.0 slots;
• Five USB 2.0 ports and four FireWire® 800 ports;
• Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; and
• Ships with Apple Keyboard with numerical keypad and Mighty Mouse.

The higher specification with a price of $3,299 (US) includes:

• Two 2.26 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5500 series processors with 8MB of shared L3 cache;
• 6GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 ECC SDRAM memory, expandable up to 32GB;
• NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 graphics with 512MB of GDDR3 memory;
• 640GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
• 18x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
• Mini DisplayPort and DVI (dual-link) for video output (adapters sold separately);
• Four PCI Express 2.0 slots;
• Five USB 2.0 ports and four FireWire 800 ports;
• Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; and
• Ships with Apple Keyboard with numerical keypad and Mighty Mouse.

Availability

Apple notes that the new systems will be available next week (with their online store stating four business days), so you won’t need to wait much longer if you’ve been holding out for the latest specification bump.

More information can be found at the Mac Pro product page or you can order one of the new machines now through the Apple Store.

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For years, Mac users have been annoyed by Apple’s refusal to just give in and offer these features as part of the free version of QuickTime that packages with OS X. Perhaps most useful among these features, at least for most users, is the “Save” function that allows you to download QuickTime files that you’ve played from your browser, including movie trailers and other content normally locked away on the web.

According to MacRumors, Apple may have finally decided that the time is right for the Pro features of QuickTime to come without a price tag. That’s because users working with the latest Snow Leopard builds are reporting that all the features are enabled out of the box, so to speak. No more grayed-out menu items with little, teasing “Pro” icons next to them, trying to make you feel inferior.

This is a great move on Apple’s part, if it makes it through to Snow Leopard’s full release. Even though I argue above that most people don’t generally miss the Pro features, they are definitely very nice to have when and if you find yourself needing them. My favorite use is to save and replay later for others HD movie trailers and Apple ads, so really they’re only helping themselves and their partners by helping more people do that for free. Let’s hope they don’t go and lock it down again when Snow Leopard goes retail.

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Apple notes that the battery in your MacBook Pro is a consumable item, requiring replacement at the end of its useful life. Replacement of a battery which has been consumed via normal use is not covered under warranty, but if battery life suffers from a hardware defect you will be eligible for a free replacement.

The replacement can be done same-day providing you’ve booked an appointment at your local Apple Store. Mail in options are available, taking 3-4 business days. Apple seems to be making it very easy to swap batteries at the end of their useful life, minimizing criticism for the non-removable battery in their latest professional notebook.

How Much?

Apple has published a simple chart which shows the different price for the battery replacement in different countries worldwide:

The USD price is around $50 more than purchasing a replacement/extra battery for a 15″ MacBook Pro — not a terrible deal considering the extra life which you’ll have benefitted from. The price of the replacement battery includes installation of your new battery and environmentally responsible disposal of your depleted battery.

The battery replacement would seem to be a very simple process, though Apple does note that you should ensure you have a backup of your data and aren’t responsible for any data loss which occurs during the replacement process.

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Many of you will have seen images of the original Modbook – it’s a customized tablet style MacBook, with a host of hardware additions and a touch sensitive screen. The makers of the Modbook, Axiotron, have announced the addition of the Modbook Pro to their lineup. The 15.4 inch device is heralded as “the ultimate tablet computer,” combining speed and power with new cutting-edge hardware and software features.

The Modbook Pro uses the components of Apple’s 15-inch 2.8GHz MacBook Pro in a custom designed tablet case. Weighing 6.6 pounds, the Modbook Pro has all the ports and drives found in the MacBook Pro, as well as a GPS device and an assistive technology dual switch port for connecting input devices for people with disabilities.

Hardware

With a thickness of only 0.93 inches, the Modbook Pro is actually thinner than its Apple MacBook base system (difficult to believe, I agree). The outer casing doesn’t suffer from alterations, being constructed from precision machined aluminum. There are no exterior sheet metal or plastic parts, providing unprecedented structural strength in the same way as the default MacBook Pro.

The base system’s battery remains easily accessible on the bottom of the device, although the system differs in offering a black luster finish as supposed to the brushed aluminum of a regular MacBook laptop.

Connectivity wise, the Modbook Pro includes Ethernet, FireWire 800, USB 2.0 (x2), Mini DisplayPort, digital audio, ExpressCard/34 slot and Bluetooth –- plus a three-button keybar for on/off, Mod Key and battery indicator. The upper part of the device houses the Superdrive and a magnetic catch for storing a touch screen pen.

Touch Screen Technology

While admittedly part of the system hardware, the touch screen operation is truly the defining feature of the device. The Modbook Pro employs “revolutionary new Synergy Touch technology” developed by Axiotron. This system allows the addition of pen based input simultaneously to regular touch input (a first for a touchscreen computer).

This allows you to draw or write using the digitizer pen and type text or keyboard shortcut commands all at the same time. An on screen software pad allows you to zoom in and out in a similar fashion to viewing images on the iPhone (or a laptop with the new glass trackpads). The touch screen also has an additional software interface layer (Quicktouch), which can overlay translucent buttons, pads and alphanumeric keys.

Pricing and Availability

Such revolutionary technology certainly doesn’t come cheap, with the Modbook Pro priced at a cool $4,998. There is a current $400 discount available for the Macworld conference, though you’ll need to act fast (before January 19) to receive it. If you already own a MacBook Pro, you can have the transformational surgery to convert it into a ModBook for just over $3000.

Pre-ordering now preserves your place in line when the Modbook Pro ships in May/June 2009, so there’s still somewhat of a wait before you can stake claim to arguably the most technologically advanced Mac available.

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For the first time in Apple’s history, the recent incarnation of consumer and professional laptops are starting to show signs of being part of the same family. While the MacBook has seen arguably the most impressive bump in terms of comparison to its original feature set, MacBook Pros have also received great treatment.

This brief review will give an overview of the new features and our experience. Future posts will delve into certain changes in more depth. We have previously posted unboxing photos of the new laptop for your enjoyment.

Exterior & Build

The first MacBook Pro I purchased started to vibrate suspiciously when turned on — to the point where it was audibly annoying. I returned it to the Apple store and was given an immediate replacement. That said, I’m certain that Apple’s claim of a revolutionary manufacturing process is not just hype. To quote Harry McCracken:

I hate car metaphors in computer reviews, but I can’t help myself: The old MacBook Pro was a solidly-built Toyota, and the new one is a Lexus.

While the MacBook Air clearly benefitted from the new process, it still feels slightly ‘delicate’ due to it’s very nature of being so thin. Imagine the robustness and curves of the Air built around the already sturdy MacBook Pro, and you’ll be somewhere close to the mark.

The keyboard takes very similar cues from the keyboard featured on the previous generation of MacBooks. It is a significant step forward from the previous generation of MacBook Pro, and a step that was undoubtedly needed. It’s also great to see that, despite the generously increased trackpad size, the keyboard hasn’t suffered in terms of space.

The final points to make are that the sleep/standby light is far more subtle than on previous versions (no longer lighting up a darkened room), and the positioning of the battery indicator on the side re-enforces the fact that it should have been placed there all along. It is now usable, rather than being a feature many people probably never even notice.

LED Screen

One of the major talking points surrounding the new screen is that the matte option is no longer available — you can choose gloss or nothing! Personally, I haven’t found this to be a problem due to the sheer brightness of the new LED display. It even leaves my Cinema Display feeling decidedly lackluster. The only noticeable sources of reflection are lights, windows (in a dark room) and the sun.

It’s very easy for critics to complain about the gloss screen when they haven’t tried it on a day to day basis — spend some time using it and you do realize that it poses very little inconvenience.

My personal preference goes against the black screen surround — I love the simplicity of aluminum on the Cinema Display for instance — but it seems to be the design direction Apple is taking and it’s difficult to argue with Jonathan Ive’s thinking based on past successes. I’m confident that I’ll grow to like it more with time, as it does certainly helps to remove distractions from your peripheral vision.

Ports

There are two notable changes in the available ports on the new notebook. Firstly is the switch from a DVI display connection to Display Port. This is a far smaller connector, now standard across Apple’s notebook line. It is capable of powering anything from a small VGA display to a 30″ LCD using any of the various adaptors available. It’s a shame that Apple didn’t bundle a DVI adaptor by default, but understandable. I was concerned that the size of the Display Port adaptor would lead to it feeling flimsy, but the fit is very snug and the connector isn’t easily pulled out.

The second change to note is that of removing Firewire 400, leaving only a Firewire 800 port. Personally, I don’t find this to be too much of a problem due to converters being readily available. The problem is greater for users who use both a FW800 and FW400 device, as they are now required to buy a considerably more expensive hub.

Graphics

With the new notebooks, Apple have pulled out all the stops in terms of graphical performance. They include both an integrated NVIDIA GeForce 9400M along with a discrete NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT. Swapping between the two involves altering a preference in the ‘Energy Saver’ panel and logging out/in. It would have been ideal if this switch-over could be done on-the-fly (when moving between battery and main power for instance), though it is a small price to pay for the huge benefit of two graphics chips.

Game performance is as you would expect — nothing short of exceptional. The popular games I tested were able to run with settings at their most detailed, at full resolution, with no noticeable problems. I expect that it will make a solid hardware platform for several generations of games to come.

Battery & Performance

Apple quotes the battery life for non-intensive tasks as 5 hours. From limited testing, this appears to be a fairly accurate figure — with brightness turned down and wireless on I was able to coax just over 4 1/2 hours. This could easily increase after a few charge cycles as is often the case.

Conclusion

With the latest MacBook Pro, Apple has created something which looks and feels ‘right’. All the new additions come together to create a system which is sturdy, powerful and innovative. That said, in blurring the lines between consumer and professional notebooks lines to such a degree, they have made choosing a MacBook Pro a more difficult choice.

Pros:

• Stunning and robust build quality
• Gorgeous LED Display
• Very simple to swap the battery, hard drive and RAM
• Two ‘cutting edge’ graphics chips
• Trackpad allows for some very useful new gestures

Cons:

• Initial unit was faulty (likely an exception to the norm)
• Lack of a Firewire 400 port
• Display available in gloss only
• Large price margin between MacBook and MacBook Pro for few additional features

Any Questions?

If you have any burning questions about the new MacBook Pro, please let me know in the comments — I’ll be happy to do my best to answer! I’ll be following up with a few more in-depth posts surrounding the trackpad and hardware modifications in the near future.

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