Apple has today announced that their entire MacBook Pro line of notebooks is to now feature the Intel Core 2 Duo processor, which supposedly yields a 39 percent increase in performance over the previous generation. The new models will feature either 2.16GHz or 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo processors. Additionally, all MacBook Pro models will have their RAM doubled and will feature a greater storage capacity than before. A FireWire 800 port will also be made available for connecting to high-speed peripherals. Available in 15- and 17-inch models, the new MacBook Pros will also feature a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing, just in case you want to be a poser and sit in Star Bucks and video-conference with your friends.
It looks certain that Apple will upgrade both the 15 and the 17-inch MacBook Pro to Core 2 Duo, but the jury is still out on the consumer MacBook. Everything I've heard indicates that the MacBook will stay with the Core Duo processor while it's big brother (the MBP) gets the new silicon. As I've stated before, I think that Apple will use the new C2D chip to differentiate the Pro line of notebooks.
MacBook Pros also feature 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory expandable up to 3GB, ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics with up to 256MB of dedicated GDDR3 graphics memory, double-layer SuperDrive, built-in 10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet, built-in AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), a FireWire 800 and a FireWire 400 port, ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot, a DVI video output and much more!