Capping off months of rumour and speculation, Apple today announced several new versions of the popular MacBook Pro laptop. This line, which includes 13-, 15- and 17-inch models, hasn't been updated since June 2009, leading industry watchers to predict the timing was right for new components, if not a new outright design.

Since the last MacBook Pro models were released, we've seen some significant changes to common laptop components. Most significant is the release of a new family of Intel processors, including the Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7, all of which offer better performance and battery life than the standard Intel Core 2 Duo CPUs found in current MacBooks (and in fact, in most non-netbook laptops released in the past couple of years).

Capping off months of rumour and speculation, Apple today announced several new versions of the popular MacBook Pro laptop. (Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

The biggest change to the MacBook Pro line is the inclusion of two of those new CPUs, which bring Apple's laptops in line with the rest of the laptop marketplace in terms of processing power. Both the 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros now offer Core i5 and Core i7 processors from 2.4GHz to 2.66GHz. The 13-inch MacBook Pro is keeping the older Core 2 Duo, but upping its default clock speed from 2.26GHz to 2.4GHz.

The MacBook Pro's iconic unibody aluminium construction remains, as does its large glass multi-touch trackpad, but the graphics capabilities of all the MacBook Pros have gotten a significant upgrade. The 13-inch MacBook Pros now have new Nvidia GeForce 320M integrated graphics, which should provide a boost over the previous 9400M graphics.

The 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pros have "automatic graphics switching", an Apple-engineered variation on Nvidia's Optimus graphics-switching technology, which we've liked in the handful of systems we've seen it in. No manual switching between discrete or integrated graphics is required (as in previous MacBooks); the MacBook Pro handles it all seamlessly, switching between Intel integrated graphics and an Nvidia GeForce GT 330M processor on the fly. Also, the 13-inch MacBook Pro finally includes 4GB of RAM in its base configuration.

The 15-inch model has the same default 1440x900-pixel resolution as before, but AU$140 will get you a higher-resolution 1680x1050-pixel display, and AU$70 on top of that adds an anti-glare coating.

15-inch MacBook Pro specs

• 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 / 2.5GHz Core i5 / 2.66GHz Core i7
• 4GB of RAM (upgradeable to 8GB for an extra AU$560)
• 320GB or 500GB 5400rpm hard drive (upgradeable to 500GB at 7200rpm, or an SSD up to 512GB)
• 1400x900-pixel glossy display (upgradeable to 1680x1050 pixels for an extra AU$140, and anti-glare for an extra AU$70 on top of that)
• Nvidia GeForce GT 330M with 256MB of memory, using automatic graphics switching (512MB memory in highest-end Core i7 configuration)
• Preset configurations are AU$2199 for 2.4GHz Core i5/4GB RAM/320GB HDD; AU$2499 for 2.53GHz Core i5/4GB RAM/500GB HDD; AU$2798 for 2.66GHz Core i7/4GB RAM/500GB HDD

Apple claims eight to nine hours of battery life when leaving automatic graphics switching on. Another small detail is a thinner, redesigned magnetic power cord, adopting the smaller design that's on the MacBook Air. This should result in fewer accidental cord pull-outs, and creates less power cord jut.

17-inch MacBook Pro specs

• 2.53GHz Core i5 (upgradeable to 2.66GHz Core i7 for AU$200)
• 4GB RAM (upgradeable to 8GB)
• 500GB hard drive, 5400rpm
• Nvidia GeForce GT 330M, 512MB memory
• 1920x1200-pixel LED-backlit glossy display (AU$70 extra for anti-glare)
• Eight to nine hours of claimed battery life

This configuration costs AU$2899.

As for the well-loved 13-inch MacBook Pro, the most significant addition besides the aforementioned Nvidia GeForce 320M GPU and base-end spec bump is a battery life that Apple claims will now run to 10 hours, which is accomplished, according to Apple, through a combination of more-efficient CPU usage and battery chemistry.

13-inch MacBook Pro specs

• AU$1499/AU$1899
• 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo/2.66GHz Core 2 Duo
• 4GB RAM (upgradeable to 8GB)
• 250GB/320GB hard drive (upgradeable to 500GB 5400rpm hard drive or up to 512GB SSD)
• Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics

Despite some wild predictions bordering on wishful thinking, there are a few other features that were widely discussed but not included in this update. There's no HDMI output, Blu-ray options or 3G antenna. We also never thought Intel's new Wireless Display technology was a realistic inclusion, so we're not surprised that it did not make the cut.

We're currently testing the high-end Core i7 version of the 15-inch MacBook Pro, so stay tuned for hands-on impressions, benchmark results and video.

Via CNET