Apple updated its line of MacBook Pro Retina (MBPr) laptops earlier this week with slightly faster processors and more RAM, in addition to dropping the price of the most- and least-expensive models. The latest MacBook Pro models include an ever-so-slightly boosted CPU on all iterations except for the least-expensive Standard Pro, which has not received an update within the past two generations.
The least-expensive MBPr now sells for $1,299, $100 cheaper than before, and comes with 8 GB of RAM and a 2.6 GHz dual-core processor. Apple’s highest-priced MBPr comes with a 15-inch screen, a 2.5 GHz quad-core CPU (from 2.4 GHz) and is also $100 less than it was previously, now offered at $2,499. That means all of the MBPrs have slightly improved CPUs and at least 8 GB of RAM.
Updated But Not Up-To-Date
The reality is that these CPUs are still last-gen processors. The “new” models put into the MBPrs are slightly enhanced and more efficient, though they are still all Haswell chips, the same that Intel released a year ago. The next generation, Broadwell, is expected to be released later this year, though rumors that they may be delayed until early next year have also surfaced. Apple is expected to delay releasing any new laptops until the new processors are available.
So what does it mean for consumers? The speed increase between a 2.3 GHz and a 2.6 GHz chip is almost always impossible to tell. The real benefit is the price drop and the minimal 8 GB of RAM, which will carry over to the next generation’s models, whenever they’re released.
Do you plan to buy Apple’s new MacBook Pro Retinas, or are you going to hold out for the next generation?
Image courtesy of Flickr
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