Tech Link (Industry): "Deciding between a PC and a Mac?"

A friend sent me an update regarding the latest buzz over at Microsoft. Just recently, Microsoft has launched a page comparing Microsoft's (Windows) OS vs Apple's OS (MacOS). I am a Mac-newbie and I don't have enough time to research on this thing so I really can't say much whether Microsoft is doing at least a "decent" comparison. I mean, it's a Microsoft site, what can you expect right? However, what I can suggest is if you're like me who's Apple/Mac newbie, then don't just chew everything that's posted on the site. And just the same, if you're a Microsoft/Win newbie, don't just chew everything said on the Apple/Mac camp.

Tech Link (Industry): Finally, Vista Makes Its Debut. Now What?

You gotta love Bill Gates' reply on Newsweek questions. While I find the article a nice read, knowing what Bill Gates has to say on all the (negative) publicity the new Vista* OS is getting, I really find how he reacts to the new Mac* ads really funny and entertaining! I embedded one of YouTube Mac* ads for your viewing pleasure. If you want to read more, just expand. And oh, here's a quote from from the news:

Are you bugged by the Apple commercial where John Hodgman is the PC, and he has to undergo surgery to get Vista?
I've never seen it. I don't think the over 90 percent of the [population] who use Windows PCs think of themselves as dullards, or the kind of klutzes that somebody is trying to say they are.

NEWSWEEK: If one of our readers confronted you in a CompUSA and said, “Bill, why upgrade to Vista?” what would be your elevator pitch?
Bill Gates: The most effective thing would be if I could sit down with them and just take them through the new look for a couple of minutes, show them the Sidebar, show them the way the search lets you go through lots of things, including lots of photos. Set up a parental control. And then I might edit a high-definition movie and make a little DVD that's got photos. As I went through, they'd think, “Wow, is that something I could use, would that make a difference for me?”

Source:Finally, Vista Makes Its Debut. Now What?

Tech Link (Platform): Apple's Mac Pro - Upgrading CPUs, Memory & Running XP

AMDTech Head Honcho, Anand Lame Shimpi, whips out a review of Apple's* Mac Pro platform. While I am not interested with all his blabberings, I find it rather interesting that he tested a Clovertown on this baby and it works right out of the bat: wowzy!

We grabbed a pair of 2.4GHz Clovertown samples and tossed them in the system, and to our pleasure, they worked just fine. Our samples used a 1066MHz FSB, although we're expecting the final chip to use a 1333MHz FSB, but the most important part of the test is that all 8 cores were detected and functional.

Expand for more, that is, if you can take more his blabbering (I can't).

Weeks have passed since Apple's announcement of the Mac Pro, and while we wanted to conclude our look at the Mac Pro much earlier, like many Mac Pro users we ran into some serious performance issues under Windows XP.

With the Mac Pro performance issues resolved and some more time with the system under our belts, we're able to bring you the final part in our Mac Pro coverage. This time we're focusing on upgrading the memory and CPUs in the Mac Pro, as well as looking at its performance as a PC running Windows XP.

As a high end Xeon based machine that can run both Mac OS X and Windows XP, the Mac Pro has the potential to be the power user's dream. Today our task is to find out just how upgradable this machine is and how well it runs XP, if it can truly be your only system if you're a Mac and PC user.

Source:Apple's Mac Pro - Upgrading CPUs, Memory & Running XP

Tech Link (Platform): Apple Adds Core 2 Duo to All iMacs, Introduces New 24" Model

Ok, I know it's from DailyTech and some AMDroids kept posting comment (like I will publish it) that I am an idiot calling DailyTech as AMDTech (aka Anandtech). Well, keep on whining, coz I don't care. TGDaily is still THG for me, and DailyTech will always be AMDTech for me. Bah! So on with the news bit, AMDTech has a news post about Apple* iMac now posses the power of Conroe!!! Expand for more...

Merom-powered iMacs available for immediate purchase online


Apple fans have been waiting anxiously for news of new products on September 12th, including the long-awaited iTunes Movie Store. However, visitors to Apple's online store got a surprise today as the iMac lineup received a quiet but significant update.

Apple has added the Core 2 Duo chip to the entire iMac family while simultaneously lowering prices. The base-level iMac now comes with a 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo, and costs only $999.

The star of the show, naturally, is the brand-new 24" iMac, affectionately dubbed by some as the "iMac HD." Its 24" screen is up to 40% brighter than the previous iMac, and features a 1920x1200 resolution, and is able to show 1080p content with no scaling. The inclusion of a FireWire 800 port on the 24" iMac allows for high-speed video copying as well. Standard equipment on the 24" iMac includes a 2.13GHz Core 2 processor, 1GB of DDR2 (unfortunately for upgraders, it comes in a 2x512MB configuration), a 250GB SATA hard drive, a double-layer 8x SuperDrive, and an nVidia 7300GT graphics card. This base configuration costs $1999 and is upgradable with more RAM, up to a 2.33GHz CPU and an nVidia 7600GT with 256MB of GDDR3.

All new Core 2 Duo iMacs are available for purchase immediately, with shipping dates of "within 24 hours" for the base model and up to "2-4 business days" for the new 24" model.


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Source:Apple Adds Core 2 Duo to All iMacs, Introduces New 24" Model

Tech Link (Industry): Apple Recalls 1.8 Million Sony Batteries

To all the people who thinks Dell* makes laptops that "explodes" or "selt combust", it's not entirely Dell*'s fault at all. In fact, Apple* just recalls their batteries as well. It appears that Sony* may really be the reason here but in any case, it just proves that it's not really Dell or Chipzilla product causing such accident/incident (however you want to look at the issue).

Ten days after Dell's record-setting notebook battery recall, Apple Computer Inc. told its customers Thursday to return 1.8 million batteries that could cause their Mac laptops to overheat and catch fire.

Both recalls involve lithium-ion batteries made by a Sony Corp. subsidiary in Japan, where the manufacturing process introduced metal particles into battery cells. Makers of battery cells strive to minimize or eliminate the presence of such particles, which can cause computers to short circuit, or, in extreme situations, catch fire.

In its recall announcement, Apple said it has received nine reports of lithium-ion battery packs overheating, including two cases in which users suffered minor burns and some involving minor property damage. The Apple recall only applies to older notebooks - not the just-released MacBooks and MacBook Pros.

On Aug. 14, Dell Inc. recalled 4.1 million faulty laptop batteries - the largest involving electronics in the history of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Sony Energy Devices Corp. said the Dell and Apple batteries were configured in slightly different ways. In a statement, Sony said the problems arise "on rare occasions" when microscopic metal particles hit other parts of the battery cell and lead to a short circuit.

Sony said the recalls will cost it between $172 million and $278 million. Apple spokesman Steve Dowling said its recall was not expected to materially affect the company's results. Dell has said the recall would not affect earnings.

Apple shares closed Thursday at $67.81, up 50 cents. Dell shares closed at $21.78, up 14 cents.

Spokespeople at other large computer makers, including Hewlett-Packard Co., Gateway Inc. and Lenovo Group, the Chinese computer maker that bought IBM's PC business, said Thursday they did not expect to have problems with their batteries.

Although Lenovo uses Sony batteries, Lenovo engineers configured their battery packs differently than Dell or Apple. They also rigorously tested the battery packs with Sony engineers, and they're "highly confident" the laptops aren't going to overheat.

"Lenovo designs its battery packages a different way," said Lenovo spokesman Bob Page. "How close the battery pack is it to a heat source, how evenly can you keep the heat in battery cells, the basic geometric arrangement of the cell - all those things affect whether there will be problems."

Analyst Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies said investors wouldn't likely blame or punish Apple for the battery recall.

"When you view Apple, you've really got to see a company that's doing well on all levels of products," he said. "You've really got to judge them on the whole. Like with any company, you might have a hiccup here and there. What I really would have had a problem with was if they had covered it up."

Consumers may have a different opinion about whether the Cupertino, Calif.-based electronics maker is at fault in the recall.

For years, the electronics industry has been aware for years that lithium-ion batteries could short-circuit when subjected to the fierce power consumption demands of laptop computers. In May 2005, Apple recalled 128,000 laptop batteries made by LG Chem Ltd. of South Korea because of overheating problems.

But the newest recall is much more far-reaching. The Dell recall affects less than 20 percent of the Dell laptops sold at the time, whereas the Apple recall affects more than 30 percent of the total number of laptops Apple sold in the period affected by the recall, according to IDC analyst Richard Shim.

The fact that Dell volunteered to recall its laptops nearly two weeks before Apple's recall could harm Apple's image as consumer-friendly and proactive in the face of problems, said Chris Le Tocq, an analyst with Guernsey Research.

"There's a follower image here that's potentially an issue," Le Tocq said. "Apple's position as a leader says they should have gone to market first with this. Dell comes out of the gate first, Apple is now second, and the conclusion is, 'We're not quite as consumer-friendly as Dell.'"

Apple's recall covers 1.1 million rechargeable batteries in the 12-inch iBook G4, 12-inch PowerBook G4 and 15-inch PowerBook G4 laptops sold in the United States from October 2003 through August 2006. The recall also covers an additional 700,000 batteries in laptops sold abroad, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The recall affects only laptops that run PowerPC chips built by IBM Corp. and Freescale Semiconductor Inc. It does not affect Apple's Intel Corp.-based models, including the MacBook and MacBook Pro.

Apple notebook owners were told to stop using the batteries and to remove them from their laptops. The machines can continue to be used as long as they're plugged into an AC power source.

Apple asked customers to consult a Web site or call a toll-free hot line, 1-800-275-2273, to determine whether they have a battery that is covered by the recall. A free replacement will be shipped to affected customers.

Dell's recall covers about 14 percent of the Latitude, Inspiron, XPS and Precision notebooks sold between April 1, 2004, and July 18 of this year.

Source:Apple Recalls 1.8 Million Sony Batteries

Tech Link (Platform): Mac Pro, new Xserve will feature dual Intel Xeons, will start shipping today

I saw an internal communication about the new platform from Apple* that runs Chipzilla CPU and so I did quick Google and stumble on this on THG article. It looks pretty good, at least, the prototype I've seen looks really "Appleish" if you catch my drift. Expand for more..

San Francisco (CA) - Attendees at today's Apple Worldwide Developers' Conference, some of which included bloggers posting live news direct from the floor, were introduced by Apple senior marketing vice president Phil Schiller to the latest and last Macintoshes to receive the Intel upgrade. The Mac Pro series is being launched today, according to floor reports, for prices starting at $2,499 for a 1 GB DDR2 system with 2.6 GHz processor and Apple's SuperDrive.

Source:Mac Pro, new Xserve will feature dual Intel Xeons, will start shipping today

Tech Link (Industry): First MacBook Unpacking Photoset

A friend of mine sent me a link to Wired Blog about the first MacBook* "Unpacking". I am not so much of a Mac* expert, but I can vouch that I am a Mac* drooler :), almost at a FanBoy level. That is, if only I can afford to get me one of those cool, pricey toyz.
_{Images owned by respective owners, not by me or this website}




But hey, if I can't get it, maybe someone else can and wull get it and post a pics of them for us to admire. And yep, here's what's this posting is all about! Apparently, it's not "normal" for a Mac* product to become available hours before announcement, well, I think a lot of announcement and availability is actually like that *yay for me*. Anyway, if you're one of those blokes who loves Mac*, give this link a spin.

Tech Link (Processor): Merom "confirmed" a 'drop-in' upgrade for Mac Mini

Merom is the next mobile processor from Chipzilla and will succeed Yonah, the current Dual Core processor used at Mac* Mini* and several other CE-type of equipment. Fugger of XS is able to upgrade his Mac* Mini* and fire up an amazing scores in Rosetta.

With such development, it is only interesting to speculate that currently available motherboards (or upcoming if they haven't been released yet) that supports the Intel® Core™ platform from Asus* and other OEMs/ODMs will be very much compatible with Merom. Yonah, a processor that succeeds Dothan which many hailed as king of performance surpassing many processors on a clock per clock basis, is getting lots of attention from extreme enthusiasts much like Dothan.

To see it in action, check out the source:@XS Post #22

Tech Link (MoDT): Yonah on Napa: Mac Mini exposed

Even before the product is released to the market, FUGGER dismantled and upgraded his toy to show us the innards! He even replaced the processor with a much higher rated one!

Apple Mini Mac Core Solo:
1.5Ghz single core Intel mobile CPU
512MB DDR2 SODIMM, Micron D9 based 667Mhz 5-5-5-15
60GB SATA hard drive Seagate Technologies
Model Number:ST96812AS
Capacity:60 GB
Speed:5400 rpm
Seek time:12.5 ms avg
Interface:SATA 1.5Gb/s
Matshita CD-RW Model 8124
Intel ICH7-M ACHI 1.5G
Intel High Definition Audio :clap:
Bluetooth
Firewire 400MB/s
108G Airport Extreme
Intel GMA 950 onboard graphics 64MB shared
USB 4 ports built in, one high speed.

Parts to be Installed:
Intel Yonah 2.16 Core Duo
1GB Centon DDR2 Elpida based.

Source:XtremeSystems

Tech Link (Platform): Intel®-based Mac* Easily Upgradeable

I don't have any experience working with Mac* whether the old or new generation platform so this news is a but surprising for me. Apparently, someone found an article in a Japanese paper magazine, Macfan, about easily upgrading the new Mac* with just a simple CPU replacement (*yay*). By the way, I don't know if this is going to void the warranty!


Anyway, I am really stumped by such news since such CPU upgrade is really a very common thing in the PC world, so I guess, this isn't much the case with Apple world. So anyway, their adventure went on from getting a Mac* with a stock Intel® Core® Duo 1.83Ghz. Then, the author of the mag, decided to get a new Intel® Core® Duo 2.0Ghz, and replaced the CPU. The system booted up just fine, and even reported the correct speed of the new CPU. Well, sounds really boring to me, but I guess in the Macworld, this is a whole new ballgame for them. So I guess it's all good.

As promised in a preceding news, w00kie, who's in Japan, got hold of the Macfan article.

The journalist states he bought a Core Duo 2 GHz CPU in a PC shop and installed it in his machine in place of its 1.83 GHz.
The machine booted flawlessly and system information displayed the right 2 GHz frequency.
Here are some explanations about how this can be.
A CPU frequency is related to two parameters, the bus frequency, and the multiplying coefficient of the CPU.
On G3s and G4s, the easier way for overclocking was to modify the multiplying coefficient. Yet to prevent such a manipulation, Intel, and then AMD, locked those coefficient setttings directly inside the CPUs. That's why overclocking of X86 CPUs require modifying the system bus frequency.
So, as any other CPUs, the Core Duo have a locked coefficient. The system bus of those machines is at 166MHz (x4 = the announced 667). The original CPU had a coefficient locked to 11. The 2 GHz one is locked at 12.
That's why the simple fact of changing it allowed to reach the right, reference frequency, without any further modification.
The real good news is that Apple didn't find useful to add a lock inside the EFI in order to prevent a potential upgrade.
Whether changing the CPU will not result in a noisier machine, because of fans turning faster, still remains to be seen.
From an anecdotic point of view, a 2 GHz Core Duo costs about 480 Euros in France, while the 2.16 GHz version costs over 700. The game is clearly not worth it yet. It will take several months for those prices to drop significantly.

Source:Hardmac

Tech Link (Platform): Disassembling the Apple* iMac*

If you are drooling to see the inside of an Apple* product, then this should get you going. I just found this link Googling around, I haven't read any comment on the site yet, but I have strolled around looking for the pictures. I find it really nifty and interesting for someone to hack open an iMac* since they aren't really normally disassembled and taken apart like your normal PC.
Someone happens to have enough time, courage, and most specially, the money to hack it open. The Intel® Core™ Duo 1.83 Processor is revealed in all its glory, showing the bare core in its entirety. I am no iMac fanatic, so I am just guessing that by doing this, the warranty is completely voided. What a good way to let your $1k+ fly away like that.

Source:KODAWARISAN

Tech Link(Industry): Apple® is in Intel® Blue Mood

“What’s an Intel chip doing in a Mac?”, Apple® boldly states in their website. A clear and undoubtedly announcing that a new Intel®-based Mac* is here to stay. This advertising emphasized that rivalry between PC and Mac* has come to an end, bridging the gap between the nice and mass market.

"Wishes do come true", Apple® presents a new notebook, Apple* MacBook*, with 4x the muscle power compared to the previous offerings. The new notebook boasts of leading-edge specs and features:

• 1.67GHz Intel Core Duo and 1.83GHz Intel Core Duo


• 667Megahertz Front Side Bus


• PCI Express


• ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 graphics card


• Built-in iSight* video camera


• Up to 100GB SATA Drive


• A remote control device for presentations


• Slot-type SuperDrive* DVD±RW/CD-RW optical drive


• Illuminated keyboard


• Built-in AirPort* Express* 802.11g Wi-Fi


• Built-in microphone and stereo speakers


• Display that is 67 percent brighter

"2x faster. Twice as amazing.", Apple* also released a new desktop flavor, that is really sexy. The flashy monitor integrates all that is needed for an iMac*. The design ensures that the work area is free from any bluky clutter save for the needed mouse and keyboard input devices. An Intel® Core™ Duo with upto 2.0Ghz powers this new sexy babe and can accomodate up to 250GB of hard disk storage, and if I read the fine prints correctly, has almost the same features as the notebook cousin.

Source:Apple®

Press Release: Apple Unveils New iMac with Intel Core Duo Processor

Well, it's no surprise now that Apple® will use an Intel® Processor since their announcement last year, and it's equally not a suprise that Apple® will use newer processor like the Intel® Core™ Duo Processor since its launch at CES 2006 last week. However, it's still very refreshing to see these new line of products, and very cool at the same time. It's like a fulfillment of geekiness, a fanboy showmanship ever glowing so brightly, and a true signal that the war between PC and Mac is now over.

Apple Unveils New iMac with Intel Core Duo Processor
New iMac is Twice as Fast as Predecessor
MACWORLD EXPO, SAN FRANCISCO—January 10, 2006—Apple® today unveiled the new iMac® featuring Mac OS® X running on the new Intel® Core™ Duo processor, delivering performance that is up to twice that of its predecessor.* The widely praised iMac design now features dual-core processors, a built-in iSight™ video camera for video conferencing out-of-the-box, and the breakthrough media experience of Front Row™ with the Apple Remote for a simple, intuitive and powerful way for consumers to enjoy their content from across the room. Starting at just $1,299, every new iMac comes with iLife® ’06, the next generation of Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications featuring major new versions of iPhoto®, iMovie® HD, iDVD®, GarageBand™ and introducing iWeb™, a new iLife application that makes it super-easy to create amazing websites with photos, blogs and Podcasts and publish them on .Mac for viewing by anyone on the Internet with just a single click. The new iMac is shipping today, and is the first of a new generation of Macs featuring Intel processors that Apple will roll out during 2006.

“The iMac has already been praised as ‘the gold standard of desktop PCs’, so we hope customers really love the new iMac, which is up to twice as fast,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “With Mac OS X plus Intel’s latest dual-core processor under the hood, the new iMac delivers performance that will knock our customers’ socks off.”

The new iMac features Apple’s breakthrough Front Row media experience and the Apple Remote, a simple way for customers to enjoy the content they have on their iMac—including songs from their iTunes® music library, photo slideshows from iPhoto, videos including TV shows, Podcasts, iMovies and DVDs, and popular movie trailers streamed from apple.com—all from across the room.

Every new iMac comes with a built-in iSight video camera for out-of-the-box video conferencing using Apple’s award-winning iChat AV software, or recording a video Podcast or iMovie using iLife '06. The built-in iSight video camera takes advantage of the Intel Core Duo processor to deliver up to four times the resolution over the previous model. Each iMac also includes Photo Booth, Apple’s fun-to-use application that lets users take quick snapshots with the built-in iSight video camera, add entertaining visual effects and share their pictures with the touch of a button.

The new iMac comes standard with a SuperDrive™ for burning professional-quality DVDs, 512MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory expandable to 2GB, hard drive storage capacity up to 500GB, and ATI Radeon X1600 PCI Express-based graphics with 128MB of GDDR3 memory for outstanding graphics performance and realistic game play. With the latest high-performance connectivity options, the new iMac includes built-in 10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet for high-speed networking, built-in AirPort® Extreme for fast 54 Mbps wireless networking,** built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), a total of five USB ports (three USB 2.0) and two FireWire® 400 ports. The new iMac now includes mini-DVI video output to connect up to a 23-inch Apple Cinema HD Display. With mini-DVI and the new iMac’s extended desktop mode feature, users can more than double their available screen real estate.

The new iMac was designed to be the perfect computer for iLife '06, the next generation of Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications featuring major new versions of iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, GarageBand and introducing iWeb, a new iLife application that makes it super-easy to create amazing websites with photos, blogs and Podcasts and publish them on .Mac for viewing by anyone on the Internet with just a single click. All the iLife '06 applications are Universal applications that run natively on the new Intel-based iMacs for maximum performance.

Every new iMac comes with the latest release of the world’s most advanced operating system, Mac OS X version 10.4.4 “Tiger” including Safari™, Mail, iCal®, iChat AV, Front Row and Photo Booth, running natively on Apple’s first Intel-based desktop. Mac OS X Tiger includes an innovative software translation technology called Rosetta that lets customers run most Mac OS X PowerPC applications seamlessly.***

Pricing & Availability
The new iMac is shipping today and will be available through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

The new 17-inch 1.83 GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US), includes:

17-inch widescreen LCD display;
1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo processor;
512MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 2GB;
8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
PCI Express-based ATI Radeon X1600 with 128MB GDDR3 memory;
built-in iSight video camera;
built-in AirPort® Extreme wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
160GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
the infrared Apple Remote, Mighty Mouse and Apple Keyboard.

The new 20-inch 2.0 GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,699 (US), includes:

20-inch widescreen LCD display;
2.0 GHz Intel Core Duo processor;
512MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 2GB;
8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
PCI Express-based ATI Radeon X1600 with 128MB GDDR3 memory;
built-in iSight video camera;
built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
250GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
the infrared Apple Remote, Mighty Mouse and Apple Keyboard.

Build-to-order options and accessories include up to 2GB DDR2 SDRAM, 250GB and 500GB Serial ATA hard drives, up to 256MB of GDDR3 video memory on the 20-inch iMac, iWork™ ’06 (pre-installed), AirPort Express™ and AirPort Extreme Base Station, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Apple Wireless Mouse, Apple USB Modem and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

The new iMac line is also available to education customers in the US and Canada through the Apple Store for Education at www.apple.com/education/store or by calling an Apple education sales representative at 800-800-APPL.

*Based on estimated results of industry-standard SPECint and SPECfp rate tests. SPEC® is a registered trademark of Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC); see http://www.apple.com/imac for more information.
**Actual speed will vary based on range from the base station, environmental conditions and other factors.
*** See http://www.apple.com/rosetta/ for information on Rosetta supported Apple software. Contact the manufacturer directly for 3rd party software.


Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning desktop and notebook computers, OS X operating system, and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital music revolution with its iPod portable music players and iTunes online music store.

Source:Apple

You can see other info at the following news articles around the web, below are excerpts of the full story, click on the header to visit the site.
MercuryNews:

The MacBook Pro will be the first Mac laptop with Intel's new chip: the Core Duo processor, which combines two processors on one chip, allowing it to run multiple programs at the same time, but uses a third less battery power.

ZDNet:

Steve Jobs walked on the sparse Macworld Expo stage just after 9:00 AM PST and started with the financial results for the quarter, a record $5.7 billion, including 14 million iPods and about 3 million songs per day sold. As usual, he saved the best for last, introducing Intel Core Duo Macs, an iMac and a new higher-end notebook, the MacBook Pro. While Apple is late to the Intel family (Jobs says Apple is freeing Intel processors so they can live in the Mac), the timing is perfect. Apple is among the first to ship Intel Duo Core systems, which are four to five times faster than previous generation of IBM PowerPC-based Macs. Jobs said the entire product line would be Duo Intel'd by the end of the year.

TheNewYorkTimes:

Steve Jobs, the company's founder and chief executive, made the announcements during Macworld Expo, a highly anticipated annual event where the company frequently unveils new products and initiatives. Mr. Jobs was joined by Paul S. Otellini, chief executive of Intel, who walked on stage in the kind of head-to-toe white lab suit worn by workers in semiconductor clean rooms, for the unveiling of a new iMac and MacBook Pro.