Apple explains lack of Core i3 support in new MacBook Pro

Apple has spoken to TechRadar about its new MacBook Pro range and cleared up a few things about the specs which are on offer.

Apple is using Intel's Core i5 and i7 chips for the first time. These were announced back in January at CES and have now found their way into the MacBook Pro range.

However, not all the range has the new processors. Apple has opted for its 13-inch models to supply them with Intel Core 2 Duo.

While there is nothing wrong with this, the chip doesn't offer the 50 per cent better performance from previous MacBook Pros that the i7 and i5 chips do. Nor does it allow the 'turbo boosting' of the processor in the same way as the 15-inch and 17-inch models.

Speaking to TechRadar, Tore Fretheim from Apple's Product Marketing team explained about the lack of a Core i processor: "We were looking for the optimal combination for performance battery life and mobile design and we think we have achieved that with what we are offering."

Keeps on going

Battery life has been given a significant boost with this new MacBook Pro range, with a reported 10 hours for the 13-inch model.

When we asked what jiggery pokery Apple had been doing to get so much juice out of its product, Fretheim put it down to the new Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics card, noting: "The graphics is giving us a much more power efficient GPU – using applications like Mail and Safari.

"Although, we have also made some enhancements in battery capacity."

Screen queen

As with previous MacBook Pro ranges there is the option to beef up the laptops with added extras.

One of the more intriguing is the 'anti-glare screen'. According to Fretheim this will cost just an additional £40. You also have the option of adding a high-res 168x1050 backlit display on the 15-inch model.

This, alongside the anti-glare, will be an extra £120.

There's no denying that Apple has priced its latest MacBooks at a premium but the improved graphical and processing power does mean that their desirability has been upped too.