Apple Updates The MacBook Pro Line With Sandy Bridge Intel CPUs, AMD GPUs, FaceTime HD, and Thunderbolt

Happy Birthday, Steve! Just like the rumors stated, Apple refreshed the entire line of MacBook Pros today, which just so happened to be Steve Jobs' birthday. These new models aren't exactly revolutionary with the same basic unibody casing, layout, and batteries. The updates are evolutionary in nature, just steps towards the next generation of MacBook Pros. Gone are Nvidia graphics as the latest MBP models feature Sandy Bridge Intel CPUs paired with switchable graphics between an integrated Intel chip or a discrete AMD GPU. (The 13-inch only has integrated graphics) The mini DisplayPort interface now shares its port with Apple's impentation of Intel's Light Peak technology re-dubbed Thunderbolt. Base RAM levels remained the same, although 1333MHz chips are used rather than the 1066MHz type used in the previous generation. Besides the SD slot now supporting SDXC, the rest of the connectivity options are a carryover from the previous crop.