New Apple MacBook Pro: 5 Things You Should Know

As with anything touched by Steve Jobs and company, the new MacBook Pro line, the first refresh since June, ups the ante on the previous models. But, as we've all learned, you can't please all the people all the time, especially when dealing with rapid Mac fans or staunch Mac opposition.

Here are five things to keep in mind when evaluating the new MacBook Pro line from Apple:

1. They have improved battery life: All attention is on the battery life of the new line of MacBook Pros. According to Apple, the 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro models now get an extra one to two hours of battery life. Apple said they can run from eight to nine hours on a full charge. The 13-inch MacBook Pro also gets a battery boost, increasing three hours to 10 hours on a full charge.

2. They pack in faster chips: The new MacBook Pros from Apple have faster chips. According to Apple, the 13-inch MacBook Pro features the new Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics processor, for up to 80 percent faster graphics. It also ties in the faster Intel Core 2 Duo microprocessors. The 15-inch and 17-inch models come with Intel Core i5 processors, which are up to 50 percent faster than previous models.

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3. The pricing doesn't really change: When you buy Apple, you pay a premium. That doesn't change with Apple's new MacBook Pro line. The prices don't deviate too much from the previous models for the various sizes. Apple said the 13-inch runs $1,199; the 15-inch costs $1,799 and the 17-inch is $2,299.

4. They get a small memory boost: Apple's new line of MacBook Pros adds a little more memory, now coming with 4 GB of memory and 250 GB of storage across all sizes. That can be upgraded, too, with optional 128 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB solid state drives.

5. There's already a patch: Within hours of unveiling the retooled MacBook Pro line, Apple issued the first patch: MacBook Pro Software Update 1.3, which covers all mid-2010 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pros. The patch addresses issues with the graphic hardware. According to Apple, the 258 MB patch "contains improvements for graphics stability for high-performance video and gaming applications as well as various bug fixes." The updated requires Mac OS X 10.6.3.