LAS VEGAS – Apple introduced a 17-inch version of its MacBook Pro at NAB. The new mobile workstation will begin shipping next week and incorporates the Core Duo architecture with 2.16 GHz processors.
The 17-inch laptop is configured with the ATI Mobility Radeon x1600 PCIe card and a brighter display than previously available. Apple claims significant performance increases, including 60 percent faster boot times. Speakers have been made bigger and more powerful. An infrared remote allows users to control functions from as far as 30 feet away.
The system features three USB ports, optical and analog audio I/O, FireWire 400 and 800 ports, a DVI port and an 8x dual layer DVD burner. Priced at $2,799, the 17-inch MacBook Pro is one-inch thick and weighs 6.8 pounds.
Apple is also showing Version 5.1 of its Final Cut Studio collection. The applications now run on both PowerPC and Intel Macs. Final Cut now supports native XDCAM HD editing and native 24p HDV editing. A demo showed six streams of 24p HDV playing back from the new 17-inch MacBook Pro.
In related news, Apple says it now has 500,000 Final Cut editors in the field.