When Apple took the wraps off its
all-new ultraportable MacBook at an event in San Francisco yesterday, it also announced a slew of updates to its existing MacBook Air and MacBook Pro portfolio. Both lines continue to exist alongside the newly announced MacBook model.
Apple's new 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air models have been upgraded with new fifth-generation Intel Core processors with integrated HD 6000 graphics, as well as Thunderbolt 2 connectivity which doubles the peak theoretical throughput from 10Gbps to 20Gbps. The 13-inch model also gets faster a PCIe-based solid-state drive. Apple received criticism last year when tests indicated that the MacBook Air models it had just launched had
slower SSDs than the ones they replaced.
The 11-inch MacBook Air is officially available today through authorised retailers. It will cost Rs. 65,900 for a model with a 1.6GHz processor, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, or Rs. 79,900 for the same specifications with a 256GB SSD instead. The 13-inch MacBook Air is available with a 1.6GHz processor, 4GB of RAM and 128GB SSD at Rs. 72,900 or Rs. 86,900 with a 256GB SSD. Customers can upgrade the CPU speed, amount of RAM and SSD capacity only at the time of purchase.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display receives slightly more significant upgrades. In addition to new fifth-generation processors, the model gains the same Force Touch trackpad with haptic feedback and pressure-sensitive gestures that Apple developed for the new MacBook. SSD speed has also increased, and Apple further states that battery life has been improved as well.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display will be available starting at Rs. 94,900 for a configuration including a 2.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with integrated Iris 6100 graphics, 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD. The same specs with a 256GB SSD will cost Rs. 1,09,000. Another variant with a 2.9GHz Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 512GB SSD will cost Rs. 1,29,900.
The 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display did not receive any updates and
last year's model continues to be available. Similarly, the 13-inch MacBook Pro without Retina display is also still available starting at Rs. 78,900 but has not received any update.