MacBook Pro, OS X Lion: What you need to know

Mac users, rejoice! Apple not only launched its latest MacBook product, they’re gearing up for the arrival of OS X Lion –- available in summer 2011. The Memory Experts at Crucial.com want to help Mac early adopters have enough memory.

Macbook Pro

Apple's new Macbook Pro line of laptops feature support for Intel's advanced Core i5 and i7 processors. The 13-inch model supports both i5 and i7, and the 15- and 17-inch devices just support i7 processors.

The dual-core i7 processor compatible with the 13-inch Macbook Pro is capable of operating at 2.7 Ghz, with a turbo speed setting that raises the device's performance to 3.4 Ghz. According to Apple, this will double the performance capabilities of the last generation of Macbooks.

The 15- and 17-inch Macbook Pro models use quad-core i7 processors, which deliver even more performance benefits than the dual-core components employed by the 13-inch model. The quad core models are not only fast, boasting 2.4 Ghz of processing power with a 3.4 Ghz cap with turbo boost, but are also optimized to maximize efficiency with 8 GB of L3 cache. Apple claims these processors will drive performance to twice that of the top-of-the-line Apple laptops preceding them.

Also noteworthy — the Thunderbolt I/O port. With this technology, the input/output port can read devices at speeds 20-times faster than USB 2.0. This lets users access uncompressed high-definition video, connect high-performance peripherals to the computer and leverage plug-and-play capabilities with a number of Apple peripherals, such as the Apple LED Cinema Display and MiniDisplay Port devices.

OS X Lion

The new Mac OS X Lion is designed, according to Apple, to take the various interface capabilities that have made the iPad so popular and apply them to a more traditional Mac computer, including compatibility with the App Store. Mac OS X Lion users can browse the Mac App Store and make purchases using their Apple computer through an interface, called Launchpad, that opens as a full-screen display.

The ability to run applications in full-screen is another similarity between the iPad and OS X Lion. The system for running applications in full-screen is not only designed to create an immersive experience, it is also designed for convenience. By swiping the trackpad, users can freely switch between running applications without ever leaving full-screen mode.

With all of these applications running simultaneously and a convenient model to switch between them, users could easily get a little lost and lose track of which programs are running and which are inactive. As a result, Mac OS X Lion includes a program called Mission Control, which is designed to give users a bit of perspective by showing them all of the running applications and processes and letting them control operations from a central hub.

Both the new Macbook Pro line of computers and Mac OS X Lion clearly show that Apple is not neglecting its laptop users to focus more exclusively on the tablet and smartphone market. Instead, Apple is using their success in more non-traditional mobile computing to inform and improve their laptop computing strategies.

For more information on Apple and the MacBook Pro, visit our RAM and SSD news and information page. If you have additional questions on Mac memory, visit our Mac Memory section or contact our support center. If you’re ready to take the plunge, you can use our Crucial Memory Advisor™ tool or Crucial System Scanner tool.