Larger hard drives, multitouch and nVidia 8600M GT graphics and loads of ports - here's your machine if you don't like the Air.
Apple's new MacBooks hit the Web today, including 13.3inch models packing multi-touch trackpads, larger hard drives, and Intel's new Penryn processors.
The addition of Intel's Penryn chips should mean better battery life, with the chips offering a new sleep state and faster performance. The new Macbooks have up to 2.6GHz with 6MB of L2 cache, and up to 4GB of RAM.
But the most interesting change is arguably the multitouch control - the same touch sensitive technology found in the iPhone and iTouch music player, and the MacBook Air. MacBook Pro users can pinch to zoom in on photos, or rotate their fingers to rotate photos on screen, or browse Web pages.
We're impressed by what we've seen of multitouch on the Air - the technology has made a successful leap to notebooks. It's simple to use, and responsive - handy for browsing photos, and some other simple tasks, but we're yet to see it transform the way we use notebooks.
The new range includes 17inch and 15inch models, but it's the 13.3inch portables that have our attention. If the Air's limitations put you off (no DIY battery change, limited connectivity, no DVD), you'll be happy to know Apple's 13.3inch alternative still falls under the $1,500 mark ($1,499 to be precise).
So should you buy this or the Air? Unlike the Air, the MacBook Pro 13.3inch machine has loads of ports, including mini-DVI out, 2 USB ports, 1 Firewire. There's also a slot-loading DVD drive, up to 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and up to 250GB hard drive (the larger models go up to 300GB). Graphics across the 13.3inch range are integrated (Intel's X3100), but in the larger models you get nVidia's GeForce 8600M GT with 512MB.
Our only complaint is the weight - these machine are light, but at 2.27Kg they're not world-beating. For example compare this to the ASUS W7S, which comes in at 1.95kg, and the Dell XPS m1330, which is a major price rival and comes in at 1.79kg.
The decision is clear - if weight is the ultimate concern, then the Air's your choice. If you can't live without DVD, then here's your machine.
Checkout Apple's new MacBook Pro range and specs here.