New Mac Notebooks Weigh Less, Do More, Cost Same

Steve Jobs rolled out redesigns of Apple’s MacBook line today, adding many desired features such as iPhone-type trackpads and better video cards, Ars Technica reports. A new entry into the line of flat-panel monitors was also unveiled. Though prices remain the same for each laptop (except the entry-level MacBook), new manufacturing practices and suppliers promise lighter weights and improved functionality.

Chief among the advances touted by Apple is a lightweight “unibody” case milled from a solid slab of aluminum. “It's not only light, it's incredibly strong,” an Apple VP said, and is available on the MacBook Pro. Both the Pro and the standard MacBook will have the multi-touch trackpad familiar from Apple’s handheld products; they also have nVidia cards Jobs said would boost graphics performance. (More Steve Jobs stories.)